Fan Fiction ❯ For One To Trust ❯ Chapter One: Working Late ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

For One To Trust
By Kimberly Lucker
All characters and parts of this story are original so don't take them!

There once was a woman who lived all alone in New York City. Her name was Crystal Nicola and she was only 22. She was attractive but not outrageously so. She had long crisp brown hair that fanned out about her waist. She had emerald green eyes. Crystal's love life was non-existent. The few dates she had were with those men that were so horrible that they were the lowest life form. She wore mainly all black because she still mourned her parents' death. She hated the city and hated her life. She especially hated her job mostly because of her boss. She just wanted to escape and she was given a once in a lifetime opportunity to do so.


Chapter 1: Working Late

Crystal walked to work like she always did. She took brisk steps to keep up with the rustling, bustling flow of New Yorkers. Her stride was firm and confident even though she was anything but that. Crystal was a scared little girl trapped in the body of a beautiful woman, which no man would pass up the chance to flirt with. Her long black coat flapped in the strong wind. Some men turned as she walked by. She turned the corner to Spruce Street and dropped a couple bucks in the homeless guy's hat as she always dis. Her work was only four blocks away and she always did enjoy her walk.

She was all made up so she could sell art. Her boss, Jake, was a sexist pig who hired Crystal for her bust not her NYU degree in art. He repeatedly told her to doll herself up for the customers. The term customers couldn't begin to describe them. If they weren't rich snotty women, they were filthy rich obnoxious bachelors. Sometimes Crystal felt like a prostitute, not an art specialist, but if you consider sex an art, than prostitutes are art specialists.

Crystal entered the small studio building. Her boss, a dark haired man, about 30, with small beady eyes, greeted her upon entrance. He critised her for wearing slacks and not a skirt. Crystal would never show him any leg, no matter how much he threatened to fire her. He took her coat and looked her over. His childish grin showed his approval.

She hated Jake with a passion, but she could say she hated the entire male gender. Jake reminded Crystal of Steve, Dylan, Craig, and almost every other jerk she had dated. She had horrible luck with men. She had always fallen for that suave sophisticate who turned out to be a complete jackass. Jake has that feel to him, but he showed early off how much a jackass he was. At least, he didn't try to hide it.

Crystal hated how Jake always gawked at her with his crooked grin. If he wasn't her boss, Crystal would have dealt with him, she would of kicked him, right there.

Jake told her to follow him to the gallery. His voice deep but scratchy. It sounded like sandpaper on wood. It was normal to do when they had received new art. He began to rave about this new collection he obtained. They walked upstairs to the main gallery room. The moment he turned the light on, Crystal was in awe of the new collection. It was unlike anything she had come across, and she had seen many. It was a five painting set of landscapes. They looked so real but it was a fantasiful world. Jake watched, smirking at her enthusiasm for the paintings.

Crystal walked looking at the first painting. Crystal begun her analysis of the first painting and mumbled something about neo-classical revolution. She began to jot notes in her spiral notepad. Crystal turned to Jake, her brown hair following.

"Where did you obtain these?" Crystal asked, still continuing notes.

"Ah, that is my little secret. It is anonymous so try to price them." Jake ordered exiting the room.

The first painting was a landscape of an ancient city. It looked like there was an imperial style palace in the center of the city. It was an evening landscape. The city was made of ivory and the moonlight reflected perfectly off the smooth surface.

The second was another evening landscape. It was of a forest filled with healthy trees. The trees stretched up over forty feet. When she looked closely, she could see huts high up in the trees, a forest city. The trees were green and beautiful shaped forming a canopy.

The third was a simple waterscape, but the water seemed to glow silver. It was a sunset waterscape. The water stretched across the entirety of the canvas. It was a very large body of water, an ocean perhaps.

The fourth was of a desert with black sand. The sun was at its peak. The black sands formed huge sand dunes that were very steep and beautifully sculpted. The sand was rippled in some places.

The last was of a beautiful golden temple with several symbols on the side. The temple was of a style that you would imagine the Mayans used. There were over a hundred steps to a small doorway near the top. The sun reflected of the temple making a flash of golden light.

Each painting looked like the painter was actually there to paint it. They actually reminded Crystal of her own style. She took notes on each and every painting. She immersed herself in her work for this was the only part of the job she enjoyed. If it wasn't for the beautiful art Jake seemed to mysteriously acquire, Crystal would of quit long ago and filed for sexual harassment. Hours passed, as she critically analyzed each painting, searching for clues to their origin.

Jake entered to check up on Crystal. He watched her for awhile before making his presence known.

"Did you price them, yet?" Jake asked with a slight smirk.

"They are truly unlike anything I have ever seen. It would be impossible to put a price on something like this. They are so beautiful," She told him truthfully, her green eyes seemed to sparkle with wonder at the paintings.

"Take them, then."

She turned quickly, her hair flinging behind, "I couldn't! They must be priceless!"

"Well, dear, I need something with a price. Now sell the Johansen block and they are yours."

The Johansen block was a set of eight abstract paintings that were positively hideous. The painter had no idea what abstract meant when he painted these. The colors were all wrong and it had no artistic value whatsoever. Crystal would have to pull some major stings to get that junk called art sold.

"Blake will be here shortly. Try to coax him into buying it," Jake smiled devilishly.

Blake was a snobbish rich jerk who hit on Crystal every chance he got. Jake and Blake were good friends for obvious reasons. But for a rich jerk, he knew art. It would take a pure miracle to trick Blake into buying such inartistic paintings.

Blake entered in his blue suit and his short blond hair covered in gel, his usual boring style.

"Miss Crystal, always a pleasure," Blake said taking Crystal's soft pale hand to his lips.

Crystal smiled, grinding her teeth together to restrain herself from beating him to a bloody pulp.

"Blake, Crystal will handle you today." Jake said leaving Crystal with the young rich man much to Crystal's dismay. It would of been better if Jake had stayed.

"And what do you have to show me today?" Blake smiled almost sweetly at Crystal. Crystal wouldn't fall for that fake smile, not again. She knew that smile all too well.

Crystal led him to the Johansen block. Blake smirked and almost laughed at the paintings.

"They are really quite unusual," Crystal started to lie to sell the junk.

"Unusual? I'd say they are completely grotesque." Blake's eyes wandered through the gallery.

"They have a certain je ne sais quoi to them." Crystal had Blake direct his attention back to the Johansen block.

Blake began to smirk at Crystal, "How much for this... art?"
"100 grand." Crystal stated simply.

"If I buy these painting, will you go with me to dinner?" Blake looked to Crystal his hazel eyes sparkling with desire.

"Dinner?" Crystal thought about those beautiful landscapes, "Just dinner?"

"No strings attached. Except you have to dress up, of course." Blake smiled probably with the thought of Crystal in a dress.

"Fine, just buy the damn paintings," Crystal gritted her teeth at the stupid smirk Blake was giving her.

Blake said with his gruff sly voice, "What's Jake giving you for this sale?"

Crystal led Blake into the gallery where her paintings were displayed, "These."

"Beautiful," Blake looked at the paintings intrigued, "I guess it's worth dinner."

"I have fallen in love with these paintings."

"They are unique. I envy them." Blake rubbed his goatee, admiring the paintings.

Crystal's cheeks turned a light red, "What do you mean?"

"Those paintings will get to see you each and every day and the fact that you love them." Blake's pearly whites shown once more.

"Dinner, that's it?" Crystal questioned again.

"Yes, I just want your company. It gets lonely sometimes." Blake said with utterly fake sincerity.

"Where are we going?" Crystal began her interrogation.

"I'll pick you up at seven." Blake pulled out his checkbook and gave her the check filled out for a hundred thousand dollars, "Have them delivered."

"Thank you, Blake," Crystal said with a gentle tone using her very own fake sincerity on him.

Crystal took her newly acquired paintings home to her single studio apartment. It was pretty ordinary looking. She had canvases strewn all over the floor. She had paints all over the tables except for her desk, which she had a few photographs on and sketches. She hung the paintings up on her empty walls and by the time she was done it was six fifteen.

"Oh, hell!" Crystal said when she noticed the time. She rushed getting ready for dinner. The doorbell rang at six forty-five.

"Early, oh bloody hell!" Crystal tripped trying to get her high heels on. "Come in, I'm just getting ready!" Crystal shouted from the back changing room.

Blake entered her petite apartment. He was wearing a black tuxedo and held a single lavender rose. He picked up a picture off her desk. It was of her college class. She never smiled not even in pictures. Blake sighed, the only time he saw her even slightly smile was when she was looking at those paintings.

She came out from the back room. She had on a killer black evening gown that was cut in all the right places. Blake's smile returned when he saw her.

"You look stunning, Crystal." He handed her the lavender rose with a slight bow, looking her up and down, no doubt.

"Lavender?" Crystal put the rose in the vase, surprised it wasn't red.

"You like lavender, don't you?" Blake asked.

"Yes," Crystal picked up her purse.

"Shall we go?" Blake offered his arm.

She stared at his arm for a minute and then finally took it, "Sure."

He took her to the fanciest restaurant in town. This place used the finest crystal wares. Only the most influential people could eat at a place like this. Crystal was uncomfortable being in such a fancy place. Blake's hazel eyes sparkled as he sat in the perfect light. Crystal hadn't ever noticed the man's true beauty, but she knew him. He was a snake, they always were.

It was an Italian restaurant where all the waiters spoke Italian and the menu Crystal was totally unable to comprehend. So Blake ordered for Crystal who was definitely feeling out of place. While waiting for the food, Blake stared at Crystal.

"Do you have any family?" Blake broke the deafening silence.

Crystal shook her head, "My parents died when I was fifteen."

"Then you must have had a full scholarship to NYU."

"Yes and I had the money my parents had saved up for me. Can we change the subject?"

The food finally came. It was lasagna, good lasagna, expensive lasagna. Lasagna was Crystal's favorite food.

By the end of the meal, Crystal and Blake were talking and Crystal was actually starting to enjoy his company. He seemed to know exactly what to talk about. Blake stood and asked her for a dance. She agreed and he led her to the dance floor. Pachelbel's Cannon in D began to play as soon as they stepped onto the dance floor. Crystal was surprised that her favorite classical song just happened to be playing.

Blake took her carefully into his arms. She was uncertain about dancing in a fancy place like this because she wasn't the greatest dancer and they were the only ones on the dance floor. Had he set this up? Blake was definitely a good dancer, what Crystal lacked Blake made up for it ten-fold.

When they sat back down, Crystal began to question the perfection of the evening, "How did you know my favorite color, my favorite classical song, my favorite food and exactly what to talk about?"

"I did my research," Blake smirked.

"You did, what?!?" Crystal stormed off into the rain.

Blake went after her but she shoved him away, weakly, upset that her prince charming was just what she thought him to be.

"I knew it was too good. You are a snake."

"I'm a snake because I looked up information on you. Dear, give me a break! You'll never get a husband with that attitude."

"Keep away from me. I'll walk!" Crystal walked in the rain towards her apartment, two blocks away.

"I'll walk with you," Blake took off his jacket and held it over Crystal's head.

"Blake! Thank you for dinner but take a hint!"

"I'm not leaving until you are safely home. Or did you forget what happened, last time you were out this late?"

"Go away!" Crystal whipped around and slipped on the slick sidewalk. Blake caught her before she hit the ground.

"Are you alright?" Blake asked concerned.

"Yes," she tried to stand but her ankle hurt.

"You can barely stand!" Blake helped her brace herself.

"I'm fine," Crystal limped, "It's just twisted."

"Fine," Blake finally took the hint and backed off, "It's not healthy to close yourself from the world."

"You think you understand? But you don't have a clue!" Crystal walked home in the rain.

Crystal took a shower and put on a nightgown. She stared at the painting of the ancient city.

"I hate New York. I wish I stayed in Rhode Island. No, I wish I wasn't even here!" Crystal wished.

A golden yellow light surrounded her.