Secret Smiles and Three Little Words Pt. 15

"I want you to paint me a mural," Gabby told her again. "Something dramatic! Something that people will be talking about for months afterward."

"Uh," Alex gasped.

"Can you do a mural?" Gabby asked her sensing her hesitation.

"I probably could," Alex stammered. "I mean I've never done one but, I could."

"Of course she could!" Gavin assured Gabby. "Just where were you thinking of putting this mural?" Taking over for the speechless Alex.

"At the entrance to Centennial Park," she told him realizing Alex was overwhelmed. "The first thing people will see as they enter the Expo."

"Holy shit," Alex whispered.

"Can you sketch me some ideas?" Gabby asked her. Alex could do nothing but nod. "Fantastic!" Gabby winked at her happily. "So you will take the job?"

"Of course! It would be an honor!" Alex gushed.

"Great!" Gabby exhaled deeply. "I hate to rush you, but I'm getting hammered by the mayor about final touches. So I need something really quick if you can, not a final draft or anything just something to pacify him for the time being!"

"Oh my God," Alex shook her head and looked down. "I'll try and have something in a couple of days!"

"That would be great!" Gabby exhaled. "Have you ever met the mayor?"

"God no!" Alex laughed. "I mean, I haven't had the honor!"

"Well, that I can fix, I have a meeting on Thursday. Can you join me?" Gabby asked her.

"I...I...," Alex was flabbergasted.

"Of course she can," Gavin said for her. Gabby nodded and began to walk away.

"Anything in particular you want?" Alex asked her.

"Well the theme is Chicago then, now, and forever," Gabby told her. "So impress me!" Alex nodded with a weak smile as her mind went blank. "I get the feeling you won't disappoint!"

Driving home after the show, Alex looked at the check in her hands. It was the most money she had ever earned in a year, let alone one night. It was more money than multiple years! She felt this was all a dream, Gavin, the showing, the money. The Expo! The last thought made her stomach flutter with excitement.

"You ok?" he asked her with a smile.

"I don't know how to thank you!" Alex said with reverence.

"You just did," he smiled. "I told you that you would be great."

"Sometimes it's hard to believe that anyone likes my stuff!" Alex told him turning to him.

"You shouldn't doubt," he said kissing her hand. He held it after doing so making her weak in the knees at his subtle loving gestures.

"I have doubted everything since you entered my life," Alex smiled. "It's all so overwhelming!"

She frowned as he was driving to her apartment instead of his condo.

"Why are you taking me home?" she asked him.

"Because, Gabby needs you to work," he smiled. "If I take you to my place, you won't be working!" he teased with a bright smile.

"Well, not on art anyway!" she laughed with him.

"Exactly," he smiled with a nod. "You have any ideas?"

"A million," Alex nodded. "None of them good enough to be on a mural at the opening of the Chicago Expo!"

"You'll be fine," he said with a shake of his head.

Walking her up to her apartment she unlocked the door. She turned when he didn't follow her in.

"You're not coming in?" she asked him disappointed.

"No," he said firmly. "You need your sleep. You haven't slept all week because of the worry for this show. I don't want you wearing yourself down and getting sick. You have a great opportunity. It only comes once in a lifetime, so we can't be having you sick."

"But," she began. "I need you." She said with a naughty smile.

"Not tonight, little one," he said with a gentle hand to her face. She knew when he used his pet name for her that it wasn't to be argued with. "Try and get some sleep." She nodded with a frown.

He could feel the disappointment in her. He sighed.

"I'll make a deal with you," he smiled. She lifted her eyes to his. "Get some sleep tonight, and I'll take you to a party tomorrow night. Deal?"

"What kind of party?" Alex asked hoping it was similar to her last party.

"A good one," he smiled kissing her lips gently. She gasped into his lips.

"Deal," she smiled into his lips. "Hey," she said pulling back. "I don't think the antibiotics you gave Elizabeth are working."

"What antibiotics?" Gavin asked her his face hardening.

"The antibiotics for the cut...on her foot," Alex said slowly, reading his angered expression. Elizabeth had told her that Gavin had given her antibiotics to help her injured foot. Now she was wondering if that was the truth. Why Elizabeth would lie to her, and what that meant to Gavin?

"I didn't know anything about a cut," Gavin growled.

"She cut her foot in New Orleans when she was there," Alex told him causing him to look to the hallway ceiling. "She said she told you." Alex whispered.

"No, she most certainly did not," Gavin told her firmly. "Don't worry, I'll look at it when I get home."

"Don't be angry," Alex tried to save Elizabeth from what was going to be a severe reprimand. "She knew you were busy helping with this showing!"

"That is irrelevant!" Gavin barked.

"Shit, I should have just kept my mouth shut!" Alex hissed.

"No, you guys do not get to keep things from me," Gavin said firmly taking her by the chin for emphasis. His eyes were hard and angry. "Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sir," she swallowed hard. He kissed her goodnight and left her standing in the doorway. She closed the door and leaned against it. She thought of warning Elizabeth but she wondered why Elizabeth would lie to her? She said she had shown it to Gavin, that day when she noticed the limp in the kitchen there in the condo. Now it appeared she had lied about it. Why?

Gavin walked into the condo and found Elizabeth in bed working on the computer. He pulled the sheet down and she smiled at his demeanor thinking he was in the mood for a rough fuck by the way he ripped the sheets from the bed. Her smile vanished when he looked to her injured foot.

"It's infected," Gavin growled examining it. The wound had a honey colored crusting of the skin, surrounding the bright red dot in the center. "What antibiotic are you taking?"

"Just a cream I got at the walk in clinic," Elizabeth whispered. She feared this. Alex must have said something. "It's nothing. You were busy with getting Alex set up."

"Fuck you," he told her. "This is an injection site." Elizabeth closed her eyes. "Do you take me for a fool? I have dealt with addicts before, I know the secret places to inject yourself to keep it hidden!"

"No," she whispered. "Of course not."

"Then explain," he demanded. "Because now, you have a staph infection."

"I'm not sure I want to," Elizabeth whispered setting her computer to the side. "I'm sorry, I made a mistake."

"By taking drugs or not telling me?" Gavin asked her, crossing his arms across his chest. His temper was spiraling out of control. Flashbacks of his past flooded his mind as this conversation was had before. Different girl. Same words.

"Both," she said looking at the foot.

She wanted to hide if from him and make this all go away. He walked out of the room and she shook her head. Here it comes. She had been dreading it for weeks now. He had been so wrapped up in Alex's showing that he hadn't paid a great deal of attention to her. Part of which angered her and part of which relieved her. If he wasn't paying attention to her she had time to heal her infected toe. But it wasn't going away.

He came back in with a glass of water and handed her pills. She took them without questioning them.

"Penicillin," he told her as she handed the glass back to him. She nodded.

"I'm sorry," she said again.

"What did you take?" he asked her sitting on the bed and putting his face in his hands. This is why he wanted only one sub, his focus was on Alex and he lost sight of Elizabeth. Something that he was angry with himself about.

"I told you," she said softly. "A cream that the clinic...,"

"No," he cut her off. "What did you inject?"

"H," she whispered dropping her head. This kicked him in the stomach as all the memories flooded him and he wanted to run from the room screaming like a mad man! His heavy legs would have made that impossible.

"Get out of my bed," he barked harshly. "Sleep in the guest room."

"Yes, sir," she whispered. She winced when she stood. He saw the wince so he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the guest room. He gruffly put her in the bed and she couldn't look him in the eye. He turned from her and stalked away angrily.

"Elizabeth," he said from the doorway. "You need to make a decision. You know you aren't allowed to do drugs. It is forbidden. If you stay, there will be consequences. If you are more interested in the drugs, be gone."

"I have made my decision already," she whispered. She might as well get it all out at once.

"Fine," he told her knowing that already. "I will help you get set up in an apartment."

"Thank you, Sir," she whispered as the tear fell.

"Is there anything else I need to know?" he asked her.

"No," she told him wiping the tear away as it streaked down her face. "Nothing that needs to be said." He turned to her.

"You fucked someone," he stated with cold eyes. She nodded.

"I release you from your vow to me," she whispered before he could launch into his tirade. "I am no longer your sub."

"Then I release you from your promise," Gavin whispered back. He expected it, her infidelity to him, but it still took his breath away. "But it seems that promise was only semi intact."

"That's not fair," she whispered.

"No, what's not fair, is the way you are ending this," he said to her firmly. "I hope you make a better decision than Royce." She looked up to him with a mixture of shock and fear in her eyes.

"Please," He said a disgusted growl that she would even begin to believe that he wouldn't know. The surprise on her face angered him.