Status: Updated weekly
Perfect
Deal
Ray carefully re-parked his Audi, making certain that this time, the spaces on each side were perfectly even.
He glanced down at his watch, dark hair falling in his eyes as he made a mental note to have Kellsy schedule a haircut for him. It was nearing 8:00 and he knew that he would be walking through the studio doors precisely on time as usual.
Ray was sort of peculiar. He was a perfectionist.
He couldn’t be in a relationship with anyone because no one ever lived up to his high standards. He constantly fired his employees for being unsatisfactory. He didn’t even speak to his parents because they weren’t good enough for him.
He also loved control. If he couldn’t control whether something was perfect or not, he didn’t want anything to do with it.
What he could control, or what he could make perfect, was his art. He was well known for the perfection of his pieces. No critic could ever find a flaw in his paintings.
He smiled to himself as he approached the studio doors, feeling quite proud of himself. His face fell as soon as he pushed at the double doors, hearing them creak as they swung open. He intended to take this imperfection up with his staff, he couldn’t be bothered with a creaky door every day.
Striding confidently down the hall, Ray passed by a few of his most popular paintings adorning the walls. They were all so beautiful, each with their own unique colors and perfect lines.
Kellsy stood up abruptly at her small desk as Ray approached, taking his leather jacket and giving him the day’s list of appointments. Ray’s good mood was dampened by the thought of all the many clients coming in asking him for bizarre things. He hated being told what to paint. But he learned early in his career that it was the best way to get business. He took the client’s ideas and painted them to perfection.
Done examining the list of meetings, he looked up at Kellsy, who had been caught staring at him. Her cheeks flushed as he continued to look at her, analyzing her imperfections.
“Kellsy, my first meeting is at 8:45, by 8:30 precisely, I’ll need his file, along with any phone messages I’ve received since Friday.” His tone was clipped, making her flinch.
“Y-yes, Mr. Monroe” What an awful stutter, Ray thought. He had watched her mouth move as she spoke. What thin lips, he shook his head as he breezed past her into his office.
The morning was dull, sitting through meeting after meeting. Ray was readying himself for his lunch break when his office door burst open, and striding into his office were three unexpected, unwelcome visitors. There was a man and a woman, both whom Ray had never met, and a very flustered Kellsy chasing after them.
They all halted simultaneously looking up to see Ray glaring at the three in a very intimidating way. They all waited for him to say something, but the tension grew as Ray just tightened his mouth and narrowed his green eyes.
Kellsy spoke up. “I’m so sorry Mr. Monroe, I told them your appointments were done for today and that you don’t take walk-ins-.”
Ray held up a hand to silence her. His gaze shifted to the man holding a young woman by the wrist. He appeared to be some sort of business man, his light hair gelled to the side, his navy suit wrinkle-free, and his silver Rolex gleaming in the dim light of the office lamps. But still no one who was important enough to interrupt his afternoon.
He then looked at the young girl next to him and tried hard to contain his shock.
Ray knew he had never seen a woman so...perfect.
Her dark brown hair was pulled back in a messy bun, her skin was smooth and ivory, aside from the lovely pink that came to her cheeks as she realized Ray was staring at her. Her features all delicate and symmetric, high cheekbones, full lips, gray eyes looking toward her feet.
Ray finally caught himself gawking at her and turned his attention back to the young business man next to her.
“I’m so sorry, I know you must have gone through a lot of trouble to get to see me. I apologize for my assistant’s lack of compassion.” Ray stood up gracefully from his chair and strolled confidently around his desk, extending his hand to the man. Kellsy exited silently, closing the door shut behind her.
The man let go of the perfect woman next to him and took Ray’s hand firmly with a serious look on his face. “Mr. Monroe, thank you for understanding. We’ve been trying for weeks to schedule an appointment but you’re always booked.” The man withdrew his hand and cleared his throat. “Oh excuse my manners. I’m Dr. Garret Hill, My office is across town. I’ve been a therapist for years now. I have to tell you, I never thought I would be turning to an artist to help a patient.
“This is Ashton.” He gestured toward the girl beside him. She still had her eyes on her sneakers, small tendrils of hair falling in her face.
Ray nodded toward Dr. Hill and politely asked his guests to take a seat. He sat back down in his leather chair in front of them, clasping his hands together and resting them on his lap. He was trying to seem relaxed, though it bothered him immensely that these two had interrupted the perfect flow of his day. He glanced at his watch. 12:15. They’d already taken up 15 minutes of his day and he didn’t even know what they wanted. But then a thought whispered in his mind making him surprised at himself.
I’d give up any amount of time for that girl.
Ray ignored his thoughts, focusing on the task at hand.
“So, what is it that brings you here today, Dr. Hill?”
“Well Mr. Monroe, I have a very odd request.” Dr. Hill straightened his tie and leaned forward. “You see, Ashton has been a patient of mine for a couple of years now and unlike most of my patients, she hasn’t been getting any better. She’s very insecure about herself and I’ve tried everything to rid her of her low self-esteem. The reasons her problems are so deeply rooted-“ He glanced back at Ashton, who was digging her nails into her thighs. “Well, I can’t disclose her personal information. I’ve been desperate to find a way to show her that she’s wrong about herself. I really do think you can help me.”
Ray pursed his lips. “And how exactly do I fit into this?”
“Well, Mr. Monroe, I’d like for you to paint her. In whatever way you know how. Do what you can to show how stunning she is. And then,” Garret paused. “I want you to auction off the painting to the highest bidder. I think it could really mean something to her that she knows that even complete strangers can appreciate her beauty.”
Ray gazed at the girl with sad eyes for a moment or two. He hated how this so-called doctor talked about her as if she weren’t even there. And how could she be so insecure? Her features were exquisite.
“And Ms. Ashton,” Her head shot up, surprised by the acknowledgment. Ray continued. “How do you feel about this?”
Ray half-expected the good doctor to speak for her, but fortunately, he let her speak.
“I trust Dr. Hill, though I doubt it will work.” her tone was indifferent.
Garret spoke up. “And of course you would keep the money. All we want is to diminish her insecurities.”
“And I can paint her however I want?”
“Well, yes. In any way you believe would work best. We need to get her a little out of her comfort zone as well. So you can pose her how you want, dress her how you want You can do as many paintings as you like. We just want to see if this will work.”
Ray considered this for a moment. He liked the idea of being able to paint her any way he wanted, most people would just tell him exactly how to paint them. He let himself look at Ashton again. She really was beautiful. He sighed and turned back to the doctor.
“You must understand that this will take some time to complete. I have many other obligations. This could take more than a month, if you want absolute perfection. I need time to pose her in different ways and decide which would best suit the situation. Then the painting is a pretty extensive process. You know I’ll have to charge you for my time.”
Garret nodded. “Yes, I have something worked out with my office and her parents. Money is not a concern here, Mr. Monroe. I’ve come prepared with the down payment.”
Ray smiled with satisfaction. “I’m glad to see that you’ve really thought this out. My works don’t come cheap though.”
“Of course.” Garret pulled out a large wad of cash, held together with a rubber band. “I’m sure this should be enough for a down payment.”
Ray undid the band and counted out several thousands of dollars. Again, his eyes went up to search Ashton’s face. She didn’t seem to be paying attention to the business transaction. He knew he had a lot of work cut out for him. But if it meant that maybe he could break through this girl’s protective shell, it was worth it to him. Ray was a little surprised to be thinking like this. He was never a very charitable man.
Ray turned his attention back to the money and then to Garret. “Okay, Doctor. You have a deal.”
He glanced down at his watch, dark hair falling in his eyes as he made a mental note to have Kellsy schedule a haircut for him. It was nearing 8:00 and he knew that he would be walking through the studio doors precisely on time as usual.
Ray was sort of peculiar. He was a perfectionist.
He couldn’t be in a relationship with anyone because no one ever lived up to his high standards. He constantly fired his employees for being unsatisfactory. He didn’t even speak to his parents because they weren’t good enough for him.
He also loved control. If he couldn’t control whether something was perfect or not, he didn’t want anything to do with it.
What he could control, or what he could make perfect, was his art. He was well known for the perfection of his pieces. No critic could ever find a flaw in his paintings.
He smiled to himself as he approached the studio doors, feeling quite proud of himself. His face fell as soon as he pushed at the double doors, hearing them creak as they swung open. He intended to take this imperfection up with his staff, he couldn’t be bothered with a creaky door every day.
Striding confidently down the hall, Ray passed by a few of his most popular paintings adorning the walls. They were all so beautiful, each with their own unique colors and perfect lines.
Kellsy stood up abruptly at her small desk as Ray approached, taking his leather jacket and giving him the day’s list of appointments. Ray’s good mood was dampened by the thought of all the many clients coming in asking him for bizarre things. He hated being told what to paint. But he learned early in his career that it was the best way to get business. He took the client’s ideas and painted them to perfection.
Done examining the list of meetings, he looked up at Kellsy, who had been caught staring at him. Her cheeks flushed as he continued to look at her, analyzing her imperfections.
“Kellsy, my first meeting is at 8:45, by 8:30 precisely, I’ll need his file, along with any phone messages I’ve received since Friday.” His tone was clipped, making her flinch.
“Y-yes, Mr. Monroe” What an awful stutter, Ray thought. He had watched her mouth move as she spoke. What thin lips, he shook his head as he breezed past her into his office.
The morning was dull, sitting through meeting after meeting. Ray was readying himself for his lunch break when his office door burst open, and striding into his office were three unexpected, unwelcome visitors. There was a man and a woman, both whom Ray had never met, and a very flustered Kellsy chasing after them.
They all halted simultaneously looking up to see Ray glaring at the three in a very intimidating way. They all waited for him to say something, but the tension grew as Ray just tightened his mouth and narrowed his green eyes.
Kellsy spoke up. “I’m so sorry Mr. Monroe, I told them your appointments were done for today and that you don’t take walk-ins-.”
Ray held up a hand to silence her. His gaze shifted to the man holding a young woman by the wrist. He appeared to be some sort of business man, his light hair gelled to the side, his navy suit wrinkle-free, and his silver Rolex gleaming in the dim light of the office lamps. But still no one who was important enough to interrupt his afternoon.
He then looked at the young girl next to him and tried hard to contain his shock.
Ray knew he had never seen a woman so...perfect.
Her dark brown hair was pulled back in a messy bun, her skin was smooth and ivory, aside from the lovely pink that came to her cheeks as she realized Ray was staring at her. Her features all delicate and symmetric, high cheekbones, full lips, gray eyes looking toward her feet.
Ray finally caught himself gawking at her and turned his attention back to the young business man next to her.
“I’m so sorry, I know you must have gone through a lot of trouble to get to see me. I apologize for my assistant’s lack of compassion.” Ray stood up gracefully from his chair and strolled confidently around his desk, extending his hand to the man. Kellsy exited silently, closing the door shut behind her.
The man let go of the perfect woman next to him and took Ray’s hand firmly with a serious look on his face. “Mr. Monroe, thank you for understanding. We’ve been trying for weeks to schedule an appointment but you’re always booked.” The man withdrew his hand and cleared his throat. “Oh excuse my manners. I’m Dr. Garret Hill, My office is across town. I’ve been a therapist for years now. I have to tell you, I never thought I would be turning to an artist to help a patient.
“This is Ashton.” He gestured toward the girl beside him. She still had her eyes on her sneakers, small tendrils of hair falling in her face.
Ray nodded toward Dr. Hill and politely asked his guests to take a seat. He sat back down in his leather chair in front of them, clasping his hands together and resting them on his lap. He was trying to seem relaxed, though it bothered him immensely that these two had interrupted the perfect flow of his day. He glanced at his watch. 12:15. They’d already taken up 15 minutes of his day and he didn’t even know what they wanted. But then a thought whispered in his mind making him surprised at himself.
I’d give up any amount of time for that girl.
Ray ignored his thoughts, focusing on the task at hand.
“So, what is it that brings you here today, Dr. Hill?”
“Well Mr. Monroe, I have a very odd request.” Dr. Hill straightened his tie and leaned forward. “You see, Ashton has been a patient of mine for a couple of years now and unlike most of my patients, she hasn’t been getting any better. She’s very insecure about herself and I’ve tried everything to rid her of her low self-esteem. The reasons her problems are so deeply rooted-“ He glanced back at Ashton, who was digging her nails into her thighs. “Well, I can’t disclose her personal information. I’ve been desperate to find a way to show her that she’s wrong about herself. I really do think you can help me.”
Ray pursed his lips. “And how exactly do I fit into this?”
“Well, Mr. Monroe, I’d like for you to paint her. In whatever way you know how. Do what you can to show how stunning she is. And then,” Garret paused. “I want you to auction off the painting to the highest bidder. I think it could really mean something to her that she knows that even complete strangers can appreciate her beauty.”
Ray gazed at the girl with sad eyes for a moment or two. He hated how this so-called doctor talked about her as if she weren’t even there. And how could she be so insecure? Her features were exquisite.
“And Ms. Ashton,” Her head shot up, surprised by the acknowledgment. Ray continued. “How do you feel about this?”
Ray half-expected the good doctor to speak for her, but fortunately, he let her speak.
“I trust Dr. Hill, though I doubt it will work.” her tone was indifferent.
Garret spoke up. “And of course you would keep the money. All we want is to diminish her insecurities.”
“And I can paint her however I want?”
“Well, yes. In any way you believe would work best. We need to get her a little out of her comfort zone as well. So you can pose her how you want, dress her how you want You can do as many paintings as you like. We just want to see if this will work.”
Ray considered this for a moment. He liked the idea of being able to paint her any way he wanted, most people would just tell him exactly how to paint them. He let himself look at Ashton again. She really was beautiful. He sighed and turned back to the doctor.
“You must understand that this will take some time to complete. I have many other obligations. This could take more than a month, if you want absolute perfection. I need time to pose her in different ways and decide which would best suit the situation. Then the painting is a pretty extensive process. You know I’ll have to charge you for my time.”
Garret nodded. “Yes, I have something worked out with my office and her parents. Money is not a concern here, Mr. Monroe. I’ve come prepared with the down payment.”
Ray smiled with satisfaction. “I’m glad to see that you’ve really thought this out. My works don’t come cheap though.”
“Of course.” Garret pulled out a large wad of cash, held together with a rubber band. “I’m sure this should be enough for a down payment.”
Ray undid the band and counted out several thousands of dollars. Again, his eyes went up to search Ashton’s face. She didn’t seem to be paying attention to the business transaction. He knew he had a lot of work cut out for him. But if it meant that maybe he could break through this girl’s protective shell, it was worth it to him. Ray was a little surprised to be thinking like this. He was never a very charitable man.
Ray turned his attention back to the money and then to Garret. “Okay, Doctor. You have a deal.”