Page 3 of Audon

Making his way home, he decided to go out to his studio and have a look around. He never invited his family out to the place but his mom, and she would often come around just to hang out with him. It was the best part of having a place of his own. His mom could come out and have a little bit of fun with him. She was in love with the canvas he was working on, and that made him smile. As he was mixing paints to work on it, he thought of the last time he’d had a date.

It had been about two years now since he’d gone on a date with anyone more than one time. He didn’t have any trouble getting a date, but it was having fun on one that made him feel like he was doing something wrong. He’d heard that one of his brothers had dated a woman who had been upset that he’d not taken her on his jet and gone to someplace special. None of them owned a jet, and he doubted they ever would. They were wealthy, but they didn’t flash it around.

Their parents had taught them that from the very beginning. Just because you have it didn’t mean you had to flaunt it around. He’d been living by that saying since he’d been old enough to realize that most people, women and men, only saw him as dollar signs and nothing more. That’s what took the fun out of dating for him.

It was nearly two in the morning when he was finished for the day. He’d been working on the canvas for the last several hours, and he could see it was coming together. As he was cleaning up his brushes and paints, he looked at what he’d gotten done and wondered why the first thing that popped into his mind was what some woman would think about it if they could see it now. He had no idea where that thought had come from, but it made him smile. No woman was going to want him because he was set in his ways. Not only that, but he was also more comfortable being covered in paint and other media than he was for wooing a woman. She’d have to be really boring to want to be dating him. He thought that he was the most boring of all his brothers. Then there was the fact that he had to travel a great deal. Women would get in the way of that; they’d want to be hanging on his side, and he didn’t like clingy women. That was another reason for him not dating too much; he didn’t care for women that were out for one thing, and that was what he could give them. He wanted someday to have a relationship with a woman who knew his worth, and he didn’t mean money.

It took him another hour to clean up and get a shower. As he was changing into his clothing to go back to the house, he thought of all the women that were in his family. They’d all kick his ass if he were to tell them how he felt about women. They loved him, but they’d have no trouble taking him to task.

Getting into his bedroom, he took off all his clothing and got into bed. After checking to make sure that his flip phone was charging—he really needed to get himself a new phone—he lay down on his bed and put his hands behind his head. Tomorrow he would get things going for another art project that would be going to the March show in Europe, and he was glad to have plenty of time to get it finished. The canvas, what he might end up calling the work he’d worked on tonight, wasn’t going to be for this show or the next three. It would have to dry first, and that might take as much as a year to get done. Closing his eyes, he was ready for sleep even when he realized that he’d left his bedside light on. Not caring, he was sleeping before he rolled over and closed his eyes.

Waking in the middle of the morning to go to the bathroom, he nearly forgot that he and Stamos had an appointment at two. Since it was nearly nine now, he decided to get another shower and get dressed. He didn’t have any staff in the condo, though someone did come in and clean up after him once a week. Not that he was messy, but he did need someone to dust and pick up his papers for him. Audon was out the door in plenty of time to get himself some breakfast and get going to his brother’s condo. Today was going to be a good day; he just knew it.

“I wouldn’t allow my dog to live in that place if I had one.” He agreed with Stamos and told him that the house was bad. “There is so much cat hair on everything that I was surprised when they told us that no animal had lived in the house. They were both covered in cat hair. And if they didn’t have an animal, why was there a litter box in the laundry room? It would take years to get that out of the carpets. You’d have to have them pulled up and replaced, and I’m not even sure that would do any good.”

“I agree.” He laughed. “When you pointed out the litter box, I thought they were going to have a heart attack. He said they forgot about it. Forgot what? That they had a cat or that they had a litter box should have been hidden away? That’ll make me laugh for weeks. He forgot.”

They were headed to the second house when the realtor told them that she had a house that just came on the market. She told them that it wasn’t as big as they were looking for, but it was in a nice neighborhood and had good schools. They didn’t want anything smaller than four bedrooms, but this house had three. They were willing to go and see it as soon as they saw the other house on their list.

The second house seemed to be perfect. While the yard could use some work, the rest of the house was really nice. The kitchen had been just updated, and there were no carpets throughout the house. Audon didn’t care for carpet in the first place and was glad that this house seemed to not have much in the way of things wrong with it. As they were touring the kitchen for the second time, Stamos said that it came with ten acres.

“We could always expand on this place if we wanted.” He told him he thought that six bedrooms were enough. “I know, but I plan on having a bunch of kids if my wife will give them to me. I want at least six.”

“What will you do if she only wants a couple?” He shrugged and said that they’d work out something. “I hope you remember that when she comes along. I’ve noticed that the other married brothers are willing to do anything for their wives, including only having a child or two. They’re sappy happy.”

“I’ve noticed that as well.” When they got back in their car, making an offer on the house from Stamos, he hoped that he next house was going to be expandable too. He wanted plenty of room to spread out, and he wondered what his own wife would say—if he ever got one—when he wanted a dozen or so kids. Laughing to himself, he decided that he wasn’t going to like the house but would see it anyway.

Chapter 2

Looking over the bill, she couldn’t believe that it hadn’t been paid yet. The work had been done six months ago, and she’d been there when the art was unveiled. It must have gotten put under something and forgotten about until now. Taking out the large checkbook, she wrote out a check right then and decided that she’d hand-deliver it rather than have it get stuck in the mail for weeks on end. Snail mail, or just regular mail, she supposed, wasn’t very fast when something was as important as paying a bill.

“I can take it.” She looked up at Bruno. “I’m going into town, and I can run it by his place. I’ve known Audon for years now, and we’ve had a few beers together over the years.”

“I can’t believe they didn’t pay it.” He shrugged and said shit happens. “That’s your comment on all kinds of things. What will he say when it’s taken us six months to pay the bill?”

“He’ll say thanks and go about his business. He’s a lot like you. He doesn’t really need the money and more than likely forgot that he’d not been paid.” She told him that she’d know if she’d not been paid. “Unlike you, he doesn’t fret over money. I think the last time I spoke to him he had three commission checks on his fridge that hadn’t been cashed yet. Like I said, he doesn’t get all bogged down in people paying him for what more than likely only took him a few days to do.”

“Well, I love it. The wall, I mean. It’s something that makes the room perfect for Lizzy.” She thought about Lizzy and how she’d been smiling at her last night. “If you take this to him, will you explain about not finding it until this morning? I don’t want any hard feelings between us. I might need him to do her room again when she’s older.”

“I’m sure that he’ll understand. He’s more than likely heard about the accident from his family.” She told him that everyone must have heard about the accident. “Yes, you’d think that the way they keep running articles about it in the paper. How are you dealing with things? I see you every day, Trin, but I don’t know that we talk much about what you’re feeling.”

“I’m getting there. It’s only been six weeks since they died.” She looked at her dearest friend in the world. “I miss them, especially Milly. Robert was all right, but I miss Milly so much. Do you suppose there will be a time when I don’t think about them and start to cry?”

“It’ll get easier.” She nodded, fighting the tears now. “I’ll leave you to it. If you’re going to still go out tonight, I’ll be around.”

“I wish you would just go with me. I need a man on my arm like I need another hole in my head. But I can put up with you.” He laughed, and she smiled at him. “It’s just going to be dinner and drinks. Then the awards part. Two hours tops.”

“I have to wear a suit.” She told him she’d pay for him to get a tux. “Today? It will cost you a fortune to have a tux made on such short notice.”

“It’ll be worth it to have you ready to go the next time I need a person to go with me. Robert was going to go with me but…Well, he can’t now. So you would be perfect. There are still a few hours left before we have to leave.” He growled at her. “Come on. I’ll even pay you to go with me.”

“I’ll go, but I don’t like it.” She got up from the desk and went around to kiss him on the cheek. “Tell me where I have to go and I’ll go. But again, I don’t like this. I don’t even know why you’re going.”

“I’m getting an award.” He asked her for what. “Humanitarian of the year. I guess I donate a few bucks more than anyone else.” She waved him off when he looked impressed. “Don’t be like that. I have to donate so that I can afford to live. You know how it is.”

“You are a wonderful person. And it would be my honor to go with you. However, I’m not going to be able to go with you every time. You know as well as I do that Patty isn’t going to be happy with me going out with you.”

“I keep telling you that you can do better than her.” He told her that she loved him. “But you don’t love her. Please keep it simple with her, Bruno. She won’t let us be friends now. Can you imagine what she’ll do to our friendship when you get married? If you get married.”