Exhibitions Ch. 03

Looking back, I can't believe it's been over a year(!) since I posted chapter two. Fortunately, I have good friends who have kept after me to continue writing. Thanks to my editor, the very patient stevieraygovan, for not giving up on me.

I hope readers enjoy this. If you're new to it, no worries, it isn't entirely necessary to run and find the first two chapters, although I invite you to do so when you've finished here.

(c) 2012, All rights reserved

"There's a chip truck out there with our name on it. You haven't been to Montreal until you've tasted poutine!" Or so the redhead had stated confidently. Van looked at the gloppy, gravy-covered mess before him and wondered what he'd agreed to.

They'd spent much of their time exploring the city. Once in the traditional Vieille Ville, they walked for a while doing some window-shopping before getting lunch. They wandered about, checking out some of the shops, at last ending up in the park Anna had discovered a few days earlier. Finding the chip truck had been easy, but he really wasn't sure when he saw the final product, no matter how much he might find her pronunciation of "Montréal" sexy.

"So, what do you think?"

She watched him carefully consider the flavors and textures of the strange food.

He swallowed and said, "I think I need one more bite."

Knowing that he'd obviously decided he liked the unique dish, her laugh was a clear, light sound that tickled his ears. "Fine, honey, one more taste, then you need to tell me what you think of it."

Reaching into the small paper bowl, she selected a good-sized fry to swirl in the cheese curds, making sure it had plenty of gravy before raising it for her lover to take. With a laugh of his own, he accepted the fry, sucking her fingers into his mouth at the same time.

"Mmm," he sighed before declaring, "yeah, it's definitely better this way. They should always sell Anna-flavored poutine."

~*~*~

They left the hotel in high spirits. Exchanging a knowing glance with Marcel in the lobby, Van pulled Anna close for a lingering kiss. He teasingly reached for her skirt, raising the hem just enough to reveal the beginning curves of her smooth bottom.

Understanding what her man was doing, and why, she wiggled her hips before gently nipping at his lips. "You're so mean," she giggle-whispered.

Excusing herself, she made her way to the front desk where she spoke for several minutes with the clerk. While the young woman checked her computer, Anna turned and flashed a bright smile at her bewildered companion. Five minutes later, her business seemingly complete, she skipped across the lobby and hopped into his arms.

"Ready?"

"I am," he grinned, wrapping an arm around her slender waist.

Walking along Boulevard Levesque, it was already apparent it was going to be a beautiful, late spring day, perfectly suited for their full slate of plans. She wanted to show him around La Vielle Ville, sit in the park, and introduce him to poutine. He wanted to look around and do a little shopping, and he still had it in mind to get her a manicure.

Passing the Place d'Armes, a breeze kicked up, ruffling the hem of her light skirt. It didn't lift high enough to show anything to passersby, yet he was excited to note that she didn't react in panic, such as by using her arms to hold her skirt down. Instead, she continued walking, swinging their clasped hands happily; he thought she was almost singing.

Even in the early afternoon, there exists a magical charm on the narrow, cobbled streets of Old Montreal. Having once visited with some of her family, Anna wanted to share the quainter corners of the city with her lover. Steering him away from the tackier souvenir shops, she watched him discover the beauty of the centuries-old stone buildings.

She pulled out her camera, snapping random angles of ivy streamers, arched entryways and shuttered windows. A couple times, she managed to get glimpses of Van in her shots while he examined the architecture. She wanted to capture the intensity of his expression since she suspected he wasn't likely to be that serious about anything which didn't involve making her scream passionately for the rest of their stay.

"What do you think?"

"This is... amazing," he breathed.

Spring was in full bloom in the French-tinged city, and he was deeply moved by the beauty around him. He spent a few minutes drinking it in, looking for the words to best describe what he was seeing and thinking, knowing that he would fall short.

"It isn't Paris," he finally decided, "but I get the feeling it isn't trying to be, either."

"You're right about that." Her smile said she knew exactly what he meant. "Part of the thing with Montreal is that the French were originally here to trade, then after the British took it over and a bunch of fires, it became considerably less... French. They've done a lot in the last twenty or thirty years to bring that back."

"Well, I love it anyway. Thanks again for asking me to come up here with you." He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him. "This has been an incredible trip, even after only one night, and I can't wait to see what you've got planned for me today."

Leaning in for a kiss, he teased her lips for a moment before pressing his tongue into her mouth to play. She responded fully, melding her body to his and smiling when she felt him stiffening between their bodies.

"Baby," she purred, walking her fingers over the button on the waistband of his jeans, "I thought you said you wanted to see the city."

"I did say that." He rubbed himself against her while reaching to squeeze her ass. "However, this isn't an either/or situation."

He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so happy. Just walking down the street, knowing Anna was beside him made him feel ten feet tall. He took her hand, and she twined her fingers through his without missing a step.

His mood was infectious; she reached across her body to wrap her free hand around his arm just above his elbow. She pulled herself to his side and rubbed her cheek on his shoulder. "Have I told you how happy I am that we're here together?"

"You may have mentioned it."

"Really, it's a great city and I love being here, but... when you arrived at the gallery last night... it got immeasurably better."

"Did it?" He stopped, pulling her into another warm embrace. "Everything last night got better?"

A warm, teasing grin began to play on the corners of her mouth. "Well, I don't know about everything." Her voice was a low purr.

He saw a fire in her eyes and met it with a flash in his own. 'Damn,' he thought to himself, wondering whether she knew what she was capable of doing to him. Dropping his hands from her lower back to the upper curve of her ass, he held her hips to his.

Gently flexing his fingers on her hips, he covered her lips with his, brushing over them without entering into a full kiss. Going back to how she had greeted him at the gallery, he brought one hand skimming up her ribs. She gasped at the nearly imperceptible pressure of his hand as he stroked his thumb over her nipple.

"Oh, Van," she breathed.

He grinned. "I believe that we had some plans?" Remembering how she had teased him so mercilessly, he was prepared to draw things out with her for as long as possible. Since she had mentioned being hungry before they left their room, he decided to look for a likely restaurant for a light lunch.

Leaving their sightseeing behind for the time being, they headed toward the waterfront. It didn't take long for Van to realize that he wasn't going to find what he wanted on the water, so although the river was beautiful, he turned their wanderings back to the row of buildings immediately facing the docks.

"Are you looking for anything in particular?" she wondered.

"Not really." He had scanned a few of the menus outside doors as they walked past, but nothing was piquing his interest. "I'm thinking maybe something French, something... local."

"Oh, that should be easy enough." With a laugh, she added, "If you can't find an appealing French place here, you're not looking hard enough."

Out of the corner of her eye, Anna saw an alleyway that looked vaguely familiar.

"Let's try this," she suggested, tugging at his arm.

Van was briefly skeptical. "Here... are you sure?" The alley was narrow and dark; if he stretched his imagination, it could lead to an interesting little spot, or a true dive. He knew she'd been to the city before, so if she said to walk down a poorly marked alley, he'd give it a shot. Sure, there was a scrap of poster on the wall, but it was faded and in French, so he couldn't read it.

"Did you leave your spirit of adventure at the hotel?" She gave him a flirtatious wink and pulled him around the corner.

With a grin and a slow shake of his head, he followed, then laughed aloud. He should have known better than to question her instincts, for she was standing proudly before a small, intimate restaurant.

"Does this look like what you had in mind?"

"Perfect, Anna... it looks perfect. How did you know it was here?"

Tucking her hand into the crook of his elbow, she shrugged, saying, "I was in the city a few years ago with some friends. We never stopped here, but I thought I remembered it as being the kind of place I'd like to visit with the right person."

They were greeted by what might have been the perfect caricature of a French maitre d', were it not for his smiling grey eyes. "B'jour, mes amis. Bienvenue et..." he said, taking Anna's free hand and raising it for a respectful kiss, "...enchanté."

Before either man could react, she spoke. "Bon jour, m'sieur. J'ai voulu passer un bon après-midi avec mon amant, et nous avons besoin d'une petite table, assez tranquille, où nous pouvons être ensemble et... quel est le mot... uninterrupted."

"But of course, mademoiselle." He was immediately all business, yet still unfailingly polite; nevertheless she observed a slight change in his demeanor. "If you will come with me, I have just the table for your rendezvous."

Gathering a pair of menus, he led the grinning couple to a patio table. Set in the corner, it was also somewhat screened by a small cart. The maitre d' noticed the blond man's expression and shrugged nonchalantly. "It is a slow time of day... we won't need to move this cart. Also, you are not in view of the entry."

"It's perfect, thank you," replied Anna, nearly glowing with happiness.

Once they were seated with their menus, Van watched the staff scatter to their respective posts. He turned to his amused lover and shook his head. "Okay, spill it. What did you say to him?"

She flashed a coy grin. "Nothing special. I told him I wanted to spend an afternoon with my lover and that we needed a quiet, out of the way table."

Gazing across the small table, he took her hand. "You told him I'm your lover?"

"Well, aren't you?" She threaded her fingers through his once again.

"No wonder his attitude changed," he chuckled. With a light squeeze of her fingers, he added, "You're a remarkable woman."

A brunette appeared with glasses of water, asking if they wanted to order.

"I'm good with water," Van decided. "I'd like to start with the French Onion soup, but I'm not sure if I want anything else."

"Et, toi, ma belle? C'est quoi, ton plaisir?"

She flashed the waitress a lopsided grin and responded in French. "I'll have a kir and the small plate with four oysters. After, we'd like a carafe of water and... perhaps...." Looking across the table she asked, "What do you think? Do you want something light, or shall we go for something that'll stick with us during the day?"

"Let's keep it light, for now," he grinned. "I know you had something else in mind for later, so we don't need to load up right away. Besides, weren't we talking about doing some shopping?"

"Oh, thanks for reminding me." Ready to complete their order, she turned her bright smile back to Giselle, the pretty server. "We'll share the gibiers salad with a light vinaigrette. Merci."

"Excellente, c'est notre specialty," she declared, gathering the menus. "And your accent is really très mignonne." Offering a slight bow, the shorter, curvy woman tried to hide a flirtatious grin before taking their order to the kitchen.

"Do you want to tell me what you've ordered?"

She batted her eyes. "You don't want to be surprised?"

"I'm guessing you've ordered some sort of salad with a vinaigrette dressing, but the rest... I have no idea."

"Really, the rest of it was my appetizer and a light cocktail, although you're more than welcome to share with me."

He laughed at that, teasing her about how she was trying to trick him into eating something really disgusting. That only got her laughing to the point the enclosing walls rang with the delightful sound.

The interior courtyard, protected from direct heat by the surrounding building, was sufficiently warm for the spring day. Plenty of indirect lighting set a relaxed atmosphere for any diners who might discover the not-quite-hidden restaurant.

She wasn't sure what was driving her, but from somewhere within she could feel an immense energy roiling, ready to surface and push her to new limits. It was difficult to pinpoint what was behind her sudden desire for adventure, considering the roller coaster of the last twenty-four hours. Teasing and being teased in the gallery; the way he'd kept her on edge all evening, even pressing her to the restaurant window on the walk to their hotel; being displayed and fucked on the balcony in front of other guests – that was only the beginning.

That morning, she awoke to find that not only was there another man in the room, but he was being freely encouraged to ogle her naked body; an experience so far removed from her usual reality, it had initially frightened her. While there had been a brief moment of panic, wondering what was going to happen, her instinct had kicked in, telling her that Van would never let anyone hurt her, or ask her to do anything she wasn't willing to do.

He might press on his own behalf, but 'no' had always meant 'no' for them. It was the freedom he gave her that allowed her, in turn, the ability to explore some of the avenues he would suggest, but also to rediscover the fantasies she had hidden away. Despite a wild streak as a child, she had learned that her conservative community would only allow so much. So, in an effort to blend in, she had tried to bury her burgeoning sexuality.

Photography was one way she'd found to release herself. Interestingly, while she had started with, and still focused on, nature and cityscapes, she also knew she would never leave the erotic side of her art.

She recalled that it had been on a hiking trip with a cousin, the free-spirit of the family, when she realized it was normal to be curious about sex.

Thinking back, she remembered that Jessie had decided to take a break on the trail. Looking around, she declared, "It's damn hot, and there's no one around for miles." Much to Anna's shock, her cousin whipped off her sweaty t-shirt and stood with arms outstretched, back arched and face to the sky, letting the sun shine on her small breasts.

Dumbfounded, she let her cousin talk her into making the next leg of their hike topless. By the time they stopped for lunch, she was eager to join the other girl in stripping completely in the small clearing. They ate, drank their water and talked.

She could still clearly hear Jessie's suggestion to cool off in the creek, including, "Maybe you could get your camera, Anna, and we can take some pictures."

Anna would always regard some of those shots as her most treasured.

"Earth to Anna." His voice cut through her reverie. "You still with me, babe?"

A smile of secrets yet untold played on her lips. "I'm sorry about that. What were you saying?"

He watched her reach for the wineglass that had appeared while she was adrift in her past. "It was nothing, really. Where were you?"

Fully in the moment again and fired with the sudden notion that she needed to make that day one worth living, she looked into his warm, green eyes. "I was remembering my cousin Jessica."

"You were a million miles away just then. What were you two doing in this memory to have you so distracted?" He took a sip of his water.

"Oh, nothing much, just going on a long hike." They paused as his soup and her oysters were placed before them.

"Really? You ordered oysters?" he smirked.

With a playful grin, she stuck the tip of her tongue out. After the server left, she finished answering his earlier question. "She talked me into hiking topless."

"Excuse me?"

Preparing her appetizer, she took some time to consider her carefree cousin and how best to respond. "I'm pretty sure you heard me," she finally said before raising a half shell to her lips and tipping the briny treat back. Swallowing and smiling, she added, "It was a hot day, and when we stopped for a break she talked me into joining her in a topless hike until we stopped for lunch. How's your soup?"

He was amused at how easily she changed the topic. "It's great. How are your oysters?"

"They're good, so far. Would you like one?"

He thought for a moment. "Sure... are they that different from west coast oysters?"

"They can be." She watched as he swallowed, then asked, "What did you think?"

"They're milder than the last ones I had. And I like the sauce, too. Do you want a taste of the soup?"

"Sure," she grinned. "How do you like it?"

"They are sweeter onions than I'm used to, but I like it." He started to pass the bowl to her before changing his mind. "Come here."

He delighted in her sultry giggle, then watched with a sharp eye as she placed her hands on the table. She rose and leaned forward, intentionally offering him a luscious view down her blouse while accepting a spoonful of his savory soup.

"Delicious." She licked her lips, enjoying the tang of the onion contrasting with the sharper cheese topping. "I almost wish I'd ordered it."

Before she could sit again, he reached up and flipped her top button open. "Okay, now you're done."

Sharing a laugh, they continued eating and basking in the warmth of the day and each other's company. When she took hold of her final oyster, Van sat back to watch her prepare it. He loved the way she moved, regardless of what she was doing. Brushing her teeth, writhing beneath him or studying an image before capturing it with her camera, he loved the grace of her body and the way it permeated all that she did.

"Babe, tell me about Jessica."

"What do you want to know?" Her arm paused with the oyster shell halfway to her mouth.

"I saw something in your expression when you said you were thinking of her." He shrugged, eloquently. "She obviously meant a lot to you, and I'd like to hear about her, especially if she can talk you into running naked through the woods."

Her calm demeanor was a bit surprising. Remaining quiet, she swallowed her oyster and set the shell on her otherwise empty plate before carefully wiping her hands with the citrus-scented moist towelette provided by the restaurant. With her eyes on his, she sat back in her chair, appearing to cross her ankles under the table, "What would you like to know?"

"You already asked that."

She briefly glanced away, sighing around a pensive smile. "Jess was... fun. I wanted to be more like her, but she wanted to be me when she was ready to grow up." There was a light laugh at that thought, and she continued, "While we didn't grow up together, we had a lot in common. Which still surprises me since my parents were so... conservative, compared to her mother."

"What do you mean?" He watched her sip the last of her wine and wondered where her tale would take them.