One Night with Mrs McFie

"True, but I believe she will."

"That's rather naive of you Rick. I'm really uneasy about you thinking she's a good artist because that could lead you into making wrong conclusions. Why don't you fetch the painting back here."

"Okay but don't waste my time telling me she's rubbish."

"Rick I'll tell you as accurately as I can what she is and if that's rubbish then so be it."

He grinned. "How can I dispute that answer?"

Mrs Garrett took one look at the painting and smiled. "This is not rubbish."

Rick grinned. "I knew that."

She placed the painting on an easel and stepped back to look at it.

Waiting anxiously Rick paced the floor.

"Rick stop it. You're not expecting delivery of a baby. Now what I'm about to tell you about this confirms what you have told me and will delight you no end. This woman has sent you an unfinished painting. It is an excellent work and no artist in her right mind would give away an unfinished painting of this merit. You can expect to see her again Rick because she'll wish to complete it. Many hours of work are required to complete the detail. She is a fine looking woman. I'm very pleased for you."

"So you now think I should go ahead with the alternations of my third bedroom?"

"No because she may only visit to ask for the painting back. When it's finished it might fetch a price of $2000. But if the painting of this caliber was of a very well-known historical figure it might fetch double that whereas a commissioned portrait might be at an agreed price at anything from $10,000 to $16,000 for an artist of her status at mid-level."

"So she is good?"

"Possible very good but I don't think she's really top shelf and she probably knows that which is why you said she teaches high school art."

"I see."

"Exactly and just be happy with what you see. She probably paints as a hobby simply to express herself."

"I knew Fiona would come to me."

"Stop that nonsense Rick. You know nothing of the sort. All we can ascertain with any degree of certainty she has placed a painting she personal values in your custody."

Rick didn't argue. He went home with the painting, hung it in his bedroom and called a builder friend to discuss alterations to the bedroom. But what started out as a few minor alternations turned into quite a project. First the bed and other bedroom furniture was removed and sold and new storage furniture purchased. Tiles were lifted on the roof for clerestory to be added to fill the room below with natural light, a picture window was added to one exterior wall without windows, the carpet was ripped out and cork tiles laid and a heavy duty coating applied, a sink bench added and plumbed through to the bathroom connections next door, adjustable ceiling lighting added on to the sloping white plastered ceiling and the pastel painted walls were repainted matt white to reflect lighting.

Some of the changes such as the clerestory were expensive and in the end Rick received no change out of $21,000. By the time the project was finished he had lost confidence and rued ever starting it. He knew his dick had over-ruled his mind and that he should have waited to find if Fiona would arrive and confirm she'd be staying.

Two weeks later his confidence had returned. He kept repeating what Mrs Garrett had said: no artist in her right mind would give away an unfinished painting.

But Fiona never did arrive.

Rick went back to her old school and was told she'd left four weeks earlier without leaving a forwarding address. Her divorce was underway and she intended finding work in a big city art gallery.

Rick was devastated... for a few hours. He then began to laugh knowing that one night with Mrs McFie had gone to his head and he'd acted like a silly old goat.

Next day Rick took down the bikini painting and took it to Mrs Garrett only to find a temporary manager in charge. Mrs Garrett was on vacation in Europe for a month.

The woman who'd introduced herself as Alice said, "Is that the painting of girl in a bikini?"

"Yes."

"One day Mrs Garrett told me about you and the woman who painted that."

Rick hung his head.

"Oh come on Mr Dash, romances of fancy are often better than real life romances. I understand you had only the one night with the artist?"

"Yes, one night with Mrs McFie."

"Oooh. That sounds incredibly romantic."

"What does?"

Alice sighed and asked what did he want done with the painting?

"I couldn't decide. Mrs Garrett was my later mother's best friend. Mrs Garrett would have advised me."

"Well would you like me to advise you?" asked the reasonably attractive brunette in her early thirties.

Rick looked surprised. "What would you want to bother?"

"Well for one thing, according to Mrs Garrett you are the catch of the century for any woman on her second time round."

"God what a tag to have?"

"I still don't believe Mrs Garrett's claim for a minute. You are an engineer. They are conservative but at least you did dream of Mrs McFie coming for you."

"Well I prepared for her coming."

Alice's eyes appeared ready to pop as Rick told her full details about the conversion of the bedroom into a studio.

"Ohmigod, you were really smitten."

He said. "Do you want to know why?"

She nodded.

Rick told her about the mired vehicle and being in the bath when Mrs McFie arrived in the nude with two drinks and asked him grinning hugely, 'Hi, are you on for sex this evening?'

"Ohmigod," Alice said, her hand under her breasts and breathing heavily, her color high.

When she'd calmed, Alice placed the painting on the easel and said, "This is an excellent painting, one worth keeping. Would you like me to finish it for you?"

"Oh would you Miss... um?"

"Mrs Stone actually, ex. But please call me Alice."

"Mrs Garrett said it would take hours of fine detailing."

"Yes and I'd try to remain true to style."

"Please name your price."

"There will be no charge All I ask is you move in with me for a few nights. I haven't had a man home with me for weeks and my daughter Chloe who's six wonders if there's something wrong with me and says I should have a good man. I think that's the woman talking who looks after Chloe after school."

"B-but you don't know me from Adam?"

"Well neither did that Mrs McFie and look what she leapt slip through her fingers?"

"What?"

"A true romantic, that's what."

"Oooh," Rick chuckled and for a moment thought sexy Alice Stone was going to leap at him. "Are you a part-time artist?"

"Yes but I wish I could paint fulltime. I specialize in commissioned portraits and have tapped into a big demand for my talents. If we hit it off your home studio could be of real interest to me."

"Sounds great."

"Look, come to my rented home this evening and have dinner with Chloe and me."

"Um if Chloe likes me is there a chance I could stay tonight?"

"Whatever made you think you'd have to ask?"

THE END