The White Canvas Operation

EIGHT (Stella P.O.V)

Pictures: paintings by Ellectra Art.

'White Canvas Operation' phase nine: promoting the artist.

Acquavella Galleries. 18 E 79th St, New York.

"You've seen it, she's got some nerve bringing her lover here only few weeks after the death of her wife... if she was her wife, actually. We aren't really sure how they let people like them to get married. To be honest, If Cassandra hadn't left her all that money she wouldn't be received in any respectable house. We don't believe that Carlin dyke is a talented artist at all, maybe she's talented in moving her tongue you know where... how disgusting..."

Camille Arnold's high pitched voice vanishes while she walks away from the bathroom door where I'm standing, half hidden by the frame so she hasn't seen me, followed by her two mute shadows; she seem to speak for them too unless she thinks she's a member of a royal family and that's why she uses the royal we. "What the hell...?" Rage blinds me for a moment and I feel tempted to handle things the way I'd do in Litchfield, punching her face till I destroy all the good work of her cosmetic surgeon, but I hold back. This isn't a place for a fight and in addition to this I'm on probation, I don't need that bitch pressing assault charges. I take a deep breath and walk slowly to the place Sun, Rosen and his wife are waiting for me.

"I don't know how you do it," I whisper in her ear when I reach her side, I can't help noticing how good she smells of eau de cologne, fresh and floral, she doesn't like strong scents apparently. "How can you stand all those stupid bitches talking shit about you without ripping their tongues?"

"With a lot of practice and patience..." she answers smiling. "Getting my hands dirty because of them it's not worthy. I'm assuming that you've run into Camille somewhere..."

"Arnold?" Margot asks scrunching her nose. "That witch... she was talking about your birds before, she likes them and wants to bid on them. She hates you but apparently thinks that your works are a good investment."

"No!" Luckily, no one is near us to hear my almost scream. My skin crawls when I imagine Sunny's beautiful art pieces in the hands of that viper. "I want those birds, Sun. I want to bid on them, I want..."

"Stella, I can give you all the birds you want. I have some of them at home and..."

"No, I want THOSE birds. To be honest, I don't want her to touch them, if she puts her hands on them I'll slap her lifted face and they'll lock me up again. You can deduct the amount from my salary if you want..."

"All right, bid on them if that's important to you and I'll deduct it from the 6 million dollars from Cassie I have to give you at the end of this year."

"You got a deal," I shake her hand firmly and we all go to look for a seat in the room where the auction will take place. I'd fight more under normal circumstances, claiming that I have no intention of accepting that money but I don't care right now. The only thing I want is Camille's foul hands far away from Sun's possessions. The auctioneer starts with some watercolours from a Canadian artist while I wait impatiently, taping with my heel on the floor till she puts her hand on my thigh to stop me. The heat of her skin through the fabric of my pants feels good and it soothes me. I try to ignore the strange tingle that she's causing in my crotch and try to focus on the pleasant feeling of having someone who really cares about me by my side. Sunny is nothing like those women with whom I've been letting off steam during these past years, I couldn't treat her like that... I can't picture my beautiful Sunny lying between the chapel pews of the penitentiary, it feels like acid fretting my guts. I take her hand without thinking and squeeze it gently.