Mona Lisa's Smile

Mona Knew she was in trouble the moment she awoke in his bed. Never had she ever spent the night in his home, even after their long nights, she had always gone home. Even if it was only for a few hours. For months she'd been denying her feelings. It was like a cardinal rule that everyone knew, never fall in love with an artist. Many were mad, but even the sane ones were dangerous. Being an artist's muse and being their lover went hand in hand, but once the flame of passion burnt out they were onto the next. It was rare for an artist to find one person that they could love for the rest of their lives. Mona knew that, and yet, in the deepest part of herself, she had hoped, maybe, just maybe, he could love her, and only her, forever.

Lost in her panic, she completely missed Leonardo standing behind his easel propped by the foot of the bed. There was a deep crease in his brow and he focused on sketching the curves he had come to know so well, and Mona giggled when the tip of his tongue poked between his lips. Taken aback, he looked up from his work, to find a small smile on her face. The smile that he had been trying to capture for months, but anytime he asked her to hold the pose, slowly, the smile became only that, a pose. It lost the warmth and happiness once she was aware of it. It was no longer Mona Lisa's smile. So he had settled for sketching her candidly. It was easiest when she was sleeping, but she rarely slept over. Recently, she might doze off here and there throughout the night, but tonight was the first night she had slept completely. He had listened to the sound of her soft snores for a few hours, mesmerized by her gentle beauty.

Leonardo put down his pencil and stretched up, causing Mona's heart to flutter.

"Good afternoon bellissima" Leonardo spoke, his voice gruff from lack of use.

"It's already afternoon?" She asked, finally looking away from Leonardo to look out the window of the sizable loft. To her surprise, the sun was closer to setting than rising. She got up and stretched, loving the feel of the light summer breeze against her skin. She then proceeded to look for her undergarments which somehow always ended up missing anytime she was with Leonardo. Before she could finish getting dressed, Leonardo grabbed her waist, kissed her cheek and muttered, "You don't have to leave yet. Let me do a few more sketches. Hmm?" She giggled before she responded, "I would love to, but I have to meet with Salvaza. I promised her I would go this time. I stayed with you last time." Leonard tightened his hold around her waist, "Please?" He pleaded.

Mona laughed, " If I can, I'll return tomorrow." She compromised, knowing full well that it would be hard to sneak away from the tavern again. Her boss was slowly losing his mind that his best bar maid isn't there during the busiest hours. If she were anyone else, he would have already fired them.

Mona finished getting dressed and grabbed her cloak to shield her from the afternoon sun. Leonardo stood on the balcony, watching as Mona's hooded figure moved farther away until she completely disappeared down the twisted streets.

Salvaza watched as Mona approached, she noticed she had changed her cloak from the night before. In fact, her entire outfit was fresh. But even then, Salvaza knew Mona had spent the night at Da Vinci's and the crisp, clean outfit was an attempt to make it seem otherwise. She never even wore this particular serving dress because it was a nightmare to wash. Salvaza sighed as Mona sat down across from her, a guilty smile plastered across her face.

"Mona, if you want me to believe the lie you're about to tell me, stop looking so guilty." Salvaza cut in before Mona started talking. Mona's shoulders slumped in defeat before she spoke. "Look, I know I'm not supposed to feel this way. I'm gonna get hurt, but I can't help it. He makes me feel special. His gaze is suffocating, but, in a good way. I can see that I'm all he's thinking about when he looks at me. What more could I ask for Salvaza?"

" A man who won't throw you away after he's done with you. He's an artist, all he wants is to paint you in every position he can think of then as soon as he sees a prettier woman, he will leave you. You are his muse, nothing more Mona. Know your place." Salvaza said matter of factly.

It stung, but Mona knew Salvaza was right. But after months full of late nights, each filled with laughter and jokes and dare she say, love. Who wouldn't fall in love with Leonardo?

For the rest of the night, her mood was sour, and it wasn't helped by the tavern's occupants. As the night got darker, the tavern filled with drunkards looking for nothing but a good drink and maybe, a woman. They, the men, made unsavory jokes about her body, and what they would like to do to her. They would run their fingers up the slit on the side of her serving gown when she stood to take their orders, and would roughly grab at the purple and red fabric to get her attention. She wasn't a fan of the job, but it made good money.

Her boss started to become overbearing over the course of a few months, and she began to see Leonardo less and less. Everytime they met, the burned hotter and hotter, as if they needed that heat to follow them, to last until the next time they met. The autumn chill was non-existent in the loft when they were together. And Mona wanted to believe that they would be together for a long time, that she would have this flame to draw from at anytime, but they both felt it. The way the chill threatened to snuff out their flame, and in response, they would burn brighter, hotter in response. Finally, the night came, deep in winter, the night they burned the hottest they ever have. They knew that from here, they could burn no hotter, this was their limit, and the cold, cruel and heartless, snuffed out their flame. This was their end.

So Mona rose, redressed and sat before the window. For a moment Leonardo was confused, until she gestured to his easel. He got up and stood before it, looking past it at her. He watched as she crossed her arms and looked up at him. Mona sat at an angle and mustered all her love for him. She drew from their dying embers, and as her final show of love, she smiled.