One Time Only

Chapter 1

Jerica places her keys on the table beside the door as she enters her studio for the first time in almost six months. Looking around at all the blank canvas' leaning against the walls, already placed on easels, she's sighs. Everything is exactly the way she left it when she got the call that has changed her life forever.
It's a day she'll never forget. Jerica was just about to pick up her pallet, the one that's now full of dried paint, and start her next masterpiece, when her phone rings. Most the time she never answers when she's about to start painting, but for some reason on this particular day she did. The news Jerica got on that day has caused her to put her brushes down and never pick them up again.
As a teenager Jerica's main topic to paint was her family, the more she painted the better she got. Her favorite subject was her younger brother, Timmy, for some reason his blonde hair and blue eyes intrigued her. When she got him on canvas Jerica's paintings seemed to have a life of their own. It took her years to be able recreate that in other paintings, what she did of the ones of her brother. Once she was able to do that, and people started noticing her work, her paintings started flying off the shelves. Jerica started getting calls from some of the wealthiest people in the country wanting her work.
Then when she turned fifteen, her parents were killed, leaving her and her brother alone. With Timmy being twelve there was no way the state would let them live alone, not without an adult, even though Jerica made millions. So in order to keep her brother with her, Jerica hires a live in nanny. The lovely lady stayed with them until the day Jerica turned eighteen, she then retired, moving into a beautiful home Jerica bought her. And everything was going great, Timmy was doing good in school, her paintings were still being requested by some of the richest people in the country.
Then her world falls apart, and Jerica gets the phone call the turns her world upside down. Timmy, while walking home from school, has been shot in a drive by shooting.
With a shake of her head, Jerica picks up her keys, locks the door, and walk back to her car.
.................

Harry looks around the third vacant building the real estate agent has shown him, at times he thinks she more interested in flirting with him than trying to find him the best place for his business.
Ignoring the woman as she unbuttons another button on her blouse, Harry walks into a room that would make a great office area. Walking to the wall of windows, Harry looks out to see the busy street below. With a shake of his head he turns to leave, he had made it clear that he wanted a place well traveled, somewhere people would notice what was going on inside his shop, walk in to look around. That's how he got most of his clients, people walking in off the streets, falling in love with the art he and his friend creates.
Walking out of the room he's in, Harry pulls his phone out of his pocket, he then call the real estate office. He tells the manager there the problem he's having with the current agent, tells him if he doesn't send someone who's serious about finding him the perfect place, and not more interested in trying to seduce him, he'll take his business elsewhere.
Harry then looks at the lady, tells her to leave and walks out. Harry then calls Louis telling him to hold off on what they'd talked about earlier until he hears back from him.
Just as he's about to get in his car, a painting in a window across the street catches his eye. Jogging over, Harry gets a closer look only to see its already sold. Leaning closer he sees the name of the artist. Harry decides right then he doesn't care what it costs, somehow he's going to find this Jerica James and have her do a painting for him. Hell if this person is this good on canvas, she'd be amazing with a tattoo gun with a little practice.