Sing For Me

The Art of My Lover

Ben's point of view

"Shit dad I'm late I haven't even had a shower yet" I say as we pull up  "You need to get Lisa out of the way I don't want her to know I'm here" I say to him, 

"What" he says 

"Please Dad I need to shower and change and then I'm going to pretend to pick her up like I promised" he looks at me getting it 

"Ah I see, OK leave it with me" he says heading in through the front door while I run around the back I see Lisa in the hall way all ready she looks so gorgeous I could run over to her now and take her in my arms especially after today I desperately want her close to me but no this has to be how I'd planned it. I sneak upstairs without her seeing me Dad ushering her into the living room I can hear her bollocking me 

"I like the way I have to be ready and he cant be here on time bloody man" she says about me making me smile. I run into the bedroom I can smell her perfume the one I bought her on our holiday. She's collected all of the labels I'd put on her clothes and put them on her dressing table everything all neat and tidy as she does. I quickly shower and get dressed but I need shoes where the hell are my shoes, I hunt in the wardrobe but when you have a wife like mine who has shoes for every hour of the day somehow yours always seem to get pushed to the back, not that I would begrudge them her for a second they make her happy and I told her from the very beginning that I wanted her to be that way. 

"Ah there you are" I say out loud as I find my shoes I pull them out but they are caught on something a folder I've never seen that in here before I pull it out my curiosity getting the better of me it's a black folder wrapped in ribbon like the one I gave Lisa with the songs I wrote for her in but I know that's downstairs on the piano, I have to open it and inside I find pencil drawings beautiful portraits there's one of Riley and one of Ellie who has done them I look at the bottom and they've got Lisa's signature on them, they are her drawings she did them, I'm taken back by them they are wonderful I sift through them, each one as perfect as the next my darling girl the artist why has she never shown me these, I look at some more and come across one of me asleep, my head lying on the pillow with the bed sheet just covering me showing my chest, she has drawn it with such care it's just wonderful the thought of her sitting drawing me just makes me giddy I don't know why, something I didn't know about her another surprise. I hide them again in case it upsets her that I've seen them.

I step quietly down the stairs running round to the front door grabbing a single red rose that I'd kept in the car. I knock on the door checking myself in the reflection of the knocker. Dad comes and answers the door "Good evening I've come to collect Lisa" I say to him making him smile, he looks me up and down like he's vetting me my own father the cheek 

"Lisa lovey there's someone here for you" he calls to her and she comes running 

"Who is it?" she asks she spots me and she smiles "I'm sorry I'm late baby" I say to her and she just swoons and blushes at me when she realizes what I'm doing I pull the rose from behind my back giving it to her 

"Thank you" she says she's gone all shy for some reason 

"Are you ready?" I ask her 

"Uh yes I'll just get my bag" she says grabbing it from the table and she comes towards me Dad grabs my hand "you take care of her lad or I'll be after you" he says making her laugh and me and him 

"Have fun you two" he says to us both.

We head out into the street to get a cab "so now will you tell me where we are going?" she asks 

"We are going to an art gallery darling, to see a special exhibition" I tell her 

"What's it about?" she asks her eyes excited and eager