Mona Lisa My Love

Chapter Fifty-nine

This time Senior and Kitty came along on the flight to Paris. He looked very much at home on that private jet. On the second morning in Paris, I met with the sheik and his wife, Jasmine. She was stunning, of course. The sitting was to be on the top floor of La Bristol, the most exquisite hotel in Paris, I learned. I was to report precisely at eight each morning and stay until precisely four each afternoon. They would provide anything that I needed. All I had to do was ask the sheik's attendant, Omar.

The whole first day, Jasmine never said a word. She would do as I asked, turn this way or that, lift her head or lower it. I studied her and found that old flame, the one inside of me that helped to create my Kitty on canvas. I was honestly in heaven. My fingers were flying, taking notes, sketching, observing in the least unobtrusive way possible. I needed to feel part of her. I needed to explore how she moved, how she breathed, how she swallowed. I needed to be a part of her essence. I realized that I needed to love her, but I knew better than to say that. The sheik looked to be a man not accustomed to other men loving his wife. I wondered if he had more than one wife but decided it's better not to know.

Omar tapped me on the shoulder at three fifty-five and told me it was time to quit for the day. I was on fire and didn't want to stop, but a deal is a deal, and I agreed to it, so I packed up and left. I was not allowed to take anything with me. Odd, I thought, but less for me to carry, I figured.

I walked the streets for hours, had dinner at a fun little café, and then took a taxi back to the hotel. I was not staying at La Bristol. I didn't know what the Royal Suite cost per night, but I could tell I couldn't afford it. The suite included some three thousand square feet, two bedrooms, and a lounge area more extensive than the apartment where Sis and I lived. It was gorgeous, with hardwood trim and original paintings on the wall. Very elegant, I thought.

"Not a bad place to come to work every day. Not a bad place at all."

Little did I know my whole life was about to change, and not for the better.