“Ms.Poe,” said a velvety smooth baritone.
Rafa turned his head toward the voice.The man named Harmon Moon stood in front of his fiancée like a vulture that had swooped in out of nowhere, locking eyes on its prey.And the prey seemed to be Sal.Intuitively, Rafa’s chest tightened and his arms flexed.Up close, the man was impeccably dressed and wore a deadpan expression.He looked like a CIA operative or some deadly hitman for hire.
“That was an impressive speech.”The man put out his hand and shook Sal’s.Rafa frowned and his stomach churned at the sight of Harmon’s large hand holding Sal’s.Her heavy breathing slowed when he touched her, but her cheeks remained flushed.Without warning, Rafa felt the inner foundation that he had built with Sal over all these years suddenly form a crack.
SAL
“Pleasure to meet you.I’m Harmon Moon.”She now had a name for the mysterious man.He locked eyes with her.It was as though time had stopped when they shook hands—the electricity between them palpable with his touch.
Rafa coughed loudly, and Sal released her hand from Harmon’s as though it were a hot poker.
Her fiancé then shook Harmon’s hand in turn.His arm flexed as he did so.“Pleasure meeting you.I’m Rafael Tovar.This is my fiancée, Dr.Salome Poe.”Rafa placed a hand on the small of her back and pulled her closer to him with a steady, possessive force.“This is Miss Willow Nolan.She’s a local business owner.”He nodded to Willow, who awkwardly smiled at Harmon; “And this is Auden Campbell.She attends university at Curtis.”
Auden let out a nervous smile.“Mr.Moon, I’m a huge fan of your work.I major in music theory and composition.It’s an honor to meet you.”She was practically gushing; with his icy and dark good looks, Sal couldn’t blame her.“I first saw you as a guest lecturer at Curtis, and I think your line of work is amazing.Does anything in this art show catch your attention?”Auden asked.
The entire time Auden spoke, Harmon remained transfixed on Sal.“I found Ms.Poe’s collection intriguing,” he said.
“It’s Dr.Poe,” Rafa interjected curtly.
Harmon’s gaze broke from Sal and shifted to Rafa.He clicked his tongue and let out a neutral grin, his eyes not reciprocating his smile.“Yes.Forgive me—Dr.Poe.I wanted to seeThe Art Cards from Nowherefor myself.”He eyed Sal and asked, “What was the inspiration for them?”
“Um, well…” she faltered, feeling her cheeks burn.Get it together, she thought, willing herself to speak normally.She cleared her throat and looked him straight in the eye.“The late artist was my friend, Claire Liang.She started the project, and I completed it posthumously—”
“I’m also curious about Ms.Liang,” he snapped, as though he was itching to ask just then.But strangely, he recoiled, as if he had caught himself saying something he shouldn’t have.
Sal blinked at him in confusion.
Harmon immediately recovered, and said, “My secretary will be in touch.”He looked at Rafa and gave a subtle bow.
“Of course,” Sal said.“I hope you enjoy the show.”
With a restrained smile, Harmon disappeared into the crowd.
Sal exhaled quietly.“Does he always have that effect on people?”she asked Auden.
“He’s intense, right?”Auden responded.“But it’s normal when you reach that level of celebrity in your field, I guess?”
“He’s hot, but weird,” Willow added.“Ten out of ten would not date, though.”
“Really?I would just for the connections.Just being around Harmon Moon would help you network faster than any wannabe socialite in the art scene.”Auden swooned softly.
“My God, Auden.Didn’t you just turn twenty-years old this year?You’re practically still a fetus in my book.”Willow elbowed her.
“Twenty-one,” Auden corrected her proudly
Willow rolled her eyes and shook her head.“Okay, twenty-one.He must be at least fifteen years older than you,” she said playfully.
“So sue me if I want a handsome, rich, and mysterious older boyfriend.Besides, he’s not that old, Willow!He’s like thirty-seven or thirty-eight, almost your age.I know a lot of guys my age who’d date you.”
“No man your age would dare date me,” Willow quipped with a sarcastic chuckle.
“You’d be surprised,” Auden replied.
Willow then peered at Sal intently; she was trying to read her, like she always did when something seemed amiss.“Sal, maybe you should mingle around with the guests.If there are any buyers, I’ll let you know.”
For the rest of the evening, Sal and Rafa did so, but as she moved through the crowd, Sal couldn’t shake the feeling of Harmon’s brooding dark eyes following her long after she’d looked away.
Chapter Five
