Elizabeth's Studio Complex
Lorenzo stepped out of his black Sedan. He took in the building before him and shook his head disapprovingly. 'A young woman like Elizabeth lived in a place like this.' He took the old raggedy stairs three floors up and found the door to Elizabeth studio, but this couldn't be it. The door was made of steel. It had to be the land lords apartment, because all the other doors were made of worn down wood. He knocked on the door that echoed through the hall.
Inside Elizabeth, was putting the finishing touched on her vase sculpture, when she heard the knock. (I know Liz paint's but in this she does sculptures too.) Elizabeth bolted to the door covered in paint from the sculpture. Lorenzo heard the many locks turn over.
Elizabeth didn't bother to hide her surprise. Out of all the people to be at her door it was Lorenzo Alcazar, she'd sooner expect Carly to be here than him. Tucking a stray strand of her behind her ear, "Hey".
"You forgot to ask who it was. How did you know it wasn't some guy coming to get you?" Elizabeth strangely remembered having this same conversation with Jason. Jason her mind wondered back to the bike ride they took a few days ago which was the most she felt alive in months.
Lorenzo waved his hand "Elizabeth."
"Sorry what were you saying?" He smiled "I was asking to come in."
"Sure but just for a bit I'm suppose to be at work and an hour."
Lorenzo stepped in, and looked at the cluttered apartment. "I want stay long. I'm pretty sure Corinthos has given you the run down about staying away from me."
"Well Yeah" she told him while shaking her head nervously.
He could feel her nervousness, the way she averted eye contact with him. "I just wanted to know you are safe. You don't have the same protection as Carly does, so you're more vulnerable to an attack than she is."
Elizabeth laughed lightly "Well I'm okay, and plus they'd have to get pass that door and my baseball bat in the corner."
"Indeed" he told her never taking his eyes off the massive door. "I just want to check with you, if you need anything call.
"I'll keep that in mind, now if you excuse me I have to get ready for work."
Lorenzo was about to leave when the vase sculpture caught his eye. He stooped down next to the table, and marveled at the sight of it. He knew this piece of art, and Elizabeth had painted a replica of it. "This is a piece by Euxitheos and Euphronios. The painting on it tells the Death of Sarpedon, a story from the Trojan War."
"Yes it does." Elizabeth was impressed by his knowledge of her sculpture. "How did you know?"
"I have a degree in history."
"Really."
"Yes," he sighed heavily most people never believed he had a degree in history. "Before I got in my families business so to speak, I was studying to become an history professor. That was until things when south." He took a deep breath as he remembered that he was standing in the airport when he heard the news anchor relay the death of all the anti-war protestors. Driving the memory away, he turned his attention back to Elizabeth. "What about you I thought you were an art major?"
Elizabeth could tell the way he turned the conversation back to her, he had lost someone close to him, and business was just a distraction.
"Well art and history kind of go hand and hand. From the building of the pyramids to the Acropolis in Greece to the mighty Roman Empire."
Lorenzo smiled "Truly Greece, Egypt, and Rome did some of the best art and architecture the world has ever seen."
"You've been to Rome?"
"Not to brag but I've been there more than my fair share of times. It's amazing that once a mighty empire stood there now only ruins."
Elizabeth felt envious to the way he described the ruins. "I wish I could live one day in Rome the way they lived in the days of the gladiators."
"Well you would defiantly fit in."
Elizabeth scoffed at the idea. "Me the messy starving artist fit in with Romans." She said gesturing to her cluttered apartment.
"Oh well most artist in history were often messy and a bit of a packrat. But artist back then weren't renowned for their nobility, but for the beauty of their minds." Elizabeth smiled at the gesture, but Lorenzo thought he'd have a little fun and flirt a bit. "However I can think of a good reason you wouldn't fit in."
Elizabeth smile faded "I knew there was a clause."
"Roman women were considered beautiful by men's standards of then."
Elizabeth sucked her lip between her teeth. 'Is he calling me ugly.' She thought
Lorenzo wanted to laugh the way she gnawed on her bottom lip. "By men's standard you would be a goddess. Their eyes would never have graced a fairer being than you."
Elizabeth finally averted her eyes to his for the first time since their conversation begin. She realized she wasn't talking to the arms dealer. She was talking to the man veiled underneath the business and stereotype.
"Elizabeth if you don't mind I'd like to see more of your art work."
Her smile grew. "No I don't mind. I would love to know what you think."
They spent the next three hours discussing her artwork. She even showed him The Wind. Lorenzo was rather intrigued by The Wind.
They were interrupted by her phone. Elizabeth picked up the receiver "Hello" Elizabeth quickly glanced down at her clock it read seven thirty. "Penny I am so sorry I forgot. I'll be right there."
Elizabeth turned back to Lorenzo "I'm three hours late for work."
"I'm sorry I think I got caught up in your art."
"I need to get cleaned up," she said while finding her clothes to where.
"I'll be leaving now."
"Okay," she told him not really paying him any attention.
"Elizabeth about this door."
She only had to say one word for him to get it "Jason."
"Well that does explain it. Well good night and do be careful out there tonight."
"You too."
Elizabeth closed her door and continued to get ready. Lorenzo made it out to his car, unaware of the blue Mustang, parked in the corner.
Four days later
Kelly's Lorenzo followed Carly to Kelly's. through window he watched Carly demand Elizabeth's service. His plan to make Carly jealous was on the way. For some reason, Carly feels threaten by Elizabeth. He had to admit Elizabeth was nothing what he had imagined. He rather enjoyed her company. He never connected to another women intellectually like that except for Sophie Geremaine. He quickly shook her from his mind he loved another women now, and this was his chance to show her how much she really loves him and not Sonny.
Inside
"Elizabeth you're the server, so serve me." Carly's mind was else where, but torturing Elizabeth always brightened her day.
"Carly always so polite," she told her with a fake smile. The bell jingled above the door. Elizabeth tried to hide her smile but Carly noticed and wonder what had her in a good mood.
"Carly" Lorenzo acknowledged her but nothing more. He sat down at the other end of the counter.
"What can I get you?" Elizabeth asked him "Black coffee"
"It'll be a 5 minute wait, I'm putting on a fresh pot."
"That'll be fine."
Carly was fuming. He had completed ignored her, and paying attention to Elizabeth. They were actually having a conversation about her finger painting. Once Lorenzo had his coffee he paid with a generous tip. Once out of the courtyard Carly stormed after him.
Outside a worn down looking Sonny saw Lorenzo and his wife heading after him. It had come down to a trust issue he had with all women. He had to trust Carly not to betray him, but it was looking bleak. He stepped into Kelly's he needed a pot of coffee to help him sober up.
Elizabeth took in his not so great appearance. It wasn't his usual regal self. He sat down at her end on the diner. Bring the smell of a brewery with him. He had a haunting look in his eyes. She's seen him like this before, and she knew he was headed down a dark path. "You don't look so good," she told him handing him a cup of hot coffee.
"Thanks"
"Um Sonny, it may not be any of my business, but I've seen you when you want to run away from everything and everybody." Sonny sighed "Elizabeth" he started.
"No, no Just let me finish, hear me out. I've seen you go to those dark places. I don't want to see you there again. Whatever it is, I'm sure you could talk to Jason about it. He'd never betray your confidence. If not Jason, then someone you can trust I'm here always if you want to talk, or if you don't want to do nothing but just have someone sit with you that's fine too. And before you go and try to find comfort at the bottom of a bottle or do something else to hurt yourself think about your kids. If you can't do that call me, I'll remind you."
Sonny leaned over the counter and hugged her if his life depended on it. She was giving him a lifeline. "Thank You"
Sonny let go and reached in his pocket to pay, and Elizabeth stopped him. "It's on the house."
"How else am I'm going to tip my favorite waitress?"
"You'll find away. Now go home grab a shower for pity sake and some sleep."
Elizabeth watched Sonny leave, when some spun her around. "Who the hell do you thin you are?"
Okay not my best chapter to me. But I told you guys there will be something between Lorenzo/Liz Sonny/Liz Jason/Liz. I know I promised Zem but that's for the next chapter.
Lorenzo stepped out of his black Sedan. He took in the building before him and shook his head disapprovingly. 'A young woman like Elizabeth lived in a place like this.' He took the old raggedy stairs three floors up and found the door to Elizabeth studio, but this couldn't be it. The door was made of steel. It had to be the land lords apartment, because all the other doors were made of worn down wood. He knocked on the door that echoed through the hall.
Inside Elizabeth, was putting the finishing touched on her vase sculpture, when she heard the knock. (I know Liz paint's but in this she does sculptures too.) Elizabeth bolted to the door covered in paint from the sculpture. Lorenzo heard the many locks turn over.
Elizabeth didn't bother to hide her surprise. Out of all the people to be at her door it was Lorenzo Alcazar, she'd sooner expect Carly to be here than him. Tucking a stray strand of her behind her ear, "Hey".
"You forgot to ask who it was. How did you know it wasn't some guy coming to get you?" Elizabeth strangely remembered having this same conversation with Jason. Jason her mind wondered back to the bike ride they took a few days ago which was the most she felt alive in months.
Lorenzo waved his hand "Elizabeth."
"Sorry what were you saying?" He smiled "I was asking to come in."
"Sure but just for a bit I'm suppose to be at work and an hour."
Lorenzo stepped in, and looked at the cluttered apartment. "I want stay long. I'm pretty sure Corinthos has given you the run down about staying away from me."
"Well Yeah" she told him while shaking her head nervously.
He could feel her nervousness, the way she averted eye contact with him. "I just wanted to know you are safe. You don't have the same protection as Carly does, so you're more vulnerable to an attack than she is."
Elizabeth laughed lightly "Well I'm okay, and plus they'd have to get pass that door and my baseball bat in the corner."
"Indeed" he told her never taking his eyes off the massive door. "I just want to check with you, if you need anything call.
"I'll keep that in mind, now if you excuse me I have to get ready for work."
Lorenzo was about to leave when the vase sculpture caught his eye. He stooped down next to the table, and marveled at the sight of it. He knew this piece of art, and Elizabeth had painted a replica of it. "This is a piece by Euxitheos and Euphronios. The painting on it tells the Death of Sarpedon, a story from the Trojan War."
"Yes it does." Elizabeth was impressed by his knowledge of her sculpture. "How did you know?"
"I have a degree in history."
"Really."
"Yes," he sighed heavily most people never believed he had a degree in history. "Before I got in my families business so to speak, I was studying to become an history professor. That was until things when south." He took a deep breath as he remembered that he was standing in the airport when he heard the news anchor relay the death of all the anti-war protestors. Driving the memory away, he turned his attention back to Elizabeth. "What about you I thought you were an art major?"
Elizabeth could tell the way he turned the conversation back to her, he had lost someone close to him, and business was just a distraction.
"Well art and history kind of go hand and hand. From the building of the pyramids to the Acropolis in Greece to the mighty Roman Empire."
Lorenzo smiled "Truly Greece, Egypt, and Rome did some of the best art and architecture the world has ever seen."
"You've been to Rome?"
"Not to brag but I've been there more than my fair share of times. It's amazing that once a mighty empire stood there now only ruins."
Elizabeth felt envious to the way he described the ruins. "I wish I could live one day in Rome the way they lived in the days of the gladiators."
"Well you would defiantly fit in."
Elizabeth scoffed at the idea. "Me the messy starving artist fit in with Romans." She said gesturing to her cluttered apartment.
"Oh well most artist in history were often messy and a bit of a packrat. But artist back then weren't renowned for their nobility, but for the beauty of their minds." Elizabeth smiled at the gesture, but Lorenzo thought he'd have a little fun and flirt a bit. "However I can think of a good reason you wouldn't fit in."
Elizabeth smile faded "I knew there was a clause."
"Roman women were considered beautiful by men's standards of then."
Elizabeth sucked her lip between her teeth. 'Is he calling me ugly.' She thought
Lorenzo wanted to laugh the way she gnawed on her bottom lip. "By men's standard you would be a goddess. Their eyes would never have graced a fairer being than you."
Elizabeth finally averted her eyes to his for the first time since their conversation begin. She realized she wasn't talking to the arms dealer. She was talking to the man veiled underneath the business and stereotype.
"Elizabeth if you don't mind I'd like to see more of your art work."
Her smile grew. "No I don't mind. I would love to know what you think."
They spent the next three hours discussing her artwork. She even showed him The Wind. Lorenzo was rather intrigued by The Wind.
They were interrupted by her phone. Elizabeth picked up the receiver "Hello" Elizabeth quickly glanced down at her clock it read seven thirty. "Penny I am so sorry I forgot. I'll be right there."
Elizabeth turned back to Lorenzo "I'm three hours late for work."
"I'm sorry I think I got caught up in your art."
"I need to get cleaned up," she said while finding her clothes to where.
"I'll be leaving now."
"Okay," she told him not really paying him any attention.
"Elizabeth about this door."
She only had to say one word for him to get it "Jason."
"Well that does explain it. Well good night and do be careful out there tonight."
"You too."
Elizabeth closed her door and continued to get ready. Lorenzo made it out to his car, unaware of the blue Mustang, parked in the corner.
Four days later
Kelly's Lorenzo followed Carly to Kelly's. through window he watched Carly demand Elizabeth's service. His plan to make Carly jealous was on the way. For some reason, Carly feels threaten by Elizabeth. He had to admit Elizabeth was nothing what he had imagined. He rather enjoyed her company. He never connected to another women intellectually like that except for Sophie Geremaine. He quickly shook her from his mind he loved another women now, and this was his chance to show her how much she really loves him and not Sonny.
Inside
"Elizabeth you're the server, so serve me." Carly's mind was else where, but torturing Elizabeth always brightened her day.
"Carly always so polite," she told her with a fake smile. The bell jingled above the door. Elizabeth tried to hide her smile but Carly noticed and wonder what had her in a good mood.
"Carly" Lorenzo acknowledged her but nothing more. He sat down at the other end of the counter.
"What can I get you?" Elizabeth asked him "Black coffee"
"It'll be a 5 minute wait, I'm putting on a fresh pot."
"That'll be fine."
Carly was fuming. He had completed ignored her, and paying attention to Elizabeth. They were actually having a conversation about her finger painting. Once Lorenzo had his coffee he paid with a generous tip. Once out of the courtyard Carly stormed after him.
Outside a worn down looking Sonny saw Lorenzo and his wife heading after him. It had come down to a trust issue he had with all women. He had to trust Carly not to betray him, but it was looking bleak. He stepped into Kelly's he needed a pot of coffee to help him sober up.
Elizabeth took in his not so great appearance. It wasn't his usual regal self. He sat down at her end on the diner. Bring the smell of a brewery with him. He had a haunting look in his eyes. She's seen him like this before, and she knew he was headed down a dark path. "You don't look so good," she told him handing him a cup of hot coffee.
"Thanks"
"Um Sonny, it may not be any of my business, but I've seen you when you want to run away from everything and everybody." Sonny sighed "Elizabeth" he started.
"No, no Just let me finish, hear me out. I've seen you go to those dark places. I don't want to see you there again. Whatever it is, I'm sure you could talk to Jason about it. He'd never betray your confidence. If not Jason, then someone you can trust I'm here always if you want to talk, or if you don't want to do nothing but just have someone sit with you that's fine too. And before you go and try to find comfort at the bottom of a bottle or do something else to hurt yourself think about your kids. If you can't do that call me, I'll remind you."
Sonny leaned over the counter and hugged her if his life depended on it. She was giving him a lifeline. "Thank You"
Sonny let go and reached in his pocket to pay, and Elizabeth stopped him. "It's on the house."
"How else am I'm going to tip my favorite waitress?"
"You'll find away. Now go home grab a shower for pity sake and some sleep."
Elizabeth watched Sonny leave, when some spun her around. "Who the hell do you thin you are?"
Okay not my best chapter to me. But I told you guys there will be something between Lorenzo/Liz Sonny/Liz Jason/Liz. I know I promised Zem but that's for the next chapter.