The Mafia Queen ELizabeth

Tiara

Sign it.

Just sign the paper.

"It's perfect, Tiara. Absolutely stunning. I can already envision it hanging in my dining room." Mr. Jackson said, bypassing the pen I had handed him and pulling his own out of his shirt pocket.

Then sign it already!

As I sat across the table from him, I tried to will the pen to move with my mind. Everything was settled; I only needed his signature to seal the deal. We were so close, if only he would hurry up and sign the damn thing.

Since deciding to branch out on my own and open the gallery, this would be my first sale of my work. So far, we'd been surviving off the profit from other artists and photographers we housed, but this one would be mine. It felt like so much more than a sale to me. It was the validation that I had done the right thing. That taking this chance and following my dreams was the right move-despite the protests I had received from nearly everyone in my life. It proved that I could do it, and that people liked my work. That maybe, just maybe, I was good at this.

The particular painting he was purchasing was like a child to me, and as anxious as I was to make the sale, it would be hard to let it go. For months, I had slaved away at it, tweaking and reworking it over and over again. No matter how many hours I put into it, it never looked done to me. Even as it hung in the gallery for the viewing tonight, it still rubbed me the wrong way. It wasn't my best, and that was why it surprised me it was my first piece to go. Mr. Jackson, however, had fallen in love with it and, for the steep price of thirteen thousand dollars, it was now his.

My breath hitched as I watched the pen sweep across the bottom of the paper with his signature.

He'd signed it. He'd done it. He'd bought my painting.

"Well, Tiara, I am certain this won't be the last of our deals. I look forward to seeing what else you come up with. Who knows? I might be in the market for another Tiara Ross original." He shot me a wink and slid the check across the table.

Thirteen thousand dollars. My hands nearly shook as I picked it up and held it in my hands. I had never possessed that kind of money before. When I graduated with my degree in art history, neither my mother nor I ever thought I would have a career that would generate this kind of income. This was completely surreal, and I kept waiting for someone to jump out from behind a corner and tell me it was all one big prank.

Not wanting to appear as overwhelmed as I was, I gave Mr. Jackson a confident smile and stood up, smoothing my dress out.

"I'm so glad it's going home with you, Mr. Jackson. It's been a pleasure working with you." Over the last few months, we have become good friends. He'd visited the gallery frequently, and would thoughtfully study every piece we had on display. He appreciated art of any kind, but for whatever reason, it was my work that he was drawn to. I spent hours letting him pick my brain, talking about how each piece came to fruition. Whenever he was in, he always insisted on coming back to look at what I was currently working on. A lot of times, clients didn't care about the backstory behind a piece, but that seemed to be what Mr. Jackson loved the most. And as an art collector, his interest in my work was flattering.

"It was a pleasure working with you as well, and I appreciate all the time you spent with me. It means so much more knowing where your vision came from." He said. "Now, please, go enjoy the rest of your evening. It seems I'm not the only fan of your work."

I followed him out into the gallery. Tonight, we were having a special viewing of some of our newer pieces, and it attracted quite the crowd. Live piano music filled the space and champagne and appetizers were being survived by the tray. A few of our resident artists had shown up to talk with potential clients, and so far, everything was going well. This was exactly the type of event I envisioned when we rented this space, and seeing it in action was indescribable. The night had barely started, and I was already walking on clouds.

My best friend and business partner, Jane, was flitting from one group to the next, handing them brochures with our featured pieces and answering any questions that they had. Her energy was contagious, and she had a special way of getting everyone around her excited about whatever she was excited about. She was so good at the personal aspect of this, and we made a good team. Business had flourished over the last few months, and if things went well tonight, we'd be well on our way to becoming one of the most successful up-and-coming galleries in all of New York.

It had been born out of humble beginnings, though, and that was what made nights like tonight so difficult to wrap my mind around. I met Jane when we were both in school at USC in California, and we were literal opposites in our personalities to our appearances. With her messy blonde hair and icy blue eyes, she was whimsical and quirky and had chosen an art degree because it required the least amount of science classes. She was only dependable to those she loved, and the girl wouldn't know the concept of a schedule if I hit her over the head with it. I, on the other hand, lived and died by my planner, and had been obsessed with painting for as long as I could remember. She was impulsive, and I always thought about the consequences. I was a people pleaser, and Jane always told it like it was. We were good for each other, and when we talked about making the move out to New York, it was an easy choice.

It hadn't been easy, though. New York was tough to survive at any rate, but this industry was even more cutthroat than most. We'd go weeks with barely a customer or two, and as rent spiked, we agonized over whether we'd even be able to keep the door open at all. We'd fought hard, though, and tonight was proof that those days were behind us.

"Thank you again, Tiara. I will see you again soon." Mr. Jackson leaned down and kissed my cheek before disappearing out the front door.

Before I could get my bearings, Jane appeared out of thin air, throwing her arms around me and squeezing so tightly I thought she might break my neck. "Oh my god, Titi. You did it! Your first painting!"

"Can you believe it?" I couldn't help but smile. This had been my dream all of my life. "It still doesn't feel real. I thought I was going to have a heart attack before he signed it."

"Well, get used to it! It's just the beginning." Jane grinned, grabbing two small glasses from a tray and handing one to me.

"Is this champagne?" It suspiciously smelt like something stronger.

"God, no." She scoffed. "It's tequila! But I can get you some champagne as a chaser."

"This seems like a terrible idea."

"Tequila is never a terrible idea." Jane rolled her eyes.

As another server passed by, I grabbed a glass of wine and put the shot glass of tequila on his tray.

"I think I better take it slow tonight. I already feel so nervous I could puke right here."

"Fine." Jane conceded. "But once all of this is over, we're going to celebrate the right way."

Jane disappeared as quickly as she came, and I stood at the back of the gallery and scanned the growing crowd. I recognized a few of the faces, but most of them were new. The front door opened and the crisp, fall New York City air hit from across the room. I glanced up, watching as four men came inside.

Just with their presence, they commanded the attention of everyone in the room, and several people were stealing glances and whispering amongst themselves. Everything about them was intimidating, from their dark hair and partially hidden tattoos to the heaviness of the air they carried, and their perfectly tailored suits looked wildly out of place here.

One of them seemed to be the leader, and he moved through the room with a confidence so loud it was deafening. He seemed oblivious to the attention he was drawing like it was just an ordinary day for him. The attention didn't seem to bother him one bit. He enjoyed it. The other men followed him from painting to painting before eventually breaking off and browsing on their own. Eventually, the infatuation wore off, and everyone else went back to their conversations.

The tallest man had his back to me and had been standing in front of one of my paintings for several minutes with an undeterred stare. For a brief second, I thought about going over to see if I could answer any of his questions, but Jane interrupted me.

"That's Leandro Diaz." She pointed over my shoulder at the man who had been standing at my painting. "He's one of the biggest real estate investors in the entire city. He looks like an Italian Hercules."

"The cartoon?" I held in my laughter, pressing the wineglass to my lips. I had never been one to get giddy or love-struck over a boy. That was another glaring difference between Jane and I. She was always quick to fall in love, and unfortunately, just as quick to get her heart broken.

She rolled her eyes, slapping my shoulder.

"Why don't you go give him the brochure?" I suggested, nudging her forward.

"Right. I should do that." She had been dying for an excuse to go talk to them, and I had given her one.

I took another sip of my wine, enjoying the show as she introduced herself, handing a brochure to the first man, and another who had now joined him. She was talking a hundred miles an hour, pointing toward the painting and then turning toward me.

The two men turned toward me as well, and my eyes locked with the one who had been standing there the longest. This was the first time I was getting a good look at him, and I immediately felt unarmed. His eyes were as dark as his hair and felt like they were piercing right through me. Even from across the room, I could feel the intensity in his stare, and a fiery blush blanketed my cheeks. His attention was unwavering, and it only made me feel uncomfortable. Why did it seem like he was already angry with me?

Wanting to escape the tense moment, I turned toward another group of women and immersed myself in their conversation.

"Oh Titi, this is just to die for." One of our regular clients beamed as I walked towards them.

"Isn't it lovely Maria Corsen? This is from one of our new artists. She is so..." I started to delve right into my speech when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I whirled around to find Jane standing right behind me.

"Titi, those men over there. They're interested in your painting." Her tone was giddy. She moved in between Maria Corsen and me, not giving me much of a choice."I'd be happy to tell you about this one, Maria Corsen."

Reluctantly, I headed toward the group.