A Dangerous Connection – Chapter 2

The gallery is already bustling by the time I arrive, fashionably late as planned. I pause in the doorway, taking in the scene. Men and women dressed to the nines, sipping champagne and murmuring about the artworks. Tiago wasn’t exaggerating about the pretentiousness. I smooth my hands over my skirt, suddenly self-conscious. This flowing black skirt and silky blouse were the nicest clothes I could salvage from my old life back at my borrowed hovel, but they seem shabby compared to the glittering dresses and tailored suits of the other patrons.

At least I had clean underwear.

And I’m clean, thanks to the luxurious shower at Tiago’s apartment. The hot water on my dirty skin was pure bliss after days without. I helped myself to his fancy soaps too, inhaling the delicate floral scents as I washed my hair. My stomach is full from the meal I whipped up in his sleek kitchen — fresh bread, cheese, cured meats, and the promised pasteis de nata for dessert. The custard tarts smelled heavenly, the flaky crust melting in my mouth.

It felt wrong, so luxuriously wrong.

Yet I did it anyway. I put up my feet on his couch and snoozed the afternoon away, falling into a deep sleep that I haven’t had for two months. It’s hard to sleep when you’re squatting in a building and someone could bust you at any moment.

I spot Tiago across the gallery, locked in conversation with an older gentleman. He glances up and meets my eyes, his face lighting up. Excusing himself, he makes his way over.

“You came,” he says, sounding both surprised and pleased.

I lift an eyebrow. “You invited me. Why wouldn’t I come?”

Tiago ducks his head. “I wasn’t sure… I mean, I thought you might change your mind.”

“And miss out on free champagne and fancy people watching?” I nudge him with my shoulder. “Not a chance.” I smile at him. “I left in the early afternoon so you could return and get ready.”

“You didn’t need to do that.” His smile drops. “I got ready at the gym.”

He seems disappointed that I didn’t take full advantage of him? Who is this guy?

I change the subject. “Looks like you have a good turnout.” I gesture at the surrounding people.

He grins. “Let me introduce you to some people.”

Looping his arm through mine, Tiago steers me from group to group, introducing me as his friend Angela. I sip champagne and nod as these wealthy patrons go on about composition, and exotic materials, and interpretation… and on and on. It’s hard not to roll my eyes at them.

Tiago keeps me tucked against his side, his hand warm on my back. It feels… nice. It shouldn’t feel nice. This should feel wrong.

Isn’t this what I’ve been trying to get away from?

But dammit. It’s comforting in a way I haven’t known for some time.

After an hour, Tiago gets pulled into art conversations, leaving me to wander solo with my champagne flute. I meander past the installations, noticing the little red sold dots popping up on the displays beside them. Looks like the showing is a success.

I stand before the squid piece again, watching the ribbons flutter in the air conditioning, the holographic nanothread ebbing and flowing like the water it represents. It really is magnificent. Tiago has talent, that much is clear. I wonder why he hasn’t made it big yet, with his own studios and legions of employees. Maybe he’s more interested in the art than in playing the game. I can respect that.

As the night winds down, patrons head out the doors in laughing, tipsy groups. I spent the last two hours making small talk or sitting in the garden out back. It wasn’t a bad way to spend the evening, but it was lonely.

This is the only thing I truly hate about my situation. The loneliness. I thought it would be good to be on my own. Independent and free.

Not so much.

Tiago appears at my side again.

“So, what did you think?” he asks, glancing around at the thinning crowd. “Did you have a good time?”

“I think you’re very talented,” I say honestly. “And all your pieces sold too, I saw.”

He grins, looking pleased. “All but one.”

“Which one?”

“The squid.”

I glance at the swirling ribbons. “Their loss. It’s my favorite.”

Tiago’s eyes soften. “Mine too.” He pauses, looking around the near empty gallery. “Hey, would you maybe want to grab dinner? There’s a great little hole-in-the-wall place just down the street.”

My first instinct is to decline. I’ve already imposed enough, using his shower and raiding his fridge. But there’s a hopeful glint in his eyes that tugs at me.

Where is that heart of stone I said I was going to develop?

It’s nonexistent.

“Sure,” I say, noting this is the second time today I have been impulsive. Hmmm.

Tiago smiles again, and I’m already wishing for the next time he’ll smile at me.

This is a bad idea, Sora. Well, I love bad ideas so it fits.

We head out into the sultry evening air, the lights of the city flickering to life around us. He leads me to a tiny restaurant tucked between two sleek high-rise buildings. Strings of lights criss-cross overhead as we take a small table outside. A waitress brings us menus and a carafe of fruity sangria.

“To a successful show,” I say, lifting my glass.

Our glasses clink together. The sangria is tart and refreshing and just what I need to settle into this unexpected meal. I order a paella and Tiago orders a fish stew. I hope he’s willing to pay because I’m out of credits. Should I say something about it?

I open my mouth to confess my lack of funds when Tiago sighs and smiles. “I’m so glad the opening went well. That was six months’ worth of work, and I wasn’t sure how it would all be received. Everything sold so quickly.” Surprise pulls at his cheeks.

“Oh, you didn’t think you’d sell anything?” I sip the sangria. “I was certain it would all be gone in a flash.” I wave my hand.

He sits back in his chair and looks up at the stars for a moment. The sky is glittering tonight, the sun’s bent light bouncing off the rings around Rio. This is the reason it’s called the Jewel of the Duo Systems.

“No. My last show was an utter failure. I only ever sold three pieces. It was barely enough to cover my rent, and it’s why I kept the studio in the…” His voice trails off as he jerks his head in the direction of our abandoned building. “I’ve been living off of grants for the past month, and I can finally pay back the gallery owner for fronting me the studio space,” he says, sipping his drink.

Huh. So the fancy apartment and food in the fridge results from more hard work, grants, loans, and the patronage of wealthy people to fund arts. If I had access to all of my funds, I would buy that last piece.

No such luck.

The food arrives and we both thank the waiter. The paella, a pan of saffron rice studded with chorizo, chicken, and shrimp, makes my mouth water immediately. Aromas of smoked paprika and garlic fill my nose as I dig into the dish. The rice is perfectly cooked, absorbing all the rich flavors. Mmmm. At least I will have eaten well for one day this week.

“Delicious, right?” He chuckles as he spoons his soup. “You’re going to be full in no time.”

We eat in companionable silence for a few minutes. To our left, a couple is chatting away about a hard day at work, their conversation familiar and easy. My guess is they’ve been together for years.

“Will you get another studio space somewhere?” I ask after a few bites.

Tiago shakes his head. “Doubtful. Everything is so overpriced in this district.”

I nod. They will demolish our building soon to make way for yet another luxury high rise. We’ll both be out on the streets. Him less than me, of course. He could work in his apartment. It was big enough.

“Maybe I’ll leave Terceiro altogether, find somewhere cheaper to work,” he muses.

My chest tightens at the thought of him leaving. I just met Tiago today, but the idea of losing this connection we’re building…

Stop it, I scold myself. You can’t get attached. That’s how you ended up in this mess, remember?

The rest of dinner passes pleasantly, and I keep the conversation going on light and simple topics, being sure to ask Tiago about his art and how he got started. He’s not modest but not egotistical. Such an interesting combination.

At the end of the meal, Tiago insists on paying and leaves a generous tip for the waitress. Phew. That made things easier. I thank him as we step outside, full and a bit tipsy. A successful dinner, for sure.

“Want to go for a walk?” he asks, nodding his head at the street down the alley. “I love exploring the old parts of the city at night.”

I should end the date now, go ‘home’ to my dirty mattress on the floor and the couple down the hall that either fight or fuck every damned night. I would buy earplugs, but I have no cash money left.

“Sure,” comes flying out of my mouth before I can stop it. Okay, it’s time to admit there will be no caution today.

So much for self-restraint, Sora.

We set off down shadowy side streets and narrow alleys. This part of town almost reminds me of the lower rent districts on the outskirts of the city but with an eclectic, artistic vibe. The buildings are an odd mix of sleek modern and old world charm.

We come to a stop before an abandoned brick building wedged between two new high rises. Tiago grins at me, eyes glinting in the moonlight.

“This one,” he says, nodding at the darkened building. The front door is boarded over and a notice on the gate reads ‘Keep Out! Demolition In Progress!’ “I have a feeling this one might hold some treasures.”

My eyes drift up the side of the building… ten, twelve, fourteen or more floors. “You think people left stuff behind?”

“It’s possible.” He rubs his hands together. “A lot of the cloth in my work comes from recycled material. You won’t believe what some people leave behind in these buildings.”

My reckless side takes over. “Let’s go then. I love a good treasure hunt.”

Laughing, we slip inside and up the dusty stairs. On the second floor landing, Tiago grabs a discarded flashlight and shines the way up. The doors to the third and fourth floors won’t open, but the fifth floor is a warren of small rooms that might’ve been apartments once. Tiago and I poke through them, jumping when a piece of debris clatters or a window rattles.

In one room, I find an old framed print leaning against the crumbling wall. Brushing off the dust, I make out an antique map of Primeiro, the oldest and most revered of the floating cities on Rio.

“Tiago, look,” I call softly.

He comes to stand beside me, squinting at the map. “That’s nice. Looks hand painted. Amazing it survived all these years. Here, help me get it down.”

Together, we lift the enormous frame off the wall. A section of the plaster behind it crumbles away, revealing a small, dark space. Tiago leans in with his light.

“There’s something back there,” he says.

I peer over his shoulder and glimpse two gleaming eyes in the shadows of the wall.

“How in the hell…?” My statement trails off as I look up and down the skeleton of the exterior wall. It must have climbed in through some other hole and ended up here.

Tiago reaches in slowly, and a rush of anxiety flows through me, stronger than anything I’ve felt in a while.

“Careful,” I whisper. “I think it’s scared.”

A soft trilling sound rumbles as he pulls out a small creature. Huh. It’s like a cat with dark furry wings folded against its body. The thing shivers in Tiago’s grasp, letting out pitiful, mewling cries.

“It’s hurt, I think.”

Tiago strokes it gently. “Looks like a baby. Must’ve gotten separated from its mother.”

My heart twists. The poor thing is so small and frightened. I reach out a hand, and the creature sniffs my fingers, then nuzzles against my palm, still whimpering.

A warmth blooms in my chest at its touch, along with a profound sense of sadness and loneliness. I blink in surprise. That felt foreign, almost too real. How?

Tiago meets my eyes, seeming to sense it too.

“We should help it,” he says, scratching its head.

I nod. Scooping up the little one, I cradle it against myself. Its wings fold around my hand as its fear fades away.

“Where should we go?” I glance around. Our little jaunt into the abandoned building has turned into a small rescue mission.

Tiago presses his lips together. “This is no place to take care of a wounded animal. Let’s bring it back to my place.”

I lift an eyebrow at him and peek at down at the creature. Its sweet yellow eyes search mine, and my heart beat picks up pace as a vision of other animals just like it enters my mind. Hmmm.

“I think it’s missing its family.” I cuddle the small, soft animal close to my chest. “Yes. Let’s take it to your apartment and see what’s wrong with it.”

The trip back to Tiago’s apartment is quick. We were only six blocks away, and with the night settling in, foot traffic in the area is light.

In his apartment, I set the creature down on the couch, and it curls up, eyes drifting shut. I look down at my shirt, and there’s a smear of blood across my chest. It’s not my blood, so I gently lift its right wing and then the left. Ah, there’s the problem.

“There’s a cut here, under its wing. Do you have a clean towel or something?”

Tiago rushes off to his bathroom and returns with a hand towel. The creature mewls as I wipe off the wound and put pressure on it.

“What do you think it is?” I ask, watching its little chest rise and fall.

Tiago shrugs. “Hard to say. It’s probably a native animal to Rio. This planet has some strange creatures.”

I reach down to stroke its soft fur, sensing a deep need to comfort and protect this vulnerable being. It nuzzles into my touch, letting out a rumbling purr.

Tiago touches my shoulder. “We should let it rest.”

Reluctantly, I withdraw my hand. “Yeah, but I’m worried about the bleeding. I don’t want to leave it.”

“You can stay here, if you like,” he says, sitting next to me. Tiago’s nearness, his warmth, prickles my skin.

“Thanks. It’s not like I have much of a home to go back to.”

He looks ready to ask me something but shakes his head instead. I know he’s wondering about me, my past, my present. I’m wondering the same things.

But I don’t know him well enough to trust him.

Yet.

His face is angled to me, and the air seems to hum between us. He reaches out to tuck a lock of hair behind my ear, his fingertips grazing my cheek. My lips part as my pulse quickens.

Tiago’s eyes search mine. What would it be like to kiss him? Taste him? In answer, I lean in and press my mouth to his in a soft kiss. His hand slides around to cradle the back of my neck, kissing me back. A fire lights in my chest. Ah, yes. I remember what it’s like to have this closeness, to feel lips on mine, hands on my body.

Why did I run from this?

We break apart after a long, perfect moment. Tiago rests his forehead against mine, his thumb tracing my jaw. I close my eyes, letting myself get lost in his touch, his closeness.

For the first time in a long while, I’m at peace. Protected.

Like I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.

It’s too bad this place is so far from home.