Brienne did not breathe again until the glass doors of her office building slid shut behind her.
The afternoon sun washed over the pavement, bright and ordinary, yet her chest still felt tight, as though she had run a long distance without stopping. She paused beside the revolving doors, one hand on her hip, the other pressed against her ribs, forcing herself to inhale slowly.
There was something deeply unsettling about the way Alex had looked at her.
It wasn't hunger.
Neither was it desire.
Not even interest, in the simplest sense.
It had been, more of recognition.
She dismissed the thought and pushed inside.
The familiar hum of fluorescent lights, ringing phones and polite office voices grounded her. She nodded to the receptionist, rode the elevator to her floor, and slid into her chair, hoping work would drown the strange tension still coiled inside her.
Unfortunately it didn't.
As soon as her computer screen flickered to life, his eyes returned to her mind.
Those dark pupils, full of unknown intent, and almost as if accusing.
Her fingers hovered above the keyboard uselessly.
What do you want from me?
The question rose unbidden in her thoughts, sharp and uneasy.
A flash if an image cut through her mind. Alex stood over her.
Not the teasing man from earlier, but someone colder, it seemed like his face was carved from shadow and fury. His mouth was moving. He was demanding some sort of explanation from her, accusing her of something she didn't understand.
She tried to hear the words or understand them clearly but nothing.
The scene dissolved, leaving behind a hollow whiteness in her mind that made her temples throb.
Brienne closed her eyes, her breath quickening trying to focus on what was happening but nothing.
Sitting in front of the computer screen, she tried to focus, forcing herself to read the email on her screen. The staff meeting went on as scheduled and she tried ger best to participate fully in the meeting which helped her forget all about Alex and how he made her feel.
By the time the sun dipped low and the office lights softened, the memories of those eyes had faded.
Brienne drove home in the dark with the radio murming quietly, the city calm and familiar around her. The apartment building welcomed her with its usual silence. She unlocked her door and was ready to step inside when she saw a card on the floor.
Looked like someone had dropped by but because she was not in had slipped the card inside through the narrows space on the beneath the door.
Brienne picked it up wondering who might have dropped by as not many people knew where she stayed.
The note read...
Bree, honey.
I have your package with me. Please collect.
Love, Maeve.
She frowned.
Brienned was sure she had not made any orders recently. In fact she had a new year resolution that she would avoid ordinary anything at all, so who could have dropped the package by without letting her know first.
Marvel Collins, her elderly neighbour, was sweet but absent-minded. Brienne couldn't recall anything she had ordered lately.
She ste down her bag, and walked out her door to her neighbours door.
Voice murmured inside Maeve's apartment like she had company. She knocked.
It did not take long that Maeve opened the door for her. She had a phone pressed to her ear and waved Brienne towards a massive silver package leaning against the wall.
The TV was on when Brienne went in, summarising the voices she had heard must have been coming from the TV since Maeve was the only one there.
"There it is, my dear. The delivery man insisted you get it today. I must go..Lillian's on the line, sorry you will have to see your self out my dear."
Before Brienne could ask q single question l, Maeve had walked around and towards her bedroom locking her door.
The package was enormous. She struggled to drag it back to her apartment, her curiosity growing with every step making her worke more harder at it.
Once she was inside her apartment. Bree poured herself some cold lemon mint juice and tore away the wrapping.
Once Bree tore off the wrapping completely she was able to see what was inside. Bree was both surprised and excited. It was the painting she had admired at the art gallery when she was with Tristan earlier that day.
Without wasting any time she took out her phone and called Tristan. She was sure this was from Tristan and she had to thank him for the surprise.
She had been thinking of finding a piece that would decorate her plain walls when Tristan offered her one on a silver platter so she had to at least thank him for the gift.
Smilingly she shook her head. "Tristan, you impossible man.."
She propped the painting against her sofa, admiring it whilst making a call.
"Tristan, I know you love me the most. Thank you," she said the moment he answered. "You're ridiculous and wonderful and if you weren't such a good friend, I'd drag you into bed for this."
"Bree," he said slowly, "What are you talking about?"
"Stop pretending."
Silence.
"Bree...I didn't send anything."
Her stomach tightened.
Before she could argue with Tristan further she noticed a small card attached to the frame.
"Oh, wait," she whispered.
"What? What is it?"
She read the card aloud.
Dear Brienne,
I hope you get the full pleasure of the strong, sensual strokes.
— Alex
Tristan's laughter exploded over the phone.
Brienne ended the call with Tristand but she was still in shock. How did he even know where she lived. She was sure she had never shared that information with Alex. Even Tristan was yet to know where she lived because she had just recently moved over and did not have anytime to have a house warming party.
The painting leaned against the sofa, catching the lamplight, it's colors glowing more vividly than she remembered from the gallery. She took a step toward it, until she stood inches from the canvas.
The woman in the painting had no face. The face was not blurred, and not unfinished either. Where a face should be, the artist had painted a swirling storm of gold and Amber, as though identity itself were being withheld.
Brienne lifted her hand without realising she was doing it. Her fingers hovered a breath from the surface. There was some warmth radiating from the canvas. She snatched her hand back.
Her phone buzzed.
It was a text message from Tristan.
I swear I didn't arrange this. But you have to admit, this Alex guy has style.
Brienne hanged you the phone and turned to hold the painting looking for a good place to hang it.
She stared at the painting way too long, as she had discovered a hypnotic force from the painting, almost suddenly the world stopped and everything was on hold, Brienne felt her mind go hazy and the blackness.