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Tweak says, "Lizi rocks!"

Amada Ontiveros (feeltheburn) wrote in nosuchtimes,
@ 2008-04-07 22:18:00

Entry tags:

amada ontiveros, zane smith

The History of Zamada: A First Meeting
Who: Zane and Amada - duh!
Where: Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
When: Years ago
What: Their first meeting - Amada's student art show

Amada
It was a big night for her...okay a HUGE night, really. To be a 'Student to Exhibit,' to be one of three students picked from every art student at NYU was a very big deal. She hadn't realized just how big of one until the event's organizer had asked her to come and design her installations, not to mention started running through the guest list for the opening night gala - the fact that there was a gala at all should have signaled what the whole thing met. Amada picked her favorite ten pieces for the show: two sculptures, three oil paintings, three black and white photographs and two mixed-media pieces. She felt it was a good group that communicated all that she was capable of. Of course, that didn't help ease her nerves at all, especially not after that first look at the guest list. Gallery owners from all over town, the coordination for the Metropolitan Museum of Art....and that was just the start!

The week leading up to opening night flew by in a mixture of classes and preparations. And then there was the whole issue of what she'd wear, seeing as this was her first formal showing. She went bright, knowing the other female being exhibited was more than likely going to choose classic black - Amada wanted to stand out. So pink it was - bright, vibrant, eye-catching pink. It was backless, baring the tanned curve of her spine, her dark hair left to hang sleekly against the naked skin. Her make-up was light for the night...a classic smokey eye and soft pink lips. She slid into a pair of soft gold stilettos and grabbed her matching clutch, rushing out the door to catch a cab before she was late to her own exhibition.

Things went slow at first....she smoozed as best she could, trying to greet everyone that had come in. At some point it just became overwhelming and she abandoned the idea all together, content to stand back and watch them taking in all three displays. Hers was hung under her 'pen name' and so very few people had any idea who she was...well, until they saw her picture at the back of the room with the other two student's, the black and white photo there with a short bio.

Halfway through the night, she noticed...ok, he was handsome, that's what she noticed...a handsome guy standing near one of her sculptures looking rather puzzled. Champagne in hand, she strolled over casually to stand behind him. "So," her voice was tinged with the spice of her Spanish accent, "what do you think of it?"

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Zane

feeltheburn
2008-04-08 03:31 am UTC (link)

Life in New York was definitely the "fast-lane" type. There was always something to do, some conference or event that was being held that had to be attended. It was ridiculous to Zane - he was a doctor, not a celebrity. But when the Chief of the Pediatric Ward invited him to a gallery opening well he couldn't refuse, could he? "It'll be good for your career, Zane. An up and coming surgeon like yourself needs to mingle with the right crowd." What exactly was the right crowd was Zane's question. He didn't become a doctor for the perks (though he had to admit that the perks were damn good), but he became a doctor to help people, especially children.

So what did art have to do with children? Zane didn't have a clue. But there he was at the request of an older colleague. Besides, it couldn't hurt to have a relaxing night, could it? Sure, Zane didn't know a damn thing about art but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy it. There were a few pieces that had caught his attention. Some photographs and oil paintings, but there was one sculpture that immediately caught his attention. He stood there for several minutes, a glass of champagne in his hand. Zane wasn't really a wine or champagne guy unless it was in a dinner setting. But the gallery wasn't serving anything else so he settled for the bubbly. At least it went down smooth.

He was about to take a sip of the champagne when he a woman spoke to him from behind. He turned around, ready to answer with something witty when all words left his mind. There in front of him stood the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was wearing a pink dress and oh dear God did she have an accent? Zane gulped and cast her a goofy grin. "What do I think?" This was a time to sound intelligent, Zane, not be stupid. "I don't really think. I just know that I like it. I think the guy who did this..." His hand made an up-and-down motion at the sculpture. "Is very talented." He sipped his champagne and nodded. "Yep... very talented indeed."

Yeah, that was the extent of the Zane's art knowledge. Hopefully it was enough to keep the pretty girl somewhat interested in the conversation

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Amada

feeltheburn
2008-04-08 03:32 am UTC (link)

For a moment the guy, whomever he was, looked a bit shell shocked by her sudden question. At first Amada had thought it was simply because he was looking at her piece, but it was clear from his answer that he had no idea who'd welded and sculpted the metallic structure before him. "And what makes you think it's creator was a man?" Oh yes, there was definitely an accent - granted, it had been toned down from it's actual thickness, but the flavor of Spain was still very much present in each and every word she spoke. A teasing little smile curled up the very edges of her full lips, eyes watching him over the rim of her champagne flute as she sipped at the bubbly liquid. The question would come off innocently enough - what about the piece gave it such a strong, male energy? Truly she was just too amused by thoughts of what expression might flit across his face when she told him that it was her piece he was looking at. Besides, she hadn't expected some in-depth discussion of how each curve represented a trial in the artist's life or any such pretentious bit as that - so many men had already tried to impress her that night with their 'insight'. It was all a bunch of B.S. really, they just wanted a peek beneath that hot pink dress and no one was quite up to par for that just yet.

"I'm Amada, by the way," she held out a slender hand, knowing her name would give him no indication that she was the artist behind the sculpture. She wasn't quite ready for that reveal just yet, but she definitely wanted to make sure that the hottie standing before her knew her name. He was, by far, the most gorgeous man in the room - and something about that wide smile that slid over his lips ensured her that he was quite the entertainer. She couldn't pinpoint what it was about him, but she just knew he was a true blue charmer. "Enjoying the show so far?" she lofted a single dark brow, glancing up at him. In spite of her heels there was a bit of a height difference, just enough of one that she had to tilt her head back just slightly to look up at him.

"I have to confess something," she admitted, a dazzlingly amused smile in place, "the sculpture is mine. Actually this half of the gallery - these ten - they're all mine." She'd let him blather on long enough, it was only fair to let him in on the truth now. "I'm Calix..." Amada explained, gesturing to the pieces he stood before. Just to make sure he knew she was being truthful, she nodded towards her photograph across the gallery, "It's a...'pen name,' I guess you could say."

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Zane

feeltheburn
2008-04-08 03:32 am UTC (link)

Zane looked at her with a slightly furrowed brow. If she was expecting some sort of intelligent, artsy fartsy type of answer she wouldn't get it from him. While Zane was an accomplished doctor he wasn't the type to act like he was better than everyone else. He didn't put up the front of being knowledgeable about art nor did he spend the last few hours reading articles on the internet about the art world. Zane was as he was - a simple, down-to-earth guy who was here on his night off.

So why did he think the sculptor was a man? "I have no clue," he said with a hearty chuckle. Zane leaned in to Amada slightly and whispered. "Honestly, I don't know a damn thing about art." He pulled back and his mouth widened into another grin. "All I do know is that this piece," he pointed to the sculpture. "Is really beautiful and I like it." He raised the champagne to his lips and took a big gulp. The bubbles tickled his throat but he held back the urge to cough like a fool who had never drunken before. Zane watched her carefully as she held out a delicate hand in introduction. Amada. It was a beautiful name, one that matched the girl or so Zane thought in his mind.

"I'm Zane," he said, choosing to just introduce himself by his middle name and excluding his last name and doctor title altogether. "And I am enjoying the show. It's my first. There goes my gallery virginity!" He joked with a hearty laugh before he downed the rest of his champagne. He glanced at Amada and the golden-hue of her skin. She was beautiful and exotic, the kind of woman he didn't get to meet while he was working his long hours at the hospital. But the hospital was his life, and the children under his care meant everything to him. The last female he talked to was a little five year old who said he had a scruffy goat on his face. Of course she meant goatee, but Zane didn't correct her. He smiled and rubbed it proudly, and said that his 'goat' kept him company. Zane wondered if Amada liked goatees or if she preferred the shaved look.

Zane would have continued with his ramblings had Amada not confessed her true identity. His eyes widened and he a sheepish, almost embarrassed grin crossed his lips. He let out a goofy laugh and rubbed the back of his head slowly. "Woo boy..." he drawled out slowly. "Well I just made a fool of myself, didn't I?' He watched Amada from the corner of his eyes and shook his head. "I bet you enjoyed that, didn't you? Now don't you lie either, cos I see a twinkle there in your eyes that says my embarrassment was your entertainment for the night." His teasing was playful and light-hearted and he hoped Amada didn't mind. "Seriously though, seriously... very nice work Ms. Calix." His voice took a huskier tone when he gave her the compliment to show that he was indeed being serious and that the words he spoke were the complete and honest truth.

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Amada

feeltheburn
2008-04-08 03:33 am UTC (link)

"The most important thing to know about art is what you like and what you don't - the rest of it is all crap that people make up to impress one another. So thank you for sparing me from yet another bout of crap," she winked playfully, that amused smile never leaving her lips - she may have been having a bit of fun at his expense, but he was also extremely entertaining all on his own. If there was one thing Amada enjoyed more than a good looking man, it was one with a sense of humor. This witty stranger before her seemed to be a well-rounded package containing both and how could she ever turn that down? His company was by far the most entertaining she'd experienced all evening.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Zane." She shook his hand warmly, a slight spark zinging through her delicate fingers at that slightest bit of contact. It was a most unexpected sensation. "I'm glad your first time has been so enjoyable," she teased in return, laughing amusedly at his little joke. Her family had always teased her about laughing too loudly at everything, but truly Zane's wit was deserving of such a response. He was the last thing she'd expected to find tonight...a handsome, funny, seemingly intelligent man. She'd planned for the evening to most likely bore her to tears; not to mention she now understood why so many of the other women present were dressed in dull colors - the pink made Amada stand out, had drawn a bit of unwanted attention all evening. Like all things, the art world had it's share of skeeze - perhaps that was what helped make Zane's presence so refreshing.

His reaction to the identity of her revelation was as priceless as she'd imagined; Amada couldn't help but to chuckle softly, unable to bite back the smile that illuminated her face. "Perhaps I enjoyed it a little, yes," she nodded, reigning in her amusement so that her accent wouldn't over-power her words, "but you should blame the party planners, really. Had they coordinated something with a bit more excitement, I wouldn't have had to find a way to amuse myself." The banter was easy, almost seamless between the pair, "I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me." She was adorable, how could he not? And she definitely (obviously) didn't mind his teasing - she seemed to be doing her own fair share of it. "Thank you...and it's Miss Ontiveros, actually," it was important he know her last name, after all....you know, in case he wanted to ask about her, "Calix comes from Calixta, my middle name. I didn't want to be written off as an ethnic artist, so I chose something a bit more...undefined."

"So, Zane," his name falling from those lips with that accent was a far sexier thing than it should have been, "what do you do for a living? I'm going to take a wild guess and say that it isn't something in the art world." Just a hunch really, since he seemed to know so much about art and all. Plus, the whole 'doctor who saves kids' thing was really the ace in the hole....or would be, once he used it.

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I think I'm feeling past!Zane - oh, btw... can you fix the formatting on the main post?

nospoon
2008-04-18 02:12 am UTC (link)

"What do I do?" He asked repeating her question. He chuckled softly and then shook his head. "No, definitely has nothing to do with art unless you count scribbling on construction paper as art." Zane thought back to the kids at the hospital and how they were perfectly content to spend their time with a box of crayons and blank pieces of paper. They drew whatever they wanted and most of it ended up on the wall of Zane's office.

"I'm a doctor," he said finally with a modest grin. "Pediatric surgeon." He clarified since the question most people asked afterwards was "What kind of doctor?" He took another sip of his champagne and then let out a soft sigh. "I woulda brought the little munchkins with me," Zane said, his lips twitching into a smile. "But I think they woulda made a mess of things." He chuckled and took another sip of his champagne. Zane truly adored the children he looked after. If he hadn't come to the gallery opening on this night, he would have been at the hospital keeping them company with some Disney movies and popcorn even if it was his night off. He felt so bad that they had to stay cooped up in the hospital all the time, but their illnesses restricted them from doing anything else. And Zane was the type of doctor who's motto was, 'If you can't go out and have fun, well then I'll bring the fun right here for you.'

He sighed softly and then grinned at Amada. "Looks like your show is a big hit," he said as he looked around at the large crowd. "So which one of your own pieces is your favorite?"

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No! It is my goal in life to screw things up! lol

feeltheburn
2008-04-18 02:50 am UTC (link)

A doctor? Amada was clearly impressed, especially once he shared with her exactly what kind of doctor he was. "To tell you the truth, I think I'd welcome a little mess in here. Everything is so perfectly set up, I keep waiting to knock something over," she joked with a smile, glancing around for a moment at all the upper crust socializers that surrounded them. Amada felt extremely out of her element amongst such wealth. Something to shake things up would have been a welcome change to the night.

"Aw, I can't pick just one!" she laughed, raising her glass of champagne to her lips for a sip. "They're like my children, I can't love one more than the next, they might get jealous," she quipped with a bright smile. So far things seemed to be going well between the two, but then they'd just met. Amada was interested, but now was not really the place for her usual flirtation to kick in. "Though I guess if I had to pick one, right now, it would be the sculpture you chose. It's my current favorite. It actually just sold a moment ago." She'd been informed of the deal before introducing herself to Zane.

"So what brings a pediatric surgeon to a student's art show?" she asked after a moment, her curiosity evident as she turned her gaze up to meet his. Ok, so maybe she wanted to know more about him...

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nospoon
2008-04-22 05:39 am UTC (link)

"Well damn," Zane said with a snap of his fingers. "Had I known that you wanted a mess I would have brought the entire ward with me!" He chuckled and shook his head at the thought of them and wondered what they were doing at that moment. He sipped his champagne again and then smiled at the devastatingly gorgeous woman who had graced him with her company.

"You're serious? My favorite piece is your favorite piece! What are the odds!" He joked with a flirtatious sideways glance. Maybe it wasn't the right place to flirt, but Zane couldn't help himself especially since Amada was so engaging. "Congratulations with it being sold," he said with a little tip of his glass. "May you always have success with your art." He took another sip and found that he was enjoying the taste of champagne more and more, or did that have to do with Amada's company?

He raised his brows at her next question. A sheepish grin formed on his lips as he spoke. "Well to tell you the truth, the head of my department invited me here." Zane didn't keep up with the art world at all so he wouldn't have known about the student's art show otherwise. But he was glad he came if it meant that he got to meet Amada. "He said it would be good for my career," he shrugged and then sighed. "Not sure how, unless he meant that meeting beautiful artists would be good for me and so far, I don't think he was wrong." He was flirting with her again but he couldn't help it. She really was beautiful and he wanted to get to know her better.

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feeltheburn
2008-04-22 01:53 pm UTC (link)

Amada laughed lightly, "I would have enjoyed it, actually. I don't know about everyone else around here." She cast a glance around the crowd gathered in the gallery. She could bet that all the Armani clad men and their Dolce dates wouldn't have found all those children to be quite as charming as she did. God, she was so out of her element here - it was the only thing that made her nervous about tonight. Well that and now a very handsome, extremely charming doctor that she'd met.

"Must be fate," she agreed with a smile. What where the odds that the two of them would love the same piece? Surely that meant something. Not to him maybe, but to her...to an artist, to have someone pick out your most cherished work as their favorite? Surely that was a special bond. After all, she tended to believe that meant they saw a glimpse of whatever you had when you created it. "Thank you," she accepted his congratulations with a warm smile, tipping her glass back towards his in a little mock toast. "May you always be successful in medicine." Amada could flirt too...with the best of them even. If she was interested, of course...and she most definitely was.

His compliment had those golden cheeks flushing a soft pink, a smile crossing her lips as she turned her gaze up to his, "You're quite the charmer, aren't you?" It wasn't so much a genuine question as an observation she'd made. He seemed to have everything going for him...looks, a sense of humor, a good job, he loved kids...god, could he be any more perfect? "Would you like to get a cup of coffee or something after this...when it's all over?" she asked suddenly, not quite sure where the courage to ask such a thing had come from. All Amada knew was that she liked him, that she was interested....and she hoped he was too.

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nospoon
2008-04-22 11:51 pm UTC (link)

Zane couldn't have cared less about Dolce or Gabbana or whatever other designer made the clothes the guests at the art show were wearing. Zane liked things simple and anything that was overly flashy - like spending anything more than five-hundred dollars on a suit - just wasn't him. So the fact that Amada agreed with him about the kids was a plus for the tall man. It meant that she wasn't as snobby as everyone else in the room and that she was someone that Zane could probably get along with.

Zane was thrilled to see the soft pink blush forming on Amada's cheeks. It coordinated with her dress and made her caramel skin all the more beautiful. He grinned with her claim that he was a charmer but he didn't answer it. Zane simply bounced his eyebrows at her and then downed the rest of his champagne. The doctor didn't think he was perfect, he had just as many flaws at the next person, but he did believe he was extremely lucky to have met Amada that night. He never in his wildest dreams thought that a woman like her existed, or that the loopy feeling he felt in his heart was something real. Maybe it was the champagne that was making him giddy - though he couldn't recall ever being giddy in his entire life - but he was actually beginning to entertain thoughts of the future and he could see himself marrying the woman who stood in front of him.

Was this love at first sight? Zane didn't know and he didn't believe in those things, but everything that was happening with Amada seemed surreal and he would definitely have to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. "Coffee?" He asked with a slow nod of his head. "Coffee sounds perfect." He placed his glass down on the tray that a waiter was carrying and then smiled at Amada. "I look forward to it."

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feeltheburn
2008-04-23 12:26 am UTC (link)

Was it love at first sight? Amada didn't know either, but she definitely felt something fluttering in her chest. Whether that was nerves or Zane or champagne...maybe a combination of all three...whatever it was, she rather liked it and found she didn't want it to stop. When he agreed to go for coffee with her following the show, she couldn't stop the infectious smile that burst across her lips, "Great. I should mingle for another hour or so...I'll meet you back here and we'll head out?" Once he'd agreed, she flashed him once last smile and went off to finish her schmoozing.

Just under an hour later, she was through, cheeks sore from flashing fake smiles all night. She was overly excited to go for coffee with the handsome doctor from earlier, found that she had to tell herself to calm down or she was likely to do something embarrassing. Weaving her way through the last few members of the gathered crowd as they found their way out of the gallery, Amada grinned when she spotted Zane. "I'm all finished if you're ready." When he nodded, the two moved to retrieve their coats from the check, heading out into the cool night.

"There's a great little international cafe not far from here...I thought we might go there?" He seemed more than fine with that idea and so, slipping her arm through his, Amada took the lead in heading towards the little corner bistro she loved so much. The coffee was amazing, the atmosphere slightly romantic at night and it would be quiet enough to give them a chance to talk. After all, any man that made her stomach flip flop the way that Zane did was a man she wanted to know more about.

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