Expression that matches

Even as I openly gawked at the woman that stood in front, I never once felt her focus on me. The disparity between the warmth she presented to everyone and the chill her eyes held seemed to be noticed by no one else but me. I found that incomprehensible and as she stepped off the stage to mingle with the rest, it made me question if what I saw was only an illusion or a trick of the light. Yet even as I tried to doubt my previous observations, I wasn't able to fuel my uncertainty.

__

"… this piece, it's quite an attraction indeed…"

I shouldn't have come this early.

I had decided to head to my usual café earlier than usual only to find out that it was closed. In the few years that I've been going there, I've never once seen their door with a notice of "Closed for the day" and yet today of all days it had one. Apparently the shipment for a lot of the beans that they use for their coffee had been delayed for weeks and their stockpile had been exhausted.

After going there for years, of course I would notice that the owner focused on consistency regarding their products and wouldn't serve an alternative. I quite respect and admire the owner for that. I wouldn't want to be served something that wasn't what I was expecting to be served.

But I also didn't want to hear Sandro buttering up a nouveau rich couple that's probably just trying fill up their newly bought property. I guess I can't really fault him for doing this.

We all have our assignments and we all have a different approach; his being buttering up- well I mean, reassuring his clients of their taste in art, Peter's is his ability to observe his clients and making it seem like that the particular work that he's presenting is made for them, Louis' charm and diligence always lures in old bourgeois women that have too much money and time on their hands, and Devon particularly excels at encountering the people that really want the piece he's currently managing.

I, on the other hand, am mainly there to magnify the piece I'm presenting; I've never been one to be too fond of buyers that know next to nothing about art. Though it is quite odd, I'm still able to excel as well.

The old madam used to summon all five of us just to tease us. It started around the time after her trip to Japan. Apparently she attended a concert that was sponsored by her son's foundation but due to an incident he was unable to attend.

It was a charity boy band concert.

It brought us a lot of confusion when she said that we were like one because of our different image concepts.

Sandro being the hyper type, Peter being the smart type, Louis being the cute type, Devon being the lucky wildcard, and I being the cool type. While I do see the resemblance of the build of our so-called group, the image of the five us being on stage and performing sent a shiver to my spine.

And as I was absorbed in my thoughts, I suddenly felt someone poke my back and that caused me to jump a little. Just a little, I still had the presence of mind to not make a scene while Sandro was entertaining clients.

Blue.

What greeted me was blue. The same cold eyes and the same warm smile.

"Good morning, Madam." I breathed out a greeting as I saw the person that was guilty of the sudden shock I received.

"Good Morning, Adrian. You seem to have been lost in your thoughts there." I was quite impressed that she didn't have any uncertainty when saying my name, showing that she was sure of whom I was. For a newly appointed head, that's really impressive.

"Yes… quite so." She giggled to that and if I weren't painfully aware of her unfeeling eyes then I would assume that she was flirting with me.

"Oh yes- I had a reason for approaching you." She straightened herself up and motioned for me to follow her and we headed towards the smaller conference room that was serving as her temporary office. She sat down and motioned for me to sit.

"You are probably aware of the matter that I wanted to discuss, yes?" She paused and I nodded, urging her to proceed.

"The matters regarding the Van Gogh that you have obtained, I assume you're going to hold an auction?" This was probably her way of cueing me to expand on my plans.

"I intend to do so, though I am still debating whether the auction should be done in an anonymous fashion to give private collectors a greater chance or should I favor a named auction that favors the museums. It will, of course, be held in the theatre upstairs and the works of some of the artists that the Vitre are currently supporting will be exhibited in the lobby."

I noticed that the giddy disposition that she had before was now gone and as she lightly tapped her lips and gazed in my direction while looking like she wasn't seeing me, a sudden thought struck me.

She's mesmerizing.

The stoic expression and the depth that her current disposition showed were mesmerizing.

The cold unfeeling expression in her eyes was still present but now they held a depth that matched her entirely.

She's beautiful.