The Art Dealer by Megan West

“Are you going to do this or not?”
     
    “Yes! I'm just..working up to it is all”
     
    Jen Sutton was about to walk into one of New York City's most prestigious contemporary art galleries and ask one of the art world's most notorious art dealers, Rick Harmon, out to dinner. She had been sitting in the car for more than five minutes working up her courage. Her impatient and often abrasive roommate Sarah was not helping her confidence building.
     
    “I shouldn't have worn this ridiculous dress” Jen said as she looked down at her legs, the short dress hugging her thighs tightly. She felt awkward in the dress Sarah picked out for her. She often felt awkward in anything that showed her knees.
     
    “Girl you look gorgeous! You can't expect to pull one over on him anyway. He'll know what you're trying to do so you might as well do it right and look sexy.”
     
    She was right and Jen knew it. Harmon wasn't an idiot and the plan was never to fool him. It was to present herself in a way he couldn't resist.
     
    “It's just not me is all.” Jen said even though she knew she looked good. She was a very attractive girl when she tried. With a naturally thin and toned body, short brown hair and bright green eyes she would be a head turner if she didn't hide her figure all the time under baggy clothes covered in paint.
     
    Two months ago a prestigious contemporary art show was announced at the gallery. Jen was a recent art graduate with a few measly shows under her belt. But nothing as big as this one. Lots of big wigs in the art community would be there and she knew if she got in it would be her big break. So she had grabbed what she felt was her best piece and entered it into the selection process.
     
    She stayed cooped up in her apartment for a week after the rejection letter came. She couldn't even stomach looking at her artwork. A week later she started to bounce back like she always did. She didn't seem like it on the outside but she was a strong and determined person who always got what she wanted. She had visited Harmon several times in an attempt to convince him to accept her painting in the show. He always refused. That's when Jen and Sarah developed their plan.
     
    She would go on a few dates with him, string him along with the possibility of sex and in a week's time, after convincing him to put her painting in the show, dump him. One way or another she would get what she wanted.
     
    “Look at me” Jen looked at Sarah, surprised at her sudden change in tone.
     
    “You'll be fine, you're beautiful, he can't say no.” For the first time she was actually being encouraging. She looked in the car's visor mirror. She wasn't use to her hair actually being done. She let out her frustration with a sigh.
     
    “Okay, I'm ready” She stepped out of the car, adjusted her dress that found its way far up her olive thighs, and began walking towards the gallery.
     
    “Jen!” Sarah yelled out the car as she rolled the window down. She rolled her eyes as she turned around, wondering what she had to say now.
     
    “Yea?”
     
    “Your ass looks great!” She laughed loud enough to be heard over the New York City traffic. Jen blushed as she turned back around and began walking. Embarrassed and wondering if anyone on the busy sidewalk heard her obnoxious friend.
     
    She knew her ass looked great. She would have been crazy if she hadn't checked herself out in the mirror a thousand times before doing this. She knew she didn't have that classic sexy supermodel look a lot of guys went for. She was rather petite but had perfect olive colored skin, a nice tight ass, and decent breasts for her size. She had to look her best if she ever wanted to have a chance at seducing Harmon. He was a very good looking man and she would have to pull out all the stops.
     
    A gust of cold, crisp air hit her bare legs as she walked into the gallery; reminding her how nude she felt. The gallery was a large open space, with bare wood floors and