The One Who Stole the Sky

To Fame and Ink

"What the hell, Max?" Were the first words Liesel had spoken as soon as they had closed the apartment door behind them.

"I'm so sorry, I never should have taken you. Now everyone is in our business. They think we are together..." Max paces the room.

"Is that a bad thing? Sorry I will never be the girl of your dreams and you're stuck with me until I can afford to buy my own place." Liesel rolled her eyes and threw her heels on the ground.

"I'll be out of your hair once again. You left me once, this time will be no different." Liesel spat.

"What has happened to us? We had a life of positivity planned out and now it's forgotten."

"I don't know, but why'd you paint me? Was it because you knew how hard I fell for you and you thought painting a picture of me would be your apology?"

Max unbuttoned his suit and took it off along with his tie. He walked into the kitchen and made himself up a glass of hard liquor. Looking at the ground he came back into the living room area where Liesel had now stood.

"It was an oil painting. The only medium I never used and thought I could use it on someone special. It was that night when you admitted yourself to me with no gimmicks or tricks that I felt this desire. I was inspired by your innocence and timidness to capture you in a moment of that feeling. I thought the auction was an appropriate place to reveal it to you." He looked up from his glass sleepily.

"If you want to live with me forever you can, but you will never be able to escape the press, especially after tonight. I am sorry this is what your first taste of my life was." Max swished the cube around in his drink and then breathed out sharply.

"But you did look beautiful and I am happy you came to support me, that says a lot." Max nodded his head and raised his eyebrows.

Liesel stared at him miserably, but then cracked like an egg into a simple laugh.

"I thought I was going to have to sleep out on the street from the amount of women looking at you." Liesel added.

"Nonsense. You are my responsibility. No one in this world could replace you."

The phone rang. Max answered and spoke to whom Liesel thought was the man from the Gala. She did not listen, as she thought it rude to listen in on such a private topic. She decided to take her heels to her room in the mean time. Something had stopped her, a force, a magnetic pull. Notebook paper laid in a crooked stack on her dresser. It made Liesel swell with frustration inside.

It was a draft of the story she wished to publish in the future. But this hope looked bleak at the end. No one would want her book. Not one publisher wanted to even view her book. They all believed such a young woman would do no justice in the literary realm. But they were wrong. Liesel had a story, unique in its structure and topics. Never mind that.

"Liesel!" Max ran into her room.

He beheld Liesel in such a weakened state.

"Yes!" She threw her papers to the side and sat upright. Her cheeks glistened.

Max's smile sagged, his eyes once wide now squinted.

"In time." Max said under the cracking noise of the paper he picked up. It was authentic to touch, the ink streaked and smudged in some instances.

"When? Tell me, when can I make my own fame?" Liesel begged.

"When you stop living in the shadow of mine." Max had answered.

"How do I do that? All I will ever be known as is Max Vanderburg's mistress."

Max dropped his head to let out a humorous chuckle. "But you aren't my mistress. I don't know how the world will see you any other way though. You see, being a somewhat known person in Germany is exactly like being famous but without the money. Everyone in Munich knows your business before you do, and it's quite bothersome to live in a world as such."

"Great. All I will be known as is your little accessory." Liesel crossed her arms and laid back against her headboard.

The phone rang yet again. Max left at once to answer it.

"Yes, hello."

Mumbling came from the other line in a very drowsy manner.

"It would be my pleasure to do a collaboration piece."

"Alright then, have a good night." Max slammed the phone in its cradle and rushed back into Liesel room.

"What was that about?" Liesel looked up at Max with large, gleaming eyes.

"I was asked to do a collaboration piece." Max knew Liesel did not want to hear anything about his work right now, and so he refrained from carrying on too much.

"With who?" Liesel tilted her head.

"I do not know the person, all I was told was that his name was Charlie Shuyler and that he needs one last push to get a breakthrough." Max ran his hand through his hair that had fallen over his eyes because of his slouched posture.

"Anything in mind on what to paint?" Liesel plucked anxiously at her comforter.

"Not quite, and it's their project too." Max pointed at her.

"Which means they are going to ruin it." Liesel pointed back at him.

"Hush now, they may have a fascinating idea." Max held a finger to his lips.