March 8, 2025

Perfect Forgery (Ep 2 of 4) - "The Master's Touch"

Perfect Forgery (Ep 2 of 4) - "The Master's Touch"

During an intimate examination of a suspicious Degas, Olivia and Alex's professional facade crumbles as more of their shared past comes to light. Their passionate encounters in the gallery's private spaces reveal a deeper conspiracy involving their...

During an intimate examination of a suspicious Degas, Olivia and Alex's professional facade crumbles as more of their shared past comes to light. Their passionate encounters in the gallery's private spaces reveal a deeper conspiracy involving their former mentor Marcus and gallery owner Isabella Thorne. When evidence suggests they're being watched, Olivia and Alex must work together to uncover who's really orchestrating their reunion. The episode culminates in a dangerous sting operation where personal and professional boundaries blur completely.

Unlock an ad-free podcast experience with Caloroga Shark Media! Get all our shows on any player you love, hassle free! For Apple users, hit the banner on your Apple podcasts app. For Spotify or other players, visit caloroga.com/plus. No plug-ins needed!

Subscribe now for exclusive shows like 'Palace Intrigue,' and get bonus content from Deep Crown (our exclusive Palace Insider!) Or get 'Daily Comedy News,' and '5 Good News Stories’ with no commercials! Plans start at $4.99 per month, or save 20% with a yearly plan at $49.99. Join today and help support the show!


We now have Merch! FREE SHIPPING! Check out all the products like T-shirts, mugs, bags, jackets and more with logos and slogans from your favorite shows! Did we mention there’s free shipping? Get 10% off with code NewMerch10 Go to Caloroga.com


Get more info from Caloroga Shark Media and if you have any comments, suggestions, or just want to get in touch our email is info@caloroga.com

WEBVTT

1
00:00:03.160 --> 00:00:08.279
Caloroga Shark Media.

2
00:00:08.839 --> 00:00:13.439
Hello and Welcome to Romance Weekly. This episode is titled

3
00:00:13.720 --> 00:00:17.600
The Forgery, Part two. The Master's Touch.

4
00:00:24.480 --> 00:00:28.800
Every brushstroke tells a story, the pressure of the artist's hand,

5
00:00:29.600 --> 00:00:34.799
the hesitation, the surrender to passion. Right now, in the

6
00:00:34.799 --> 00:00:39.119
private restoration room of the Thorn Gallery, Alex's hands are

7
00:00:39.159 --> 00:00:42.280
telling a story I haven't heard in ten years. The

8
00:00:42.399 --> 00:00:46.200
light has to fall just so, he murmurs. Standing behind

9
00:00:46.240 --> 00:00:49.759
me as we examine the dagga. His chest brushes my

10
00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:54.640
back with each breath, his hands ghosting over mine. As

11
00:00:54.640 --> 00:00:58.840
I hold the ultraviolet light. See how the pigments react.

12
00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:02.960
But I'm reacting more than the paint. Every point of

13
00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:07.040
contact sends electricity through my skin. The heat of his body,

14
00:01:07.439 --> 00:01:10.280
the brush of his fingers, the way his breath stirs

15
00:01:10.319 --> 00:01:13.400
the hair at my nape. It's Paris all over again.

16
00:01:14.920 --> 00:01:20.359
Show me, I say, letting myself lean back slightly, professional necessary,

17
00:01:20.840 --> 00:01:25.159
a student learning from a master. His hands slide down

18
00:01:25.159 --> 00:01:29.280
my arms, adjusting my grip on the light. Here his

19
00:01:29.400 --> 00:01:32.159
mouth is at my ear now where the dancer's dress

20
00:01:32.200 --> 00:01:39.079
meets shadow. The technique is familiar. The double meaning hangs

21
00:01:39.120 --> 00:01:44.799
between us like expensive perfume. Another forgery, another trap, another

22
00:01:44.879 --> 00:01:47.239
excuse for his hands to map my body under the

23
00:01:47.280 --> 00:01:53.640
guise of investigation. Familiar. How I turn my head slightly,

24
00:01:54.239 --> 00:01:59.840
letting my lips brush his jaw like Paris, familiar, like you,

25
00:02:00.040 --> 00:02:04.519
your work, familiar. His fingers trace patterns on my silk sleeve.

26
00:02:05.760 --> 00:02:08.599
No one else blends light and shadow quite like you, Olivia.

27
00:02:09.919 --> 00:02:12.639
His words send a shiver down my spine that has

28
00:02:12.680 --> 00:02:16.639
nothing to do with the galley's climate control. My body

29
00:02:16.680 --> 00:02:21.240
remembers this, the careful dance of professional and personal, The

30
00:02:21.280 --> 00:02:24.240
way his touch could shift from instructive to intimate in

31
00:02:24.280 --> 00:02:28.840
a heartbeat. No one else had your teaching methods, I murmur,

32
00:02:29.599 --> 00:02:32.800
arching back as his hand slide to my waist. The

33
00:02:32.879 --> 00:02:35.159
thin silk of my blouse does nothing to dull the

34
00:02:35.199 --> 00:02:38.840
heat of his fingers. Is that what you call it?

35
00:02:39.759 --> 00:02:42.400
His mouth finds that spot below my ear that makes

36
00:02:42.439 --> 00:02:48.120
my knees weak. Teaching. The memory floods back, hot as

37
00:02:48.159 --> 00:02:56.240
oil paint in summer Paris ten years ago. The secret,

38
00:02:56.680 --> 00:03:00.800
he'd whispered, guiding my hands on the canvas is to

39
00:03:00.879 --> 00:03:05.840
let your body feel the movement, like dance, like desire.

40
00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:10.560
I'd been aware of everything. The heat of his chest

41
00:03:10.599 --> 00:03:14.319
against my back, the way his fingers interlaced with mine

42
00:03:14.360 --> 00:03:18.159
on the brush, The subtle cologne that mixed with turpentine

43
00:03:18.199 --> 00:03:23.520
and passion. Like this, I'd turned my head, letting my

44
00:03:23.560 --> 00:03:27.439
lips graze his throat, the brush forgotten as his hands

45
00:03:27.479 --> 00:03:33.319
found my hips perfect, his voice had roughened. Now show

46
00:03:33.360 --> 00:03:37.840
me what else you've learned. What followed was our first masterpiece.

47
00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:41.599
Not the painting, but the way he'd laid me back

48
00:03:41.639 --> 00:03:45.599
on that paint splattered drop cloth, The way his hands

49
00:03:45.599 --> 00:03:49.120
had mapped every inch of my skin, learning my body

50
00:03:49.199 --> 00:03:52.680
like he'd learned the masters. The way I'd arched into

51
00:03:52.759 --> 00:04:04.080
every touch, every kiss, every moment of exquisite torture. Present day,

52
00:04:05.319 --> 00:04:09.120
you're thinking about Paris. His voice pulls me back, his

53
00:04:09.280 --> 00:04:13.199
hands sliding higher under my blouse, about that first night

54
00:04:13.240 --> 00:04:17.360
in the studio. You can't know that, but my body

55
00:04:17.360 --> 00:04:21.439
betrays me, pressing back against him. I know how you

56
00:04:21.560 --> 00:04:25.439
feel when you remember his teeth graze my ear lobe,

57
00:04:26.199 --> 00:04:30.959
how your breath catches, how your pulse races, how your

58
00:04:30.959 --> 00:04:37.600
skin flushes. Just hear his fingers trace the blush spreading

59
00:04:37.600 --> 00:04:43.839
across my chest, dipping beneath black lace. Alex warning or invitation.

60
00:04:44.120 --> 00:04:49.399
I'm not sure. Show me what else you remember? He

61
00:04:49.480 --> 00:04:52.759
turns me to face him, lifting me onto the restoration table.

62
00:04:53.800 --> 00:04:58.560
Show me what else I taught you. His kiss tastes

63
00:04:58.680 --> 00:05:02.360
like memory and danger. My legs wrap around his waist

64
00:05:02.600 --> 00:05:05.160
as his hands make quick work of my blouse buttons.

65
00:05:06.120 --> 00:05:09.839
Each touch awakens nerve, endings I thought I'd forgotten, like

66
00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:14.000
paint bringing a canvas to life. Tell me about the dagga,

67
00:05:14.360 --> 00:05:19.439
he demands between kisses, which one? I gasp as his

68
00:05:19.519 --> 00:05:23.120
mouth finds my collarbone, the fake on the wall or

69
00:05:23.160 --> 00:05:26.600
the real one hidden in the vault. His hands still

70
00:05:26.600 --> 00:05:30.560
on my skin, You know where it is. I know.

71
00:05:32.279 --> 00:05:34.519
I lose my train of thought as his fingers trace

72
00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:38.199
the edge of my bra I know the technique, the artist,

73
00:05:38.560 --> 00:05:46.120
the oh God. Tell me. His touch grows, demanding professional fingers,

74
00:05:46.480 --> 00:05:49.600
knowing exactly how to make me talk, how to make

75
00:05:49.639 --> 00:05:55.439
me arch, how to make me surrender private collector. My

76
00:05:55.560 --> 00:05:59.360
nails dig into his shoulders as pleasure builds. Waiting to

77
00:05:59.399 --> 00:06:03.279
make the switch. During tonight's showing, give me a Name,

78
00:06:04.360 --> 00:06:09.839
He unzips my skirt, hands sliding higher, make me. What

79
00:06:09.920 --> 00:06:14.399
follows is pure artistry. His mouth painting desire across my skin,

80
00:06:14.920 --> 00:06:18.560
my body his willing canvas. He takes me apart, stroke

81
00:06:18.639 --> 00:06:22.199
by stroke, touch by touch, until I'm gasping His name

82
00:06:22.279 --> 00:06:27.079
like a prayer, The name Olivia, his voice rough against

83
00:06:27.079 --> 00:06:30.439
my throat as he moves inside me. Give me the

84
00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:40.000
name Isabella. Truth spills like expensive wine. Isabella Thorn. She

85
00:06:40.040 --> 00:06:46.839
commissioned both forgeries Paris, and now his rhythm falters. She's

86
00:06:46.879 --> 00:06:51.439
behind all of this, not alone. I pull him deeper,

87
00:06:51.639 --> 00:06:56.759
needing more. She's working with the restoration room. Door clicks,

88
00:06:57.360 --> 00:07:01.600
footsteps in the gallery beyond. Don't stop. I breathe against

89
00:07:01.680 --> 00:07:05.759
his mouth, even as the footsteps grow closer. The danger

90
00:07:05.839 --> 00:07:10.079
only heightens every sensation, his hands on my skin, his

91
00:07:10.199 --> 00:07:13.720
body moving with mine, the way pleasure builds like paint

92
00:07:13.800 --> 00:07:19.560
layers toward a masterpiece. They'll hear us, but his thrust deepens,

93
00:07:20.120 --> 00:07:24.600
his control slipping. Let them. I bite his shoulder to

94
00:07:24.680 --> 00:07:27.720
keep from crying out. Let them see what a real

95
00:07:27.800 --> 00:07:32.839
masterpiece looks like. He takes me harder then, one hand

96
00:07:32.879 --> 00:07:36.000
covering my mouth as I come apart beneath him. My

97
00:07:36.040 --> 00:07:39.279
body arches like a dancer in a daga, every nerve

98
00:07:39.399 --> 00:07:51.279
ending on fire, every touch electric. The footsteps pause outside

99
00:07:51.279 --> 00:07:56.839
our door. A shadow crosses the frosted glass Isabella. A

100
00:07:56.879 --> 00:08:01.759
man's voice one I recognize the switch happens at midnight,

101
00:08:02.079 --> 00:08:06.480
make sure they're both there. Alex's body tenses against mine,

102
00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:13.439
inside mine, we both recognize that voice. Marcus Blackwood, the

103
00:08:13.480 --> 00:08:17.199
collector who'd introduced us in Paris, who first suggested I

104
00:08:17.279 --> 00:08:20.959
learn the art of forgery, who disappeared the night everything

105
00:08:21.000 --> 00:08:26.160
fell apart. The shadow moves away in the aftermath of

106
00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:31.199
pleasure and revelation. Alex's hands cut my face. You knew

107
00:08:31.199 --> 00:08:37.279
he was involved, suspected. I kiss him, tasting truth and

108
00:08:37.399 --> 00:08:43.480
danger since I saw the money, his style, his preferred artists,

109
00:08:44.559 --> 00:08:48.799
his obsession with you, his fingers tightened possessively on my

110
00:08:48.919 --> 00:08:53.759
hips with us. I meet his eyes with what we

111
00:08:53.840 --> 00:09:00.759
created together, the paintings, the perfect partnership. I slide off

112
00:09:00.799 --> 00:09:06.159
the table, letting my body drag against his art and authenticity,

113
00:09:06.759 --> 00:09:14.080
creation and security, light and shadow. Midnight. I smooth my

114
00:09:14.120 --> 00:09:18.360
skirt as Alex rebuttons his shirt. His eyes follow my

115
00:09:18.440 --> 00:09:23.080
movements in the restoration room's mirrors. That gives us six hours,

116
00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:27.120
six hours to figure out where they're keeping the real dagga.

117
00:09:28.360 --> 00:09:31.320
His hands find my waist from behind, helping with my

118
00:09:31.360 --> 00:09:36.200
blouse buttons. And why Marcus is really here? I know

119
00:09:36.240 --> 00:09:40.279
where the painting is. I lean back against his chest,

120
00:09:40.600 --> 00:09:44.279
watching our reflection, the same place he kept the real

121
00:09:44.360 --> 00:09:50.519
money in Paris, his private vault at the hotel. No.

122
00:09:51.840 --> 00:09:55.679
I turn in his arms in the gallery behind the renoir,

123
00:09:55.840 --> 00:10:00.399
in his private viewing room. His fingers trace my colar bone,

124
00:10:00.919 --> 00:10:07.679
straightening my pearls. Professional intimate. You're sure I designed the

125
00:10:07.759 --> 00:10:11.000
hiding spot. I let my hands slide up his chest.

126
00:10:12.120 --> 00:10:15.919
Back when he was teaching us both about alternative art acquisition.

127
00:10:17.240 --> 00:10:19.080
You mean, when he was grooming us to be his

128
00:10:19.200 --> 00:10:25.679
perfect forgers, his perfect team. I correct him, remembering you

129
00:10:25.759 --> 00:10:29.639
with your security expertise, me with my eye for detail,

130
00:10:30.240 --> 00:10:35.799
both of us young, talented, hungry, beautiful. His mouth finds

131
00:10:35.840 --> 00:10:39.679
my throat, the way you looked in that Paris studio

132
00:10:40.360 --> 00:10:44.159
covered in paint and moonlight, The way you looked teaching

133
00:10:44.200 --> 00:10:47.879
me about light and shadow. My fingers find his tie,

134
00:10:47.919 --> 00:10:53.200
straightening it. We were his masterpiece until we fell in love.

135
00:10:55.840 --> 00:11:00.519
The words hang between us, dangerous as wet paint, His

136
00:11:00.639 --> 00:11:04.600
hands still on my skin. That wasn't part of his plan.

137
00:11:05.399 --> 00:11:08.639
I whisper against his mouth. We were supposed to be

138
00:11:08.679 --> 00:11:15.480
his instruments, not each other's muses, his instruments. Alex's laugh

139
00:11:15.559 --> 00:11:20.840
is dark against my skin, his perfect forgery team, until

140
00:11:20.879 --> 00:11:26.039
we started creating something he couldn't control, our own masterpieces.

141
00:11:27.200 --> 00:11:30.720
I arch as his hands slide lower, our own passion.

142
00:11:32.159 --> 00:11:35.519
Is that why you ran his fingers find bare skin

143
00:11:35.639 --> 00:11:40.720
under silk that last morning in Paris? I ran because

144
00:11:40.720 --> 00:11:45.399
he threatened you. The truth spills out between kisses, said

145
00:11:45.399 --> 00:11:49.000
he'd expose your role in the forgeries, destroy your career

146
00:11:50.600 --> 00:11:55.919
unless you disappeared. His grip tightens with the money, with

147
00:11:56.039 --> 00:11:59.159
the evidence of what we'd done. I pull back enough

148
00:11:59.200 --> 00:12:03.360
to meet his eyes what he'd made us do, And

149
00:12:03.440 --> 00:12:08.840
now now he's putting his masterpiece back together. I press closer,

150
00:12:08.919 --> 00:12:14.320
feeling him respond instantly, using Isabella, using the gallery, using us.

151
00:12:15.519 --> 00:12:19.360
The question is why his mouth traces fire down my throat?

152
00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:29.919
Why now before I can answer my phone buzzes a

153
00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:35.000
text from Isabella private viewing of the Dagga midnight Wear,

154
00:12:35.039 --> 00:12:39.159
the red dress from Paris. You remember the one, don't you, Olivia,

155
00:12:39.840 --> 00:12:42.399
The one with the paint stains that never quite came out.

156
00:12:44.080 --> 00:12:49.480
Attached is a photo Paris that last night, Me in

157
00:12:49.519 --> 00:12:53.639
the red dress, stretched on the chaise lounge, Alex teaching

158
00:12:53.679 --> 00:12:57.320
me about light and form, both of us unaware we

159
00:12:57.320 --> 00:13:04.679
were being watched. They documented everything. Alex's voice roughens every lesson,

160
00:13:05.320 --> 00:13:09.720
every touch, every moment we thought was just ours, and

161
00:13:09.759 --> 00:13:13.440
now they're recreating it. I show him the next text.

162
00:13:13.879 --> 00:13:19.120
Time to complete the masterpiece, both of you. Tonight or

163
00:13:19.159 --> 00:13:22.960
every gallery in Europe learns exactly how you perfected your techniques.

164
00:13:25.200 --> 00:13:31.240
Let them expose us. His hands frame my face, Let

165
00:13:31.279 --> 00:13:38.639
them try. No, I kiss him deep and sure, let's

166
00:13:38.639 --> 00:13:44.200
give them what they want, one last performance, the students

167
00:13:44.240 --> 00:13:49.759
becoming the masters. My smile is sharp against his mouth exactly.

168
00:13:50.519 --> 00:13:57.399
But first, first, I push him back against the restoration table. First,

169
00:13:57.879 --> 00:14:02.080
let's practice our technique. His laugh turns to a groan

170
00:14:02.440 --> 00:14:07.080
as my hands find his belt. After all, every masterpiece

171
00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:12.720
needs proper preparation, and this time we're creating something entirely new.

172
00:14:14.039 --> 00:14:16.399
My hands make quick work of his belt as his

173
00:14:16.480 --> 00:14:21.360
fingers tangle in my hair. This time is different, slower,

174
00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:26.000
more deliberate, like adding layers to a painting, Each touch

175
00:14:26.120 --> 00:14:30.240
building on the last, tell me the plan he demands,

176
00:14:30.279 --> 00:14:34.440
as I sink to my knees. Isabella opens the private

177
00:14:34.519 --> 00:14:37.679
viewing room at eleven. I look up at him through

178
00:14:37.679 --> 00:14:42.399
my lashes, fingers working his zipper. Marcus arrives at eleven thirty,

179
00:14:43.759 --> 00:14:48.679
and his breath catches as my mouth find skin, and

180
00:14:48.759 --> 00:14:52.039
they'll expect us to play our parts. I trace my

181
00:14:52.120 --> 00:14:58.120
tongue along sensitive flesh, the students, the lovers, the perfect forgers,

182
00:14:59.279 --> 00:15:04.240
like Paris. His hands tighten in my hair better than Paris.

183
00:15:05.600 --> 00:15:09.600
I take him deeper, feeling his control slip. This time,

184
00:15:09.639 --> 00:15:13.519
we know we're being watched, my mouth and hands creating

185
00:15:13.559 --> 00:15:18.080
pleasure like brushstrokes on canvas. His body responds to every touch,

186
00:15:18.320 --> 00:15:23.919
every tease, every moment of exquisite torture. The dress he

187
00:15:24.039 --> 00:15:30.120
manages between ragged breaths, the red one. Hmm. I pull

188
00:15:30.200 --> 00:15:34.919
back just enough to speak, what about it? Wear it tonight?

189
00:15:36.240 --> 00:15:43.440
His voice is strained as I resume my attention. But underneath, yes, underneath,

190
00:15:43.679 --> 00:15:47.879
wear what you wore in Paris. He pulls me up, suddenly,

191
00:15:48.440 --> 00:15:53.240
spinning us so I'm pressed against the table nothing. His

192
00:15:53.360 --> 00:15:56.279
kiss tastes like desire and danger as his hands push

193
00:15:56.360 --> 00:15:59.639
up my skirt. Your turn to tell me the rest

194
00:15:59.639 --> 00:16:04.679
of the place, the rest of the plan. I gasp

195
00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:08.919
as his fingers trace the edge of my stockings or

196
00:16:08.960 --> 00:16:13.399
the rest of me both. His mouth follows the path

197
00:16:13.440 --> 00:16:17.240
of his hands, making my head fall back. Tell me

198
00:16:17.240 --> 00:16:22.639
what happens at midnight? Marcus will I lose my train

199
00:16:22.720 --> 00:16:26.559
of thought as his tongue finds sensitive flesh. Marcus will

200
00:16:26.639 --> 00:16:32.720
open the vault behind the renoirs, and then his fingers

201
00:16:32.759 --> 00:16:37.600
slide higher as his mouth works magic. Then we my

202
00:16:37.720 --> 00:16:41.320
hands grip the table edge as pleasure builds. We play

203
00:16:41.320 --> 00:16:45.399
our parts. Let them think they're controlling us. Let them think,

204
00:16:45.919 --> 00:16:51.879
oh God, think what. He increases his pace, demanding answers

205
00:16:51.919 --> 00:16:56.679
with each stroke of his tongue. Think they've won. The

206
00:16:56.720 --> 00:17:01.120
words tumble out between moans. Think we're still their perfect creation,

207
00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:09.480
their masterpiece of manipulation. Until until we My body arches

208
00:17:09.519 --> 00:17:12.680
as I get close, until we show them what real

209
00:17:12.799 --> 00:17:16.519
artists can do. He takes me over the edge with

210
00:17:16.599 --> 00:17:20.960
expert precision, my cry of pleasure echoing in the small room.

211
00:17:21.480 --> 00:17:25.240
Before I can recover, he's standing, lifting me onto the table.

212
00:17:26.440 --> 00:17:30.359
Show me now, he enters me in one smooth stroke,

213
00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:35.799
Show me what real artists do. What follows is our

214
00:17:35.799 --> 00:17:40.160
finest work yet, bodies moving together like brush on canvas,

215
00:17:40.319 --> 00:17:44.960
creating something beautiful and dangerous and real. Each thrust draws

216
00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:48.240
out more of the plan, more of the truth, more

217
00:17:48.279 --> 00:17:54.200
of us, the FBI team, he demands. Driving deeper in

218
00:17:54.240 --> 00:17:59.640
position at eleven, I match his rhythm, waiting for my signal,

219
00:18:00.599 --> 00:18:06.799
which is me removing my mask. I clench around him

220
00:18:06.839 --> 00:18:13.039
at exactly midnight and me you'll know. I pull him

221
00:18:13.039 --> 00:18:16.839
down for a kiss that tastes like victory. Trust me.

222
00:18:18.680 --> 00:18:22.319
His laugh vibrates through both our bodies, like I trusted

223
00:18:22.319 --> 00:18:27.680
you in Paris. Better. I flip us, suddenly taking control

224
00:18:28.359 --> 00:18:32.000
this time. I'm not leaving without you. We come apart

225
00:18:32.039 --> 00:18:36.759
together like paint and canvas, surrendering to flame. His hands

226
00:18:36.759 --> 00:18:39.039
grip my hips hard enough to leave marks as my

227
00:18:39.079 --> 00:18:57.319
body arches, pleasure crashing through me in waves. After still

228
00:18:57.359 --> 00:19:01.279
tangle together on the restoration table, reality begins to seep

229
00:19:01.359 --> 00:19:05.640
back in. You never told me, he says, tracing patterns

230
00:19:05.680 --> 00:19:08.599
on my bare back. What really happened that last morning

231
00:19:08.640 --> 00:19:13.200
in Paris? You mean, after Marcus showed me the photos.

232
00:19:14.079 --> 00:19:19.160
I pressed closer, kneading his heat, after he explained exactly

233
00:19:19.200 --> 00:19:23.359
how he'd destroy you if I didn't disappear. After you

234
00:19:23.440 --> 00:19:27.519
left me sleeping in that paint splattered studio, I went

235
00:19:27.559 --> 00:19:31.240
to his hotel first. I kissed the scar on his chest,

236
00:19:31.640 --> 00:19:35.279
the one from a gallery robbery gone wrong two years ago,

237
00:19:35.559 --> 00:19:39.839
planted evidence linking him to three major forgery rings, the

238
00:19:39.880 --> 00:19:43.720
same evidence that forced him underground, the same evidence he

239
00:19:43.759 --> 00:19:46.960
thinks I still have. I prop myself up to look

240
00:19:47.000 --> 00:19:51.960
at him, the real reason for tonight's little performance. His

241
00:19:52.079 --> 00:19:56.880
hands slide into my hair, and do you have it better?

242
00:19:58.039 --> 00:20:01.319
I smile against his mouth. I have proof he's been

243
00:20:01.400 --> 00:20:06.200
running his operation from inside private galleries, using authenticators like me,

244
00:20:06.920 --> 00:20:13.880
security experts like you, creating perfect pairs, perfect forgeries. I

245
00:20:13.920 --> 00:20:16.759
sit up, letting him watch as I begin to dress

246
00:20:17.400 --> 00:20:24.559
of art, of love, of trust and us. He catches

247
00:20:24.559 --> 00:20:27.920
my wrist, pulls me back for one more kiss. What

248
00:20:27.960 --> 00:20:33.599
are we forging? Something real? I breathe the words against

249
00:20:33.680 --> 00:20:40.240
his lips, something even Marcus can't duplicate. His phone buzzes

250
00:20:40.799 --> 00:20:44.880
a text from Isabella. Masks and evening wear required for

251
00:20:44.960 --> 00:20:48.759
tonight's private viewing, though from the security footage of the

252
00:20:48.799 --> 00:20:52.200
restoration room, clothes appear to be optional for you. Two.

253
00:20:53.440 --> 00:20:57.119
Attached is a photo of us moments ago creating our

254
00:20:57.160 --> 00:21:02.680
own masterpiece. There's still what His voice carries both warning

255
00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:07.799
and heat. Good. I straighten my skirt one final time.

256
00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:11.599
Let them tonight, we show them what real artists can do.

257
00:21:12.880 --> 00:21:16.799
And what's that My smiles, sharp as a palette knife,

258
00:21:17.440 --> 00:21:23.400
create something worth dying for. Six hours later, I stand

259
00:21:23.400 --> 00:21:27.240
in my private studio applying the final touches. The red

260
00:21:27.319 --> 00:21:30.920
dress from Paris still fits like sin cut low in front,

261
00:21:31.319 --> 00:21:34.400
lower in back, with those paint stains that never quite

262
00:21:34.559 --> 00:21:39.440
washed out battle scars from our first masterpiece. My phone

263
00:21:39.480 --> 00:21:45.799
buzzes Alex in position. Marcus just arrived early, heading to

264
00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:50.480
the private viewing room. Another text follows, immediately wear your

265
00:21:50.480 --> 00:21:54.480
hair up like that night in the studio. Heat pulls

266
00:21:54.519 --> 00:21:56.880
low in my belly as I pin the last curl.

267
00:21:57.759 --> 00:22:00.440
He always did have an eye for detail, for the

268
00:22:00.440 --> 00:22:03.680
way my neck looks exposed, for how easy it is

269
00:22:03.720 --> 00:22:10.880
to unpin, to unzip, to focus. Olivia, I text back, Isabella,

270
00:22:12.680 --> 00:22:17.440
already here watching the security feeds of your studio. Put

271
00:22:17.440 --> 00:22:21.279
on a good show. I smile at the nearest camera

272
00:22:21.319 --> 00:22:24.039
as I apply my lipstick, the same shade I wore

273
00:22:24.079 --> 00:22:27.279
in Paris. Let them watch, let them think they know

274
00:22:27.400 --> 00:22:33.240
what's coming. My Berner phone vibrates. The FBI team surveillance

275
00:22:33.279 --> 00:22:38.319
in place, waiting for your signal. Everything's ready, the trap,

276
00:22:38.599 --> 00:22:42.240
the evidence, the real dagger, hidden exactly where Marcus would

277
00:22:42.279 --> 00:22:45.359
never think to look, in plain sight, Hanging in the

278
00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:50.000
main gallery, labeled as a reproduction. Another text from Alex,

279
00:22:50.720 --> 00:22:54.599
you ready. I send back a photo me in the

280
00:22:54.640 --> 00:22:58.599
red dress, posed exactly like that night in Paris. But

281
00:22:58.680 --> 00:23:02.119
this time there's steel in my smile, fire in my eyes.

282
00:23:03.039 --> 00:23:08.400
His response is immediate perfection. Almost makes me want to

283
00:23:08.400 --> 00:23:14.359
cancel the sting. Almost almost, But I've waited ten years

284
00:23:14.359 --> 00:23:17.279
to see Marcus's face when he realizes his perfect forgery,

285
00:23:17.319 --> 00:23:23.160
team forge something he couldn't control. Love, A pause, then

286
00:23:24.559 --> 00:23:30.400
that and the perfect con. I check my reflection one

287
00:23:30.480 --> 00:23:35.240
last time, the dress, the hair, the secrets hidden beneath it.

288
00:23:35.319 --> 00:23:42.920
All time to create our masterpiece. The gallery halls are

289
00:23:42.960 --> 00:23:46.240
silent at this hour, my heels clicking on marble the

290
00:23:46.279 --> 00:23:51.759
only sound. Every step feels charged with purpose, with memory,

291
00:23:52.480 --> 00:23:57.200
with desire. The private viewing room doors are ahead. Through

292
00:23:57.240 --> 00:24:00.960
the glass. I see them waiting, Marcus examining the renoir

293
00:24:01.079 --> 00:24:05.119
that hides his vault. Isabella by the bar, and Alex.

294
00:24:06.440 --> 00:24:09.440
Alex stands exactly where he stood that night in Paris,

295
00:24:10.200 --> 00:24:14.400
by the chaise lounge that's been positioned just so under

296
00:24:14.480 --> 00:24:20.160
lights arrange to create the perfect shadows. Marcus has recreated everything,

297
00:24:20.759 --> 00:24:26.880
every detail, every angle, except this time we're the masters,

298
00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:31.480
not the students. I pause at the door, letting them

299
00:24:31.519 --> 00:24:35.839
see me, letting the red dress work its magic in

300
00:24:35.880 --> 00:24:40.960
the glass reflection. I watch Marcus's eyes narrow, Isabella's lips curve,

301
00:24:41.839 --> 00:24:45.240
and Alex Alex looks at me like he wants to

302
00:24:45.279 --> 00:24:52.200
create an entirely new masterpiece, right here, right now, magnificent.

303
00:24:52.839 --> 00:24:57.960
Marcus's voice carries as I enter, a perfect recreation, but

304
00:24:58.759 --> 00:25:02.839
he circles me slowly. The original had a certain innocence,

305
00:25:03.279 --> 00:25:08.920
a certain vulnerability. We were different people. Then I accept

306
00:25:08.920 --> 00:25:13.720
the champagne. Isabella offers, were you his hand brushes my

307
00:25:13.759 --> 00:25:20.480
bare shoulder or were you always this calculating? Before I

308
00:25:20.480 --> 00:25:26.039
can answer, Alex's moves smooth, predatory, his body sliding between

309
00:25:26.039 --> 00:25:31.000
Marcus and me. Shall we begin? His voice carries heat

310
00:25:31.200 --> 00:25:37.640
that's not entirely feigned. The authentication. Marcus's smile is sharp

311
00:25:37.640 --> 00:25:42.039
in the gallery lights by all means, though. First he

312
00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:45.680
gestures to Isabella, I believe a proper toast is in order.

313
00:25:48.880 --> 00:25:53.400
Isabella pours champagne into crystal flutes, the same vintage from Paris.

314
00:25:54.240 --> 00:26:00.680
Everything calculated, everything choreographed. To reunions. Marcus raised his glass

315
00:26:01.039 --> 00:26:05.880
and to beautiful partnerships. I sip, watching Alex over the

316
00:26:05.960 --> 00:26:08.880
rim of my glass. His eyes haven't left me since

317
00:26:08.920 --> 00:26:13.400
I entered, playing his part perfectly, or maybe not playing

318
00:26:13.440 --> 00:26:18.480
at all. Now Marcus sets down his glass. Let's see

319
00:26:18.480 --> 00:26:22.160
if you remember your lessons. He guides me to the dagga.

320
00:26:23.240 --> 00:26:26.240
Alex follows close enough that I feel his heat against

321
00:26:26.319 --> 00:26:30.920
my back, just like Paris, just like the restoration room

322
00:26:31.039 --> 00:26:36.720
hours ago. The light, Marcus instructs, show me how it falls.

323
00:26:38.319 --> 00:26:43.400
My hands traced the brushstrokes. As Alex moves closer, professional necessary,

324
00:26:44.359 --> 00:26:47.559
his fingers ghost over mine, showing me angles we both

325
00:26:47.599 --> 00:26:54.839
already know by heart perfect. Marcus's voice carries satisfaction. Now

326
00:26:54.839 --> 00:26:59.680
the shadow techniques. Alex's hand slide to my waist, turning

327
00:26:59.680 --> 00:27:02.920
me toward toward the painting. His chest presses against my

328
00:27:03.000 --> 00:27:07.279
back as we examine the darker portions. Every touch carries

329
00:27:07.319 --> 00:27:12.759
double meaning. Past and present, lesson and seduction, truth and lies.

330
00:27:14.519 --> 00:27:19.359
You always did work beautifully together. Isabella observes, refilling glasses

331
00:27:20.319 --> 00:27:28.119
like dancers, like artists. Marcus corrects, my finest creation, your

332
00:27:28.160 --> 00:27:32.160
finest forgery. I counter letting Alex's hands guide mine across

333
00:27:32.160 --> 00:27:37.000
the canvas. Isn't that what this is really about? Getting

334
00:27:37.039 --> 00:27:42.640
the team back together? Among other things? Marcus checks his watch,

335
00:27:43.759 --> 00:27:50.400
speaking of which Isabella she moves to the renoir, swinging

336
00:27:50.400 --> 00:27:55.759
it aside to reveal the vault right on schedule. Inside,

337
00:27:55.920 --> 00:27:59.720
Marcus says, you'll find everything you need to complete tonight's work,

338
00:28:00.119 --> 00:28:05.920
including he pulls out a folder. These photo's spill across

339
00:28:05.920 --> 00:28:11.480
the viewing table. Paris, London, Berlin, Alex and me in

340
00:28:11.559 --> 00:28:18.160
various galleries, various hotels, various intimate moments, A decade of surveillance.

341
00:28:19.680 --> 00:28:24.559
You never stopped watching. Alex's voice carries genuine surprise, of

342
00:28:24.599 --> 00:28:31.000
course not, Marcus smiles. One must protect one's investments, speaking

343
00:28:31.039 --> 00:28:37.079
of which he nods to Isabella. She produces a gun. Now,

344
00:28:37.119 --> 00:28:41.119
then Marcus lifts his glass. Shall we discuss the real

345
00:28:41.160 --> 00:28:45.359
reason for tonight's reunion? The evidence I took from your hotel.

346
00:28:46.519 --> 00:28:49.839
I lean back against Alex feeling his hand slide to

347
00:28:49.920 --> 00:28:53.880
my thigh, where the real evidence is strapped, or the

348
00:28:53.920 --> 00:28:56.200
fact that you're about to try to steal twelve million

349
00:28:56.240 --> 00:29:02.720
in artwork using our techniques. Marcus's smile falters slightly. Clever girl,

350
00:29:03.519 --> 00:29:07.319
always seeing the bigger picture. I learned from the best

351
00:29:08.880 --> 00:29:11.480
I reach for the zipper of my dress. Would you

352
00:29:11.559 --> 00:29:14.839
like to see what else I learned? But as the

353
00:29:14.880 --> 00:29:18.759
red silk starts to fall, I catch Alex's slight nod

354
00:29:18.880 --> 00:29:22.559
in the mirror. Time for the real show to begin.

355
00:29:23.759 --> 00:29:30.839
Freeze fb I. The doors burst open as agents flood

356
00:29:30.880 --> 00:29:34.759
the room. In the chaos that follows, several things happen

357
00:29:34.799 --> 00:29:39.759
at once. Isabella's gun swings toward Alex. I throw my

358
00:29:39.839 --> 00:29:45.200
champagne in her face. Marcus lunges for the vault and Alex.

359
00:29:46.680 --> 00:29:49.799
Alex pulls me into a kiss that tastes like victory

360
00:29:49.839 --> 00:29:54.720
and danger. And ten years of waiting got him. I

361
00:29:54.839 --> 00:29:59.440
breathe against his mouth, got them all his hands find

362
00:29:59.440 --> 00:30:02.960
the evidence strapped to my thigh. Though we should probably

363
00:30:03.079 --> 00:30:08.279
verify the daga one more time in private, professional thoroughness,

364
00:30:09.400 --> 00:30:14.640
something like that. Behind us, Marcus and Isabella are being cuffed.

365
00:30:15.480 --> 00:30:19.720
The real Dagga is being documented, and upstairs the gallery

366
00:30:19.759 --> 00:30:24.839
prepares for tomorrow's legitimate exhibition. But here, in this room

367
00:30:24.920 --> 00:30:28.599
full of masterpieces, both real and forged, Alex and I

368
00:30:28.640 --> 00:30:33.960
are creating something entirely new, something true, ready for the

369
00:30:34.000 --> 00:30:37.960
next lesson. He pulls me toward the private restoration room

370
00:30:38.799 --> 00:30:43.920
with you. I smile against his mouth. Always let the

371
00:30:43.920 --> 00:30:45.119
real masterpiece begin.

372
00:30:55.319 --> 00:30:59.480
Romance Weekly is a production of Caloroga Shark Media executive

373
00:30:59.519 --> 00:31:03.519
producers Mark Francis and John McDermott. Portions of this podcast

374
00:31:03.599 --> 00:31:05.920
may have been created with the assistance of Ai

375
00:31:13.039 --> 00:31:14.359
Calaruga Shark Media