**Secret Artist #24 — Disco Armageddon** I’ve been ditched. My pals have disappeared. I dunno if I said something, or if I just lost them, but here I am. Sitting on my own in a club with a glass of red wine to keep me company. And here comes the first one, like fuckin clockwork. “All right babe, you dancin?” This gimp must be joking. “Aye, but if *you’re* asking, then no. Beat it!” He skulks off. But it’s not long before he’s followed by numero dos. “I love that jacket! Have I seen you around here before?” This one is better than the last, but clearly a knob as well. “I doubt it. If I’d seen you floating around here, I’m sure I would’ve hid in a corner somewhere.” He gives me the finger and I return it. I’m contemplating whether to head downstairs when the third little piggy shows up. Actually, in all fairness, this one is kind of alright. Suit jacket, a half-decent attempt at designer stubble. “Hi,” he says. I nod. “ I think you’d like my cellar.” Ooft. Creep or just trying to be funny? I'm not sure… “Do you wanna see a photo?” “Aye…sure,” I say. I’ve decided he’s probably a creep and this’ll be some bondage thing. Then he holds up the phone, “Well, well ,well! Is that yours?” “Aye” “Are you a wine collector or something?” “Aye… among other things. I buy and sell quality wines.” “Well…I’ll be honest, it’s the best attempt on me someone has made all night. And that does look quite tempting. But if I ended up in a body bag because I’d gone home with a guy who asked me if I’d like to see his cellar, I’d feel pretty stupid.” “Well…you'd be dead.” He grins. “Aye… dead, and stupid." "Maybe next time honey!” I down my wine, give him a wink and a friendly pat on the shoulder, and make my way to the little girls’ room. This party is on the edge and I have just the key… I walk back into the main room feeling refreshed and reinvigorated. This dance floor is fuckin mine! I feel about ten foot tall in these heels and I’m ready to bring the house down. The tunes weren’t doing much for me before, but now they are absolutely banging! I’m vaguely aware of knocking into a few folk, but they know better than to mess with a giant disco queen when she’s in full flight! The songs zip past in a blur of euphoria. And as the feeling of rapture begins to ebb away, I realise I need to decide on my next move. Then I spot him. He’s even more handsome than I thought he was earlier. Fine. He’ll do. “Here, you! Creepy wine cellar…seller…sssalesman! Hey!” He hears me. There’s a look of fear on his face, but this fades into a wry smile when I tell him, “I hope you like your women like you like your … “ I hold out a finger, ”...like your wine…” “Aye…and how’s that?” “Full bodied! And… really… fuckin… fuckin… up for havin some fun!” I give him a wink. It takes a bit of effort but I’m fairly sure it looked good. “That… doesn’t really make sense… But aye, ok, sure!” “Fuck yoooou,” I lean in and push my lips into his. I pry myself away and take his hand. “Let’s fuckin go!” *** **The Secret Artists Project** The world of NFTs opens up new, creative opportunities for artists and also for the ecosystem that surrounds them. The Secret Artist Project works to curate innovative artists from inside and outside of the NFT community. We ask them for a piece of their work that has yet to be minted and add it anonymously to our collection. This puts the focus on the art and not the artist. We want people to buy the art simply because they love it. The Secret Artist Project has no Discord, no Telegram, no overambitious roadmap. However, there is one very special bonus you receive with your NFT from The Secret Artist Project, and that is... **The Artist** While their identity remains a mystery to everyone else, the artist's details will be revealed to you after purchasing the NFT — as if you've discovered their signature scrawled on the back of their painting. So now, you not only have the NFT to hang in your home or display in the Metaverse, you also have the opportunity to discover more of the artist’s work. In addition, by holding the NFT and discovering its secrets, you become part of The Secret Artist Project community. Those who hold secrets, hold power... **The Aims of the Secret Artist Project** — to positively impact the artist by putting their art first — to introduce new artists to the NFT space (though we have some well-known artists in our collection too!) — to promote art we love and collaborate with artists we trust *** If you have any questions, or if you’re an artist who would like to feature your artwork in the project, please go to The Secret Artist Project collection’s Opensea page for contact details/socials https://opensea.io/collection/the-secret-artist-project — The Merchant of Venus, Curator of The Secret Art Project