Page 43 of Beautiful Lies
“They’re going to kill me,” I told Killian on the phone after I’d given him all the details of the gallery space—six hundred square feet of exhibition space in Bed-Stuy. Inclusion in a bi-monthly newsletter with two thousand subscribers. Social media exposure on the gallery’s website and Facebook page. A gallery technician to oversee the art installation. Music and a PA system. And a picture hanging system. Perfect. Except for one thing. A recent cancellation had freed up the only dates available for a year and it was only two months from now. Every other gallery space I’d called was booked for a year to two years in advance.
“It’s better this way,” Kilian said. “Less time to get themselves worked up about it. Book it.” He gave me his credit card details and assured me it would be fine. When we hung up, I booked the gallery, not so sure it would be fine.
“Great news,” I told Eden when she came into the office to pick up her paycheck. A positive attitude was the best approach. “I booked the gallery. For mid-December. That gives you two months to prepare.” I gave her two thumbs-up. “Perfect, right?”
Her jaw dropped to the floor and she slammed the door shut behind her. “Are you insane?” she shouted. “I won’t be ready in two months. I need more time… I need…” She stopped talking and started hyperventilating, pacing the floor, and saying “Oh my God” on repeat.
I reached into the desk drawer where I kept my emergency supplies and tossed her a pack of Twizzlers. “This is one of those situations where you just need to take the plunge,” I said as Eden chewed furiously on the licorice. “Dive right in.”
“Easy for you to say. You have no idea how stressful this is.”
I propped my feet on the desk and leaned back in my chair with my arms crossed. “Tell Dr. Christensen. I’ll talk you down from the ledge.”
“This is payback, isn’t it? For that coffee date and the dinner set-up. You’re trying to punish me for meddling in your relationship,” she accused.
“I should be offended you think so little of me.” I tossed her the Buddha stress ball. “Give Buddha a few squeezes. You’ll feel better. And no, this is not payback. Killian and I are doing this for you. It’s a great idea and you can thank us for it later. It’s going to be a total success. I believe in you.”
She chomped away on her Twizzlers and squeezed the stress ball in her other hand. Eden would be fine. She had Killian’s full support and she’d finished painting her mural on the boutique wall, so she’d have time to work on her paintings.
“Was Connor cool with it?”
Connor. I knew he was just doing this for Eden and Killian. He’d never had any desire to exhibit in a gallery. I cleared my throat. “He doesn’t know yet. I’m going to tell him in person. Today.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Really? You’re going to Forever Ink?”
I shrugged like it was no big deal. I used to hang out there a lot, but it had been a few years since I’d set foot in the tattoo shop. That was Connor’s space and I’d steered clear. “I can’t text or call him with something like this. I need to tell him in person.”
He’s going to kill me.
Eden nodded and replaced the Buddha on the shelf but kept the Twizzlers. “Do you think he can handle all of this, Ava? I didn’t even think of everything he’s dealing with when I railroaded him into this.”
“He’ll be okay,” I said, hoping it was true. “He does his best creative work when he’s under the wire. You should have seen him when he was working on his art school portfolio. He’d never planned to apply to art school, but his teacher believed in him and encouraged him to go for it. Connor decided to go for it one month before the deadline. Then he worked his ass off to get the pieces ready. And they were amazing.”
“And he not only got in, he got a scholarship.”
“Killian told you that?” I asked, surprised. I knew Connor wouldn’t have. He never bragged about it. I doubted he ever told anyone other than me, Killian, and Mr. Santos.
“Yeah. He’s proud of Connor,” Eden said. “He just has a hard time expressing it. But he’s getting better.”
“They seem like they’re doing better.” What I’d seen on Tuesday night had given me hope.
“Yeah. I think Killian’s ready to move on and put the past behind him.”
“That’s good. They need each other.”
“Yeah, they do,” she said thoughtfully. “So, what about you and Connor? Are you ready to put the past behind you?”
“I’m—”
The door swung open and Zeke stepped inside, saving me from having to answer the question. “What are you girls gossiping about?”
“You,” Eden and I said in unison and high-fived each other.
Zeke gave us a big wink. “Bet it’s juicy.”
“See you guys later,” Eden said, waving over her shoulder.
I groaned. “I hate the word juicy.”
