Page 2 of Paint Me Love
She catches me in the act, grinning when I frown in embarrassment. “So, did you enter the competition?” She checks her phone. “Please tell me you did, because the deadline was last night.”
Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I nod. I still can’t believe I submitted my sketch just because Mystery Guy did such a good job of encouraging me. “I’m not sure if it was a goodidea. What if they come back to me and say they hated my idea? Besides, I’ve never done a mural before…”
The four winners of the competition will be painting murals for Seattle’s newest gallery. It’s owned by some tech billionaire, who’ll be paying a rather generous sum of money to each of the artists in addition to having them paint those murals. All in all, it’s a dream come true not just because of the money, but because this is one of those opportunities where the world gets to hear about people like me. It could really help kickstart my career. Plus, I’m sure it will be a great chance to do some networking.
Molly smacks me on the back and huffs. “Stop that. Your stuff is great, Dan. Yes, we both kind of suck at the marketing part, but I’m working on it, okay?”
Molly is the best. Her brother, too. Hell, their entire family. They’ve supported me from the start.
I huff air out of my nose and chase away the lingering doubts. At least for the time being. “You are right. I’ve got this. And even if I don’t win, there are always more competitions I can sign up to.”
She cheers. “That’s the spirit! By the way, when are the results coming out?”
That’s a great question. Probably in a week or two, if I had to guess. “Let me check.”
With her peering over my shoulder, I navigate to the competition’s rules. They state the theme, the deadline, the prize and when the results will be announced, which is…
“No way! Tomorrow?” she shrieks in shock, almost popping my ear drum.
My heart thumps loudly in my chest. I’m just as surprised. I swear I remember seeing something about the results announcement being a few weeks after the deadline, not the day after. But then again, I’m really bad with time.
She laughs, nudging me in the arm. “Shit, at least we don’t have to wait long.”
“I’m pretty sure they moved it because I vaguely remember it being toward the end of the month.”
Shrugging, she places her mug in the sink and waves my comment away. “It’s fine. I was feeling like pizza night tomorrow, anyway.” I open my mouth to protest, but she halts me. “No. Whether you get picked or not, we are having a pizza party to celebrate or console you. It’s decided.”
“Cup-noodles are quick to make. Cheap, too,” I point out, to which she groans and rolls her eyes. “Okay, fine. We can do eggs.”
“Nope,” she shuts me down immediately. “The pizza’s on me, so you can’t complain.”
Suddenly, I’m excited. Even though I work two part-time jobs, it’s been tough. Just the rent is stupidly high, and when you add food and bills, I’m left with very little at the end of the month. I manage, though. Molly’s family has offered to help me a few times, but I hate to impose, especially since they took me in after my parents died in a car accident. They never officially adopted me, but they treated me like their own child since I can remember. I hope I will be able to repay them one day.
A notification pops up on her phone. She looks at it and gathers her bag, heading to the door. “I need to run, or Natasha will kill me. I’m working tomorrow, but text me when you hear back from the competition people! Toodles!”
The energy levels in my apartment drop noticeably after she leaves. But I don’t mind it. I need to catch some shuteye so I don’t waste my day off. Before that though, I need a shower.
Once that’s out of the way, I get those bursts of energy you sometimes get even if you are on your last legs, so I decide to take advantage of that and make myself some food. The scolding from Molly is still fresh in my mind, so I opt for scrambled eggsand ham, which I then eat on my couch while looking at the paintings and abstract clay and metal sculptures decorating my place.
The theme for the mural competition was ‘Ambition’. I thought it was too grand a word for me, too unobtainable for me, but I am glad that I pushed through the hesitation and submitted my sketch. Of course, my Mystery Guy also gets some credit for it.
I get comfy on the couch and turn the TV on, loading the new episode of the travel vlog that I follow. It’s my dream to visit every country in the world and paint something inspired by the places I see. I’m not exactly close to achieving it anytime soon, but who knows… Maybe if I win this competition, I can take some time off work without having to worry about money and make a start on my bucket list.
I must have drifted off, because when I wake up, it’s morning the next day.
“Shit!”
The first thing I do is check the time to make sure I’m not running late for work. I whip up some breakfast, make arrangements with Molly’s brother for the demon painting and get ready. Just as I am about to leave my apartment, a notification buzzes on my phone.
My heart skips a beat, thinking it might behim. I take a deep breath and unlock my phone. My stomach twists, and anticipation fills my every cell. It’s not him. It’s from the mural competition. The results are out.
With shaky fingers, I open the email.
Dear Daniel,
We have received over ten thousand submissions for the murals. With so many great ideas, it was truly a challenge to pick the best four, but we are pleased and excited to let youknow that you have been chosen. Congratulations. We loved your vision and interpretation of our theme ‘Ambition.’
You are invited to our gallery this Thursday at ten a.m. for an official introduction. The rest of the winning artists will also be attending, and we will go through the logistics together. I hope you can make it, but please let me know if that’s not possible, so I can make individual arrangements with you.
