Page 55 of Paint Me Love
Just as I am about to say fuck it and go find him, he walks in. His hair is slicked back, and he’s wearing a sexy dark gray suit that makes his eyes pop. I watch him greet a few of the guests, my pulse growing frantic.
Our gazes clash. The world around me comes to a stop, frozen in that moment as I drown in his soul-stealing blue depths. Determination swims in them, resolve too, like he’s decided on something and intends to see it through.
I smile at him. He doesn’t return it, just keeps staring at me like I’m some godly being on a pedestal he’s either dying to worship or wishes to cut down.
My stomach dips, panic and hope tangling together. I’m suddenly short of breath, not sure if my legs can keep supportingme. But I can’t take my eyes off him, afraid if I do he might disappear.
He frowns, his nostrils flaring. Then he rushes through the throng of people like he has somewhere to be. I lose him, my insides twisting as I grip the railing as hard as I can. I don’t want to lose him. I could’ve handled our argument better. He could’ve listened to me. We both have our flaws, our pasts, but if we want to build a future together, we need to look past those and trust each other.
I just don’t know if we’ll get the chance to do that.
Dizziness overcomes me as the stress and excitement leading up to the exhibition drain from me. I push off the railing and head for the chairs by one of the small tables with food bites, only to trip over nothing and lose my footing.
Oh, fuck! Am I seriously going to embarrass myself by falling in front of everyone?
An arm wraps around my waist and pulls me toward a strong body. My heart lurches into my throat as I meet familiar blue eyes.
“Hey, are you okay?” Derek says, a shy smile gracing his lips.
I blink, not believing my eyes. “You came…”
His brows bunch together. “Of course I did. I wouldn’t miss your first-ever exhibition. I know how important this is for you.” His smile grows a little, like he’s not sure if he should allow it to manifest fully. “I’m so proud of you.”
I hug him, melting in his arms. I’ve missed him so much. “Thank you. And thank you again, because this wouldn’t have been possible without you.”
He props his chin on my head and strokes my back. “You are welcome. But I only gave you a little nudge. It’s all you, Daniel. You deserve to be here.” After a moment of hesitation, heinhales me deeply. “I… I’m sorry for the other day. Can we talk after the exhibition is over? Please.”
My heart doesn’t know whether to be happy or scared or both. But being in his arms feels so right, and he hasn’t pushed me away, so I allow myself to be hopeful.
“Yes, I’d like that.” I hesitate before adding, “I’m sorry for overreacting, but you weren’t listening. I missed you.”
He hums and hugs me tighter, but before he can respond, an important-looking lady interrupts us. She introduces herself, but my blood is pounding too loudly in my ears to understand what she’s saying, and then she’s pulling Derek away.
He tosses me a regretful smile, mouthing, “We’ll talk later.”
I’m a little on edge for the rest of the exhibition. Derek doesn’t return even after an hour, and despite the blissful moment of intimacy we shared, something still feels off. After a further hour in which I talk to a bunch of the guests, people finally start to leave. Cassandra comes over and pats me on the back.
“Great job, Daniel. You did amazing. Enquiries are already flooding us about your next exhibition.” She smiles and smooths out a crease from my shirt sleeve, then hands me a slip of paper with a number on it. “I think you’ve charmed everyone.”
For a few moments, excitement displaces the worry in my stomach. People liked my stuff enough to want to see more of it. I am so happy.
“I’m thinking we could hold another exhibition in half a year, maybe. That should give you plenty of time to draw a few new pieces…”
I’m speechless. This is the best day in my life. I glance at the paper she handed me—it’s a cheque with the amount of money I’ve made from sales, after the gallery’s cut. Holy shit! With this, I don’t have to worry about a second job for at least another year! It’s the biggest paycheck I’ve ever received!
I grab her hands, squeezing them as I gaze into her eyes. “Really? You mean this?”
She squeezes my fingers back. “Of course, dear. We are all in love with your works. One of the guests even requested to feature some of them in one of his galleries in Italy.”
This is a dream, it must be. Life just doesn’t happen this way.
“Oh my god.”
She laughs. “I’m proud of you. I mean it. And on that note, how are the art classes going? I had a look at the online content you sent me, and I have to say that I don’t have any complaints. It was easy to follow, and I think people will love it.”
We chat for a bit about the direction in which I want to take my art career. She gives me a few ideas about formats and exercises, and I take notes. I can’t wait to tell Jesse about it.
“As for your social media accounts… I’ve got someone working on the content. They will handle the posting and interactions as well. I should have something for you to look at by the end of next week.”
