ago and I’d love to talk to you about exhibiting some work here, if you’re interested? I don’t know what you’re doing these days, of course, and if it’s something thirty feet tall then obviously that’s out of the question, but—”
“Twelve by twenty-something, actually,” he hedged. True, he wasn’t actually working on it at the moment, he was just staring at it for long stretches of time, but he certainly had good intentions. “Canvas, not sculpture, so I think you’re safe there. But I also have a number of smaller oils that I could show you.” Earlier stuff, stuff from just after college, but a show was a show.
“I’d love that.” As she handed him her card, writing some additional phone numbers on the back, Richard noticed a guy glaring at him in much the same way Richard had been glaring at Gray Suit a few minutes earlier. So shy little Eva had a secret admirer, it looked like.
Deciding to help her out, he made the guy glare even harder by touching Eva’s hand deliberately when she handed him the card, leaning in closer and smiling. All unsuspecting, Eva thanked him and resumed her circuit of the room. Just as he’d thought, the guy with the gimlet stare followed her like a puppy as soon as she was out of Richard’s zone of influence.
Richard turned back toward Lindy, only to see her disappearing out the fire exit on the arm of Gray Suit.
* * * * *
Lindy was almost dizzy with relief when she looked at her watch and realized it was 10:45. In another fifteen minutes the gallery would close, the show would be over and she’d be able to sit down and massage her cheeks back to life after three hours of forced smiling. Her hand actually ached from being shaken. She wondered how politicians ever managed to make it through campaigns.
As tense as she was, she told herself later, it was little wonder that she trembled all over when she heard the unexpectedly soft voice near her ear.
“Is everything all right, Melinda? You look a little fraught.”
Lindy whirled around, trying to ignore the shiver that had just coursed through her. “Mr. Maddox! You startled me.”
“Paul, remember?”
“Paul.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to sneak up on you.” He was holding out a hand, and Lindy stared at it blankly a moment before realizing he intended her to shake it. She waited just long enough for the pause to become noticeably awkward then thrust her own hand forward.
He took it and held it without shaking. Held it a little too firmly for her to pull away gracefully. His hand felt twice the size of hers, and Lindy closed her eyes briefly and swallowed hard, trying to gather the thoughts that seemed to have danced merrily away at the moment her hand landed in Paul Maddox’s.
“And…exhale, two, three, four,” he quipped, giving her fingers a little squeeze. “You’ve got to relax before you explode.”
“I know,” she said, laughing and feeling just a fraction of tension dissipate from her shoulders. “So this is why I’ve been busy, obviously.”
“It looks like it’s been a very successful evening. Congratulations.”
She wondered if he’d just forgotten to let go. Not that she minded, really.
“Thank you,” Lindy responded. “It’s been quite a night.” She blinked a few times, suddenly aware that the dizziness she’d felt earlier was returning. Maddox said something and she didn’t catch it, but when she asked him to repeat it her lips felt slightly numb.
“I asked if you were feeling all right. You just went even paler.”
“I think I need some fresh air,” she admitted, glancing toward the door. Without missing a beat, Paul took her arm and escorted her across the room to the side exit, where the door had been wedged open with a brick to allow a breeze. The gallery was on a corner, and the less-trafficked street that ran past the side door was quiet, not even the usual gaggle of smokers disturbing the cool night air. He led her to the edge of the raised brick
“Twelve by twenty-something, actually,” he hedged. True, he wasn’t actually working on it at the moment, he was just staring at it for long stretches of time, but he certainly had good intentions. “Canvas, not sculpture, so I think you’re safe there. But I also have a number of smaller oils that I could show you.” Earlier stuff, stuff from just after college, but a show was a show.
“I’d love that.” As she handed him her card, writing some additional phone numbers on the back, Richard noticed a guy glaring at him in much the same way Richard had been glaring at Gray Suit a few minutes earlier. So shy little Eva had a secret admirer, it looked like.
Deciding to help her out, he made the guy glare even harder by touching Eva’s hand deliberately when she handed him the card, leaning in closer and smiling. All unsuspecting, Eva thanked him and resumed her circuit of the room. Just as he’d thought, the guy with the gimlet stare followed her like a puppy as soon as she was out of Richard’s zone of influence.
Richard turned back toward Lindy, only to see her disappearing out the fire exit on the arm of Gray Suit.
* * * * *
Lindy was almost dizzy with relief when she looked at her watch and realized it was 10:45. In another fifteen minutes the gallery would close, the show would be over and she’d be able to sit down and massage her cheeks back to life after three hours of forced smiling. Her hand actually ached from being shaken. She wondered how politicians ever managed to make it through campaigns.
As tense as she was, she told herself later, it was little wonder that she trembled all over when she heard the unexpectedly soft voice near her ear.
“Is everything all right, Melinda? You look a little fraught.”
Lindy whirled around, trying to ignore the shiver that had just coursed through her. “Mr. Maddox! You startled me.”
“Paul, remember?”
“Paul.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to sneak up on you.” He was holding out a hand, and Lindy stared at it blankly a moment before realizing he intended her to shake it. She waited just long enough for the pause to become noticeably awkward then thrust her own hand forward.
He took it and held it without shaking. Held it a little too firmly for her to pull away gracefully. His hand felt twice the size of hers, and Lindy closed her eyes briefly and swallowed hard, trying to gather the thoughts that seemed to have danced merrily away at the moment her hand landed in Paul Maddox’s.
“And…exhale, two, three, four,” he quipped, giving her fingers a little squeeze. “You’ve got to relax before you explode.”
“I know,” she said, laughing and feeling just a fraction of tension dissipate from her shoulders. “So this is why I’ve been busy, obviously.”
“It looks like it’s been a very successful evening. Congratulations.”
She wondered if he’d just forgotten to let go. Not that she minded, really.
“Thank you,” Lindy responded. “It’s been quite a night.” She blinked a few times, suddenly aware that the dizziness she’d felt earlier was returning. Maddox said something and she didn’t catch it, but when she asked him to repeat it her lips felt slightly numb.
“I asked if you were feeling all right. You just went even paler.”
“I think I need some fresh air,” she admitted, glancing toward the door. Without missing a beat, Paul took her arm and escorted her across the room to the side exit, where the door had been wedged open with a brick to allow a breeze. The gallery was on a corner, and the less-trafficked street that ran past the side door was quiet, not even the usual gaggle of smokers disturbing the cool night air. He led her to the edge of the raised brick
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