“First time?” he asks me.
“Is it that obvious?”
“Yes.” He laughs and takes two flutes of champagne off the tray when a waiter walks by. “This will help. Just sip, no gulping. The only time you gulp is when some pompous ass comes up to you and tells you how you could’ve captured the moment differently.”
“How do you deal with that?” I ask.
“You grin, thank them, and as soon as they walk away, you turn around and greet the next person. It’s their opinion and theirs alone. There isn’t anything you can say to change their mind, so don’t even try.”
“Got it.”
My parents come up to us, and I introduce them, along with Alyssa, to Ross. He and my father start talking sports almost instantly, and I take this as my cue to wander like Bree said I should. I’m the first to admit, I know nothing about art, but some of these paintings are beautiful. That is until I look at the price tag and gasp. I could never afford to put one above my mantle.
“I did the same thing when I saw the price, but I have the perfect place for a piece like this.” The woman says nothing else as she raises her hand and hollers out for Bree. I watch their interaction. Bree is soft with her, places her hand on her arm, and laughs at whatever the woman says. Within a minute, they’re walking toward the back, giving off the sense that Bree just sold this twelve-thousand-dollar piece of art.
As the night goes on, I spend time with buyers, answering their questions, and allowing them to get to know me. They ask for my website to buy more work, and I tell them I’m exclusive to Bree’s gallery and suggest they visit her website. I never thought about selling my work until Bree suggested it, and I can’t imagine offering it anywhere but here.
My parents approach, with a sleeping Alyssa in my dad’s arms. My mom kisses me on the cheek and tells me how proud she and my father are of me. “Thank you.”
“We’re going to take Alyssa home with us,” she tells me. “You still have a couple of hours here, and she’s exhausted.”
“Yes, it’s hard being the belle of the ball.” I rub my hand down Alyssa’s back. Every time we crossed paths, she was on her best behavior and accepting compliments from anyone who told her how beautiful her dress was.
“I’ll come to get her in the morning,” I tell my folks. After we say our goodbyes, I scan the room for Bree. Most of the people have come and gone, but a few remain. She mentioned those are the serious buyers, the ones who negotiate on multiple pieces. We lock eyes, and I head toward her. “Do you have plans when this is all over?” I whisper into her ear.
“A long, hot bath is the only thing on my agenda.”
“How would you like to take that bath at my place? I have bubbles and an empty house.”
Bree laughs, and then her eyes go wide as she nods. “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the very successful evening my gallery had.”
“I can,” I say as I wink. I leave her there, with every speculation running through her mind.9BreeThe showcase was a success! We tripled the attendance from last year and sold out of everything. As I look around the gallery, I can’t believe how empty it is. Nothing but blank spaces on the walls and in the corners where several of the art sculptures stood.
“I just wanted to say congratulations,” Lindy says, hugging me tightly. “You were so busy earlier. I had to wait until everyone left to talk to you.”
My cheeks are sore from talking and smiling so much. “I know, right. I’m exhausted and happy at the same time.”
She lets me go and stands back. Her eyes shift to Caleb, who I know is standing behind me. There’s a twinkle in her eyes, and I know she’s holding back the inappropriate comment I know that’s waiting to slip out. “Try not to be too tired tonight. You have a lot of celebrating to do.” She winks quickly and smiles at Caleb. “Your photos are amazing, Caleb.”
I glance at him over my shoulder, and he smiles at me before focusing on her. “Thanks, Lindy. It was a great night.”
“All right, well, I’m going to let you two get out of here. I know it’s late.” She grins at me and winks again before turning on her heel and heading out the door. All I’ve been able to think about for the past thirty minutes is being alone with Caleb. Tonight is the night; I know it. I’m nervous, but also completely ready. It feels like it’s been an eternity since I’ve been fully intimate with someone.