Throw Away the Key

Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

Zora had a date that night with Reid, but Granny was free and agreed to go with Emma to the art show. As they approached the front door of the gallery, Granny turned and looked at Emma with a thoughtful expression. “You good, baby?”

Granny had put on a dressy pair of slacks with a beaded sweater and a winter capelet. She’d said the event warranted a red lip, her hair pulled back into her signature chignon. She’d been keeping a watchful eye over Emma since they got into the car.

“I’m good,” Emma nodded, a brave smile curving the corners of her mouth slightly. “No worries.” Nevermind that her stomach was tied into knots. She shivered as the evening breeze ruffled the collar of her lightweight trench coat.

“You ain’t never gotta lie to me, baby,” Granny’s sage voice was gentle, her warm eyes framed by wisdom.

Emma’s shoulders dropped as she looked into the face of her elder. “I’m fine. I’m just disappointed. I did want to see things progress with Sadie, and I'm disappointed that it seems like she felt the need to distance herself from me. I just really wanted to, honestly I don't know…” She looked upward toward the night sky, the warmth of the streelights blurring out the stars

“You wanted to be ready for your person. And it's completely understandable why you would feel a sense of hope and disappointment if it feels like your feelings aren't being matched.”

Emma nodded. “I got my hopes up, Granny. And it's probably too soon to tell if Sadie is the right one or the wrong one or whatever, but I wanted to feel like she’d at least give it a chance.”

Ms. Marion reached for Emma’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “First of all, never be ashamed of hope–it’s a good thing to want things for yourself, for your heart. You deserve good things, and wanting them for yourself is not something that you should regret. You are a sweet and sensitive spirit that can see the good in everyone else. You want good for everyone else. I want you to give yourself that same acceptance and care.”

Emma clutched the elder’s hand between her own. “I needed that.”

Marion nodded. “For right now, just be present in the moment. Enjoy the show, and who knows? Maybe in seeing you tonight, Sadie will share more about where her head's at. And if she doesn’t, maybe she isn’t quite ready for what you might be ready for.”

“Yeah, you're right.” Emma smiled gratefully. “Granny, thank you. You always know where my head is and I really appreciate the way that you bring your perspective without judging. Sometimes I wonder whether people take me seriously.”

“Why on earth wouldn't they take you seriously? You're smart. You're beautiful. You're funny. You see the best in everybody.”

“Yeah, but maybe they think I'm just being naive. When I got home from the farmer’s market, I couldn’t help thinking about this stuff–like, why am I so all over the place? How come I am constantly losing things? Does everyone think I’m flighty? I just wonder sometimes. I don’t mean to be… Like I know most things are said in jest, like me being extra,” she emphasized with finger quotes. “But is there truth to the jokes, or am I doing the most by overthinking this stuff?”

Granny pressed her lips together. “Anybody that thinks that you are flighty or doing too much doesn't know you well enough, and really it’s their loss, because you’re worth the investment. There’s nothing wrong with being the light in a room full of darkness. People gravitate toward you because they need your light. Now come on, gimme some sugar,” Granny opened her arms to Emma, giving her a big hug.

Emma dropped a kiss on her cheek. “I love and appreciate you so much, Ms. Marion. You ready to go in?”

“Yeah, let's do it.”

“Emma, you made it!” Joy greeted them immediately at the door as they walked inside. She pulled Emma into a big hug and then turned to Granny. “Here, let me take your coat.”

“Thank you! Joy, this is Ms. Marion, my best friend Zora’s grandmother.” Emma pulled her trench off, smoothing her hands over the front of her black cable knit sweater dress, her knee-high leather boots skimming its midi hem. She’d matched Granny’s energy with a strong red lip.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Marion. Do you accept hugs?”

“I surely do,” Granny gave Joy a squeeze. “Congratulations! You’ve got quite a crowd here tonight.” She gestured around the gallery as laughter and talking voices bounced off of the walls.

Joy beamed radiantly, her brown skin glowing almost golden in the light. Around the room, canvas paintings lined the walls, bright and bold and colorful. Throngs of people were clustered at each one, pointing to different features as SoCa music played from a small DJ booth in a back corner.

“These are incredible, Joy,” Emma craned her neck to take in the vibrance of Joy’s work. Silhouettes of Black women in motion–each brush stroke creating texture and nuance. The first piece inside the gallery entrance was of a woman twirling before a mirror, the skirt of her dress and her mass of curls a vision topped only by the expression of joy on her face. “I’ve always wanted to take up art–I took a few classes in college, but I never got to really see it through. This is iconic,” she breathed.

“Oh, thank you. I'm so glad that y'all came to this installation today. We are really focusing–and when I say we, I mean me and my creative side. We were really focusing on showing strength and resilience and joy in a visually dynamic format,” Joy beamed, gesturing proudly at her work. “If you ever want to join me at the studio, I’d love to have you. I think everyone finds something new about themselves on the canvas.”

“Really? That would be amazing! Now, hear me when I say that I don’t expect that my art would be anything like this–I’m more on a paint and sip level, but I think this would scratch a creative itch that I haven’t satisfied in quite a while, and I’d much rather make some art for my place than buy some random prints.”

“The colors are very powerful,” Granny nodded at the closest piece. “I’d love to join y’all in the studio when the time comes.”

“Of course! I’d love to have you. Emma, if you want to continue down that way, um, Sadie's over there.” Joy pointed toward a corridor at the end of the room.

A flutter bloomed in Emma’s chest. “Oh, okay,” she replied nervously. She hesitated, looking at Granny Marion like a deer caught in the headlights.

“You go on ahead, baby. I'm gonna sit here and talk to Joy and learn more about her inspiration,” she winked at Emma as if to say “you’ve got this.”

Emma swallowed down the urge to protest. “Okay, I'll catch up with you in a bit.”

“Take your time,” Joy smiled conspiratorially at Granny who was grinning like a Cheshire cat. She leaned close to Emma. “She just needs some time to open up. You’ll see.”

Their eyes connected and Joy reached out to give Emma an encouraging pat. They inhaled together, and Joy nudged her toward the back.

“You’ve got this, girl,” Joy whispered.

Granny leaned toward the woman whispering something which was met with raucous laughter. She giggled sweetly, giving Emma a finger wave before pointing toward the mirror painting to ask questions.

Emma shook her head and turned toward the next art installment, admiring different pieces along the wall as she found Sadie looking at the last one. In it, a woman appeared to be sprinting, reaching for the word “Freedom,” which was just out of grasp. Her expression was one marked with pain and hope, that one word felt like a loaded statement surrounded by gradients of color.

“Hey, you made it,” Sadie’s eyes widened as her eyes traveled down Emma’s body before returning to meet her gaze.

Emma’s cheeks warmed and she silently thanked the low lighting in the room. She appreciated the added height her boots gave her, knowing that her dress hugged her generous curves. “Yeah, I said I wanted to come and support, so I'm here,” she shrugged.

“Well, I'm glad you did.” Sadie wore a denim jumpsuit that cinched her waist and accentuated her backside. Its unbuttoned collar revealed a generous amount of skin.

“You look beautiful,” Emma said slowly, trying not to stare, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away.

“I could say the same about you. Can I give you a hug?”

Emma froze. “Uh, sure.” Her body tensed as Sadie drew closer to her, pressing her lips against the side of Emma's jaw before standing back to admire her. “This dress is everything.”

Sadie’s scent invaded Emma’s senses as she short-circuited from the contact of hands skimming her back. “What was that for?”

“It was something I should have done earlier at the farmer's market.”

“So why didn't you?”

Sadie shrugged sheepishly. “Uh, I don't know honestly. In retrospect, I could have handled that whole exchange better. Listen, do you want to go and talk?”

Emma's eyebrows raised as Sadie pointed back toward what looked like an office door. “Is that okay?”

“Yeah, I'm here all the time. Joy knows I use her office sometimes to take calls or to hide when I don't want to deal with crowds.”

“I know that feeling well.” As much as Emma enjoyed people, she was often overwhelmed and would need time to recharge after being exposed to large groups.

“Really? I didn’t think you were such an introvert.”

“I would say that I'm right on the line,” Emma shrugged. “Maybe I'm an ambivert, I don't know, but there are definitely times when I enjoy my solitude and other times when I like to connect. But I would say I'm more of an introvert because the people that I connect with are people that I know and want to connect with, not just random strangers.”

Sadie nodded. “I feel the same way. Well, come on, let’s go talk. It’ll be nice and quiet there.” She reached out before pulling her hand back, as if she was having an internal argument with herself. “I’ve got to chill,” she muttered and grasped Emma's wrist, her hand sliding into Emma’s as their fingers interlocked. Sadie tugged her toward the office.

Once inside, Sadie shut the door. “I've been trying to work up the nerve to talk to you, get you alone.”

The office had colorful prints framed and neatly arranged on one wall across from a large wooden desk with a leather desk chair and large black filing cabinets. A small sofa off to the side was covered in cartons and art shipping boxes.

“Okay, well, I'm all ears. What do you want to say?” Emma leaned against the desk, facing her. Her heart pounded in her chest as she waited for Sadie to let her down easy, knowing that any attempt to be kind would just shatter her even more.

“I… I just,” Sadie stammered, pacing as she searched for the words. “Oh, fuck it.” She pressed herself against Emma, cupping her face in her hands as she kissed her, catching her by surprise.

The kiss was soft and warm. Emma melted into it, angling her head for more as she opened her mouth, allowing Sadie's tongue entrance. As the kiss deepened, their embrace tightened, Emma's hand roaming Sadie's back, pulling her closer. Sadie nibbled at Emma's bottom lip.

“Sometimes I express myself better by showing,” she murmured.

Emma’s lips brushed against Sadie's gently. “Yeah, I get it. Good talk,” she nodded. “Though you know I’m going to need you to use your words too, right?”

Her shoulders slumped in response. “I know. And I owe you an explanation, believe me I know. I’ve been practicing in the mirror the things that I’ve wanted to say to you, starting with an apology.”

Emma’s lips quirked at the corners. “You practiced apologizing? To me?”

“Well yeah, I can’t imagine how you must have felt when I didn’t get back in touch with you after… you know.” Her hand cupped the side of Emma’s face. “It was shitty of me to leave you in the dark like that.”

Emma pulled back to stare into those deep brown eyes. “What happened?”

“I just froze up. It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten close to anyone, and I wasn't sure exactly what I was ready for. I should have communicated with you rather than shutting you out. I really am sorry.”

Emma watched Sadie’s face, wondering if she could trust what Sadie had shared when Joy’s words replayed in her mind. She just needs time to open up… “I suppose I could forgive you.”

“I would be grateful for your forgiveness.” Sadie's mouth found Emma's jawline, her throat, the lobe of her ear. The sultry rasps of her whispers made Emma squeeze her eyes shut and shiver. “There are things that I want to do to you that we shouldn't do here. Joy wouldn't be mad about it, but at the same time, I just don't want to mess up her event.”

“Well, I'm sure we could do some live depictions of strength and resilience, but I don't think that's what she was going for,” Emma joked.

Sadie laughed, her face in Emma's hair, breathing in her nutty vanilla scent mixed with amber. “You smell so damn good. Let's go back to the apartment.” She grabbed Emma's hand again, kissing her fingertips and knuckles, the palm of her hand and the inside of her wrist. “I wanna be able to take my time.”

Shockwaves reverberated through Emma’s body, heat pooling at her core. “So are we going to your place or mine?”

“Yours. You always have food.” Sadie’s eyes were hooded with lust, but they crinkled at the corners as her lips curved.

Emma grinned and cackled. “Okay, good point, but we need to really have you work on that.”

“Deal.” Sadie sealed her promise with one more scorching kiss that left Emma breathless and dripping wet, squeezing her thighs together to prevent herself from laying back and spreading it wide on Joy’s perfectly organized desk. Sadie squeezed her hand, a knowing look in her molten gaze as she tugged her through the door.

Back in the gallery, they rounded the corner and found Joy and Granny together, chatting like old friends, Granny giving her observations about the colors and the meaning behind different stances of the characters depicted in Joy’s art. Marion’s arm was looped in Joy’s, and Sheena bounced around the room to different friend groups, clearly the proud partner of the famous artist, her eyes full of love as they trained on the pair as they made their rounds.

Sadie still had a hold of Emma’s hand as they approached the two. “Hey Granny, I think we're going to leave.”

Ms. Marion nodded. “No problem, I'll walk out with y'all.” Joy nodded and led the way toward the front to retrieve their coats.

“Are you sure you’re ready to leave, Granny?” Emma asked worriedly.

“Yeah, this is good timing–I've got a ride coming,” she smiled knowingly, smoothing her hair and grabbing her lipstick to reapply.

“Excuse me? Who?!” Thoughts raced of Zora tearing Emma a new one for Ms. Marion climbing into a rideshare car, left to her own devices to fend off some sketchy predator.

Granny ignored her. “Joy, the installation was beautiful. I'd definitely love to come back and see more of your art. And you have to let us know when you're having the next show.”

Joy nodded, embracing her. “I really appreciate your support. Definitely let your friends know that they can come by. My art is going to be featured here for the next couple of weeks.”

“I sure will, I’ll tell them and I'm definitely going to come back myself. I'm bringing Gerald next time.”

Joy followed them out the door. “Gerald, is that your husband?”

Granny shook her head. “No dear, my husband passed long ago. Gerald is my boyfriend.” She winked at her audience as a sleek black car pulled up. “And right on time.”

Joy turned to look at Emma and Sadie, a look of shock on her face. Emma hid a smile behind her hand. Sadie stared at Granny in awe.

Gerald exited the car to open the door for Ms. Marion clad in a v-neck sweater over a dress shirt and jeans so freshly pressed that the creases were still crisp. His clean-shaven face brightened as he stepped closer. “Hello, dear,” he beamed at her, kissing her on the cheek with deliberate slowness.

“Oh, not you gettin’ fresh in public,” Granny blushed, swatting his arm.

“I can’t help myself. Look at you,” his baritone voice held amusement as he waved to their audience before helping her into the car.

Granny winked at Emma. “I expect a call in the morning!”

“Yes, ma’am,” Emma’s cheeks grew hot.

Joy turned to them, gesturing to Sadie as she eyed them both. “I expect the same.”

Sadie’s warm hand found Emma’s back as she glowered at her friend. “Let’s go.”

“Joy, your art is incredible. Thank you so much–I’m going to come back and I intend to take you up on the studio invite.”

“Please do.”