Chapter Thirteen April 6
Chapter Thirteen
Joshua had to admit, the show looked awesome.
From the street, the Wyoming Art & Frame store wasn’t that big, a double frontage of glass under a green-and-white striped awning, but inside Micah had used every available space.
After one week, that would be reduced to one wall, so Joshua knew they were hoping to make a lot of sales.
More canvases stood out back, ready to be hung.
Soft jazz played in the background, soothing and unobtrusive, and on a table in the center of the store stood glasses of wine and juice, along with trays of canapés.
The show had been open for an hour or more, and already Joshua was starting to notice the little red dots that adorned frames of some paintings.
Red was most definitely good.
Micah was circulating through the assembled guests, answering questions, nodding and smiling, while Greg sat behind the cash desk at the rear of the store.
Lord, let this be a sellout? Except Joshua was hoping for more than that.
It was Micah’s first exposure, and while Joshua knew the chances of some big art dealer walking into a small store in Gillette, seeing Micah’s work and recognizing his amazing talent were slim, that didn’t mean he was gonna stop dreaming.
Because this wasn’t just his dream, and Micah’s.
It had been Rachel’s dream too.
“Earth calling Joshua, come in, Joshua.”
With a start, Joshua realized Alex was standing beside him. “How long have you been there?” Alex wore a dark suit, with a deep red handkerchief in the breast pocket. “You clean up nice,” he quipped.
Alex snickered. “Manda said the same thing last week.”
It was only then that Joshua realized he hadn’t heard a word from Alex since the previous Saturday, not that he’d had time to miss their meetups: he’d been too busy helping Micah get ready.
“This looks incredible,” Alex murmured.
Joshua smiled. “I was just thinking that Rachel would’ve been so proud.
She was the one who encouraged him to study art.
She kept everything he ever painted, and told him to paint whatever stirred him.
” The walls were covered with the results of her advice.
Then he glanced at Alex’s hands. “You need a glass of wine.” Before Alex could say anything, Joshua picked up a glass of white wine and brought it over to him.
Alex chuckled. “God, if you only knew how much I needed this.” He took a mouthful and sighed.
“Bad day?”
“Heavy week.” Alex’s face tightened. “And it’s only going to get worse.” He expelled a long breath. “But you know what? You don’t need to hear about my week. So I’m going to mingle, stare open-mouthed at Micah’s paintings, and finally decide on which one I’m taking home with me.”
“Hey… you don’t have to buy a painting.” Joshua didn’t want Alex feeling obligated.
Alex laid his hand on Joshua’s forearm. “That’s quite correct. I don’t have to—I want to. I already have it narrowed down to a possible three, which is utterly amazing when you consider how many fantastic pieces he has on display.” He gave a half-smile. “Sorry for the brief intrusion of my mood.”
“Hey, if you’ve had a rough week, you call me, okay?” Joshua said earnestly. “Even if it’s only to vent and left off some steam. That’s what’s friends do, isn’t it? It’s not just coffee shops and pizza, or cooking. You need a friend, you pick up the phone, you got that?”
For a moment, Alex said nothing. Then he smiled again, only this time it reached his eyes. “Thank you. I appreciate the offer.”
“That’s better. And it’s not an offer—it’s a promise to be there if you need me.”
“I’ll remember that.” Alex nodded toward Micah. “And now I’ll go talk to the artist.” He walked away slowly, his gaze focused on the walls.
Joshua watched him go, his stomach tense. Guy’s got a lot on his mind, that’s for sure. And yet he’d made the time to come to Micah’s show. Joshua smiled.
Because that’s what friends do.
~ 0 ~
“These are all set in the Grand Teton National Park, aren’t they?” Alex thought the whole series of six or seven paintings was breathtaking.
Micah nodded. “I went camping for a week there a couple of years ago. Spent all my time taking photos. It… blew me away, just the sheer grandeur of it all.” He smiled. “Little did I know I’d end up living real close one day.”
“What do you mean?”
Micah grinned. “Ah, Maybe Dad didn’t get that far in the story last week. Greg’s dad left him a house in Jackson, and once the trial is over, we’re gonna move there. We’ll be literally on the doorstep of all this.” He swept out his arm to encompass the paintings.
“What a beautiful place to live.” Alex leaned forward to peer at one painting that stood out from the others.
It was the only one with a figure in it.
“Tell me about this one.” There was something about it, something Alex couldn’t put his finger on, but it drew him.
The view was of a lake, surrounded by majestic mountains, but at the water’s edge stood a figure, seen from behind, staring out over the water.
Micah sighed. “I don’t do self-portraits very often, but… that was me. That day, I was a mess. I was feeling guilty for going on my trip. Mom was….”
Alex did the math. “Ah. That had to be not long before she died.”
Micah nodded. “Tough time for all of us.” He glanced at Alex. “I wanted to say something last weekend, but I guess I never got around to it. I’m really glad you and my dad are friends. I think you’re good for him.”
“He’s good for me too,” Alex admitted. “I’m just sorry I’m not going to have as much time to spend with him in the next few weeks. Might even be months. Work is going to kick my ass.” He huffed. “What am I saying? It’s already started.”
“You got a big case or something?”
Alex took a drink from his glass. “You could say that.”
“Well, anytime you need to decompress, come visit us,” Micah said with obvious sincerity.
“That’s really kind of you.” Alex was touched.
“Kindness has nothing to do with it. I’m being totally mercenary.” Micah’s eyes gleamed.
The light dawned. “This is about food, isn’t it?” Alex said with a chuckle.
“One hundred percent,” Micah joked. They both laughed. “Seriously though… you’re welcome, anytime.”
“Smile, guys.” Greg appeared, his phone in hand. “This is going on Twitter.” They stilled for the camera, and Alex put on his politician’s face. Greg clicked. “That’s great. Are you on Twitter, Alex, and if so, can I tag you?”
Alex nodded. He pulled out his wallet, removed a business card, and handed it to Greg.
“All my social media is on there.” Micah nodded in approval, and Alex smiled.
“I’m a politician. These days, you have to have an online presence.
” He grinned. “I can honestly say I don’t spend my hours tweeting, however. ”
Micah inclined his head in Greg’s direction. “He’s been promoting this show for weeks, on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, you name it. I drew the line at him doing a Facebook Live video of me painting, however.”
“Why?”
Micah rolled his eyes. “Because it would’ve been about as interesting as watching paint dry—literally.” Greg chuckled, and Micah leaned in to kiss his cheek. “Go on, my social butterfly, go take more pictures.”
What Alex liked was how no one in their vicinity reacted to the small public display of affection. When he met Micah’s gaze, Micah smiled. “I guess they think it must go with the territory. You know, artist types….” He lifted his chin and looked Alex in the eye. “Thanks for coming along tonight.”
“I wouldn’t have missed it. You did make it really difficult for me, I have to say.”
Micah frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Far too many wonderful pieces to choose from, but I’ve finally whittled it down.” Alex came to a decision. “I’ll take that one,” he said, pointing to the canvas with Micah in the foreground.
Micah’s eyes widened. “Dad didn’t invite you here to buy anything.”
“I know that. I still want that painting. It’s beautiful.” Alex knew exactly where to hang it too. “Who do I pay?”
Micah laughed. “When you set your mind on something, you just go for it, don’t you?”
Alex chuckled and leaned in. “Wait till you see me in a courtroom,” he said in a low voice.
Micah pointed to the cash desk. “Tell them you’re buying #57. I’ll put a red dot on the frame to show it’s been sold. You can take it home tonight, or collect it whenever.”
“I’ll pick it up tomorrow. I’ll drag myself away from the piles of work I took home this evening, and come fetch it.” He glanced at the walls, searching for red dots. There were a few in evidence, and the night was still young.
“Thank you.” Micah shook his hand. “Especially for the easy sale. You wouldn’t believe what I’ve had to put up with so far.”
“Do tell.”
“A lady came in, right after we opened the doors. She marched up to me and demanded to know if I had any paintings in pink.”
Alex blinked. “That’s very… specific.”
Micah nodded slowly. “She wanted something to go in her master bedroom, where apparently everything is pink. I explained I had nothing that would go with her décor, so she proceeded to give me the color scheme for every room in the house.” Micah shuddered.
“Put it this way. I think it would be an interior designer’s idea of hell. ”
“Did she actually buy anything?” Alex hoped so, if only as recompense for the torture she put Micah through.
Micah bit his lip. “There was one painting. A small canvas. It was done using a photo of light playing on water, and it was predominantly… blue.”
Alex had to ask. “And where is its destination?”
Micah leaned forward. “The little cabin she keeps for guests to change into swimwear before they use her pool.”
Alex grinned. “Oh wow. You’ve made it. Big time.”
Micah narrowed his gaze. “That was after she went through every single painting. She even asked if I did commissions.” Then his eyes widened.
“But I may have one.” He fished through his pocket and pulled out a card.
“This woman came in, and asked if I did portraits. I said yes, and then she asked if I worked from photos. I showed her images of my portraits, and she said she’d like me to do a painting. ”
Alex peered at the card. “Wyoming Equality? They’re a non-profit, LGBT support group. And she wants you to paint someone’s portrait? Whose?”
Micah shrugged. “She didn’t say, but she’ll be calling me to discuss it. All she said was that the deadline would be October, and could I manage that.”
“Very intriguing.” Alex held out his hand. “I wish you every success with this. I know you’ve worked hard to achieve this goal.”
Micah shook it. “Thank you. The only thing that could have made this any better would be if Mom could have seen it.”
Alex held onto Micah’s hand. “Perhaps she does.” He couldn’t ignore the tug of work any longer. “Look, I’d like to stay longer, but—”
“You’ve got stuff to do. I know.” Micah smiled. “Don’t forget to say goodbye to Dad before you leave.”
“I’ll do that.” He released Micah’s hand and went to find Joshua, aware that he’d intended staying longer.
Sometimes an overactive duty gland was a real pain in the butt.