Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
‘ I s Gio joining Mason’s art class on Bertha today?’ Maya asked Penny as she handed her a steaming cup of coffee at the café.
‘Yes,’ replied Penny, as she glanced up from placing a huge, crumbly slab of Victoria sponge cake that smelt of vanilla and strawberries, on a plate. ‘He’s actually looking forward to it and I’ve told him I’m proud of him for stepping out of his comfort zone. Since he helped you with Bertha ’s new paint job, he’s been painting everything in sight.’ She handed the cake to one of her regulars and rang the sale up at the till before turning back to Maya, who was leaning against the wall by the end of the counter. This was her favourite spot for a chat as she could look out towards her own house and also see the goings on along the river.
‘He seems to love the fact that the lessons are outside,’ commented Maya.
‘ Bertha ’s bright new awning is the perfect place to paint,’ agreed Penny. ‘Plus, I’ve noticed that he chats to a few of my customers now. He’d have never done that before.’
‘I think it’s because he’s comfortable on Bertha , so he talks to the other artists. Plus, Margot has taken him under her wing.’ Maya’s face lit up at the memory. ‘She’s been bringing him into conversations with others and he’s gradually becoming more comfortable in his own skin.’
‘She’s a ball of energy!’ laughed Penny. ‘A total whirlwind.’
‘I know!’ laughed Maya, but being around Margot and the gentle friendship he’s found with Bobby and Phil have been great, too. ‘I think Bobby might have a teeny crush on Gio, but he thinks Gio is way out of his league. Gio would probably think the same about Bobby because he’s so friendly and everyone loves him.’
‘I think it’s a bit too soon after Gio’s breakup for matchmaking,’ agonised Penny as she tapped an order into the till. ‘I love Bobby though!’
Maya nodded and tilted her head while she listened to Penny. But she had her own plans for Gio and hoped it was something he’d want too. They’d become good friends over the past few weeks, but his star quality was hidden beneath a wall of insecurity.
‘Have you got any more paintings for me to display?’ asked Penny as she made a coffee for her next customer and looked over to make sure her staff were cleaning tables as guests left. Penny was a stickler for hygiene and it was one reason Maya came in so often. That and the fact that she got all the latest town gossip from Penny and it was about a hundred foot from her own front door. They both looked up at the empty wall spaces where her paintings usually hung, and it looked bland without them.
‘How about putting up some of the work from Mason’s art group?’ Maya suggested, thinking back to the blank café walls. She’d been so busy lately that she hadn’t had time to paint.
Penny didn’t look convinced. ‘I have a few small artworks you can hang, but you’ve seen Joe’s boat.’ Penny tilted her head to one side, and Maya could see her mind whirring. The boat was hugely popular, and she’d hung some art from the group in the bar, as they painted views from the river which complimented the decor. Every income stream helped, and this was a way for them to make their own money. Penny served her next customer, and they both looked up at the framed newspaper article of Bertha ’s transformation that Penny had proudly placed behind the till. Customers often enquired about it when Bertha wasn’t in dock and Penny always sent them to the little white ticket office by the promenade to find out more. When Bertha was idle, she created quite a stir now and had crowds waiting to board her every single day. Maya stayed silent and patiently sipped her coffee while Penny decided what to do. Checking the big clock on the wall because she was due to paint alongside the art class soon, Maya needed to hurry now, but this was important. She didn’t know why she hadn’t thought of it sooner.
‘Please, Penny,’ she urged. ‘It could really help Gio’s confidence to see his work showcased here. I’ll still send over my artworks when I can and I will ask Mason to curate the pieces from the art class first.’ She finished her coffee and placed the cup in the bin at the end of the counter. ‘I know what you like and what we can sell them for.’
Penny grinned suddenly, and handed her a lemon muffin, which made Maya smile from ear to ear.
‘When did you become such a businesswoman?’ she asked. ‘You usually just pop in whenever and hand me a box of your paintings.’ She smiled as she turned to her next customer.
Maya laughed good-natured, too. The sales of her artworks had helped pay for her jewellery supplies, now she was on top of every single transaction.
‘I’ll think about it,’ promised Penny, as Maya bid her goodbye and set off to jump on Bertha and join the art class.
‘Hi, Mason,’ she said as she walked up to the area they had chosen for the class that day. Bertha was gradually becoming busier and Maya wondered if the class might have to relocate to the pretty little village hall that was on the other side of the river, if more customers kept booking steamboat cruises.
‘Hi, Maya,’ responded Mason with a smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes and she hated that she might have hurt him. She didn’t really have time to join the class today, but she needed to make sure that Mason was okay.
‘I haven’t heard much from you lately,’ she said as she unpacked her drawing pad and pencils from her tote bag and sat next to him on the side of the boat in front of the shiny new gold guard rails. A few swans floated up towards the side of the boat and a couple of teenagers snapped selfies with the watery backdrop before the birds realised there wasn’t any food on offer and swam off.
Mason flushed and busied himself with setting up his portable easel. ‘I guessed you’d be busy with your boyfriend and I didn’t want to intrude,’ he said, not looking up, his hair covering his eyes. Maya flinched and then Noah’s face came to mind for some reason.
‘That’s fair enough,’ she said quietly, chewing on her lip and not sure how to mend this situation without more lies. ‘As I mentioned, it’s quite new and nothing serious right now, but I can see where you’re coming from. I’d like us to still be friends?’ she asked hopefully, and he finally looked up and stopped what he was doing.
‘I’d like that,’ was all he said before he checked he had all the paint he needed by running his hands along the tubes in front of him. He cleared his throat and stepped out from behind the easel. ‘I just need to check on Elliot,’ he added, excusing himself and moving around her.
Gio was already sitting further along the bench, his face turned up towards the sun, his eyes closed, enjoying the warm air. Maya wished she had the camera to capture that moment, then remembered her phone and took a few snaps. She didn’t paint portraits, but if she did, she’d start with Gio. His bone structure was chiselled, and he’d obviously been outdoors a lot lately, as his skin was turning an even darker shade of brown. He looked serene, which she knew he rarely felt inside. He was full of self-doubt and loathing because he felt he should have stood up to the ex that bled him dry. Maya scowled when she thought about that man and the damage he’d done to the gentle soul that was Gio. He had thick black hair and firm muscles and his t-shirt looked clean but well worn. She thought he might be one of the most handsome men she’d ever seen and that was after she’d been alone in a shower room with Noah Benedict, so that was saying something! She pictured Noah’s piercing blue eyes crinkling up with humour and sighed because he’d crept into her thoughts rather a lot lately.
Leah hadn’t let her off the hook about meeting her new boyfriend and the excuse that their schedules hadn’t worked out yet was wearing thin. She had thought about how Noah’s fake date idea could help her too, but as it had been a joke, it didn’t play on her mind too much.
‘Hi, Gio.’ She waved a pencil at him and he waved a paintbrush back with a smile. His dark eyes shone from under his too-long fringe. If she hadn’t had her hands full of watercolour pencils, she’d have needed to fan her face. She could imagine Gio gracing the front pages of glossy magazines and shook her head to clear it from anything other than the business in hand. The next No. 1 Ethereal Lane model choice could wait. Not everyone who could model wanted to and not everyone who wanted to could model. It was a skill, and she wasn’t yet sure if it was something such a shy guy, however beautiful, could handle. Gio kept his head down as the other group members arrived, but then brushed his fringe out of his eyes and offered a few of them a tentative smile as Margo breezed in and blew them all kisses with a flourish and a twirl, her long red skirt flowing around her legs and her white fitted top rolled up at the arms, ready to get to work. Elliot walked over, giving Gio and Maya a huge, genuine grin and they high-fived. Maybe there was hope for Gio yet?