Once home, she emailed her former art teachers and explained what she was doing. They seemed thrilled in their responses and gave her their home addresses for the invitations. She emailed the information to Phil then took a deep breath. This was actually happening. She felt amazed. The show would be two weeks from this Friday. She enlisted Lacey to help her get a great outfit.
They spent that Saturday at the mall going from store to store. Lacey laughed at how stressed out Jane was getting over what she would wear. Jane admitted to not feeling stylish enough to be having a show and being very nervous about what people would think of her. She gravitated towards black dresses but then felt like she was only doing that because that’s what she thought an artist should look like. She felt like a fraud.
Lacey took over at that point, banishing her to a dressing room and bringing her dresses to try on. Nothing felt right. It was winter. She wondered why was every other dress was sleeveless. She was so over having to wear a cardigan all the time. She let Lacey know that, while she did not know what she wanted to wear, she knew she wanted sleeves, short or long.
Lacey returned from her next search and brought Jane six or so dresses. When Jane picked up the Kelly green one, she knew it was it without even trying it on. It was a jersey material wrap style dress. The sleeves were somewhere between short and three quartered length and the skirt hit the top of her knee. She bought some charcoal grey hose and had a pair of black heels that would look amazing with it.
When they got home, Lacey’s invitation was in their mail. After she opened it and read it, it she handed it to Jane. It was so beautiful, she thought. There was a picture of one of her pieces and one of Matt’s. She ran her fingers over the raised lettering of her name. This was unreal.
She thought it odd that she did not hear anything from Gabe. He should have gotten his invitation. Then it hit her. Since both she and Matt were showing, he would assume it was Matt that invited him and not her. What could she do to let him know that she wanted him there? She could not think of anything, so she just let it go. Hopefully, she would see him there and then she could talk to him.
Chapter 32
It was the night of the show before she knew it. She took a half-day at work and went home to get ready. She curled her hair, and it fell in big, soft curls just past her shoulders. She kept her makeup simple and used waterproof mascara because she had a feeling Lacey or her mother might make her cry. Not a sad cry but a happy cry at seeing them proud of her. The show was officially starting at seven that night and was catered.
She arrived early to see the whole place set up and to see if she could help. She wore flats and had her heels ready in the back room with her purse. She saw Matt had also arrived early. He looked really nervous. She felt really nervous but hoped she wasn’t showing it. He came over to say hello and ask if she had talked to Gabe.
"No. When I saw the invitation, I realized he would probably think you invited him,” she replied.
“I thought that as well so, even though you asked me not to, I did speak to him and made it clear that you invited him, not me,” he said, clearly proud of himself.
“Did he sound happy that I was inviting him?” Jane asked, suddenly not caring anymore whether she looked nervous or not.
“He seemed very happy that you asked to be the one to invite him,” Matt replied and then, excusing himself, went to ask Phil something.
Jane felt really nervous. She suddenly wished she had not foregone the idea of a sleeveless dress. She racked her brain, trying to remember if she had reapplied deodorant when she went home to change. It was almost time, she realized, and went into the back room to change her shoes and fan her underarms. There goes all poise, she told herself, and applied some bronze lip gloss. When she walked back into the room, she realized she had never asked Phil how she was supposed to act and what to do if people asked about her work.
She raced to find him and, sensing a panicked artist, he got her a glass of champagne and told her to down it. It tickled her throat going down and, once she finished it, he handed her another glass and told her to sip that one and mingle. He would bring over anyone who mattered. Otherwise, she was free to hang out with her guests. If someone asked her about her work, she was to by all means talk about it but not too long because this was an art show not a term paper. Taking her arm, he led her to the front area of the gallery as guests began to arrive.
Her parents were among the first guests and, after giving her a big hug, her father kissed her on the cheek. Lacey and Jack were not far behind them. Jane wanted to stay near the entrance to make sure she greeted everyone she had invited personally and to see Gabe as soon as he arrived. She watched all of the guests stream in. All the men came in suits and ties and the women in dresses or posh suits.
Phil brought over an architect and his wife. They loved the bridge concept and asked her questions about each one. She was still speaking with them when Gabe arrived. He looked so handsome in his suit and was carrying a bouquet of roses and pink heather. She excused herself and went to him. Nervously, she went to hug him.
“Hey, Jane,” he said warmly. “You look beautiful tonight. These are for you. The florist said the pink heather meant good luck."
“They are beautiful. Thank you so much for the flowers and for coming tonight,” Jane said.
“It’s kinda crazy you and Matt are showing together. When I got the invitation, I didn’t believe it at first. I remember you talking about your love of art, but I did not expect all this,” Gabe replied.
“I’m really not sure if I’m supposed to stay here or if I can walk around yet,” she confessed looking around for Matt. Catching her intent, Gabe said, “Let me find Matt and I’ll have him ask."
He leaned in and kissed her cheek, then was gone.
She stood there with a dreamy smile on her face until he returned with Matt, who was also brought Adam.
“Looks like we are free to walk around,” Matt said.
“Do you want me to get you water for those?” Adam asked, gesturing towards her flowers.
Jane nodded, and Adam went off to get a vase. She hung out with Matt and Gabe until he came back. When he did, she set them up on a table. Together, Jane and Gabe moved from piece to piece.
Taking his hand, Jane said, “I still really like you, but after everything that happened these past few months, I felt like I wasn’t sure I liked me. Taking the time to do this made me feel grounded. I can’t tell you how much it meant to me that you were cool about it."
“I gotta be honest. It was rough. Part of me was pretty sure you were just going to bail, but I really hoped you weren’t,” Gabe said, leaning in to give her a kiss.
This felt so right, she thought putting her arms around his neck. She didn’t even care that they were in a room full of people until she remembered that her parents were also here.
Pulling back, she said, “So, my parents are here, and I’ve told them about you. Can I introduce you to them?”
“Sure,” Gabe said, taking her hand.
Lacey and Jack were talking to her parents when they walked up. Jane was about to introduce him when she was called to the center of the room with Matt to be presented to the attendees. They stood there as they were applauded. Once that was complete, Jane hurried back over to them. Gabe was talking to Lacey, and they were all standing by the Nickel Bridge drawing Jane had dreamed of. Phil had placed a sold sign on it before the show had started. After introducing Gabe to her parents, Jane had time to watch everyone look at her work. Phil came over excitedly to tell her two of her paintings had already sold. He then hurried away to speak to another patron.
“It’s too bad this one has already sold,” Gabe said, motioning towards the bridge from her dream. “It’s my favorite."
“Mine too, and it’s not really sold,” Jane smiled. “This one is staying with me."
###
Acknowledgments
I want to thank everyone who helped and encouraged me along this journey.
To Summer, Deena, Mary, Chrissy, Lisa, Judy, and Rachel who were some of my earliest readers. To Kate Dixon, I not only stole your last name for a character, but also cannot thank you enough for your advice. To my mom, who was my very first reader/cheerleader/bug killer (a moment of silence for the bug she squished on page 158 of my first printed draft). To Heather Markman at Traveler's Playground Press for everything, and wine. To Jamie Tibbs, who was always available for me to vent to about my completely made up people. Our daily walks helped inspire me to complete this endeavor more than you will ever know. To my Amazeballs cover designer Sarah Hansen, you have a gift. To my editor Yesenia Vargas, who can not only translate my gibberish into coherent English but still loves me even though I am punctuationally challenged. Lastly, to my husband and children for their love and support.
About the Author
Carey Heywood lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband, three children, and nine-pound attack Yorkie. In her spare time, she transports her children from one extra-curricular activity to another while maintaining her day job in the world of finance. Right now, she is probably eating Swedish Fish.
Summary
It has been said that the hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn. Jane Martin thinks she has it all figured out. She has just graduated from college and is expecting a proposal from her perfect boyfriend, Wyatt. What happens when all of this goes away? Finally finding her feet again, she meets Gabe. Everything seems great until Wyatt comes back into her life unexpectedly. What will she do?
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Uninvolved by Carey Heywood
What happens when two commitment-phobes fall for each other?
Becka Sherwood has one man in her life, her best friend and roommate Dave. That is exactly how she wants to keep it. Becka has no problem casually dating. It's once things start to get serious that she bails. To Becka getting serious means trusting someone, and she has zero interest in making that mistake again. What about Nate is different?
Nate Parker doesn't want a girlfriend but can't seem to keep his mind, or hands, off of Becka. Problem is, he can't handle the idea of her being with anyone else either. Will Nate admit to himself there must be a reason he can't seem to stay away from her?
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After Forever Ends by Melodie Ramone
Orphaned by her mother and brushed off by her dad, fifteen year old Silvia Cotton has lived a lonely life. That is until her father moves the family from the Highlands of Scotland to the Midlands of Wales. It is there she is enrolled in Bennington, a private boarding school, and meets the charming and rebellious Dickinson twins, Oliver and Alexander. Her regrettable life is changed forever.
Locked into a fierce friendship with Alexander and lost to a whirlwind romance with Oliver, Silvia finds herself torn away from everything she thought she knew. Married too soon, she moves with Oliver to a rustic cabin deep in a Welsh wood and embarks upon a life she'd never planned for, surviving on hope she never knew existed and faith she never knew she had. She makes her way through university and onto a career, only to surrender her ambition to raising her children and living a life that was strikingly "normal". But what is normal? Certainly not what ensues in the wood.
True love, faeries, friendship, loves lost and gained. Old magic, fate, doubt, strength and courage, Silvia's story could belong to anyone, but it is her own. Simple yet extraordinary, told with wit and candor, Silvia recalls a life of joy and sorrow, laughter and tears. As she unravels the tangled web of her days, she reveals the secrets that exist in an ancient wood, how hearts given freely can become the stuff of magic, and how true happiness is never any further than one's own back garden."
www.melodieramone.com
Twitter @Melodie_Ramone
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Fallen by Nikki Mahood
Fallon Magee lives her life, she doesn’t particularly like it, but gets on with it all the same. Until on average night she heads out with her friends and meets an anything but average man…
Abner is pacing along, trying to establish himself in the world, never quite sure how to do it right. One moment he’s playing piano in his brothers bar, the next he’s met the love of his life…
Abner knows Fallon is keeping something form him, about that she has been honest, but can he convince her to tell him before everything falls apart?
‘It’s a great storyline with likeable characters. A must for any chick lit fan’
As well as Fallen, Nikki’s follow up book Forever is also now available.
nicolamahood.wordpress.com
Twitter @nikkimahood
A Bridge of Her Own Page 21
