by Lisa Cardiff
Picking up the shoes stacked neatly on the bottom step, she threw them against the front door. Vowing never to drink that much again, she stood up, trying to shake off her melancholy thoughts. She needed to get ready for her gallery opening that started in less than two hours.
Checking her phone, she found a two-word text from Cam.
Forgive me.
The urge to throw up overwhelmed her. Without thinking, she scrolled through her contacts to call him. As her hand hovered over the send button, she debated whether to succumb to her urge to call Cam and confess every last sordid detail of her behavior. In the end, she put her phone down, knowing she couldn’t do it. Telling Cam would not only destroy their six-year relationship, it would also damage his friendship with Jax and possibly their band, too. If confessing her colossal mistake only meant ruining her relationship with Cam, she might actually give in to the desire to clear her conscience, but in reality, so much more was on the line. Confessing was the easy way out.
Picking up the envelope Jax left on her entry table, she traced her name with her finger. I was Cam’s handwriting. She could recognize his bold forward slanting letters anywhere. Ripping open one corner of the seal, she ran her finger through the top seam of the envelope and shook out the contents, letting them fall on the surface of the table.
A folded piece of paper along with a pile of confetti fell onto the table. Seeing the confetti, she almost let herself smile. Cam had been stuffing confetti in their correspondence since he filled her locker with confetti and balloons their senior year along with a note asking her to their senior prom.
Opening the note, she saw an itinerary for a flight to LA leaving next Thursday. At the bottom of the page, Cam’s bold handwriting filled the page.
Bre,
I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to your opening. I miss you and I want to see you. Meet me in LA for a long weekend so I can make it up to you.
Yours,
C.
Cam’s thoughtfulness nearly brought her to her knees. While Cam had been busy making sure they spent time together, she’d been busy, for lack of another word, with his friend. She already felt enough guilt for her selfish actions without being reminded of how thoughtful and charming Cam used to be. Her breath stalled, and she feared she would crumble under the weight of her grief for their relationship, for Cam and Jax and yes, as selfish as it sounded, for herself, too.
Taking a deep breath, she tried to rein in the downward spiral of her emotions. She didn’t have time to fall apart right now. She had to get to the gallery, her gallery. Forcing herself back upstairs to get dressed, she numbly went through the motions of taking a shower and getting ready. Skipping the grand opening and wallowing in her misery was not an option. She worked hard to recruit talented artists, and if she didn’t show up tonight she would lose some of the trust she tirelessly worked to establish, both with Michael and the artists.
Short on time, she showered quickly, systematically washing all the physical and not so physical reminders of last night off her body. Once she dried her long chestnut hair, she haphazardly arranged it into a loose topknot and slipped on an ivory one-shoulder silk dress. Taking extra time on her makeup, she methodically created a smoky eye look, hoping it would disguise any lingering puffiness around her eyes. She loved putting on makeup almost as much as she loved painting.
Being part of the art world was as much of a similarity to her mother as she could stomach, but she refused to give it up. Her entire life had revolved around art for as long as she could remember, whether it was painting, watching her mother paint, studying art in school, or working at a gallery; it was in her blood, a part of her.
With one last critical look at herself in the mirror, she smoothed down the front of her dress. Except for the slight puffiness of her eyes, she looked nice. Trim, tall, almost too tall in her opinion, almond shaped light brown eyes, long roman nose and olive skin. She would have liked to have an exotic eye color or lose two inches in height, but other than that she was happy with her appearance. Giving herself a silent pep talk as she walked out of her house, she prayed she could get through the night without having a meltdown or letting guilt swallow her whole.
Chapter Nineteen
Arriving thirty minutes before the party officially started, she hurried past Michael, ducking her head in a futile attempt to hide the fact that she had arrived an hour after the agreed-upon time. Reaching the door of her office in the back of the gallery, she turned around to make sure Michael didn’t see her.
“I hope your lateness doesn’t mean you aren’t prepared for the event tonight.”
“Michael, I’m really sorry. I had a bad day.” The minute the words fell out of her mouth, she wished she had left them unsaid. Now, Michael, and shortly the rest of the people in her life, would know that Cam couldn’t be bothered to show up again.
“What happened?”
Explaining what happened wasn’t an option. Afraid that guilt and betrayal was written all over her face, she quickly looked away, pretending to look for something in her purse.
“Your silence makes me nervous. What did he do now?” he said as he leaned against the doorjamb.
Sensing the blush already staining her cheeks, she hoped that he didn’t notice her discomfort. Ironic that Michael was ready to believe the worst of Cam when she was the bad actor this time.
“Let me guess. He cancelled again. I guess that explains the roses sitting on your desk. I thought he finally remembered an important event in your life, but I guess I was wrong.”
“Something came up. I don’t blame him for cancelling.”
“Then why do you look like you’ve been crying all day?”
“Really, I’m fine,” she said, shrugging. “But thanks for informing me I look like shit.”
“You aren’t very convincing.”
“Who’s not convincing?” Sara chirped as she walked into Aubrey’s office with a big smile on her face, her light blonde hair swaying.
“Cam cancelled again, and Bre is desperately trying to persuade me she hasn’t been crying all day,” Michael said, looking at Sara with raised eyebrows.
Frustrated, Bre slammed her hands down on the top of her desk. “Michael, it’s not a big deal. The grand opening starts in less than thirty minutes. We don’t have time to sit around discussing my relationship problems.”
Smiling reassuringly, Sara hugged Bre tightly, which nearly resurrected the tears that she fought so hard to keep at bay for the last hour. After few moments had passed, Sara pulled back and looked at her with sympathy and compassion, which only served to make Bre feel like the worst person in the world. If Michael and Sara knew what really happened, they would be utterly speechless.
“Bre, don’t worry about it. If you and Cam are meant to be together, it will happen. You’ll see. Everything will work out better than you could imagine. This is just a blip on the radar. The next time you see Cam, this will all be forgotten.”
Sara’s open and sincere smile made Bre sick. She fiddled with some papers on her desk so Sara and Michael couldn’t see her face. Both of them had been so supportive since her grandmother died. If she could tell anyone of her folly, it would be these two people, but she just couldn’t form the words that combined, would be a confession that would change her life forever. No, she would never tell anyone what happened between her and Jax last night.
“She’s right. I’m sure Cam loves you. Sometimes guys can’t stop themselves from being clueless assholes. I, on the other hand, am perfect,” Michael said, folding his arms across his chest.
Lifting her head, Bre forced out a laugh, trying to reassure her friends. “Thanks for being the best friends a girl could hope for.”
Pushing his body away from the doorjamb, he smiled. “You’re damn right. Now get out there and do your magic. We need to make some big sales tonight. Get your game face on!”
“You can count on it. When we’re done, we won’t have much artwork left to sell.”
&n
bsp; Satisfaction slid across his face and she questioned what he was up to. “I hope that’s the case. Our surprise artist will be thrilled.”
“When do I get to look at this art? I need to know a little bit about it to talk to potential buyers.”
“Go take a look, but I don’t think you’ll have any trouble discussing the artwork.”
Walking onto the gallery floor ten minutes later, she paused to enjoy the view. Immensely proud of her funky art gallery, she couldn’t believe she actually owned the place. Her eyes sought out the area that sat empty last night waiting for the surprise artwork, and she gasped.
“You like it,” Michael said, leaning over her and resting his chin on her shoulder.
“I can’t believe you put it there. How did you get it?” Bre whispered.
“Sara arranged the whole thing,” Michael responded.
“No, it wasn’t my idea,” Sara interrupted. “It was Jax’s.”
Bre inhaled sharply at the mention of Jax’s name. She was such an ass this morning and all along he had been planning to make her dreams come true. “I should have guessed. Now I know why you two were acting so secretive yesterday.” Bre ran her finger over the frame of the painting. “I don’t know if this is a good idea.”
“Why not? Your paintings are brilliant. Anyone can see that. I bet all three pieces will sell by the end of the night,” Michael said. “Painting is your gift. You should pursue it.”
“I don’t know about that. I’m speechless. Seeing my work framed is surreal, but I’m petrified that people won’t like it.”
“There’s nothing to be afraid of. You’re unbelievably talented,” Michael said, squeezing her shoulders.
“Thanks,” she mumbled, feeling self-conscious. She’d always dreamed of displaying her art, but she’d never had the courage to pursue it. Watching someone critique her art seemed too personal, almost as though she’d spilled her secrets for the world to see. Besides, being an artist was her mom’s thing and she hated admitting they were alike in any way.
Unfortunately, she didn’t have time to bask in the moment because her nerves were frayed from all the craziness in her life. Trying to reduce her anxiety, Bre grabbed a glass of champagne off a waiter’s tray and downed it, then grabbed another glass before the waiter walked away. She hoped it would ease the last remnants of her hangover from the night before because she needed to sell a lot of artwork this ski season in order to make it through the mud season without taking out a loan to cover operating costs.
Seeing Bre’s indulgence in alcohol, Sara squeezed her arm. “You need to relax and forget about Cam for the next few hours or you’re going to scare away our customers, and then Michael will be a total ass on Monday. Can you imagine?” Sara’s eyes were wide in mock terror.
Laughing, Aubrey turned to face Sara, her uptilted amber eyes shining with the first glimpse of true amusement she had experienced all day. “All too well. You’re right. I’ll relax if only so I don’t disappoint Michael.”
“Incoming! Let the games begin,” Michael yelled animatedly, rubbing his palms together as he watched the first wave of guests approach the gallery.
Before Sara could walk away, Bre grabbed her arm. “Thanks for arranging to have my art displayed. I would have never taken a step like this by myself.”
Sara smiled. “Don’t thank me. Thank Jax,” Sara leaned in and whispered. “Besides, what’s the fun in owning your own gallery if you can’t display your own art?”
Nearly an hour and a half later, the gallery was packed, and a fifty-something couple had Bre boxed in the corner, evaluating whether the colors of a large piece would clash with their pillows. Laughter rippled through the gallery as sixty or so fashionable people floated from one painting to the next while waiters navigated the crowd serving drinks and appetizers. Bre had already sold two of her own paintings and three paintings of one of her favorite local artists. She hoped to close the deal on this one because it was one of the most expensive pieces they had on the gallery floor. Then, she and Michael could deem the night an unqualified success.
“Art should call to you. If you fell in love with this painting the moment you saw it, you should buy it. Art is a long-term investment, and whether or not your pillows are the exact shade of something in the painting won’t matter five years from now,” Bre commented to the couple.
“You’re right, dear,” the wife said. “I can always change the room to coordinate with this painting. This is the right piece. I feel it.”
Bre smiled hearing the woman’s husband groan and mumble under his breath about wasting more money redecorating, but in the end, he handed his credit card to her and she made her way toward her office.
Just as she turned the corner, she heard a familiar high-pitched voice calling her name. Whirling around, her stomach twisted. “Mia, I didn’t expect to see you here. I didn’t realize you were in the market for some artwork.”
“I’m not. I heard about the gallery grand opening, and I thought I’d pop by and see how you were managing after last night.”
“Excuse me?” Bre questioned, arching her eyebrows. She hoped Mia didn’t know she and Cam broke up.
“I saw you and Jax get in a taxi last night, and I wanted to check and see if Jax got you home in one piece. You looked as though you’d had a lot to drink.”
At the mention of Jax’s name, Bre immediately went on high alert, and her heart started beating erratically in her chest. Mia bloomed at the mere hint of scandalous gossip. She created it, fostered it, and sharpened it to be used like a bludgeon against anyone she didn’t like, and Bre undoubtedly fit into that category.
She particularly detested Bre because Mia had dated Cam briefly before Cam and Bre confessed to each other that they both wanted to be more than friends. Not a week later, Cam made a big production of asking her to prom. Mia never let go of her infatuation for Cam or her jealous loathing of Bre. He even mentioned that Mia occasionally showed up at some of his shows in LA. Bre knew without a doubt that Mia would launch a vicious campaign against Bre if she ever discovered what happened with Jax. That reality added even more stress to her already frazzled mind.
She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and smiled at Mia. “Thanks for asking. As you can see, I’m fine.”
“You and Jax seemed extremely cozy last night. First, he rushed to your side for your grandmother’s funeral, then the gallery opening. If I didn’t know any better, I would think you dumped Cam and you moved on to Jax.”
“Well, you can sleep soundly tonight knowing that Cam and I are… fine. Is that why you came here—to confirm my relationship status? It’s the same as it has been for the last seven years.” The moment the words were out of her mouth, she paled, thinking what a phony liar her one night with Jax was quickly turning her into. She might have ended things with Cam, but Mia would never hear it from her. Hiding the tears burning the corner of her eyes, she turned to walk toward her office, only to be stopped in her tracks by Mia’s parting remark.
“I’m curious whether Cam knows how friendly you and Jax have become. I think someone should tell him.”
“Cam knows we’re friends,” she said softly, in contradiction to every emotion rushing through her body. She wanted to turn around and scream at Mia, but she couldn’t allow herself to do that for several reasons. First, she spent last night making a mockery of her relationship with Cam, so in a round about way, Mia was right about her and Jax. Second, Mia was always trying to come between her and Cam and she was merely fishing for information. If she knew anything of substance, she would be on the first plane to find Cam rather than in the gallery taunting Bre. And finally, she wouldn’t ruin what was shaping up to be a successful grand opening by engaging Mia in a verbal confrontation.
Just as she finished entering the couple’s information for the painting purchase, Sara entered her office.
“You look pale… are you feeling okay?” Sara questioned in a hushed tone.
“I’m great. We exceeded o
ur sales goal for the event, and there’s still one hour remaining.”
Sara studied Bre’s face. “No, that’s not what I’m talking about. I heard what Mia said.” Pausing for a second, Sara pushed the hair out of her eyes. “You didn’t say anything about Jax being in town. Why didn’t he stop by the gallery tonight?”
“He already left. There was some pre-party in LA he didn’t want to miss.”
“Why was he in town?”
Bre cleared her throat. “He delivered a plane ticket with a note from Cam. Cam wants me to fly to LA for a long weekend.”
“That’s great. You’re so lucky. I would love to get away from the snow for a few days.” Sara gestured toward Bre’s desk. “Plane tickets and flowers… it sounds so romantic.”
“I know, right?” Bre said absently, still shuffling papers on her desk.
“If you think so, why are you still upset with him?”
“I’m not, but visiting Cam in LA isn’t the same as when he comes here. Our time together there always seems so rushed and chaotic. I thought if he came here, the two of us would have quality time together.”
“I know, but he’s trying to be thoughtful. That’s a step in the right direction. You’re going to LA, right?”
Unsure how to answer that question, Bre stalled for time by noting the shipping address in her customer log for the last painting she sold. She couldn’t refuse to go to LA after the fight she had with Cam yesterday, but she didn’t know if she could face him or Jax so soon after last night. The thought of seeing either of them made her feel uncomfortable, and the thought of being around them both at the same time was positively mortifying.
“Hello, Bre. Did you hear me?” Sara questioned.
