Almost Perfect

by Julie Ortolon

  Getting down two mugs, she poured him a cup black, then went to the fridge to poke inside. "Do you have any cream?"

  "In the door." He congratulated himself on snagging some from the kitchen in the dining hall yesterday when he remembered she liked her coffee doctored to the max. Attention to detail had always been his strong suit.

  "Great." She backed out with the unopened carton.

  He leaned a hip against the counter and took a few grateful sips of caffeine. "So, what would you say to jogging with me this morning?"

  She blinked. "You're joking, right?"

  "Not at all. I'll take it easy on you, and afterward we can take a dip in the river."

  She faced him with a hand on one hip, which hiked the shirt higher on her thigh. "There are two problems with that idea. First, in case you haven't noticed, this body is not meant to sweat."

  "I don't know." He grinned at her over the rim of the mug. "We worked up a pretty good sweat last night, and I didn't hear you complaining."

  "And second," she continued, "I don't have time. I'm supposed to meet with Sylvia at the gallery this morning."

  "Oh? Are you taking her more art?" He frowned as he realized he hadn't seen her work on any art all week.

  "No." She turned to put the cream away. "The prints of Sunrise Canyon arrived a couple days ago. They need me to sign them."

  He lowered his mug. "You didn't tell me that."

  "I didn't?" She straightened. "Oh. I thought I did."

  "You must be excited to see them."

  "I am." She let out a nervous gust of air. "Although it feels really weird too, dashing off to spend the day signing prints of my work."

  "It's not pretentious, Maddy. It's just part of the business."

  "I suppose."

  Since the subject made her uneasy, something he would never understand, he decided to shift the topic.

  The time had come to move into Phase Two of his campaign: get Maddy to move to Santa Fe. His stomach tensed. "You know, I've been thinking…" There, that sounded good. Nice and casual. No big deal. Just knocking ideas around in my head.

  "About what?" She leaned against the counter as well, sipping from her own mug.

  "Plans for the boot camp are coming along so great, we should be ready to open this winter."

  "Oh, I definitely think you could do that. You just need to get the word out and start signing people up."

  "Yeah." The tension moved up into his throat. "So." He took a swallow of coffee to burn the knot away. "What I was thinking is, you're so good with promotion…" Just spit it out, coward. He swallowed more coffee. "What would you think about staying on a bit after summer camp ends to help Derrick and me get things going?"

  She coughed into her mug, then gasped for air.

  "Are you okay?" Alarmed, he rubbed her back.

  "I'm fine." She didn't look fine. She looked scared.

  Oh, crap! She was going to say no. He'd miscalculated somewhere. Read the signals wrong.

  "How-" She pressed a hand to her chest. "How long would you want me to stay?"

  Forever! "It, um, depends. I know you have a life back in Austin that you probably want to get back to, so it wouldn't have to be too long. Just… a few weeks?"

  Her eyes watered from her coughing fit. "I can manage a few weeks."

  "Really?" Relief swamped him so fast his knees went weak. "That would be… great."

  "So…" When she turned away to put her mug in the sink, he saw her hands shake. Was she crying? Why would she be crying? "I, um, I guess I better shower and get dressed if I'm going into town."

  "Hang on." He slipped a hand around her arm as she started toward the bedroom.

  Before he could ask her what was wrong, or even get a good look at her face, she slipped her arms around his neck, went up on her toes and was kissing him so deeply that tiny explosions went off in his head. Adjusting quickly, he wrapped his arms around her and tilted his head for a better angle. Her hands were in his hair as her tongue danced with his. He ran his own hands down her back, then up under the shirt-where he found her bottom bare.

  Ho-yeah! Coming up for air, he stared down at her in wonder. "Wow."

  She grinned back at him, her whole face glowing.

  He cleared his throat and tried to form a coherent thought. "So, um, you need any help with that shower?"

  "That depends." Her smile grew even broader. "Do I get to scrub your back?"

  Absolutely ho-yeah! "Only if I get to scrub yours."

  "You got a deal, soldier." She turned and sashayed ahead of him into the bedroom.

  * * *

  Maddy sang with the radio all the way to the gallery, then breezed in with a cheerful hello for Juanita. "Is Sylvia here?"

  "She's in the back getting things ready for you. I'll let her know you're here."

  While Juanita picked up the phone, Maddy wandered back into the alcove that held her work. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw all the blank spots. Three of them she'd expected, from the sales made the night of the show, but apparently they'd sold two more of her originals: a large piece titled Rushing River and a small close-up of a cactus blossom.

  "Sylvia's on her way," Juanita said, coming up behind her. "Do you need help getting anything out of your car?"

  "What?"

  "I can't wait to see what you've done since the show. As you can see, we really need some new pieces."

  "Yes, I… see." She stared at the blank spots, feeling off kilter since she hadn't brought any more work. Her whole week had been taken up helping Joe. "I'll bring more pieces in next time."

  "Maddy!" Sylvia sailed toward her, smiling broadly. "My new favorite person! Juanita told me about the show in Taos. And a party at Dale's resort." She slapped a hand over her heart.

  "Oh, well." Maddy shrugged the words off. "That wasn't serious."

  "Of course it was," Sylvia insisted. "I've been on the phone with Rick all week. They're very excited to have you come stay with them before the show."

  "They are?" Maddy nearly stuttered in surprise.

  "They're going to close the resort for three days, invite all their friends. Then end the party with a show at Rick's gallery. You're going to. have a ball."

  "Sylvia…" The air left her lungs. "I can't dash off to Taos for a party that lasts three days."

  Sylvia's face went blank. "Excuse me?"

  "I'm working at Camp Enchantment."

  "Oh, that." She waved a hand. "Not to worry. Dale's too much of a businessman to close his resort during the summer tourist season. He's looking at early fall, in the lull before ski season starts."

  "Yes, but-" Maddy started to explain that she'd just promised Joe to help him with his boot camp, but Sylvia grabbed her arm.

  "Now come in the back and have a look at your prints."

  Ah yes, the prints!

  Maddy's pulse picked up as the woman led her into the noisy frame shop. An easel had been set up next to one of the worktables. Her gaze moved past it, then zipped back as she recognized Sunrise Canyon.

  "Ohmygod." She pressed both hands to her mouth as wonder blossomed inside her. The image was smaller and not as vibrant as the original, but it was hers. "I can't believe this! I have prints."

  Several of the framers paused in their work to watch her reaction. She realized this must be fun for them too-working with artists, framing and selling prints, building careers. And now she was one of those artists. How had that happened?

  "The printer did an amazing job." Sylvia beamed until she got a look at Maddy's face. "Are you going to cry?"

  "I may." Her vision blurred for the second time that day. Why did happiness make her so weepy? "I know we've been talking about this for weeks, but it didn't seem real… until now."

  "Here, have a seat." Sylvia guided her to a bar-stool next to the worktable.

  They'd created a little island of clean amid the mess for her to sign the prints. Bottled water sat beside a plate of fruit and cheese. Three sharpened pencils lay in a neat
row. All this had been done for her.

  "You just sit here and admire your print for a few minutes," Sylvia insisted. "I need to fetch my calendar. Mark, Todd?" She motioned two of the framers over, then turned back to Maddy. "Don't let these guys work you too hard. Take as many breaks as you need."

  "Of course." Maddy felt like a pampered princess as the men brought the first stack of prints to be signed. Mark, the frame shop manager, used a magnifying glass to inspect the first few.

  "Now, don't freak," he said in warning, then promptly tore the top five prints in half and tossed them on the floor.

  Maddy gasped in horror. "What are you doing?"

  "Culling out the rejects." When he had a small stack of acceptable prints, he numbered them in pencil, then passed them to her for her signature.

  Sylvia returned carrying an appointment book. She hopped onto a barstool across from Maddy and laid the book on the table. "Okay, let's talk dates."

  "Dates?" Maddy signed another print and Todd whisked it away.

  "Show dates." Slipping on her reading glasses, Sylvia flipped through the calendar pages. "Rick's show will come first, which will be a fun way to kick things off. Then we'll get down to real business with the Professional Picture Framers Association Trade Show in L.A. followed by Market in Dallas. We'll try to fill in the gaps with gallery shows, but those will be slow at first, until we build up your name recognition. Are there any weeks this fall you're not available to travel?"

  "What?" The floor tilted suddenly, and Maddy prayed she wouldn't fall off the barstool. "You want me to travel? This fall?"

  "Of course."

  The whole conversation with Joe flashed through her mind. He'd said a few weeks, but she hoped to stretch that into more. "I-I can't travel."

  "Don't worry." Sylvia waved her words away. "We pay all your expenses."

  "But-" Her heart beat painfully fast. "Can't you simply send my work?"

  "Once you're established, you can skip the trade shows and just do gallery appearances, but at this stage we want you out there meeting the gallery owners so they can see you're the total package."

  "Total package?" Another stack of prints was placed in front of her. She stared at them blankly.

  "Absolutely." Sylvia made a sweeping gesture that encompassed Maddy from head to toe. "Not only is your work brilliant, but you're attractive, well spoken, friendly. We want the gallery owners to fall in love with you, just like Rick and Dale did, and pass that enthusiasm on to their collectors. Trust me, dear, you're going to have a stellar career."

  "But…" The panic she'd fought her whole life rose up in a rush, knocking the breath from her lungs. She frantically pushed it back down, like a child scrambling away from the edge of a deep ravine, refusing to look at what lived in that dark abyss. If she ever looked, she'd know what really frightened her, and she didn't want to know. Anything that scared her this much had to be ugly. "I don't want a stellar career."

  "Y-you what?" Sylvia went still, then shook her head as if to clear it. Mark and Todd stared at her strangely. The whole frame shop seemed to go quiet.

  "I just- I just-" The panic struggled to break free. "I can't do the shows, Sylvia. I'm sorry."

  A heartbeat of silence passed, then Sylvia calmly folded her hands on top of the appointment book. "Do you mind if I ask why?"

  Because I'm on the verge of having something special with Joe. I put myself and my art before him once. How will he feel if I run out on my promise to help him with the boot camp? There was something more behind all that. Some other fear she really didn't want to see. "I don't need a stellar career. I really don't. If I can do well, that's enough. Truly."

  Sylvia looked at the two framers. "If you'll excuse us, I need to talk to Maddy in my office."

  Battling nausea, she followed the older woman into the largest of the glass cubicles, feeling like a child on her way to the principal's office.

  "Have a seat." Sylvia closed the door, which offered little privacy since the whole shop could see inside. Crossing to a mini refrigerator, Sylvia pulled out a bottle of green tea and handed it to her.

  Maddy sat as ordered and accepted the tea with shaky hands. After a few sips, her throat loosened enough for her to breathe more evenly.

  "Better?" Sylvia sat back in the swivel armchair at her desk.

  Maddy nodded, still queasy but no longer afraid she'd actually throw up. "I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me."

  The older woman studied her a moment. "You know, I've worked with artists most of my life, but I don't pretend to understand what makes you tick. Frankly, I have this constant fear that all the artists of the world will go into therapy, conquer their demons, and art as we know it will cease to exist."

  Maddy laughed weakly.

  "Here's the deal." The desk chair squeaked as Sylvia leaned forward. "I can sympathize with whatever has you worked up, but in the end I'm a businesswoman. As such, I'm going to lay things on the line so you understand exactly where I'm coming from. Maddy, I've invested a lot of money in you. Since we want to do two more print editions for our fall catalog, I plan to invest a gre.at deal more. Do you know how long it will take me to simply break even?"

  "No." Maddy stared at the bottle.

  "Months if things go well. Possibly a year. And that's with you helping us promote your work. If you had come to us with a built-in following, I could afford for you to sit at home, create your art, and let us do all the rest. But that's not the case. You came to us a complete unknown. So if you're going to flake out on me, do me a favor and say so right now."

  Maddy stared at the design on the pale green bottle, branches forking off in different directions. Some of them crisscrossing and continuing. Others ending.

  She had two paths from which to choose. One was a simple life with Joe, the two of them working together running both the summer camp and his boot camp. She'd still do her art, but on a quieter scale. Along the other path lay the kind of career most artists would sell their soul to have: nationwide fame, gallery shows, traveling. The pace would be grueling, but she'd never minded hard work. Punctuating that work would be moments of glamour, of being a star.

  She traced one of the crisscrossed branches with her thumbnail. If she chose the path Sylvia offered, could she still have Joe? How would he feel, though, watching her from the sidelines as her fame grew? As excited as he was about his boot camp, she knew it wasn't what he really wanted to do. It would never match being in the Rangers.

  He also enjoyed watching her sell her art, but his expectations couldn't possibly match this.

  Everything in her yearned to accept what Sylvia offered, but it wasn't worth risking what she hoped to have with Joe. What she'd decided just that morning to go after.

  She traced the design back down to the fork.

  Career or love-those were her choices.

  Closing her eyes, she chose love, and felt a little piece of her soul die. It was worth it, though. Love was worth any sacrifice.

  "I'm sorry." She opened her eyes, and felt steadier now that the decision was made. "I can't do the shows."

  Sylvia sat a long while, absorbing the news. "All right, she said at last. "I think you re making a huge mistake, but it's yours to make. I'll cancel our plans to do the other prints and have them struck from the catalog. Sunrise Canyon will stay in, of course, but it won't do as well without the rest of our plan in place."

  The words sent pricks of pain to Maddy's heart, but she held firm. "I understand."

  "Can I ask you a favor, though?"

  She nodded, feeling guilty enough to grant nearly anything.

  "Will you at least go to the party in Taos and do Rick's show? It's close enough for you to drive up there and back. We should be able to sell enough originals to offset some of my investment."

  Maddy hesitated. Even this seemed risky, but not nearly as frightening as the rest. "Do you think they'd mind if I brought someone with me?"

  "Of course not," Sylvia assured her. "The place i
s big enough that you could probably bring three or four guests."

  "Oh." That perked her up some. She'd meant only to invite Joe, so that maybe he wouldn't mind her going, but maybe she could talk Christine and Amy into going too, since Christine would finally be done with her residency. "Very well. I'll do it."

  "Thank you." Sylvia visibly relaxed. "Now, if you're up to it, let's sign a few more prints."

  Maddy rose, eager to escape the office before she changed her mind.

  "And Maddy," Sylvia added as they walked back into the frame shop, "we do a spring catalog as well. When winter gets here, if you change your mind, let me know. I'd still like the chance to work with you."

  Maddy didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "I'll think about it," she said automatically, then chastised herself. She should have said no, that she wouldn't change her mind. Why did Sylvia have to leave this door open a crack, just when she thought she'd closed it firmly?

  If only there was a way to take both paths.

  When Maddy returned to the camp, she sent a long e-mail to her friends that set off a rapid exchange for the next two days. She'd meant to simply invite them to the party in Taos but had ended up telling them everything about her meeting with Sylvia.

  Christine's response was fast and heated: Of course we'll come to the party. (Shut up, Amy, I'll take care of everything. So you ARE going.) But Maddy, are you NUTS???

  Amy: I don't understand. Why do you think Sylvia's plans would upset Joe? From the way you've described him, I think he'd be thrilled. And if I go to Taos, does that fulfill my challenge?

  Christine: NO! Amy, I'll make all the arrangements. I'll pick you up at your front door and be with you every step of the way. Consider this a test run for you going somewhere on your own. As for your question to Maddy: Yeah, Mad, why do you think Joe will be upset?

  Maddy: I told y'all, I've decided for sure I want to marry this man.

  Christine: So? Is he asking you to choose between him and your dream? Because if he is, dump the jerk.

  Maddy: He's not asking me to do anything. Are