Chapter Forty-Two
Chloe
The night of the art opening, I wore the blue dress again. Tara came over and brought a cream-colored headband she thought I should wear, and she also did my makeup, using her own because I really didn’t have anything aside from some tinted lip gloss.
“Keep your eyes closed,” she said. I let my eyes fall shut and felt her brush something across each of my eyelids. “You know, for an artist, I’d think you’d be better at doing your own makeup. So, is Todd still planning on going to this thing?”
“Last I heard he was.”
“What’s he like?”
“He’s the guy that was there the first night we went into the shop,” I said, opening my eyes. “Remember?”
She frowned. “Sort of? No, I can’t really picture his face.”
“He’s handsome. Short, dark blond hair, blue eyes. A little shorter than Graham, more of a slender build. Graham said he was looking forward to meeting you.” I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. “I feel like I’m going to puke.”
“Don’t do that,” Tara said. “You look too stunning to spend even a second leaning over a toilet bowl. You’re going to be fine. I’m so excited to see how your sculpture turned out! And you look absolutely beautiful. You really do. And your boyfriend is going to be right there with you, and we’re all going to have a good time, I promise. You don’t have to be nervous!”
I took several more deep breaths, trying to slow my racing heartbeat. I knew I should be excited about tonight, but I felt so nervous that at this moment, the only thing I wanted was for it to be over.
*****
I’d had work featured in shows before, but it had always been through the school. Not that a school show didn’t count, but in a way, it didn’t entirely. And this opening, it really felt like an event. Like it was something that people had been invited to, that they’d marked on their calendars, that they went out and bought a new outfit for. There were waiters going around with trays of hors d’oeuvres and flutes of champagne, there was a DJ set up in the far corner, spinning a jazz/electronica hybrid, and the place was full of well-dressed, good-looking people, some of whom I recognized, but most I did not.
I also felt nervous about my parents, and whether or not they’d be here. Rather, I knew my mother would go, but I didn’t know if my father would or not. Even if he did, what would he say? I was almost beginning to think it might be better if he just skipped it, because I didn’t know what he would think about the sculpture. It had come out better than I’d been expecting it to, but I knew that didn’t necessarily mean anything in regards to how my father would see it.
The sculpture was set up right in the middle of the main room, on a display cube pedestal underneath a spotlight. I had stayed with the nautical theme, it being Cape Cod and all, but instead of a mermaid, I sculpted two separate things: a giant squid and a sperm whale, traditionally great enemies, but in my piece, I made it look as if the two were embracing, with the sperm whale gently twisting around the giant squid’s body, and the squid’s arms caressing the whale’s sides. The two, long tentacles I had formed into a heart.
“Wow,” Graham said. He walked right over to it and stood there for several minutes, just looking. “Chloe. This is incredible.” He saw the price sticker on the cube. “And no,” he said, lowering his voice, “don’t think for a second that this isn’t worth what you’re asking. Twice that much, if you want my opinion.”
“Thank you for saying that,” I said. I tried to see the sculpture with an impartial eye, but it was near impossible.
“Is this yours?” a voice asked from behind me. I turned and saw Janice approaching, an impressed look on her face.
I nodded. “This is it.”
“I love it!” she exclaimed. “Now this is the kind of art that I’m talking about! It’s not some weird paint spatters on a canvas—this is real art. Chloe, I am so impressed!” She gave me a hug, and then gave one to Graham. “You’ve got a real artist here!”
“I know,” he said with a smile.
We spent some time walking around, looking at the other pieces, mingling with the crowd. We made our way over to the buffet table and I got a plate and put some grapes and cheese on it.
“I still don’t see my mom or dad,” I whispered.
“I’m sure they’ll be here,” Graham said. “It’s still early.” He sounded confident, but I saw a flash of uncertainty go across his face.
Time did pass quickly, though. People kept coming up and congratulating me on the sculpture, or wanting to know what my inspiration was. Who were my influences? Also, what was I working on next? Did I work in other mediums? Did I do commissions? Where was my next show going to be? Graham took a step back and let me answer the questions, though I could see him out of the corner of my eye with a grin on his face.
And then—there were my parents. Both of them, walking through the door.
My mother reached me first. “Oh, it’s amazing, Chloe,” she said as she hugged me. “I’m so proud of you. It’s absolutely wonderful.” She let go and stepped back, looking first at my father then at me.
“Hi, Dad,” I said, not quite able to read the expression on his face. He wasn’t smiling, but rather looking with concentration at the sculpture, as though he were really trying to figure it out.
“That’s quite something,” he finally said. “It’s impressive that someone could render something so lifelike out of clay.” And then he looked at me. “Hi, Chloe.” He came over and hugged me, and I hugged him back.
“Thanks so much for being here,” I said. “I wasn’t sure if you guys were going to show up or not.”
“You did a good job,” he said. “I can tell that you really put some time and effort into this.” He looked over my shoulder at Graham. “Hi there, Graham,” he said.
They shook hands. “It’s really something, isn’t it?” Graham said. The four of us stood there, looking at the sculpture.
“I like the symbolism,” my mother said. “I like that you’ve got two creatures that are generally considered enemies, yet here they are, in love.”
“Well, I don’t know if they’re in love,” my father said. He cleared his throat. “Regardless, it’s impressive work.”
I could tell by his tone that he wasn’t just saying it, that he actually was impressed with what I had done. And that made me feel better than any of the other compliments I’d received so far.
“That really means a lot to me, Dad.” There was an ache in my throat and I tried to swallow it away, not wanting to cry.
My mom spied Claudia near the back of the gallery and wanted to go talk to her, so Graham and I stayed behind as my parents walked off.
“They came,” I said. That feeling in my chest had started to unknot, and I realized how nervous I’d been that they wouldn’t come. I exhaled. “And I think my dad actually liked it.”
“I’d say he did. And look,” Graham said, nodding.
I looked, unsure of what he was gesturing at. I didn’t see anything at first, or nothing out of the ordinary; just my sculpture there, a few people looking at it.
“What?” I asked.
“On the display cube.”
I looked again, squinting a little. And there, covering the price tag, was a sticker emblazoned with the word SOLD.
*****
We’d both gotten a little tipsy on the free champagne, but by the time we made it home late that night, the buzz had worn off and we were both mellow and happy. We undressed and climbed into bed. The art opening had gone successfully. In fact, it had been better than I even imagined.
“You’d think we were like Romeo and Juliet or something,” I said, “the way our parents were acting.” I felt a heaviness in my chest, though. Summer was going to be over soon; I’d be going back to school, which meant I’d be leaving the Cape. I knew people did long distance relationships sometimes, but I had gotten so used to seeing Graham every day. I didn’t want that to suddenly stop. “I’m going to miss you,” I said. “I really wish I didn’t have to go back to school.”
He stroked the side of my face. “Don’t say that. You’ve worked really hard to get where you are.”
“Well, then, I wish that you could come with me.”
He smiled. “Now that, that might be a bit more feasible.”
“Wait—what? You’d come with me? How would you do that?”
“I could open a shop in the city. On Point, the city version.”
“But what about the one here? You’d sell it?”
“Nah. Helena could run it, and it’s close enough I could come down a few times a month, even. Plus, it’s a lot slower here in the winter than it would be in the city.” He shrugged. “It was something I’d kind of been thinking about for a little while now. Expanding. I have been on the Cape here for most of my life, you know. I wouldn’t mind venturing to other parts of the world. Well, other parts of the state, as it would be in this case.”
“Wow.”
That was the last thing I’d been expecting him to say. Sure, the thought might have crossed my mind, but not as something I ever imagined would happen. But now that he’d said it, I started thinking how great that would be. And also crazy.
“I would be so happy if that happened,” I said. “But is that crazy? I mean, will people think we’re insane for doing something like this? We haven’t been together that long.”
“I don’t care,” he said. “It doesn’t matter to me what other people think.”
“But what if it doesn’t work out? Then you’ll have uprooted your whole life and opened a new business and—”
“Are you breaking up with me?”
“No! No, of course I’m not!”
“Do you not want it to work out?”
“There is actually nothing I want more than for it to work out.”
“Then don’t stress about it. Look, I know there’s some people out there that would say it’s a really shitty idea to move in together so soon. And you know what? Maybe it is. But we won’t know it till we try it. I’m willing to take that chance. And besides, we’ve already been living together for a little while this summer, and I don’t know about you, but I’ve really enjoyed it.”
I smiled. “I have, too. There was a part of me that was really dreading having to go back to school because I wouldn’t be able to see you as much.”
“You’re not gonna get rid of me that easily,” he said. He pulled me close and kissed my cheek.
“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear,” I said. “You know, I’m glad I decided to take a chance on you.”