Chapter 38
Zach
To say that Madison’s show was a success would be an understatement. The clients walking through the gallery were absolutely awestruck by the art hanging from the ceilings. I could hear the conversations as I moved through the crowd, listening in over their shoulders. I was hearing everything from brilliant and stunning, to innovative and refreshing. On top of all of that, Madison was on point, and she talked to everyone with intelligence, manners, class, and a little bit of excitement. People were completely entranced by Madison, and if they hadn’t already decided to purchase a piece, they sure did by the end of their conversation with her.
She talked about her art as if it were an extension of her own limbs, and in a way, I guess it was. I had seen some of her work before, but I didn’t really understand her obsession with it until I stood in this gallery. Just following the lines of paint through the canvas invoked emotions in the viewer that were strong and deep. I tried to imagine exactly what Madison was feeling with every single stroke of her brush. Some of the paintings were light and whimsical, while others were dark and full of emotion. But the real kicker was the main piece. I couldn’t help but see Madison and I intertwined inside of it, our lips together, and our lives moving in the same direction.
This main piece, which was just dubbed, From the Ashes, sat heavily on my chest, and I didn’t think that I could possibly leave without knowing it was mine. When Madison disappeared with a client, I trotted up to the front desk to find out if it had been sold yet. The girl looked at me and smiled, knowing I was one of the reasons that painting came to life.
“Did someone buy it yet?” I asked.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “There is a list of those considering it, though.”
“How much is the piece selling for?”
“This one is listed at seventy-five thousand.” She smiled.
“I’ll give you 150,000 dollars if you’ll take it off the list and mark it sold,” I said.
“Done,” she said, impressed. I handed over my black card and signed the receipt.
“I don’t want Madison to know I bought it yet,” I said quietly.
“Understood,” she said, taking the sheet and setting it under a binder on the table. “If she looks, which she hasn’t so far, she’ll think there is just an interested list for that one.”
“You are the best,” I said, smiling.
The night was starting to wear down, and I hugged Charlotte as she made her way out of the building. I walked to the back where Madison was standing, watching people walking from the room with her paintings in their arms. She smiled at me big, reaching her hand out to take mine. I leaned in and kissed her cheek softly.
“Looks like it is going well,” I said, looking at the near empty walls.
“Yeah,” she said with a deep breath. “Everything but the main sold, and that one has a serious list of potential buyers.”
“That’s amazing,” I replied, squeezing her hand.
“So, things are pretty much done,” she said, turning to me. “They are just picking up their pieces at this point. Sarah said I can feel free to go anytime. She won’t be doing any accounting or anything until tomorrow. You ready?”
“Sure,” I replied, looking over at Sarah who was talking to the girl at the front desk and glancing over at me. “Could you give me just a few? I need to use the restroom.”
“Of course,” she said warmly. “I’ll meet you out front.”
“Amazing,” I said, leaning in and kissing her lips.
I stood watching her as she grabbed her jacket, hugged a couple of people that worked there, and finally made it out of the front doors. I skirted over to Sarah who already knew I was coming to talk to her. She reached out her hand and shook her head, smiling.
“That was quite an investment you just made.” She laughed.
“Best investment ever.” I chuckled. “But I don’t want Madison to know I bought it, not quite yet.”
“Not a problem,” Sarah said, writing a D next to my name. “I will have it delivered to you first thing in the morning.”
“Perfect,” I sighed, relieved that it could be a surprise. “Have them check in, and I’ll let them up to my penthouse.”
“Thank you,” Sarah said as I turned. “I didn’t know if she was going to come out of this in one piece. I could see that you were her rock, even when she didn’t see it herself.”
“I hope she never has to feel that way again,” I replied. “I will always be that rock for her.”
Sarah and I smiled at each other for a few moments before I turned and walked through the gallery. As I exited the doors, Madison looked up and smiled, reaching her hand out for me to take. I grasped it tightly as we walked toward the limo. I stopped and looked down at Madison.
“Are you tired?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Not really.”
“The apartment is only five blocks away,” I replied, looking down the street. “Why don’t we walk and get some fresh air.”
“That sounds perfect to me,” she said, giggling.
We walked along the sidewalk quietly, just enjoying each other’s presence. I could see the smile from the evening still covering Madison’s face as we peered into the windows of the shops as we walked. Her bright eyes were even brighter tonight, and I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else at that very moment. Though, I was pretty excited to get her home, especially since there was a surprise waiting at the penthouse. When we arrived, Madison and I took the elevator up, leaning against each other. As the doors swung open, she squinted inside.
"It’s really dark in there,” she said, taking a step forward.
“Oh, yeah.” I chuckled. “Forgot to leave a light on when I left. I guess I was just so excited to see you.”
I held her hand as we stepped forward, reaching for the light on the wall. As the switch flipped and the room lit up, Madison gasped, looking out into the living room. There were balloons and streamers everywhere, bottles of wine strewn through out, and all of her friends standing in front of her.
“Surprise,” they exclaimed in unison. “Congratulations!”
“Oh, wow.” She laughed, covering her mouth. She turned to me and slapped my arm. “I can’t believe you! I thought you were up to something.”
“I wish I could take all the credit,” I replied, leaning in and kissing her cheek. “But Charlotte was the mastermind behind the whole thing.”
There were several people from the gallery there, Charlotte and her boyfriend, Avery, and Hudson, milling around, drinking whiskey. Immediately, Hudson flipped on the music, and the room became full of sound and chatter. Madison walked forward and hugged Charlotte, turning to the others and talking wildly. Her excitement, that youthful, joyous, excitement that I had seen in her only one other time, came bubbling over, and she finally gave into her giddy feelings.
When I had been at the front, I had seen the list of what had been sold, and there wasn’t a single piece left. She had not only earned a very big payday for her bank account, she had firmly set that she was now a professional and successful artist. I knew how it felt to finally reach a goal, and I could almost feel that same excitement for Madison in my chest. There were not many feelings better than seeing your hard work, your long hours, and your tears and joy finally come to a head. Everything that she worked so hard for was finally paying off, and I couldn’t be happier for her.
I walked up to the front and grabbed a glass of champagne, motioning for Hudson to turn down the music. I put my hand up in the air and cleared my throat. Before we got started, I wanted to give a toast, and I wanted everyone to be sober enough to really feel what I had to say.
“I want to start out by saying congratulations to Madison for not only landing your first show at the best gallery in town, but for completely blowing everyone away with your talent, poise, and charm. From the first time I met you, I knew you danced to the beat of your own drum, and that was half the reason I immediately couldn’t get you off my mind. You have been through more than one girl should, but I hope that you take tonight as an understanding that people love your work, your talent is unmatched, and there are so many people in your life, including myself, that love you more than the world. So, that being said, congratulations and good luck. I know your future is lined with great things.”
Everyone raised their glasses and tapped them together, cheering for Madison. She smiled over at me and mouthed the words, “Thank you,” to me. I couldn’t help but smile back at her. Everything in my life was coming together. I watched the people in my apartment. Finally, after five years, they make the place feel like a home and not a page out of a designer’s handbook. There was so much laughter and light, I couldn’t help but feel on top of the world.
At that moment I realized, nothing in my life had changed to make me feel that way, but everything in Madison’s had. I was happy if she was happy, and that was the first time anything like that had ever crossed my mind. I guessed I could liken it to the fact that when she was injured physically and mentally from Lee, I felt it deep in my gut. I also felt completely helpless to stop it. I just wanted everything in this world to be perfect for Madison, no matter what.
We drank, laughed, and partied deep into the evening and into the early hours of the morning. There was so much life in my apartment, it was hard to even think about ending the party, so we let it go until it naturally ended itself. Madison and I walked along, hand in hand, as we showed Charlotte, Avery, and Hudson into the elevator. We gave our last few hugs and handshakes and stood smiling until the doors closed.
I turned to Madison and swept her into my arms, leaning down and kissing her hard on the lips. She smiled and laughed, moving from my arms and tiptoeing through the room, turning in circles with her arms out wide. She laughed as the room spun around her, and I stood back admiring this amazing woman standing in front of me.
She walked over to the counter and took another sip of champagne, grabbing some of the trash and tossing it into the trash can with a yawn. I stretched my arms over my head and looked around, glad that I had paid extra for the housekeeper to take care of this mess the next day. I walked over and wrapped my arms around Madison from the back and leaned down to her ear.
“You ready for bed?”
“I am more than exhausted.” She yawned. “Yes, please take me to bed.”
I switched off the lights as we headed back to the room and pulled down the shades, knowing that the sun would be coming up very soon. I took off my suit and hung it up, tossing Madison a hanger for her clothes. She smiled as she pulled off her clothes and hung them on the back of the door. She walked forward and climbed into the bed, pulling the blanket up to her neck and snuggling into the pillow. I crawled up behind her and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close.
“Goodnight, my sweet artist,” I whispered.
“Goodnight, my superhero,” she responded.
The perfect end to the perfect day.