I'd gone a week without hearing anything from Rebel. I expected him to be at my door every day to fight for me. Maybe he actually was respecting my wishes? Luckily I had my painting to distract me from him otherwise I might've been tempted to call Rebel.
The day of my art show arrived and I barely got my painting finished in time. The thing was still drying when I put it in the backseat of my BMW SUV. Thankfully I had my little black dress picked out beforehand to save time. My body was a bundle of nerves as I drove to the show. I couldn't stop sweating. My father and Lily were both going to be there to support me. I needed it.
I got to the art gallery a couple hours before the show started and hung my painting up. With everything that had happened I had totally blanked on coming up with a price for my piece. With my father's money I didn't really need to sell my art. But I wanted the price to reflect my talent. Twenty thousand dollars would do the trick. Nobody would ever buy it for that much.
By the time the show started, I'd already drank three glasses of white wine. The buzz was already in full effect and I didn't feel nervous anymore. I stood by my painting and answered any questions people had. I kept looking around for Lily but she was already late. My father was never late. He always arrived when he intended.
“Now that's an amazing painting.” I turned around to see Lily standing in front of my work with a glass of wine in her hand.
“Thank you for coming, Lily, I really needed you.”
Lily tilted her head to the side as she examined my art. “No wonder you wanted to keep this under wraps. I've never seen you paint something so dark before.”
She was right. This was something totally out of my wheelhouse. I normally painted sunsets and gardens. All that strange energy I had was channeled into this—the Grim Reaper as Lady Justice. His skull was blindfolded and he held his scythe in one hand and a heart in another.
“I don't know what came over me. I just saw this in my head and had to get it on the canvas.” I poured the wine down my throat and let it warm my insides.
“And twenty thousand dollars? You sold your last painting for three hundred dollars.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I obviously don't need the money. But I can't keep devaluing my stuff because I think I'm no good.”
“Well I think you're amazing and you deserve every penny.”
I hooked my arm in Lily's and took her away from my painting. “Come on. I'm sick of answering questions about my piece. Let's go make fun of all the other art.”
Lily and I laughed our way through the gallery, consuming glass after glass of wine. Bossa Nova music played throughout the gallery. We passed by a painting of a cow—just a cow grazing on the farm. It already sold.
“People will buy anything, won't they?” Lily asked.
“If it's considered art, then yes.”
When we returned to my painting, my father was standing in front of it, pondering the meaning of life.
“Thank you for coming.”
My father spun around with a great big smile. “I'm so proud of you, Kayla.”
“Nice to see you, Mr. Spencer,” Lily said, sidling up next to me.
“Always a pleasure, Lily,” my father replied. Lily blushed and I couldn't help but giggle. Lily always had a crush on my dad even though he was thirty years older than her. Lily always had a thing for older men.
“What do you think?” I asked my father, turning him back to my painting.
“Never thought you could paint something...so grotesque.”
I gave my father a playful shove. “It's not grotesque.”
“Well whatever it is, it's absolutely amazing.” My father's approval meant the world to me.”I remember when you were a little girl...”
“Not this story again.” I interrupted. He loved to embarrass me every chance he got.
Lily nudged me. “I haven't heard this one before, Kayla. Go on, Mr. Spencer.”
My father's eyes lit up. Nothing could stop him now. “When Kayla was little—maybe five or six—she came into the kitchen with paint all over her fingers. I went out to the living room to discover every white wall covered with her hand prints. She even managed to reach the expensive paintings.”
“He was so pissed at me,” I added.
“But if you remember, I kept it that way for a year. You gave the room some color it desperately needed. I knew you were going to be an artist since that moment.”
“So why did you try so hard to get me to work for your company?”
“I knew it was hopeless but I had to try. Somebody has to take over when I'm gone. I'm just glad you found something you love to do.” My father bent over and kissed me on the forehead. “I was willing to buy your painting but it looks like someone already beat me to it.”
I glanced at the price tag below the painting and there was a little red sticker next to it. “Holy shit! Somebody bought this for twenty grand?”
Lily shoved me out of the way to get a look for herself. “Your crazy idea worked! Drinks are definitely on you tonight.”
I couldn't believe someone thought I was good enough to spend twenty grand on. Maybe my art wasn't so bad?
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a phantom floating through the gallery. But it wasn't a phantom.
Rebel had come.
My heart began to race and the gallery suddenly became a thousand degrees hotter. My father would explode if he knew Rebel was here to see me. I brushed up against Lily and whispered, “Rebel is here.” She looked around and I nudged her with my elbow. “Distract my father for awhile.”
Lily instantly knew what to do. “Mr. Spencer would you mind accompanying me around to look at the art.”
My father put his arm out. “It would be my pleasure.” He was such a gentleman. Lily winked at me as they both walked away.
I turned my attention to the crowd of wine drinkers but I couldn't find Rebel. A tattooed biker should have been easy to spot among the rich elite. Where had he gone? This could end up in disaster if I didn't find him soon.