Chapter 15
Disappointment settled in Isabella’s gut as she walked, her backpack slung over one shoulder. She had been looking forward to spending the evening with Chase. Especially after last night. Now she’d be stuck at the gallery all night, rearranging the sales floor.
Thoughts of Chase standing behind her, showing her his phone app, made her pulse race. She unlocked the gallery door and flipped over the Open sign. After turning on the lights and waking up her computer, she leaned back in her chair and waited for someone to enter the gallery.
Twenty minutes later, the front door chimed and Mr. Kato walked in wearing his ever-present three-piece suit. Isabella ran to the front room to greet him. “Welcome, Mr. Kato. Come on in.”
“How’s my little art mouse?” He pulled her into a hug.
Isabella laughed at the silly name he’d started calling her when she was younger, back when her father had run the gallery. “I’m fine. How are you?”
Mr. Kato wore a smile like some women wore makeup: with gusto. He was a short man, like his wife, and Isabella had passed him up on height last year when she’d finally reached five foot six. His black hair had a few rebellious gray ones growing in around his ears. He pulled back and searched her face. “You look more and more like your father every day.”
“I don’t know if that’s a compliment or not,” she said, laughing. Her father had been handsome, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to look like a man.
“A very feminine version,” he corrected. “How’s the painting going?”
She pulled her phone from her pocket. “I’ll show you.”
His eyes lit up. “Ah, you have a photo?”
She swiped the screen and touched the image of her poppies. “I painted this last week.”
He took her phone from her and smiled. “I like the movement in this one. I can see the wind.”
“That’s why I like it, too.” She ran her finger across the screen, and her latest painting showed up.
“Ah,” he said. “I love this one.” He turned to her. “Your use of light in this is amazing. You have improved.”
She grinned. “Really?”
“You are just as good as your father.”
The compliment made her blush. “Thank you.”
“Would you sell this one to me?”
“Yes! Totally!” She tried not to bounce up and down on her toes. She’d never sold a painting before.
“I’ll give you a thousand dollars for it.”
“What? It’s not worth that.” She blushed again.
“My dear,” he said, putting his arm around her shoulders. “If your father had painted it, I would be paying one million for it. A thousand is a bargain. And I believe you will go on to surpass your father’s fame, so for me, it’s an investment.”
Warmth radiated through her. She hugged Mr. Kato and held in a squeal. “I don’t know what to say.”
His grin widened. “Say you’ll bring me this painting.”
“I will!”
Mr. Kato walked through the gallery and purchased one more painting. Isabella wrote up the sales ticket for it and removed it from the wall. She helped him get it into his vehicle, her heart beating wildly. After he left, she couldn’t stand it anymore. She pulled out her phone.
I sold a painting!
Chase answered her right away. Wow! Congratulations! Is it one you showed me?
Yes. The tree branches in the sunlight.
I knew that was a good one! How much did you sell it for?
A thousand dollars!
Snap! Are you serious?
Yes. I’m shaking I’m so happy!
Good for you.
The doorbell chimed and Isabella walked out to meet the next customers. A man and a woman she didn’t recognize were admiring the sculpture in the entrance. “Welcome to the Vibrant Hue. Let me know if you need anything.”
The couple smiled at her, and the woman nodded. “We will,” she said.
Isabella moved to stand behind the counter. Another text came through. My sister is continuing to improve. Doctors say she can go home tomorrow.
I’m so relieved.
Me, too. I was scared. She was super sick. She could have died.
I know. It made my heart hurt.
Thanks again for being there for me, Five.
Isabella smiled and texted back. Anytime.
After the couple left the gallery, Isabella walked around and took note of how many pieces they had from Elsa’s collection. She planned out in her mind where things would go to make the gallery look full. At lunchtime she went into the break room and made herself a sandwich. She had to call Chase, and was getting nervous about it.
After lunch, she cleared her throat, picked up the landline, and dialed Chase’s number. He answered after the second ring. “Hello?”
She cleared her throat. “Hey, this is Isabella.”
“Hi.”
“I’m at work. Which is why I was calling. I can’t meet up with you tonight. I have to work late.”
“Seriously? How late?”
Isabella twisted the curly black cord around her finger. “I’m probably going to be here all night.”
Chase whistled. “What’s going on at the art gallery that you have to be there all night?”
“We’re severing a contract with an artist. All her art has to come down, get packaged up, and then the remaining pieces have to be moved to make the gallery look full.”
“Aw, man.”
“Yeah, it’s a pain.”
“Do you want some help?”
Isabella froze. He’d help her? That would be awesome. But she’d be in so much trouble if Elenore or Delilah found out. “Nah, I’m okay.”
“All right. See you in school, then.”
She said goodbye and hung up the phone. It would have been nice to have Chase’s help, but she didn’t want to risk anyone finding out. Elenore did show up at the gallery sometimes.
Isabella sat down at her computer and started removing Elsa’s artwork from the website. It didn’t take long, and she spent the rest of the day standing behind the counter while customers walked around. When the gallery was empty, she went into the office, finished her homework, and watched the clock.
As soon as seven o’clock rolled around, she flipped the Open sign over and locked the door. She hurried to the largest display Elsa had and started dismantling it—a series of six paintings that formed one large painting when hung together. It was a brilliant set of art. One of Isabella’s favorites. She’d be sad to see it go.
A knock sounded on the glass at the front door, and Isabella grew nervous. Who could be there after hours, knocking? She was suddenly aware how alone she was in the dark gallery. She peered out the front way to see if she could tell who it was.
Chase stood at the door, his hands up to the glass, looking in. His backpack was slung over one shoulder. She smiled in relief and went to let him in. She turned the lock. “What are you doing here?”
“I ran into Delilah and Ava at the mall. They were dress shopping for the fall formal with your mom. Looked like they’d be at it for hours, so I thought I’d come help you.” He peered into her eyes. “That’s why you said not to come, right? You didn’t want Delilah to see us hanging out together.”
She nodded, the butterflies in her stomach going crazy. “Yeah.”
“Well, I’m pretty sure they’ll be tied up for quite some time. I told her she’d look good in silver. That was the one dress color I didn’t see there.”
Isabella giggled. “You’re awful.”
He grinned. “I know. Now, what can I do to help?”
“I was just starting to take down the first display.” She led him back into the showroom and showed him how to carefully take down the art and remove the metal hooks.
Chase leaned his backpack against the wall and picked up the container of hooks. “This doesn’t look too bad.”
“No, this part will go fast. It’s the rearranging the rest of the pieces to make the gallery look full that will take a while.”
“I see.” He glanced around. “Together, it should go faster.”
She smiled. “Definitely.”
He gave her a cocky, crooked smile that made his dimple show. “My curfew isn’t until midnight. I think we can get it all done.”
She tried to calm her nerves and just nodded. They worked at taking down the pieces of art and wrapping them in butcher paper to be crated for shipping. Isabella wasn’t in charge of the crating process, she just had to get the butcher paper on them and stack them in the back room; Paco would do the rest. He was good at making sure the art would ship without damage.
After an hour, all of the pieces were down. Isabella wiped her hands on her jeans. “Now we need to reposition the spotlights and start moving around the other pieces.”
Chase looked up at the lighting. “Do you have a ladder?”
She motioned to the other room. “In the back.”
He followed her into the storage room. She picked up the small folded step ladder and turned to leave, not realizing he was right behind her. She collided with his chest, dropping the ladder. He grabbed her so she didn’t fall.
“Sorry,” he said, his voice low.
She stood there a moment, pressed up against him with her heart pounding a thousand times a second. He gazed into her eyes, and then he did something she would never have expected. He slowly removed her glasses. She blinked up at his face, now blurry.
“Have you ever thought about getting contacts?”
If she had been drinking, she would have spit on him. Luckily, she was saved from that humiliation. She coughed and tried to smile. “No,” she managed to say.
“You have pretty eyes, but your glasses hide them.”
Isabella’s knees grew wobbly and breathing became difficult. She swallowed. “Really? I always thought they were so plain. Just brown. Like the color of mud.”
Chase let out a hearty laugh. “I’d say more like chocolate.”
Heat rose to her cheeks. Why had she said that to him? It was always something she’d thought, but not said out loud. “Well, that’s way better.”
He tilted her chin up until their lips were just a breath apart. “Why don’t you have more confidence?” His voice was almost a whisper.
“I’m nobody.” The words were out before she thought about them. Panic rose in her throat.
What had she just done?
Chase’s eyes widened, and he took a step back from her.
She grabbed her glasses from his hand and jammed them back on her face. “I mean, I’m not an extrovert. It’s hard for me to put myself out there, you know?” She picked up the step ladder and walked around Chase and into the other room. Her cheeks were on fire. She needed to catch her breath and get a handle on herself before she ruined everything.