Page 81 of Proof
“I would like that. Thank you.” At this point, his facial expression had turned to pleasure, and he smiled.
Luna extended her hand once again. “Thank you, Elan.”
She was practically skipping out the door when she bumped into Gail.
“I thought I was going to have to come in and rescue you.”
“I got him to smile,” Luna said in a singsong way, and curtsied.
“Luna, you lunatic. You crack me up. You were not going to leave until you got that man to smile.”
“Well, yeah. Especially when you told me his name meant friendly.”
They linked arms again and made a few more stops before they returned to the car. “I think Ellie will be happy with what we found today. The artists seemed to be very enthusiastic.” Luna stopped. “I just got an idea.”
“Uh-oh.” Gail sighed.
“No. It’s good. I think Ellie might be able to swing it—what if she invited the artists to come to Stillwell? She always does events, and this would be another way of showcasing their art. They could speak about it if they wanted. The event would get so much publicity.”
“Girlfriend, you are a genius. Do you think Ellie will go for it?”
“I believe she will. It will cost a little for transportation and hotels, but Stillwell will get a ton of exposure. It would be a win-win for everyone.” Luna checked the time. It was almost six in Asheville. She decided to phone Ellie.
Ellie’s voice was always soothing. “Hello, dear. How are things in the Southwest?”
“Great! We spoke with five artists today. All showed interest. In fact, I’ve already purchased two dozen pieces. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all, Luna. I trust your judgement. That’s why I sent you.”
“They’re handmade holiday ornaments and retail for around twenty-five dollars. They’ll arrive end of October.”
“That’s wonderful, Luna.”
“So, Ellie, I got this crazy idea. I know, I know, most of them are crazy.”
“I never said that, dear,” Ellie responded. “But go ahead. Tell me.”
“What if we, I mean you, invite the artists to come to Stillwell. We could hold an event where people can meet the artists. Unless you think our resident artisans would be jealous. You know, that someone else is getting attention.”
“That would be foolish on their part. It’s an opportunity for everyone. I think it’s a splendid idea, Luna. We can work out the details once we decide what other pieces we’ll feature.”
“Fab! Thanks for this, Ellie. I am having a wonderful time here.”
“Well, make sure you come back.” Ellie chuckled.
“Absolutely! We’ll talk soon. Tell Cullen and Chi-Chi ‘hi’ for me.”
“I will. Have fun. Bye.”
Luna was beaming. “Yay! She went for it. This is going to be so cool.” She stopped. “Maybe we can get Ellie to buy you a ticket, too? After all, you have been helping me curate. And you can stay with me and Wylie.”
“I don’t want to impose,” Gail said flatly.
“Impose? Puh-lease.”
On their way back to the B&B, they stopped at the Safeway supermarket. Gail had a list of items from Robert and needed a few things for them to nosh on at the B&B.
“I’ll grab some fruit,” Luna said, and headed to the produce department. She was looking through the melons when she heard that haunting laugh again. “Get a grip,” she whispered to herself. When she looked up, she saw the back of a familiar head moving toward the rear of the store. Those tight black curls. The height matched, too. And he was wearing the same dark green shirt as earlier. Luna shook her head. “You have got to stop this.” She took a deep breath and fidgeted with a few casabas. When Gail caught up to her, she noticed Luna’s face was pale.