Page 6 of Colors and Curves
“Just say the word, darlin’!” I sit across from her at the desk and push the box to the side. “My sister moved there a couple months ago. She can hook us up with something.”
Lacey Devlin is my stepsister, and she just moved out to the Hamptons to live with her boyfriend, Will. We met Will and his twin brother, Josh, when we took a vacation to St. Thomas in April. They fell fast and hard for each other. What they thought would be just a hot fling has turned into happily-ever-after. Will and Josh own a marina, and Lacey now works with them.
“Is that whose apartment you moved into?” Daisy asks.
I nod with a smile. Lacey and I lived together when I first moved here. It sucks that she moved, but now I have her great apartment.
“Will she be here Friday?”
“No.” I sigh. “But she’ll be in the city on Sunday with her boyfriend. They plan on stopping by to see the gallery then.”
“Too bad they’ll miss the opening. But back to the Hamptons.” She grins. “I’d be totally up for a girls’ weekend. I need a good dose of fresh air and some sand between my toes.”
I point to her arm. “Are your tattoos sensitive in the sun?”
Daisy is tall, thin, and a piece of art herself. Her tattoo artist is brilliant. Tattoos do nothing for me, especially on women, but they work for her. They’re… feminine. All pastel colors and soft edges. They compliment her gorgeous silver-blond hair and magnificent blue eyes. She knows how to dress too. Her slate blue halter-top jumpsuit looks impeccable. It’s the perfect color for both her eyes and her tattoos.
“Not really. I just have to use a lot of sunscreen. No different from anybody else.” Suddenly, her eyes bulge and she leans forward. “What the hell happened to your chest, girl? And how didn’t I see that when I came through the door? Does it hurt?”
I look down. The scratch on my chest is redder now than it was when I woke up this morning.
“Ugh. This is what I got for going to Central Park yesterday. All I wanted was to enjoy my iced coffee and the fresh air, but no. I told you I’d just been run over by a dog when you called. I had a cute strapless minidress on. The dog’s damn paw got caught in the top of the dress somehow, and my boobs almost flashed everyone around us.” Daisy bursts out laughing, but then she zones in on the scratch again. Her smile disappears and her eyebrows crinkle.
“I’m pissed because opening night is in two days, and I planned on wearing a strapless dress. It better not get infected. I doused it with an antiseptic when I got home last night and before I came to work.”
“Don’t worry. Remind me on Friday—I have some great makeup that’ll fix you right up.” She snags a tissue from a box on the desk and blots her nose and forehead with it. “Don’t dogs have to be on a leash?”
“Supposedly it broke when the dog took off after a squirrel. Of course, he landed on me instead. His name was Chance. He only had three legs, but he ran like he was the bionic dog. Two different colored eyes. Freaking adorable!” Did she just jump when I saidChance, or am I imagining things?
Her crossed leg begins to wag, and she rubs the back of her neck. “Did you see the owner? Did he apologize?”
“How did you know the owner was a he?”
Eyes wide, she waves her hand at me. “He… she… whoever.” She shifts in her seat and starts swinging her leg. I shrug.
“The owner was hot with the most amazing reddish-brown eyes. I’ve never seen eyes that color before. Once he opened his mouth, his sex appeal disappeared. Well, maybe just a little. He was cold, but every once in a while his face softened, like it was an act and he had a rep to protect.” Her leg swings faster.
Why can’t she sit still all of a sudden? Maybe she has to use the bathroom. “Are you okay?”
She stops her leg with her hand. “Yeah… Why?”
“You seem antsy all of a sudden. Oh, never mind. It was weird, though. He kept looking at me all squinty, then he put his sunglasses on. Anyway, guys are idiots.”
“And that’s why I avoid men.” Daisy laughs and I join in.
“Me too.”
Normally, I wouldn’t talk to an agent like this, especially in a business environment, but Daisy’s cool and we hit it off like we’re old friends. I finally have someone here to talk about art with who’s around my age and won’t fall asleep from boredom. Speaking of art…
“Anyway, tell me. What can I do to convince the renowned Julius Ariti to attend the opening? There has to be something. It’d be even better publicity for us.” I wave my hands in the air. “The brand-new gallery that was blessed with his presence. The reporters attending would love it.”
She shakes her head regretfully. “Absolutely nothing. I can’t even convince him. He’s very private. He doesn’t attend openings, no matter what he’s offered. I do what he tells me to because he pays me to do it. And believe me, it’s not easy at times. On that note, let’s see what you’ve done with the photographs.” She stands up and begins inspecting the displays. “Hmm. You changed photographs one and two for fourteen and fifteen.”
My stomach twists, but I stand tall to show confidence in my decision. “I did. What do you think?”
She clasps her hands behind her neck. “Why?”
“That’s easy. With these two, it’s amazing that he could capture the curves from elderly women in a way that looks like rolling troughs of The Wave in Arizona. The different textures of their skin create the same ripple effect. Even though the photos are black and white, I can picture their original terracotta and red colors. These are the first pictures visitors will see when they come through the door. They’re visible from the street and will hopefully draw pedestrians through the door. They’re my favorites, and I find they stick out more than the rest. In my opinion, these two are the best photos he’s ever taken.”