Page 17 of One Drink
Chapter 8
Stephanie
Avoiding Jake thisweek had been a lot harder than I anticipated. Every time I turned around, he was there. It didn’t matter where I was headed—the break room, the bathroom, the elevator, even a night out with my girlfriends—he was there. Even when I didn’t physically run into him, he was invading my thoughts.
Truth was, he’d always been there. I just never tried to avoid him until now.
Let him surprise me. Isn’t that what Kate said to do? Well, I let him surprise me with that kiss on Wednesday night, and it sent a lust-filled wave coursing through my entire body. He could’ve taken so much more because I would’ve given myself to him freely. But he walked away when I didn’t respond to his comment about talking.
My ability to lie to myself was dissipating, and if I couldn’t lie to myself, I sure as hell wouldn’t be able to lie to Jake. I wanted more from him—with him. But how could I think about a relationship with him when the magazine needed my full attention? Not to mention dating an employee added a layer of complication I wasn’t equipped to handle. I may have turned the magazine around, but the market could shift at any moment, and I had to stay focused. My career was much too important to me to risk losing it all now.
Maybe in another year or so, I’d be ready to settle into a relationship. Maybe Jake would wait, then I might be able to give this a go. Well, that’s selfish. Wait for me Jake, I’ll date you in a year. Now who was being an asshole?
I checked the time. I had ten minutes before a scheduled meeting with a local art gallery, The Repository, about a featured article in the magazine next month. They were hosting a fundraising event to support local fine arts photographers and travel abroad programs, and they wanted to expand awareness of the new program for young artists. A featured article in my magazine could help attract even more attention to the program and increase donors for future events and it was exactly the kind of article our prime demographic was most interested in reading.
This was exactly the kind of distraction I needed. An afternoon absorbed in art would go a long way to pushing Jake out of my mind.
Mary Ann, the curator of The Repository and organizer for the upcoming event, was waiting for me at the entrance to the art gallery when I arrive. She was about ten years older than me with wild blond curls that hung to her shoulders. Her curls were poofy, and emphasized her upbeat personality. “Stephanie!” She pulled me in for a friendly hug “It’s so good to see you again.”
“It’s good to see you, too. I’m excited to see the new space.”
“Let me give you a tour before the others arrive.”
I followed Mary Ann into the large open room. The Repository was primarily focused on giving new, undiscovered artists a voice. While they planned on offering curated shows for individual artists, their focus was on creating a community for artists to come together and promote their art through group events.
“This space is amazing. So open and airy.” The old, converted warehouse made the perfect space for this concept. With high ceilings and half partitioned walls that once divided the space into different storage and packaging areas, it was perfect for displaying art. The metal walls had been painted an off-white to add to the airy feel and brighten the space. The concrete floors were finished with an acid wash giving it a fresh marbled look that contrasted perfectly with the off-white walls.
“I can’t wait to start displaying the art we’ve acquired. Monday and Tuesday are going to be crazy. The event is so close and there’s still so much to do.” Mary Ann led me towards the back of the main gallery room to a wall of glass. “This is my favorite part. A co-op working studio for artists. We’ve created twenty-seven individual spaces for artist to work on their craft.”
“Oh, wow. This is amazing.” Looking through the glass, I saw a few people moving boxes into some of the partitioned spaces. “How many artists have rented space?”
“Three so far, but several others have reached out and inquired. By the end of the month, I expect half the units to be rented.” Mary Ann pointed to the back wall. “See the series of doors over there? Those are dark rooms for photographers. And on the other side, we’re creating a mud room for cleanup, ceramics, and sculptors who need a space to get messy.”
“This is going to make a great cover story.” I smiled. “How many photographers will there be at the opening event?”
“Seven local photographers. I think you’ll love their work.”
“I can’t wait to meet them. Can we—?”
The front door opened with the jingle of a bell. We both turned as a group of people entered the gallery. “Looks like the rest of the party has arrived for the meeting.” Mary Ann smiled and headed to the front.
I followed close behind and halted when my eyes landed on Jake’s father. “Mr. Williams. I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
“Ms. Jones, it’s so good to see you.” He surprised me even more when he reached out and hugged me. He’s always been a hugger with Jake, but he’d never hugged me before.
“Please, call me Stephanie. Considering my long-standing friendship with Jake, I think that’ll be okay.” I gave him a teasing smile.
He laughed and patted my shoulder. “As long as you call me Larry.”
“Deal.”
“What are you doing here?”
“The magazine is doing a feature story on the new gallery and the upcoming event.” My eyes widened as realization settled. “Is this the fundraiser you’re in town for?”
“It is.” He smiled. “What a small world.”
“How is it you two know each other?” Mary Ann cut in. Her eyes were hopeful. Getting big donors like Jake’s parents was no easy task, and just because Mr. Williams was here didn’t mean his support was a guarantee. No doubt, Mary Ann saw our connection as a card she could play to seal the deal on his donation.