“What are we doing here?” Mallory asked, pulling Fletcher to a stop outside the front door of the art gallery.
“We’re looking around. I want you to see what other artists are selling and how they display their work. I also want you to talk to the owner about how she prices the artwork because you’re not asking enough for your paintings. Or your sketches for that matter,” Fletcher said, reaching for the door.
While she wanted to argue, Mallory knew he was right. She did need to see how a gallery displayed professional works and how they priced them. Even if she only admitted to herself, she was still having a difficult time admitting that she could be a professional artist.
Benjamin had indulged her creativity during their marriage but had also made small remarks that had chipped away at her confidence. She’d never really sought fame and fortune with it either. Neither of them had taken it as more than a hobby. The paintings she’d done during their marriage had been donated to auctions and various charities for fundraisers.
Mitchell had spent their time together degrading her art, and continually telling her that she should stop and turn her focus to something else, though he could never come up witha suggestion as to what that something else should be. His constant putdowns had tarnished the broken mirror of her self-image.
The fact that Sadie and Reese looked at her as some sort of pencil-wielding goddess made her uncomfortable. Though, if she were honest, Payne’s constant assurances gave her heart the lift it had so desperately been searching for without ever truly admitting it to herself. Now, with Fletcher insisting the same, but actually making a bet, though ridiculous, she finally was beginning to see herself a bit differently. Looking through the front windows at the artwork displayed, she knew it was time to shift her mindset and maybe mend the broken mirror that said she would never be able to sell her work.
After all, the friends she’d made during her time at Rawhide were excited to go to the art show and see her work. They also could not wait to get a copy of the zoo animal coloring book. Like Payne had repeatedly assured her, maybe it really was time to change her mindset and accept that her pictures were more than just silly sketches.
Looking at Fletcher she nodded. “You’re right. I do need to do some research so I can price my work appropriately.”
“Good bunny,” Fletcher said with a grin. Opening the door, he shooed her inside.
As soon as she entered the art gallery, something inside her shifted and she fully focused on learning as much as she could about the business side of the art world.
She took her time walking and looking at every painting, sculpture and photograph. She studied the works and had to admit, at least to herself, that her work was as good as anything on these walls. During her second walk around the gallery, she took note of the displays.
The frames around the paintings were simple, flat black frames that separated the artwork from the buff-colored walls.Most of the photographs had simple mats surrounding them, but again, the frames were simple, no embellishments, no crazy colors, just black or white or natural wood.
She made the rounds a third time, this time studying the prices, especially of the paintings. The small prices posted on the wall underneath or beside each work were many times more than what she’d told Sadie to ask for her work.
She’d lost track of Fletcher, until she headed to the back where a woman was working behind the sales counter. He was sitting in an office chair in the corner. He was typing on his phone and seemed to be content, so she turned her attention to the clerk.
“Good afternoon. I was wondering if I could ask you some questions about the business side of art?”
“Sure.”
Twenty minutes later, Mallory followed Fletcher from the store, her mind boggling at the woman’s praise for her work which Fletcher just happened to have in an album on his phone. The prices she suggested Mallory ask for each one had Mallory’s eyes threatening to pop out of her head. Thank goodness Fletcher had been there to take over the questioning when he saw her get overwhelmed by the shock of asking hundreds of dollars for each painting.
Fletcher remained silent as he drove them back to Rawhide Ranch. It was obvious Mallory was overwhelmed both by the art gallery clerk’s praise for her work as well as the prices she suggested they were worth. He only hoped the guests who attended the art gallery agreed with her assessment.
Once Moses took the car, Fletcher wrapped an arm around her and guided her through the lobby and down the hall to their room. Mallory needed to quiet her busy brain and he had the perfect solution.
After locking the door, he turned and looked at his beautiful rope bunny. “Strip then kneel in the center of the bed.”
She jolted at the order, staring at him as if he had spoken Klingon or some other foreign language no one knew. He watched as her brain deciphered his order.
It took nearly half a minute before she nodded and whispered, “Yes, Master.”
While she removed her clothes, he turned on the lights and pulled the blackout curtains closed at the patio doors. Then he slipped off his own shoes, socks, and shirt, getting comfortable. Then he laid his rope bag on the dresser and opened it in preparation for giving his submissive what she needed, time in his ropes to quiet her mind.
By the time he’d finished his preparations, she was in position on the bed, kneeling with her head down and her hands palm up and resting on her thighs.
“Breathe, bunny,” he ordered when he noticed her chest wasn’t moving in and out.
He moved toward the bed and brushed a hand over her shoulder and down her arm. Her skin was warm to the touch and he could feel a fine tremor. Her muscles were clenched as if she waited for him to hurt her.
“You’re so damn beautiful,” he praised, “and I’m so damn proud of you.”
With that, she took a deep breath and everything seemed to relax.
“Look at me, bunny,” he ordered gently, not surprised she immediately lifted her head so her gaze met his. “This is what’s going to happen. I’m going to bind you and you’re going to relax.I’ll use as many ropes as you need in order to get you to quiet your mind. Once that happens, I’ll release you and we’ll talk about the show and what changes you want your team to make.”
She immediately nodded, looking relieved. “Thank you, Sir.”
