AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Blame this guy for that,” Jay said, tilting his head toward Evan.
“Hey, I’m not complaining. Painting all morning works up more of an appetite than you’d think. Anyway, let me grab your chairs. Got a table in there, too. One sec.”
She popped into the tent, and I took the time to glance around at the painting samples she had on the walls, little papers hung up with all kinds of designs customers could pick out. Every one of them was incredible.
Dream stepped out with the folding chairs bundled up in her arms. I quickly set down the beer and helped her, taking the chairs, and opening them up as she went back in for the table. A few moments later we were seated, the food covering the entire surface of the table, each of us with a cold bottle of beer.
“So,” I said. “How’s the market been?”
“Amazing,” she said. “And such a perfect way to spend the week before I have to get back to work.” She sighed, as if the mere idea of work was too painful to consider. “It was nice for a few days while it lasted.”
“You’re working remotely for the time being, right?” Evan asked. “That can’t be too bad.”
“It’s not, really. I’m just being a baby. But the thing about the market is that it’s given me a taste of what it’s like to earn some money from my art. I used to get the chance to do stuff like this in Chicago, but then Adam…”
She trailed off. The mere mention of Adam was enough to send a pulse of anger rushing through me. Judging by the way Evan and Jay’s jaws clenched, I could sense that they had similar sentiments on their minds.
“Anyway,” she said. “It’s been nice.”
“Then why even work?” Evan asked as he unwrapped one of the huge, California-style burritos he’d bought. “Just quit your job and do this for a living.”
Dream nearly spit out her beer. “Funny how you say it like it’s that simple – just quit my job and what, live on Clarissa’s couch until I can make a living doing face and body painting? Which will never happen by the way. The market for that isn’t exactly booming.”
“Stranger things have happened,” Jay replied. “And look at all this.” He swept his hand toward the art surrounding us. “It’s a damn crime that someone this talented would have to work for a living doing touch-ups to print ads.”
Dream sighed, as if we were talking about something to which she’d already given a ton of thought.
“It’s not that simple. The work I do now, it’s not ideal.”
“Not ideal?” I asked, leaning forward.
“OK, it sucks. But it pays the bills! And more than that, it’s an artistic type of job.”
“Really?” Jay asked, his tone suggesting he didn’t believe her.
“Well, along the same lines as artistic. But right now, I don’t have the luxury to quit what I’m doing and chase some silly dream.”
“It’s not a silly dream,” Evan countered. “It’s what you want to do, right? It’s what you were born to do. Nothing stupid or silly about that.”
Jay nodded in agreement. “You ask me, what would be silly is if you gave up on your dream because the timing wasn’t perfect.”
“And what’s not perfect about right now?” I asked. “You’re making a fresh start. Might as well do the same with your job.”
Dream smiled. “You guys need to stop – you’re all making way too good of a case for this.”
I grinned right back at her. “That’s because it’s not hard at all to convince an insanely talented artist that she should pursue her art.”
She waved her hand through the air, redness appearing on her cheeks.
“Alright, alright – that’s enough.” Dream was telling us to stop, but the smile on her face made it more than obvious she liked what she was hearing.
The guys and I laughed before diving into our meals. Evan smashed his first burrito, tearing the foil open for the second while Jay and I washed down our bites with beer.
The conversation came to a halt when Dream’s friend Clarissa appeared in the crowd. Once she spotted Dream’s tent she made a beeline over to us, a worried expression on her face.
“Hey!” Dream said as Clarissa approached the table. “What’s up?”
Clarissa bit her lower lip. Whatever was on her mind, she was having a hard time putting it into words.
“It’s Adam. He’s here.”
