AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When her car pulled up to the front, the valet opened her door and helped her get out while the driver let Ziggy and Marley out. They quickly moved to Ellie’s side. For the most part, if you didn’t like dogs, you weren’t about to have a conversation with Ellie. At least not in person.
There was a small space next to the massive front doors where guests were having their pictures taken before they entered. It was truly agrandopening.
The courtyard had been transformed into a tropical paradise, with high tables decorated with orchids. A small jazz combo played under the staircase as waiters carried and passed hot and cold hors d’oeuvres. The Wine Cellar provided several tasting tables. Champagne-filled glasses were scattered about.
All the gallery doors were wide-open, with many pieces placed around the courtyard and the patio. And, of course, everything was for sale. That particular evening, a portion of the proceeds would go to the Art Fund, Animal Care, and Children’s Services. The George Wall Lincoln car dealership would match every dollar collected. They had even donated a new Lincoln Corsair to be raffled off at the end of the evening.
The place was packed with people. It was possible they had reached maximum capacity. Ellie had sent invitations to the top brass of the community but also offered the public an opportunity to attend for a fee of $25.00. She felt it was a fair price to pay for free food and drinks and to be a part of an exciting event. Ellie wondered if any of the invited guests would pony up a donation. She was curious to see the receipts and pledges at the end of the night.
When the jazz combo finished its set, a string quartet began to play. After their hour of music, a guitar virtuoso played classical guitar in the style of Segovia. Ellie was pleased with the variety of music, food, drink, and, of course, the works of art on display.
She floated through the crowd, making sure she said hello to each and every one of the guests as well as all the artists and vendors. Ziggy and Marley were getting bored with the chitter-chatter and made noises to go out to the dog park. Ellie had had the foresight to hire two assistants from the animal hospital to be “doggie-sitters” during the event. She knew Ziggy and Marley would be antsy and would want some fresh air.
Ellie was happy to see Wiley, Luna’s dog, scampering about. She liked Luna. There was something about her that was special. Different. Ellie couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she sensed that Luna was an acutely sensitive person. On more than one occasion, she thought Luna was about to say something, but then Luna would quickly change the subject. Ellie hoped once the center was up and running, she and Luna could have a cup of tea in the charming space Luna had created.
Ellie also liked Cullen. A handsome gentleman. Ellie knew Cullen was single, and she strained to think of someone who would be a good catch for him. As far as Luna, well, she was different. Ellie knew it would take a special man to understand the current that ran through Luna Bodhi Bodman. True, Ellie did not know her well. Not yet. But there was something about that young woman that made Ellie want to get to know her much better.
* * *
Cullen and Luna had arrived an hour before the announced beginning of the event just to be sure everything was in place. Cullen’s showroom space was well lit without looking like Madison Square Garden. A dozen antique chandeliers were connected to dimmer switches, showing off their illumination. Most were turn-of-the-nineteenth-century lights that had originally been designed for candles. One of Cullen’s first projects was to wire them and turn them into functioning twenty-first-century ceiling fixtures. He had done a meticulous job with each and every one. Most had begun as broken pieces of tarnished brass tossed into a bin.
Cullen thought this was an interesting phenomenon. People didn’t want to take the time or spend the money restoring things, yet they didn’t have the heart to part with them either. At least not to throw them into the trash. It was always in Cullen’s favor when he went to garage sales. People were willing to sell the box of junk in return for a few bucks.One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.But it wasn’t the money Cullen would make after restoring the piece. It was the time he spent re-creating something that gave him a sense of fulfillment, especially when he was finished and could step back and observe the results of his own personal artistry.
Cullen was explaining the origins of one of the pieces to a guest when Ellie made her way into the room. Cullen had been in awe of Ellie since the first time he had met her. She was spunky, bright, and had a great sense of humor, with a robust laugh to match. It was almost as if she were impervious to aggravation, yet he was sure she had experienced a great deal of it during the construction of the center. Heck, even before they broke ground, she had had to overcome many obstacles. But she was an unstoppable force of nature. Cullen recognized a similar trait in his sister.
Ellie seemed to glide across the floor. “Cullen! The place looks superb!” She took his hand, then pecked him on each cheek.
“Thanks, Ellie. I’m happy you like it.” Cullen was almost blushing.
She couldn’t help but notice severalSOLDtickets on some of the items. “Well, certainly looks like you’ve had a few customers already!” Ellie was truly delighted. She wasn’t quite sure how his antique/restoration business would do with so many original artists, but Cullen had made arrangements with some of the other tenants. He would display pieces of their art in his showroom and they could borrow pieces from his. It was already turning into a cooperative enterprise. Ellie was quite pleased.
Even Jimmy, the odd beer-can sculptor, had made something for all of the other tenants. They were metal tulips made from the red-and-white Budweiser cans. The leaves were from green Heineken and Dos Equis cans. Ellie wasn’t sure where Jimmy got all his materials, and she really didn’t want to know. As long as the place didn’t smell like stale beer she was fine with what he did.
All that anyone knew about Jimmy-Can-Do was his name. That was it. Except for Ellie, no one knew his real last name. No one knew where he lived or where he had come from. He was rarely seen on the premises. In the morning, he would open his gallery, hang price tags and item numbers on his work, and disappear. A yellow pad and pen sat on the top of a box that read:
We work on the honor system. If you want to pay by credit, please leave your name and contact information and the item number you’re taking. Someone will contact you. Otherwise, please deposit cash or check. Thank you.
The fact Ellie had installed the newest, most high-tech security systems in the state was a big plus. If anything went missing, they would eventually find the culprit.
When Jimmy first approached Ellie, she wasn’t sure what to expect; but she was immediately fascinated with the six-foot-tall palm tree he had made from beer-can cuttings. Once he had finished a piece, he coated everything with a type of polyurethane to smooth the edges. Ellie thought it was just a matter of time before beer-can jewelry became all the rage on Instagram. Ellie knew Jimmy wouldn’t show up for the opening, but his work was on display. The dozens of creations from floral arrangements to lamps, to coffee tables, gave the corner of the center a whimsical feel. She was pleased at the interest the guests had taken in a new way of recycling.
Ellie made her way through the crowd and into the café. Luna was standing next to the credenza, speaking to several people about different types of teas and their benefits. Her easel was set up in the corner, with a rough sketch of a coffee cup with swirls of steam on it. The place had a warm and welcoming feeling to it. She guessed Luna was a part of that warmth. And the yellow dress? Well, that made for a ray of sunshine. Ellie was quite impressed at how lovely Luna looked that evening. Luna excused herself from her guests and walked over to Ellie.
“Ellie. Congratulations. This is more than I even imagined. It’s fantastic. What a vision you had!” Luna was almost gushing. But she was totally sincere.
“Luna, you look lovely.” Ellie kissed her on both cheeks.
“I clean up real good.” Luna laughed.
Ellie took both of Luna’s hands, stepped back, and gazed at her. “Indeed you do. I don’t think I would have recognized you.”
“Oh, thank you.” Luna was doing a half twirl, swinging from side to side. “And you look beautiful, Ellie. I love the dress. Very Chanel.”
“Yes it is. I had Lily make it for me.”
“It’s spectacular.” It was Luna’s turn to admire Ellie.
“I’ll have to get Lily’s information from you. I have a bunch of skirts, circa 1960s, but they are in dire need of help.”
