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Were they right? Were they the arbiters of good art just because they had money and education and were bold enough to call trash like they sawit?
She thought about Judith and her photographs of women in the city. Nina had taken to calling the other woman — on a landline, since Judith didn’t have a cell phone — before she went to the park and Judith had met her there several times since Nina had come to her apartment forlunch.
Nina had come to look forward to her visits with Judith, always newly surprised by her wit and charm, her refreshingly accepting outlook on life. She took everything as it came, felt no need to analyze or label it, to approve or condemnit.
Nina had come to believe it was the key to the aura of peace that surrounded Judith. Of course, having a lot of money didn’t hurt. Nina wasn’t that naive. Money brought security and security went a long way toward a peacefulaura.
But Judith had definitely figured out how to live life on her terms, how to view it through a lens that was beautiful, even if only to her. Like her photos, although those were beautiful to Nina too, and she had a feeling she wasn’t the only one who would think so. She’d said as much to Judith, who had eventually asked her why showing the photographs was so important toher.
Nina had had to search for the answer. She’d gotten so used to the desire to show Judith’s work that she’d stopped asking herself why they were so special toher.
“I think you see women as they wish they could be seen,” Nina had finally said. “The way they should seethemselves.”
Judith had looked intrigued. “And how is that,dear?”
It had been a question that Nina could answer without hesitation. “Beautiful. Brave.Strong.”
Judith had only nodded, her brow furrowing the way it did whenever she was considering a new piece ofinformation.
It was the last time they’d discussed the photographs. Nina enjoyed her friendship with Judith and didn’t want the other woman to think Nina was spending time with her in the hopes of getting her hands on the pictures. She'd accepted Judith’s decision not to show her work and they’d continued their visits to the park. It was one of the few places Nina still foundpeace.
The thought lifted her spirits. She’d screwed up the catering order but she’d fixed it: Moni wouldn’t be out any additional money and Morris would still get his vegetarian spread. His photographs were impeccably arranged — most of which she’d curated herself — and the gallery was so clean they could have eaten off thefloor.
She didn’t know yet what would happen with Jack, but as Judith liked to say, “Somehow it all works out, mydear.”
Nina returned to the desk and shut off the computer, grabbed her bag, and started turning off the lights. As far as she knew, she and Jack didn’t have anything special planned for tonight — except hopefully her long-awaited orgasm. She would call Judith and stop at the park on the way to his apartment, watch the summer crowd sit by the fountain, walk with their lovers, lick the drips from their ice creamcones.
Somehow it would all workout.
