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Nina placedthe last photograph on the wall and stood back, her eyes combing the framed images, assessing the spacing between them, the flow of one into the next. The excitement that had been slowly building during the past week finally bubbledover.
The photographs werespecial.
She’d known it since the moment she saw the first one, taped to a light post in Washington Square Park. Stumbling upon the photograph had felt like magic, and emotion had blossomed in her chest as she’d looked at the image of the woman leaning against a tree, reading a book whose title was hidden by her bentknee.
There had been others — a redhead walking, the photograph taken from behind, a woman with perfectly coiffed hair sitting alone on a bench, also taken from behind, and on and on it went. The pictures had been scattered throughout the park, taped to light posts and benches and trash cans, an homage to women and solitude that Nina had felt in hergut.
It had taken her weeks to get up the courage to leave notes for the photographer throughout the park. Nina had taped them to each place she’d found a picture, hoping the photographer would find the notes and contacther.
In the beginning, she had wanted only to show the work at the Stockholm Gallery in Brooklyn where she worked as a manager. It would be the first show featuring one of her artists, but despite her lack of formal photographic training, she’d known the images of New York City’s women would resonate with the gallery’sclientele.
But when Nina had finally met Judith Chambers, a wealthy New York widow, she’d been so intrigued that her desire to show Judith’s photographs had fallen by the wayside in favor of a brief but meaningful friendship that had only ended when Judith suddenly passedaway.
No one had been more surprised than Nina when a package from Judith had arrived at the gallery. Inside had been all of her photographs — every one Nina had asked Judith to let her show when she’d been alive — plus a letter from Judith giving her permission to show thephotographs.
I’ve decided you were right after all. The women of our shared city deserve to see themselves as I see them, and so do you. I’ve left the pictures to you. Do with them as you see fit. I ask only that you not price them overly high. They were never meant to make anyone a mint. I’d rather they have goodhomes.
The letter was tucked away in her nightstand drawer, already worn from all the times Nina had reread it before bed, Judith’s final lines echoing through her mind, reminding her as she fell asleep to have faith and take chances, to love and livebig.
My life has been marvelous. It’s been exciting and terrifying and beautiful and sometimes downright horrendous! Most of all, it’s been interesting. What more could anyone ask of alife?
Nina looked over as Moni — aka Edmonia Burns, the gallery’s owner and one of Nina’s dearest friends — put her arm on Nina’sshoulder.
“It looksgreat.”
“You think?” Ninaasked.
“Definitely.” Moni’s brilliant green dress hugged her curvaceous body, the color highlighting her perfect brown skin and dark eyes, her striking features framed by full natural hair. She was one of the most beautiful women Nina had ever met. “Perfect for your firstshow.”
Nina scanned the photos a final time, unshed tears stinging her eyes. “I wish she washere.”
“Metoo.”
Moni hadn’t known Judith, but Nina had spoken of her so often that bringing her work to the public had become their shared mission. Now Nina wondered what Judith would think if she were alive. Would she have come to the opening? Would she have enjoyed the attention showered on her private work, or been embarrassed byit?
“Would she be happy?” Ninaasked.
Moni nodded. “She’d behappy.”
Nina sighed. “I need to call Tracy and confirm everything for tomorrownight.”
It was a habit Nina had formed back when her obsession with Jack Morgan and their experimental sex life had caused her to neglect her work at the gallery, culminating in a major mistake on the menu for Morris LaGrange’s show. It had all worked out in the end, but the incident had been one of many indications that Nina was in over her head with Jack, that she was losing herself in the boundary-pushing sex that had brought her body back to life after her divorce fromPeter.
Now she triple-checked everything and took pride in the fact that she was distraction-free. She’d ended her relationship with Jack and had spent the last five months focused on herself and her buddingcareer.
“Anything I can do?” Moniasked.
Nina started for the glassed-in area that served as their office at the back of the gallery. “You’re the boss. Enjoy having an underling to stress foryou.”
“You’re hardly an underling these days,” Monisaid.
Nina smiled as she slid her arms into her coat. “That’s nice of you to say, but I still have tons tolearn.”
“Don’t weall.”
“I’ll call Tracy on my way to Amy’s,” Nina said. “You sure you can’t lock the girls in Angela’s room for the night so you can joinus?”
