AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Thirty Six
EVELYN
“You are going tonight, aren’t you?” Claude flicks the invitation around his fingers as I shoot the model wearing his debut collection. “We’ve been back in town for a week and you haven’t left your studio.”
“I love my studio,” I point out, rolling my eyes at the model and getting back to work.
“This could be huge for you, you have been invited to a gallery opening, people are starting to recognize what you do, girl.” He stands behind me and checks out the latest frame over my shoulder.
“Try looking a bit more bougie,” Claude instructs his model, taking over the center spot and pulling some poses of his own like a pro. I, of course, capture them for laughs.
“I’m turning up at your place at eight, and we are going, no arguments.”
“Fine,” I snap back at him.
***
“I’m totally overdressed for this,” I tell Claude as we pull up outside the gallery, the old building has been restored and looks incredible with the hot pink lights lighting it up.
“I think it’s amazing that someone would do all this to help fund the homeless shelter,” I tell Claude as I show the man on the door my invitation.
“Incredible,” he agrees, dusting off his suit and clearing his throat as we walk through the foyer into the main gallery. I stop and stare in confusion when I see the first exhibit, and then spin my body slowly, my eyes taking in all the art that’s covering the walls and when I look back at Claude, he’s got a shit-eating grin on his face and is refusing me eye contact.
“Claude,” I press him for an explanation.
“You said yourself, only an amazing person could do such a thing.” He gestures his head to the back of the room toward the main exhibit. The huge print of the lotus flower I have in my studio. The only one I refuse to sell. This is a copy, and much larger. So large that it almost covers the entire wall, and my heart stops beating when I realize who's standing in front of it.
Raoul’s eyes are fixed on mine and a crooked smile spreads onto his handsome face.
I should turn and run, but I don’t want to. I want to go to him and feel him touch me again. He draws me in with such a force that it only seems to have grown stronger in our absence.
And when he calls me to him by hooking his finger at me, my feet automatically start to move.
“Enjoy your party, Miss Thing,” Claude whispers to me, before disappearing into the crowd.
With my first steps toward him, my heart pounds, my stomach fluttering. He looks so beautiful with the backdrop of the lotus behind him, so beautiful that it brings tears to my eyes.
“I’m glad you came,” he tells me when I’m close enough to hear his whisper.
“What is this, Raoul?” I take another look around the room at all my photographs, the ones I’ve been selling for the past month.
“This is yours,” he tells me, taking the invitation from my hand and replacing it with one from his jacket. It looks exactly the same, only the title on this one reads The EVELYN LANE Gallery.
“Your work should be shared, the way you find the beauty in things brings people hope and inspires them to do good things.”
“How can this be mine? People have bought these pictures. This building is beautiful. I could never afford—”
“You inspired me,” he cuts me off. “And now I’m standing here in front of you with a tiny bit of hope.” He smiles.
“You saw the good in me.” He turns his body to stand beside mine and admire the lotus on the wall. “You’ll never know what that means to a man like me.”
“Raoul, I still see the good in you, you're an incredible person.” I can’t have him think that I don’t. That’s not why we can’t be together.
“This place is yours, I bought it for you. You can look at it as my contribution to the charity, and these pictures are from my personal collection. I’d like to donate them,” he confesses, and I stare back at him confused.
“But they were shipped out, sold to people all over the country.”
“Claude’s friend took care of shipping for you, didn’t he?” Raoul rubs a finger over his bottom lip and smirks.
