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No matter how hard being around him might be, thisdateis part of my job. If he’d been anyone else who’d won me in the auction, I’d still have to do this part.
Jericho Grayson may not be the guy you explain away as being likeeveryone else, but if I think of the next few hours I’m supposed spend with him as being nothing more than part of the job, I should be okay.
Should.
He breaks the stare and ushers me inside the building.
Ready to start the next part of our night together.
I just hope I make it out in one piece.
ChapterEleven
River
The onsite five-Michelin-starred restaurant in the Artisan is exquisite. A blend of the delicious aromas from their European cuisine fills the air, and the exotic, provincial décor transports me back to my time spent in places like Rome, Monaco, and Sardinia.
We’re seated in a private booth that offers a stunning view of the city.
When the waiter takes our order, Jericho asks for an expensive bottle of wine with a name I can’t pronounce, and that’s where we start.
Because I don’t really know what the hell to talk about with my ex I haven’t seen in eight years, I fully expect the awkward tension living between us to metastasize into one of those dreaded silences people always fear, but it doesn’t.
It doesn’t because of him.
Jericho kicks off our conversation by asking me about my plans for ballet, a subject I could talk about in my sleep, and to anyone, no matter who they are.
While we eat a glorious dinner of Wagyu Beef tarragon and roasted spring vegetables, I tell him about my work at the school and all the hopes I have if I get into the New York City Ballet.
Given the circumstances, I’m surprised at how comfortable I am speaking with him. It shows I was probably eager to talk to someone other than Eden, Gina, and my father about my plans. Someone from the past who actually witnessed how hard I worked to become a dancer.
We enjoy the show after dinner. It’s amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it.
It takes place over three floors of the building from the basement up and has a dark gothic feel to it. The show is calledMetamorphosisand goes through the stages of the life of bats and butterflies. The art comes to life in the actors dressed as them.
The room that stands out to me the most is one that seems pitch black, but then I realize the darkness is created by the people attached to the walls. They’ve move from side to side in a slow rise and fall, making the walls look like they’re breathing.
I haven’t been to many living arts shows, but I love artistic creations like this. You get to look into the mind of the artist. Art like this is so different from dancing, which is also an art.
The show lasts for two and a half hours, and we get the chance to look at artistic creations and paintings without the actors after. It’s like getting backstage passes after a show. I didn’t realize that this part was exclusive until the audience whittled down to just Jericho and me and two other couples.
We spend the last hour walking around again, seeing everything in a new light.
It’s just us now. The other people left a while ago.
We’re on the top floor, in a dimly lit room that has a Tim Burton dark fairytale vibe emanating from it. Giant silver butterflies are painted on the black walls, and winding trees the same color separate each section. It’s also the last of the set.
I look around the room with wild fascination, surprised at myself. I was so wound up before I got here that I can’t believe I feel so… normal.
We stop by one of the steel pillars and gaze up at the ceiling, which is speckled with more silver butterflies that look like stars.
I walk over to the lowest one hanging by the wall to get a closer to look.
“Eden would have a field day in a place like this,” I say, scanning over the butterflies. Eden is the one who is always going to art shows and galleries. I wish I could tell her about this experience. Maybe I will one day when the dust settles.
Jericho grins back at me when I turn to face him. “Eden? You’ve mentioned her a lot tonight.”
I just remembered he doesn’t know her. Eden has been in my life for so long it’s strange to think we only met after high school. Although, that’s still a long time, and like us, where most people find their lifelong friends.
