Page 18 of The Art of Loving Ellie
Against my control, my eyes scan the crowd for Tyler as we pull apart. I wonder where he is and if things are going to be awkward between us after our last meeting. “You’re welcome.” I smile up at him, and he leans in, giving me a soft kiss on the cheek.
“It’s time for this artist to make his presence known!” With a nod, he turns to leave me, and I watch him prance off to find people to mingle with.
Beside the buffet are two giant, life-like brass sculptures that are set up to my right—one of a naked woman, and the other a bull. They are the only pieces in the showing besides Alex’s that are uncovered, and their creators stand in front of them speaking to each other excitedly about their separate meanings.
I casually stroll around the space, enjoying listening to the artists and guests talk amongst each other, and even through the chill, warmth spreads in my chest directly over my heart. It’s amazing to feel a sense of accomplishment for once.
Making my way over to the section we have specifically roped off for paintings, I find Alex’s new piece front and center, and I gaze at it longingly. I’m so captivated by his work, that I don’t even realize someone is taking my picture until I hear a ‘click’ and see the flash of a camera burst across my periphery.
“I think that may be the best shot of the night.” Tyler’s voice teases me as he stands to my left, looking at me through the viewfinder of his camera. My pulse thunders at the sight of that playful smile on his lips, and the delicious way his gray slacks and striped suspenders fit his tall form. His hair is styled a little wild, and I can smell the freshness of his aftershave.
Despite my ‘friends only’ rule, the warmth I previously felt around my heart spreads swiftly throughout my entire body. He quickly snaps another picture of me and I gasp, “Hey!” Certain he probably caught me mid drool, I walk over to grab the camera from him, but he continues taking snapshots of me, making me laugh.
“You are ridiculous!” I giggle finally reaching him, and I try to take the camera away, but he expertly avoids me, turning me so that I'm flush up against him under his arm. With both of us facing the camera lens, he says, “Smile!”
Our heads lean together, and my hand rests lightly over the center of his dress shirt. I’m all too aware of the heat from his chest against the palm of my hand, and I quickly move it down to my side, hoping he doesn’t notice how flustered I am.
He turns the camera around to view the small screen on the back, “Never mind,thatis the best shot of the night.” I laugh and nudge him playfully, relieved that denying his kiss on our date hasn’t damaged our friendship.
He's staring at me now as if he’s seeing me for the first time tonight, and he gives me a low whistle. “What a mystery you are, Miss Ellie.” I try to ignore the sting of disappointment when he doesn’t call me by the nickname he gave me.
I start to fuss with the front of my dress, straightening it down with my hands. “Well, I—I just thought this would be a nice dress for the occasion. You know, it’s twilight, and blue is a color in the sky as the sun sets you know, and—”
He chuckles softly at my rambling, lowering his voice when he speaks, “You look undeniably perfect.”
When I raise my eyes to meet his light brown gaze, the playfulness is gone, leaving desire in its place. I can’t control the shiver that suddenly takes over my body, and Tyler grabs my fur shawl, bringing it up to cover my bare shoulders and buttons it together with the little hidden clasp. He doesn’t realize the reason behind my reaction, and against my better judgment, the gentle gesture warms its way into my heart.
“Thank you,” I offer, blushing.
“I’m going to get back to work, I’ll see you later?” He drops his hand and I nod my head, feeling his absence in the cold breeze.
Tina rushes over a little later into the evening to tell me one of our waitresses has fallen ill, and they need my help. I quickly offer assistance where I can, grabbing a tray of cocktails, and passing them around to our guests for the last twenty minutes of the hour before we move on to the official showings and introductions.
I hear the clinking of something against glass, signaling a toast, and move to set my empty tray behind the buffet table. Over by the DJ, I see Alex with a spotlight illuminating him, and all his purple suit glory as he holds a glass of bubbly in his right hand and a microphone in his left.
“Hello, everyone.” His blinding white smile completely captivates our audience, and I turn, giving him my full attention as he delivers his speech.
“I wanted to thank you all for being here tonight, and for freezing your asses off for me and my colleagues. It means a great deal to me to share this night with some of the greatest artists in New York City!” The crowd laughs, clapping in unison. “As we officially open the floor for viewings, I want to take a moment to give appreciation to these friends of mine who find their only outlet in the labor of creation. The works you will see here tonight are all new and original pieces, much like my own.” He gestures to where his painting is on display, in the designated section across the terrace.
The crowd starts clapping again, excited at the prospect of a brand new Alexandre original. I attempt to avoid turning my attention to the flash of a camera going off. “There is someone special out there tonight who has been a driving source of inspiration for this painting. From the moment we met, she has been someone I consider a great friend, and she even helped me name this piece.” I feel my cheeks heat as the crowd scans the area for who he's staring at.
“Ellie, I want to say thank you. Thank you for helping me, and the event crew pull this evening off. Thank you for being a shoulder to lean on when I need some motivation. Thank you for putting up with my crazy antics but most importantly,” he pauses, staring right at me, “thank you for being you, Sugar.” Raising his glass up, he signals for everyone else to do the same, and finishes the toast in my name.
I smile at him with tears in my eyes as I clap along with the crowd—even though I’m horribly embarrassed. I cannot believe he just dedicated his painting, and this whole evening to me.
I feel as though I’m glued to the floor as people make their way over, assaulting me with a barrage of questions about how I know Alexandre. They ask me if I’m an artist, too, and want to know what gallery I hold my work in, and I try my hardest to answer honestly without fumbling.
I entertain them for almost an hour, but before I have my second panic attack in one week—I politely excuse myself from the mob of guests to try and find Alex. I weave around the people busy surveying the pieces in the gallery that are now uncovered and finally find him hiding behind a fake tree. He’s ducking behind a large leaf, trying to be inconspicuous, but failing miserably.
Sneaking up on him I whisper, “What were you thinking putting me on the spot like that!”
He nearly jumps out of his skin at the sudden sight of me, spilling half his champagne on the ground. Alex has clearly had a little more to drink than he should, and how he possibly held himself together so well during his speech is beyond me. “Ellie, you gotta learn to relax!” The alcohol loosens his usually tight pronunciations.
He grabs my shoulders with one hand and shakes me slightly. “Why are you upset with me? I thought you’d be happy that I dedicated my wondrous painting to you and our friendschlip!” He slurs the last word, and boops my nose with his forefinger, a wide goofy grin plastered across his face.
I stare at this crazy, fun-loving friend of mine and let out a sigh that quickly morphs into a laugh. He straightens up with excitement at the change in my demeanor and pulls me in for a big hug.
“I'm happy, Alex. I think that may have been the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me,” I pull back and look at him sincerely, “but you alsosuperembarrassed me, so don’t you ever do that again.” I punch his arm lightly to get my point across, and he swats both hands at me repeatedly, trying to defend himself.
