Page 76 of Jump-Start
I’ve arranged everything so the only thing John, a nice guy I met yesterday who works at the gallery, has to do is push the button to start the show. I triple-checked everything, but my nerves skyrocket anyway. Leonard seems to notice it because he steps toward me and grabs my hand, squeezing once to assure me he’s here.
A slow song fills the room as the first images are projected onto the walls. Leonard smiles for the first few minutes before an expression of awe crosses his face. The same thing happens with Dino, Mamma, and Nonna. They’re all impressed by what I’ve created, all drawn in by the art show I’ve worked on for the past few months, and it sends a wonderful warmth through me. They like it. I’ve made something the people I care about adore, and it almost brings tears to my eyes.
Okay, I’m close to crying, blinking rapidly to fight the tears.
“This is—” Leonard starts, but he’s cut off by the music vanishing and the images changing.
A visual of Leonard and me on the picnic blanket yesterday, limbs tangled and my hand on his chest appears on the walls. Confusion settles in the room while panic fills my chest. The video plays until we see my palm grinding over Leonard’s bulge and him throwing me over his shoulder and carrying me to the car. I only watch half of it, running to the room with all of the technology I used to make my show happen. A phone is plugged into the same place my laptop was in earlier, the video playing on the screen as well. I rip the phone away and thank my lucky stars it didn’t get to the part of the video where Leonard and I make out in his car.
Who the fuck recorded us?
“Chiara?” Dino says, and I spin around to face him. He looks as upset as I feel. “What the fuck was that? I offer you an opportunity to show me what you can do, and this is how you thank me? What the fuck?” he asks in Italian, and I lose all my confidence.
“I—I,” I stutter, panic feeling my chest.
“Dino, I suggest you calm the fuck down and step away from her,” Leonard says, and I almost sigh at his presence.
“I promise, this wasn’t me. I swear on my Mamma’s and Nonna’s life. It wasn’t me,” I assure Dino while Leonard closes the distance between us and steps protectively in front of me.
“Someone did this, and I know who it was. It wasn’t Chiara’s fault,” Leonard says and snakes his arm around me from the front. He knows who it was. I know who it was.
Tim.
“I’m sorry if it wasn’t you, Chiara, but this is highly unprofessional. You understand that I can’t be associated with this in any way without risking my gallery and everyone else who I have invested in, right?”
He’s not going to invest in my gallery. Dino was the only person interested, and now my chance is gone. Leonard and I will have to keep looking, but word will get out about what happened today. No one’s going to look my way twice. Chiara de Luca makes erotic art shows without telling people in advance. It isn’t true, but words get twisted, lies are woven, and rumors turn into deaths of careers. Everything was going so well…what happened? Why did Tim do this? To get revenge because I wasn’t interested in him?
“So, if I understand this right, you didn’t make sure there was enough security to prevent something like this from happening, and you’re blaming Chiara for it? Are you having a laugh, mate?” Dino furrows his brows at Leonard’s words. “You can’t be bloody serious is what I’m trying to say. This isn’t on Chiara. It’s on you. But, whatever, mate. We don’t need you. It’s your loss after all,” he says and takes my hand, grabbing my laptop before pulling me away from Dino. It’s better this way too because I’m furious, and he isn’t the right person to take it out on. Tim would be.
“Leonard?” I say when we’re halfway to the room where Dino told me to put my stuff earlier. Tears are finally stinging my eyes, but I do my best to blink them away. Panic floods his features at my facial expression.
“I know, sweetheart, I know,” he replies and wraps his arms around me. There is something about Leonard, there always has been, that makes it impossible for me to keep my feelings inside. So, they spill down my cheeks as he rubs my back. “It’ll be alright, baby, I promise. We will figure it out, I know we will,” he assures me, but humiliation is combining with the feeling of failure inside of me.
I can barely breathe past it.
* * *
A day later,I feel slightly better. I’m still embarrassed, but what happened isn’t my fault. I’ve come to terms with that. The only thing I’m having a hard time with is accepting that this may have been my first and last opportunity to get an investor. I will keep trying, Leonard would never let me give up anyway, and it will happen. I know I will live my dream. I just need patience.
My head is on Nonna’s chest while her arm is around my back, holding me close. I’m not usually one to crave too much affection. It’s not something I seek out actively, but it’s different with my Nonna. She gives me comfort and love, and I want to soak it all up for as long as I possibly can. The same goes for Leonard nowadays.
“I’m sorry about what you had to see yesterday,” I finally say, and she kisses the top of my head, squeezing my arm in response.
“Don’t be. It wasn’t your fault,” she replies and kisses my temple this time. “I liked your show before it was interrupted. It was beautiful,” she adds, bringing a little smile to my lips, but it washes away almost immediately.
“I wish you could have seen the ending too,” I mumble with a little sigh I swallow down. Nonna starts squeezing my arm.
“Maybe I wasn’t meant to see it all last night. Maybe I’m supposed to wait until you have your own gallery,” she says, and I sink further against her, letting some of the tension yesterday created wash off me. Nonna hasn’t lost faith in me, no matter what happened. It offers me a little bit of relief.
Silence surrounds us after her words, so I simply stay in her embrace to enjoy the warmth radiating off her. My thoughts linger a while longer on the events I wish I could burn from my brain. Starting tomorrow, Leonard is going to have to go to the track every day, and he promised to take me with him even though I’m not watching Benz. I’m not quite sure why he wants me there, but that’s probably because my head hasn’t processed our new relationship status yet.
We’re… dating, I think. I don’t know. My heart prefers not to put a label on it apart from calling him mine. He’s mine, and I’m his, which is probably something I should inform Graham of, but I have no intention of doing so over the phone.
“I cannot believe you’re dating a Formula One driver,” Mamma says when she appears in the living room. I look up at her, fighting back a grin.
“Jealous?” I tease, and she smacks my arm.
“Yes! He’s so sweet with you and gorgeous. Of course I’m jealous,” she replies with a dramaticthumponto the couch. “Plus, he’s got a greatculo,” Mamma adds, making Nonna snort next to me.
