Page 46 of For Your Love

CHAPTER 19

FINN

“Let me explain this a little differently,” Colleen said, looking around the table. “Most of Jasper’s well-known paintings have smooth brushstrokes, but the new paintings are gestural.”

Finn lifted the last enchilada onto his plate. During dinner, he’d listened carefully to Colleen describe her day. Most of her discussion about Jasper Grayson’s art involved a lot of artistic theory and terminology that went over his head.

“Gestural means what?” Ana asked, leaning in to listen to Colleen’s answer.

“It means…,” she paused. “Gestural means you can actually see the brush strokes. The paint is usually really thick. Kiki said a lot of Grateful Dead fans danced at their shows, so Jasper wanted to include a sense of movement. In that sense, a gestural brush technique is a way to convey music and dance on canvas.”

“Music and dance on canvas?” asked Sean.

“Yeah. That’s what I said,” Colleen said, scowling at her brother.

Colleen had a lot to say about Jasper Grayson’s art, but what Finn noted was her lack of enthusiasm. “Do you think you’ll like working at the gallery?”

“I’m not sure,” Colleen answered, biting the corner of a tortilla chip. “It’s only my first day. I’ve been trained to look at a work of art from its historical context, not as a commodity. I’ve been to countless gallery shows, so I’m not naive about people paying a lot of money for art, but this feels different. No one but the super-rich could even think about buying one of Jasper’s paintings.”

“Then why worry about it?” Ana asked. “If someone falls in love with a painting and can afford it, how is that any different than buying jewelry or a car?”

“Yeah, I know,” Colleen said with a half-shrug. “It’s hard to explain.”

He recalled the sparkle in her eyes and the excitement in her voice when she showed him the medieval manuscript. The discovery and research of a work of art is what excited her. He doubted Colleen would ever feel that kind of passion working at the gallery. “It’s because you’re a scholar, not a salesperson,” Finn said.

Colleen held his gaze, waiting for him to explain.

“Maybe you’re trying to be someone you’re not.”

Her eyes sparked with irritation. “It’s a little too soon to come to that conclusion.”

She was being defensive, but he couldn’t help pushing her. “If you’re being honest with yourself, you’ll come to that conclusion sooner or later.”

Colleen glared at him. “I need this job.”

“I think this is a good time to do the dishes,” Sean said as he and Ana cleared the table.

Colleen pushed her chair back, preparing to stand, but Finn couldn’t let her leave without resolving this misunderstanding here and now.

Reaching for her hand, Finn said, “Please stay.” He needed to smooth over his outspoken comments. “Let’s talk about what’s really going on.”

She scooted back in, folded her hands on the table, and said, “Okay, talk to me.”

“I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings, but I meant what I said. Be honest with yourself about this job. If it’s not a good fit, then find something else that is. Don’t waste time being unhappy.” He didn’t want her to settle for a job she was bound to end up hating.

“I have no other options right now.” Colleen ran her fingers through her ponytail. “Having big dreams doesn’t pay the bills.” She fixed her attention on him. “I’m too old to believe fairy tale endings exist,” she said, her voice weary.

Finn gave a nod. He thought of all the money he used to have and how it didn’t really mean anything. Colleen deserved so much more. If she’d been able to stay in school, she would’ve been happy doing research and teaching. For now, the only thing he could do for her was to give her some space. He had an idea. “I have a request.”

“What kind of request?”

He didn’t want to argue with Colleen about her new job every time he was with her. Maybe she would find a way to make it work, maybe not. She needed time to develop some perspective and she couldn’t do that with him hovering around. “I won’t bother you for two weeks. Concentrate on the job. Give it your best shot. But I want you to promise me you’ll come to my place for dinner when two weeks is up.”

“Is this supposed to be a date?” she asked in a joking voice, but her eyes flashed with curiosity.

He wanted it to be a date, but it had to be her choice, not his. “That’s up to you.”

“What’s for dinner?”

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