“So, you’re close with your family?”
I felt a lump catch in my throat before I drew in a deep breath.
“Actually, no. I’ve been estranged from them ever since I dropped out of medical school.”
“You. Medical school. I don’t see it.”
“Neither did I, but I was supposed to be the doctor like my father, and my sister, Anna, was supposed to be like my mother, the lawyer.”
“Is this the sister that—?”
“Invested? Yep. I’ve only got one sibling.”
“Did she grow up to become a lawyer?” he asked.
“She did. And she’s a fabulous one. She’s the one who’s been coaching me through all the legal stuff regarding the business. But I know her passion’s in music.”
“What instrument does she play?”
“Oh, she doesn’t. But you should hear her sing opera. The woman’s got a voice that could fill a canyon.”
“I bet it’s beautiful,” he said.
“It is, and it’s wasting away while she works a career she hates. I can’t get her to step out like I did. Of course, she’s got a wonderful relationship with our parents. But they couldn’t embrace the fact that I dumped medical school to focus on my art.”
“Couldn’t they have compromised? An art education instead of medical school?” he asked.
“That’s assuming my parents understood what the word meant,” I said. “Either way, Anna supports me fully, and that means the world. She’s coming to see me over the fourth of July. I’m looking forward to it.”
“That sounds like it’ll be fun. Will she come by the site?” he asked.
“Probably. She’s excited to see the progress. I try to send pictures to her, but she always says it’s never quite like being there.”
I could tell Bryan was tensing up, and I wasn’t sure what was going on. His shoulders were rolled back, and his hands were now in his lap. His eyes were focused out the window instead of on me, and even though I knew he was listening, there was something else going on.
“Look, I’m really sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable with all this. The dye thing, I just wanted to make-”
“No, no. I’m sorry. I just ... I don’t really get along with my parents either, so I can sympathize.”
“Oh. I drudged up bad memories. I’m so sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry for. I get it, is all. Makes it easier to choose friends over family.”
“Yeah. It does. That way you can build the family you want instead of being stuck with the family you got,” I said.
“My friends throw better parties than they do, anyway. I’m actually allowed to drink something other than wine at them,” he said, grinning.
“And my friends don’t expect me to dress in some decadent fabric and walk around in heels. The one time I wore heels, I twisted my ankle so badly, I popped one of my ligaments.”
“You popped it?”
“Yep. Right off the top of my foot. Like a spring. Just boing!”
The two of us laughed as our food was set in front of us. It smelled delightful, and we both scooped heaping portions onto our plates. For a little while, things were silent while the storm continued to rage, and the lightning cast sharp shadows on Bryan’s face that I simply couldn’t take my eyes off of.
The searing image of his dark eyes flickering up at me just as the lightning flashed outside was one I’d have to draw to release from the confines of my mind.
“You know, I’ve been inspired a bit by working on your gallery.”