“And if I left cards behind, you’d know where I was,” he said, smiling.
“Yes, I suppose I would.”
“I could return the favor if you wanted. Your paintings are wonderful. I’d be delighted to have one of two hanging in my shop,” he said.
“That would be wonderful, thank you,” I said, smiling.
“Your smile is radiant,” he said.
“Your words are very kind.”
“Would you like to maybe get dinner sometime and talk about our arrangement?” he asked.
“I think we could simply discuss the arrangement here,” I said.
He nodded and looked away, but he didn’t seem upset. That brought a great deal of relief to me, but there was still something behind his eyes I couldn’t place. He seemed genuinely excited at the prospect of having somewhere else to sell his paintings, but there was still something off.
Something that wasn’t settling into its rightful place.
“Well, Hailey, I’ll let you close up. I don’t want to keep you from the lucky man waiting for you to get home.”
“No man, Max. Just not really settling my artistic ventures into that current marketplace.”
“Should you choose to step out into it, let me know. I know of some fabulous places you could set up shop.”
He winked at me, and I couldn’t help but blush. His smile was deafening in its glory, and I had to admit his body looked phenomenal in that tailored suit. But some part of me felt guilty like I was somehow cheating on Bryan. We weren’t together, and we never would be again, but I still felt like I was somehow attached to him.
He wasn’t in my life, and yet he was still a big component of it.
“Whenever you want to bring those paintings and your business cards by, I’m more than willing to help you set up.”
I watched him nod his head as his eyes grazed the paintings along my wall one last time.
“I really do appreciate your kindness, Hailey. We could all benefit from a little more of it in this world.”
“And you nailed the reason why I opened my gallery,” I said.
“A beautiful reason for a beautiful woman,” he said.
And again, I couldn’t stop the blush heating my cheeks.
“Well, I must take my leave. It was a wonder meeting you, Miss Hailey. I look forwa
rd to our combined ventures in the future.”
I held my hand back out to shake his, and he wrapped his long fingers around it delicately. He brought it to his lips to kiss, and for a split second, I lost myself in their warmth. My stomach turned over on itself as his eyes connected with mine, only this time, they were the color of a gray and stormy sky.
He grinned at me one last time before he left my gallery, and I stood there as I reveled in the moment.
What the hell had just happened? I wasn’t entirely sure, but I felt like I was stepping into darkened territory without a flashlight. I thought about Bryan and how guilty I felt flirting with this strange man even though I had no burning passion to flirt. I sighed as I grabbed my things and locked up, heading to my car as my mind began to swim.
I wanted to talk with Bryan if only to get closure so I could move on.
Things needed to be repaired. Wounds needed to be stitched shut. I still felt as if I was bleeding into the grass out back, like my soul was still ripped open by his glare. I missed his presence. The warmth he provided me. I missed his laughter and his comfort. I missed the way his hand could calm me down by tracing his fingertips along my skin.
I wished I could talk with him, look him in the eye one last time. Just once to prove to myself that things were really over and give me the shove I needed to really cope.
After all, that sadness was bleeding into my portraits of him, and if there was anything he deserved, it was for his portraits to portray the happiness he should be hurling toward and not the sadness that kept him rooted in his past.