“It just makes me feel a bit undermined, is all. When I introduce you, I’ll look like the small guy next to his giant girlfriend.”
“It’s only a few inches.”
“But still, it’s belittling.”
I wasn’t sure how to take his words, and before I could reply, he commented on my hair.
“And there are rose petals in your hair.”
I smiled and patted the flower crown I’d crafted at the floral shop before I came. It was made up of roses, tulips, and baby’s breath, and it sat on top of my hair, which was placed in a big French braid that lay over my left shoulder. “Do you like it?” I asked.
“It just seems a bit childish,” he replied, placing his glasses back on. “I just…I thought I told you how important this event is to me, Lucy. To my career.”
I narrowed my eyes. “I know. Richard, this is all amazing. What you’ve done is amazing.”
“Yeah, but it just looks a bit odd for you to arrive dressed in such a way.”
My lips parted, uncertain what to say, but before I could reply, he excused himself, saying he needed to go say hello to some very important people.
Clearing my throat, I walked off by myself and wandered around the room before eventually making my way to the bar, where a nice gentleman smiled at me. “Hey there, what can I get you?”
“A different dress,” I joked. “And maybe a shorter pair of heels.”
“You look beautiful,” he remarked. “And between you and me, I think you’re the best dressed in the room, but what do I know? I’m just a bartender, not an artist.”
I smiled. “Thank you. I’ll just take a water with a lemon slice for now.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “You sure you don’t want vodka? This seems like a room that needs serious quantities of vodka.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “While I agree, I think I’m already drawing enough attention to myself. No need to allow the drunken version of myself to escape.” I thanked him for the ice water, and when I turned around, I saw the back of a man standing in front of one of Richard’s paintings. Beside him sat a car seat that held the most beautiful child in the world. A wave of comfort washed through me at seeing them before me. It was hard to explain how seeing those two familiar faces brought me a level of confidence.
“You made it,” I exclaimed, going over to Talon and bending down to lightly kiss her forehead.
Graham turned my way just a bit before looking back at the painting. “We did.” He stood tall in an all-black suit wi
th a deep gray tie and gray cuffs. His shoes were shiny, as if freshly polished for the gala. His hair was slicked back with a bit of gel, and his beard was nicely groomed.
“Does that mean you finished your chapters?”
He shook his head once. “I’ll finish once I get home.”
My chest tightened. He hadn’t even finished his work, but he’d still made time to make an appearance.
“Lucille?”
“Yes?”
“Why am I staring at a twelve-by-twelve-foot painting of your naked boyfriend?”
I giggled to myself, sipping my water. “It’s a self-discovery collection where Richard dived deep to express his inner thoughts, fears, and beliefs through how he sees himself using different mediums, such as clay, charcoal, and pastels.”
Graham glanced around the room at the rest of Richard’s self-portraits and clay creations. “Is that a six-foot-tall statue of his penis?” he asked.
I nodded uncomfortably. “That is indeed a six-foot-tall statue of his penis.”
“Hmph. He’s quite confident in his”—he tilted his head slightly and cleared his throat—“manhood.”
“I like to believe confidence is my middle name,” Richard joked, walking up to our conversation. “I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve met.”