She looked at me strangely. "Did Mrs. Carmichael not give you the message?"
"Um, yes she did. But I was just making sure," I told her.
"Yes, you have the position if you want it."
"Why couldn't you just tell me yourself?"
She grinned a little. "Because I thought it would be amusing to have her deliver the message to you herself," she explained.
I thought about that for a moment. It was pretty funny, mean, but funny.
"Thank you," I said. Just then Celadine came out of her office and gracefully glided towards us.
"So, I assume you got my message? I hope you will accept."
"Yes, of course I will! Thank you so much for this opportunity," I replied.
"Very well then, when can you start?" she quickly asked.
"Um, right away I guess."
"Good. Come with me and I will show you around. Listen carefully; I do not like to repeat myself," she ordered, already walking away in the direction of the showroom.
I scuttled after her wondering if I should take notes or something. The gallery was huge. It took us about two hours to go over everything as we walked around.
"So, basically, your main concern is to do what I tell you. If I need errands ran, you do them. If I need the filing done, you do it. Freight comes in on Tuesdays, we hold free art classes on Wednesday nights and most of our showings are on Fridays. If you ever need anything when I am not here, Mona will be happy to help you," Celadine explained. Mona was the lifeless desk clerk.
"Okay, sounds good," I said, trying to store everything away in my mind as she spoke.
"We are done for today. I would like you to come by tomorrow after school for a few hours. It's Tuesday and it will be a great time for you to learn how to receive and put away the freight shipments.”
I nodded. "Sure, I’ll be here around four thirty."
"See you then," she replied and nodded. She then turned and swiftly walked away to her office. On my way out I gave Mona a wave and she just nodded. It was better than the glare I usually got.
****
A few weeks went by quietly. Max has refused to believe that I even existed, which was fine with me. Will, Julie and I were together on a daily basis now. But the best part of my life was my new job. Never in my dreams would I ever think that I would be working there.
"Avery that's awesome. Celadine is a well respected artist. Have you seen any of her recent work?" Tess asked through the phone.
"No, she's actually not there a whole lot. I only see her for the last hour before I go. She's pretty busy during the day," I replied. "But I've met some very interesting people working there."
"Wonderful! Well, sweetie, I have to go. The girls are coming over to work on a few projects. Call me next week?"
"You bet Tess, love you."
"Love you too. Say hi to Jules for me, bye."
I hung up the phone and curled up in bed with a book. A few minutes later the phone rang again.
"Hello?" I answered, expecting Tess to be on the other line.
"Avery?" asked a familiar voice. Mona. "Celadine would like it very much if you could come into work tomorrow a little later. She would like to spend some time with you."
I was so happy to hear that. Most of the reason I wanted to work there was to learn what I could from Celadine. "Um, sure, what time?"
"Six thirty. See you then." A sudden ‘click’ told me that she had hung up.
"Okay," I said to no one, and hung up the phone. Mona was so bizarre. I put away my book and went to sleep.
My Saturday was going by slowly, too slowly. I couldn't wait to go into work tonight. I get to spend time with Celadine, and I have been waiting weeks to do so. She always shows up near the end of my shift to ask how things are going and how am I liking it there. But I never get to learn from her, see what she does in the gallery.
It was mid afternoon. Julie was at the library and Will was working. I decided to take a long shower to kill some time and then go downstairs to hang with Will.
After I got out of my forty five minute long shower, I noticed something strange. As I walked from the bathroom to my room, I could tell something was off in the apartment. Everything was different but yet the same, like someone had been there and just moved everything and inch to the left. Weird, maybe I just needed to get out. I had been there all day by myself. I quickly got dressed and headed downstairs.
"Hey Will!" I greeted as I approached the counter. "You busy today?"
He turned from the coffee pots and handed me my usual coffee with milk. I smiled and threw some change in his tip jar. He never charged me for coffee so I always made sure to tip him.
"Not too bad, the regular rush at lunchtime came but now it’s pretty good," he replied. "What are you up to today? Don't you usually work on Saturdays?"
"Yeah, Celadine wants me to come in tonight instead though. I can't wait; I haven’t actually worked with her yet."
"Cool. That's the creepy dread lock chick right?" he asked and handed me a muffin.
"Yeah, she's not creepy though. She's actually pretty cool."
I sat and hung out with Will for a couple of hours before I decided to head out and walk to the gallery. It was only a few blocks and I had time to kill. As I approached the gallery I felt a weird shiver come over me, like someone was watching or following me. I glanced around in all directions but found nothing. I shivered but shrugged it off and hurried up to the grand entrance of the building. Inside I found Mona at her desk. I wondered if she ever took a day off.
"Hey Mona," I said and waved to her. She barely looked up from her computer to give me a half smile. I had to give her credit; she was trying to be nice. I think. "Mona, do you work every day?" I asked her.
"I work for Celadine. If she needs me each day then that's what I do. I have been with her for a very long time," she replied. It still didn't really answer my question though.
"Hey, if you ever need a day off for yourself I don't mind coming in and covering," I offered. She pulled her eyes away form the computer screen to look at me with a confused and almost offended look.
"Or not, whatever, the offer is always there if you want to use it. Just call me up." She just continued to look at me strangely. "Um, I’ll go see Celadine now." And I scuttled off to her office to get away from the awkward moment I was having with Mona.
"Avery, darling," Celadine cried as I entered her office. She didn't usually greet me with such enthusiasm. It was nice but very weird. Celadine was a very intimidating person, she never made me feel at ease around her, but right now it was as if she were someone else. "How are you? Thank you for coming in tonight."
"No problem, I don't ever mind coming into the gallery, I love it here," I said and took a seat. "So what is it that you need me to do?"
"Well, I would like to see what type of work you do," Celadine replied. Funny, that’s the one thing I was dying to see her do. "I have a small studio upstairs and we can work there. I want you to have fun, but I will pay you of course, for your time."
This was great, I get to paint with the great Celadine Danes and get paid for it! I love my job. I beamed with excitement, but was still uneasy about how nice she was suddenly being.
"Yes, of course I will. Who wouldn't?"
She grinned at that. "You would be surprised. Not everyone is as...comfortable around me as you are. I tend to give an intimidating first impression, so I am told.”
I was beginning to believe that her behaviour, up until now, was all in my head. "No, I think you’re getting yourself confused with Mona." I laughed.
"Wonderful. I'm glad you feel that way with me, Avery. Now, come, to the studio. Let's create some master pieces shall we?" she suggested as she threw her arm around me and led the way. I was on top of the world right now. I get to do the one and only thing I am good at and happen
to love so much, and it's my job!
The "small" studio, as Celadine called it, was enormous. It was the entire second level of the gallery. The third was a modest condo, but Celadines version of modest probably meant that it was enormous too. She had set up a number of canvases on easels as well as some large ones on the floor.
"Where would you like to start?" she asked me.
"I don't know. How do you usually start?" I was at a loss for words. There was every art supply you could think of here.
"No, I am here to see how you work," she insisted. "Do what you like."
I picked up a pallet and started to load it up with colors. I grabbed a brush and began working on one of the smaller canvases on an easel. Celadine watched me patiently for a few moments. Then I heard her sigh.
"No good?" I asked, embarrassed.
"No, it is good. But I know that you are holding back," Celadine claimed. "Avery, have you ever worked in a studio this large? A studio that you could do whatever you wanted?" She waved her hand around the room.
"Um, no, Tess's garden was my largest studio," I admitted. She would let me haul all of my stuff out there and spend the day just painting and sketching.
Celadine smiled and took my hand. Hers was chilly, like before, and I wondered if she always ran a little cold. "Here, take these and stand there." She gave me a couple of squeeze bottle paints and put me in front of one of the large floor canvasses. She then grabbed her own paints and began making a mess. She even began to dump whole cans onto the floor! I started to copy her and soon we found ourselves with a unique rainbow of paint in front of us. We looked at each other and smiled. I hope she was going to do what I thought she was going to do.
"Well?" she asked as she prompted me to make the first move. Her magnificent violet eyes were eager with excitement. Eyes wide, I took off my shoes and socks and threw my hair up in to a ponytail. I looked to Celadine once more and we both smiled and laughed as we walked onto the canvas.
We found ourselves smearing and blending the paints with our feet, hands and then our bodies as we rolled around. The bright colors drastically contrasted with her pale skin, that’s when I noticed how very pale she was. Next to me, I appeared to have a tan, which was ridiculously out of the question with my fair Irish skin. I guess she really didn’t get out much.
In the end we stood up, covered from head to toe in various colors, and stared down at our creation. It was stunning, like a piece you would see on the wall of a rich art collector, the only colourful thing in the room.
I glanced at the clock on the wall. Hours had passed and I hadn't even realized it. It felt bizarre to be here with my employer and to be having fun. All of my pre-conceived notions of her were gone. She was no longer my strange and creepy boss. I felt as if we’ve known each other our whole lives. I felt a little silly once I thought about it. How could I suddenly feel this way? Obviously, Celadine couldn’t possibly feel the same.
"How do you like it?" Celadine asked me.
"It was…fun. I can't believe we created something like this. It's amazing," I replied. "Thank you."
"No, thank you. It is nice to have someone I can do this with," she claimed. “I rarely get the chance to put my work aside.”
"Really, but someone like you must have tons of artistic friends, for sure much more experienced than me."
"True, I do know many artists. But none I like to befriend and none with your talent," Celadine insisted. "I would like it very much if we could be friends though, if you would. But I would understand if you would choose to keep our relationship strictly professional."
"Celadine, of course I would love to be friends with you. You're one of the most interesting people that I know."
She smiled proudly. "Very well then, friends." She held her chilly paint covered hand out for me to shake.
I smiled. "Friends."
Chapter Eight-Motioned Overruled
Over the past few weeks, Celadine and I grew to become great friends. She literally was the most interesting person I knew. She would tell me stories of her travels all over the world, insisting that I accompany her on the next trip she took. Everyday, I would enter her office and she would have assorted chocolates or cakes, cookies, even a variety of candies once. I quickly realized that she was trying to figure out what my favorite things were after the assortments began to narrow down to simple caramels, chocolate chips cookies, and red liquorices.
It was now a Wednesday night. Julie was working at the library, my project only needs finishing touches and Celadine doesn't need me at the gallery. I was totally relaxed as I thought about the care free night ahead of me, grabbed the popcorn out of the microwave and headed for the couch. I had rented a couple of movies and was set for the night. Just as I was curling up with my blanket, and a heap of pillows, the phone rang.
"Hello?" I answered.
"Avery?" inquired an alarmed and familiar voice.
"Yes," I confirmed. "Celadine, what’s up?" It was unusual that she would be calling me. If she needed me at the gallery Mona would usually call.
"I'm very sorry to bother you on your night off, but I need you here," Celadine insisted. "If you are free and able, of course," she added politely.
Of course I would come and she knew that, I would do anything for Celadine and the gallery. "Um, sure, what time do you need me?" I asked.
"As soon as possible, please," she answered. She sounded so awkward on the phone, as if she barely ever used it.
"Um, okay, I can be there in twenty minutes or so," I informed her. I remembered that Julie had my bike because hers was in the shop. I'd have to walk. I didn't mind though, it was only a few blocks.
"Can you come sooner?" she asked, a bit of desperation to her voice now. This is so unlike her.
"Okay then, ten minutes?" I guess I could take the bus for ten minutes. I mean, how bad could I get?
"Very well, see you then." And she hung up. I stood there and stared at the phone in my hand for a few seconds. That was so weird. I hung it up and grabbed my purse on my way out the door.
Once outside, I put on my earphones and waited for the bus at the stop right out front of the shop, it felt weird, silly actually. I had never taken the bus before, aside from the school bus a few times when I was a kid. That quickly came to an end when I realized I didn't like being called "Barf Girl" anymore.
The bus pulled up and I immediately became nauseous. I let out a deep breath of air and took in another before I walked up the two steps. After depositing my bus fair, I quickly searched for a seat next to a window. I slid into one right by the back door. Good enough.
I was so dizzy already, my ears were ringing and I was sweating profusely. I knew people were looking and whispering about me, but I ignored them. It wasn't hard; I was focusing on not losing it all over the bus floor. I could smell the faint hint of metal, dirt and layers of body odour. All of which were not helping the situation.
My knuckles were turning white from gripping the edge of my plastic blue seat, all the while telling myself 'Avery, you can do this, only a few more minutes. You can do it' over and over in my head.
I heard a slight chuckle and I couldn't help but look up and see who was getting a kick out of my agony. The guy sitting right across from me was laughing at me! I was so embarrassed! I wouldn't have cared, normally, but this guy was kind of cute and I looked like an idiot about to barf all over him.
I tried to pull myself together, wiping the sweat off of my face as gracefully as I could manage with a shaking hand. No luck. I needed to barf. I felt my stomach just inching its way up. Every inch of my body was screaming for me to get off of the bus. I jumped up and rang the bell, nearly missing the cord and falling on my face but managed to grab onto the pole.
The cute guy had another chuckle at me, his messy jet black hair falling down in front of his eye. What a jerk! I shot him a quick glare over my sh
oulder and then pushed my way through the back doors. I didn't realize that the bus hadn't completely stopped and went tumbling into the bushes where I threw my guts up, so to speak. The driver came to the door to see if I was okay, I wasn't done yet so I just gave him thumbs up.
As the bus was pulling away, I glanced up and saw the cute jerk in the window, laughing, as he gave me a little mocking wave. I cleaned myself up the best I could and was relieved to see that I was on the same block as the gallery. Thank goodness. I quickly made my way to the entrance.
"Avery!" Celadine cried as she scurried towards me across the marble floors of the showroom. "Thank goodness you are here!" She grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the back room. The sudden movement finished me off and I threw up once more all over the showroom floor. I wanted to seriously crawl under a rock somewhere.
Celadine gasped and jumped back. "Avery, darling, what's wrong?" she asked. "You shouldn't have come if you are ill."
"I wasn't. I got sick on the bus," I managed. "I'm so sorry Celadine."
"Sweetheart, do not be sorry," she assured me. "You cannot help bodily functions." She patted me on the arm and her cool hand felt really nice. Celadine snapped her fingers and motioned to the concierge to come and take care of the mess.
"Come upstairs to the loft and get cleaned up," Celadine insisted. "I have a change of clothes there." She led the way to the back and up a set of stairs that brought us to an exquisite condo. Geez, I felt like a bum standing here in my dirty grass stained pants and puke shirt. I stood in the entryway as Celadine disappeared into the bedroom. She came back moments later with a towel, change of clothes and a toothbrush.
"Here you go darling," she said as she handed me the pile. "Bathroom’s over there."
"Thanks Celadine," I said and headed in the direction that she pointed. The bathroom was huge! Every square inch was covered in a white marble, much like the showroom downstairs, and the pedestal sink was carved from a hollowed stone. In the center of the ceiling was a gigantic shower head, so I guess you could just stand anywhere and shower, very cool.
Iron & Wine (The Iron World Series) Page 5