by R. C. Martin
Judah and I hadn’t told anyone about our decision—aside from Eddalyn. I wanted to wait until after the exhibition. I couldn’t really explain why, other than I wanted us to have a chance to sit with the knowledge ourselves for a few days. Except, as I stared down at the bird’s eye view of the gala, I felt the deep seeded truth behind why I wanted to wait. When we moved, Judah would have Eddalyn’s Interiors, but what would I have? Judah wholeheartedly believed I would have my art—I would have Theodora St. Michaels, the brand. I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe in myself as much as he did, but it wasn’t easy. In fact, it was the exact opposite.
“I sure as hell didn’t put on a dress, fix my hair and makeup, and pack up my six week old baby to come to an event—in my sister’s name—only to have her hide from me all night.”
Startled, I spun around at the sound of Harper’s voice. I gaped at her from where she stood. She looked beautiful, dressed in an emerald green wrap dress that brought out her eyes and made her postpartum curves look fabulous.
“Your boobs look great,” I muttered in greeting.
She rolled her eyes as if annoyed, but the rest of her face couldn’t conceal the happiness my compliment brought her. “Seriously, Teddy Bear, you can’t stay up here,” she said as she came to stand in front of me.
“How’d you find me?”
“Jude. He spotted you about twenty minutes ago. When he realized you weren’t going to come down on your own, he sent me up to bribe you.”
“Bribe me?” I laughed.
“You’ve sold two pieces already.”
My amusement vanished instantly. “That can’t be right,” I insisted, glancing over the banister at the crowd. Before Harper could say otherwise, I narrowed my eyes at her and inquired, “Was it Judah? Or Ben? Did mom—”
“Contrary to what your stubborn ass thinks, we aren’t your only fans. And while Ben and I agreed he needs a new piece to hang at his office, we decided not to purchase anything until right before we left. We know the photographer. If our favorite piece sells before we go, we can commission a print any time we want.”
A small smile relaxed my face, but I still felt hesitant about leaving my perch.
Reading me accurately, Harper went on to say, “That information was just need-to-know, it wasn’t my bribe.”
“Oh?”
“If you don’t come down, Jude will get all the sleeping Theo snuggles and you won’t. He’s wearing his first little suit, too. He’s so adorable, I can’t stand it.”
Instantly, the thought of my man—in a tux—holding our nephew—in his first suit—made my hands itch for my camera. Knowing I’d have to settle for the memory instead, I shook my head and turned toward the stairs.
“You guys play dirty,” I mumbled.
Harper’s laugh was a victorious one.
Chapter Fifteen
Hers
I woke the next morning, uncertain whether or not I was still dreaming or if the memories that crowded my brain were true. As I laid on my back and stared up at the ceiling, I listened to the sound of Judah while he moved about the house. I wasn’t sure what time it was, but I knew it was still early if he hadn’t yet left for work. Then again, we’d had a late night.
I clapped my hands over my face and hid my smile from no one. The sex I remembered was better than a dream, sex which I understood to be an expression of Judah’s pride—his pride in me. He’d said the words in the heat of the moment. Fuck, I’m so proud of you, he spoke into my mouth, his voice all but lost in a groan; but it wasn’t his words that I felt seep through my skin and beneath my bones until my soul was on fire—it was the look in his eyes as he worked to bring me yet another orgasm.
Those gorgeous gray irises were darker than I’d ever seen them. His gaze was as unwavering as it could be, and as his body moved with mine, I saw it. I felt it. For the first time, and for a split second, I understood what he saw in me. My talent. My gift. My artistry. I felt how much he supported me, his confidence in me, and his promise to me. In a single glance, with him inside of me, I knew the depth of his words; I saw the root of their meaning; I experienced what could never be expressed within the limitations of any language, and it rocked my world.
The exhibition was a success. I sold twenty-one of my pieces. The four that remained were requested to be put on display at a gallery in Denver that sold only black and white photography. Not only did the gallery recoup the cost of the event, but I made a hefty profit. Me. Yet, with all that behind me, the newfound confidence I felt wrapped around my heart, it came only after I saw myself reflected in my husband’s eyes; and I was determined to hold onto it. We had a new adventure ahead of us, and I had a dream to chase right alongside his.
“Are you awake?” mumbled Judah softly.
Startled, I brought my hands away from my face and clutched the sheets at my chest. When I saw him standing in the bedroom doorway, I sat up and shook my head at myself. With one hand holding the sheet over my nakedness, I used the other to rake my fingers through my still-straightened hair. My man was fully dressed, his damp hair slicked back, and his face covered in just enough stubble to make my knees weak.
“Yeah,” I managed, my voice wispy from lack of use. “I don’t know what woke me. I’m actually still kind of tired.”
Judah made his way into the room and sat beside me on the edge of the bed. “Still riding the high of last night?”
I smiled—not in memory of the exhibition, or how I spent half the night wandering around talking to people with Theo in my arms—but in remembrance of my own private after party. Abandoning the sheet, I reached for my husband’s face and brought him to me for a kiss.
“Maybe,” I whispered against his lips.
“Don’t start,” he half chuckled as he touched his forehead to mine. “I’m late as it is.”
“What time is it?”
“Almost nine.”
“Oh.” Surprised, I pulled away from him slightly. “You are late.”
He winked at me, then reached up to sweep a bit of hair behind my ear before he changed the subject. “I’m planning on meeting with Logan and calling Idris today.”
I offered him a nod, sliding my hands from his face and down along his tie. I knew, without him having to actually say the words, this meant our decision was about to become real. It also reminded me I had a promise to make good on, too.
“You’re having lunch with Geoffrey and Andrew this afternoon?”
For a moment, my lungs constricted, and the giddy feeling I’d waded through upon waking faded a little. “Yeah.”
“Call me after?”
I found my smile again at his suggestion, and I agreed with another nod and a kiss. As difficult as I imagined the conversation would be, knowing Judah understood what I might need after the fact made it a little less daunting.
“I love you.”
This time, it was he who kissed me before he replied, “Tell me again tomorrow.” He then stood and announced, “I’ve got to go. See you tonight.”
As soon as I was alone again, I plopped back onto my pillow with a sigh. It felt like my chest was a trove full of emotions. Excitement and anticipation kept fear and sadness company. If the night before was proof of anything, it was that a new chapter in my life had begun. It was impossible to ignore any longer. I didn’t believe in coincidence, either. The timing of it all—it was apparent that life was beckoning me to move on. As scary as it was, and as difficult as change would be, goodbye didn’t have to be permeant. Even more, I was stubborn in my resolve to make sure it wasn’t.
I reminded myself of this throughout the duration of the morning. It was another hour before I made myself get out of bed. After I donned a robe, I took my time in the kitchen and made some coffee. As I enjoyed my morning dose of caffeine, I stood at the kitchen island with my laptop and went through the digital images I’d begun to edit from our trip to Santa Monica. It was easy for me to find the beauty of the place—especially in the shots I’d captured at
the pier. Like the waves that splashed against the wooden beams submerged deep within the sand, my excitement seemed to rise like the tide. By the time I was finished with my coffee, I felt ready for my lunch date with my favorite artsy men.
It didn’t take me long to get ready. Wanting to keep my locks straightened for another day, I skipped over shampooing my hair, which cut a few minutes from my shower. I kept my makeup simple, with just a hint of concealer and a generous amount of mascara before I found myself in the closet. I dressed up a pair of skinny jeans with heels and an oversized, striped, button-up shirt I wore loose. My look was complete with my favorite black, leather jacket. It was noon when I climbed behind the wheel of my Mercedes, and I ignored the nervous butterflies in my belly as I drove to the gallery.
It took me a few extra minutes to find a parking spot. The weather was beautiful, and the magic of Friday had people out and about in Old Town for lunch. When I finally walked into the gallery, I looked around and felt the ghost of the previous night still lingering in the air. It amazed me how quickly the place could be transformed. In a way, it was a reminder that regardless of where my journey took me—Mountain Time Art, and the lives of those who ran it, would keep going as successfully as always. There was comfort in that.
“Oh, my gosh. Theodora St. Michaels! Can I have your autograph?” teased Ember in greeting.
“Stop,” I laughed as I made my way to the reception desk.
“Seriously, last night was awesome. I mean, I knew you were good—but you flexed last night. Also, you looked totally hot. So, maybe I really do need your autograph.”
“Thank you. That’s really nice of you to say,” I murmured, feeling suddenly bashful.
“She’s not stroking your ego,” said Geoffrey as he made his way toward us. “Though, I don’t think any amount of praise could ever make your head grow. Ember’s been going on about you all morning.”
I felt a blush color my cheeks, then laughed when I looked to Ember and found her face bright in embarrassment, as well.
“Enough about last night,” I insisted with a wave of dismissal. “I skipped breakfast. Where’s Andy?”
“Right behind me.” As soon as he came to a stop beside me, Geoffrey pressed a kiss against my temple and then shifted his attention onto Ember. “What do you want for lunch? We’ll bring it back for you.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Ember, you know he’ll badger you until you give him an answer, so you might as well think of something. We’re headed to the Mediterranean place down the street.”
I heard the sound of Andrew’s approaching footsteps as I watched Ember hesitate. She surrendered after a pointed look from Geoffrey and requested a falafel wrap before the three of us took our leave. While we walked to our destination, I managed to steer the conversation away from me as much as possible. Andrew talked about a few new connections he made the previous night. An invitation had been extended to MTA to take part in another exhibition that would be hosted in a few months.
“It’ll be like an end of summer block party type of deal, I guess,” he explained as we entered the restaurant. “I don’t know. He said he’d send along more details next week.”
Absentmindedly, I wondered where I’d be at the end of the summer. There were a lot of moving parts to Judah’s plan to relocate us. He wasn’t sure what the timeline would look like, only that he hoped to put it into motion as soon as possible.
“Freckles?” asked Geoffrey, nudging me with his elbow.
“Hmm?” I jerked my gaze up to meet his before I realized he was waiting for me to order. “Oh, sorry.” He frowned at me curiously, but I ignored his unasked question and listed the ingredients I desired in my salad. Soon, the three of us were seated as we waited for our lunch to be brought to our table.
“You seem a little distracted,” observed Geoffrey.
I blew out a sigh and looked between my friends. The two men with me were such a big part of my life. So big, in fact, I was sure I wouldn’t have become the woman I was if not for them.
“Teddy?” Andrew prompted.
Conscious of the fact that the best way to tell them my news was to just spit it out, I reached for Geoffrey’s hand and held it tightly in both of mine. He gave my fingers a squeeze, and it gave me the courage to say, “I have news. Big news.” Both men were silent as they waited for me to continue. “Judah has plans to expand Eddalyn’s Interiors. He wants to take the company outside of Colorado, and we’ve talked about it a lot over the last few weeks. I don’t know when, exactly; but knowing Jude, he won’t drag his feet. I imagine it’ll happen in the next few months.”
“What will happen?” asked Geoffrey as he gave my fingers another squeeze.
“We’re moving. To California. Los Angeles—or, at least, close by.”
“Wow,” Andrew murmured.
It was the only thing anyone had a chance to say before our lunch was delivered. After our server was gone, none of us reached for our utensils. I looked back and forth between both men, waiting anxiously for someone to say something more.
“What are you thinking?” I begged to know.
“The art scene out there—it’s so much bigger than it is here,” said Andrew. “It’s an amazing opportunity for you, Teddy. We’ll miss the hell out of you, though.”
“I’ll miss you, too.”
It felt good to hear Andrew speak of his support, but my heart felt heavy at the weight of Geoffrey’s silence. I glanced down at our joined hands for a second, wholly aware that whatever I found in those piercing blue eyes of his had the power to rip me apart. When I finally brought my eyes to meet his, my breath caught in my throat. He looked like he was barely keeping it together.
“I remember when I first met you,” he said, his voice low and strained. He forced a smile and sniffed. “I knew you had wings. I knew one day you’d fly. I guess I should have known you’d one day fly away from me.”
“Geoff,” I managed on a whisper as my eyes welled up with tears. “You know I love you. You’re my best friend, and—”
“Stop, baby girl. You don’t have to apologize. It’s your time to soar, and I’m so damn proud of you.”
I burst into tears then. Dropping my forehead to his shoulder, I covered my mouth with my hand in an attempt to mute my cry. He ran his hand over my hair and held the back of my neck as I tried to calm down.
“You know, no matter where you are in the world, you’ll never be rid of me,” he muttered into my ear.
Lifting my head with a sniffle, I pecked my lips against his and promised, “Me, either.”
“Okay, then. No more tears. Let’s eat.”
Chapter Sixteen
His
I took up my tablet and Aunt Eddalyn’s old binder of expansion plans—which I’d dissected and reworked in the time they’d been in my possession—and started toward one of the vacant huddle rooms. Logan intercepted me as I stepped out of my office, headed for the same destination.
“Hey. How’d the rest of last night, go?” she asked, completely unsuspecting of the topic of our upcoming meeting. “I’m sorry Rome and I couldn’t stay longer. I don’t do well on my feet for long right now—but it seemed like there was a great turn out.”
“There was,” I confirmed.
The reputation the gallery built over the previous three years served Teddy well. That, along with the quiet buzz which had started to hum around her name, resulted in a fantastic amount of traffic in and out the door. We’d yet to sit down and crunch the numbers, but all her fears about the event being a bust were put to shame. I’d never been more proud of someone in all my life. Though—I had no intention of saying as much to Logan.
“She did well,” was all I said as I pulled open the door to the huddle room.
Not fazed by my nonchalant answer, Logan replied, “Good. She had some beautiful prints. I’d be shocked to hear anything different.”
“You’re talking about my brilliant niece, I assume?” piped in Edda
lyn as she entered behind us.
“Yeah. I can’t believe I didn’t see you last night.” With a shake of her head and a flippant wave of her hand, Logan mumbled, “Pregnancy brain. I was clearly distracted.”
“Speaking of distractions—as much as we can discuss last evening and my wife, that’s not what this meeting is about,” I interjected.
“Right,” said Logan as she powered on her tablet. “Actually, I didn’t see an agenda for this meeting. I’m assuming, given that you two are here, this is about my projects when I’m out on maternity leave.”
Reaching over to pat Logan’s hand, Aunt Eddalyn smiled slyly and murmured, “Not quiet, dear.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“Logan, I wanted to discuss with you an official offer to join me as a senior project manager at our soon-to-be newly opened Los Angeles branch of Eddalyn’s Interiors.”
Both Aunt Eddalyn and I watched as Logan’s mouth fell open. A laugh bubbled out of her before she grinned at me. “No more hypotheticals?”
“On the contrary. It’ll be no small undertaking. Of course, you’ll report to me, and we’ll be working closely together as we build out our team. Should he accept his offer, Idris will report to you. There’s no official timeline—but I’ve already started the hunt for an office space. Best case scenario, we’re ready to open not long after you return from maternity leave.”
“Should you decide to accept,” added Eddalyn.
“I do,” she declared.
A little taken aback, I didn’t respond right away. Rather, I exchanged a quick glance with my aunt before I replied, “I assumed you’d want to discuss this with Roman. You don’t have to answer right away.”