‘You all right, darling?’
She turned back towards him, shaking her head as much in befuddlement as anything. ‘I’m fine, thanks. I just thought I saw someone I recognised.’
Ernesto and Eleanor returned to their deliberations and Penny did her best to pull herself together. She had been sitting down this time and it was just as well. Her knees felt like they belonged to somebody else. Under other circumstances – assuming, of course, that she could haul herself to her feet – she would have run out in pursuit. Given that she was in the middle of an interview that might just result in her making the breakthrough she had so long desired, she knew she didn’t dare leave, so she remained seated and tried hard to dismiss the image. It wasn’t easy. Had she seen what she thought she had seen? Was that really the same man or was this, once more, just a trick of her imagination?
Finally, she was sent off for half an hour while Nesto and Eleanor discussed her work. The first thing she did when she got out of the door of the gallery was to scour Piccadilly for any sign of the tall man but, needless to say, without success. He was long gone, assuming, of course, that he existed in the first place. Shaking her head ruefully, she went along the road to the JC.
‘Morning, Penny. I didn’t think you were on till this afternoon.’ Freddie the doorman and she were best buddies by now, so she stopped to chat, telling him about her hopes for the gallery. He was impressed. ‘That’s awesome. You’ll still remember me when you’re rich and famous now, won’t you?’
Penny gave him a grin, assured him that fame, if it ever came, wouldn’t change her, and went inside. She sat down and ordered a coffee, her head still spinning, partly as her long-repressed hopes for the future bubbled to the surface and partly as a result of having seen the man her brain had taken to calling the pirate once more, if that was indeed what had happened. Could it be that her brain was generating these tantalising images of an ideal man to compensate for the shabby treatment she had received at Rick’s hands? Anyway, she told herself, she had Owen now, so why should she need some fantasy man? At least the introspection this caused prevented her from obsessing too much about what Ernesto and Eleanor might be deciding about her paintings. She made her cappuccino last as long as possible, constantly glancing at her watch until the thirty minutes had elapsed.
When she returned to the gallery, her heart fluttering with anxiety, she was greeted by two smiling faces. ‘Congratulations, Penny. Eleanor and I are both of the same mind. We love your work. How would you like to have a one woman show here in early January?’
‘Really?’ Penny could hardly believe her ears. ‘An exhibition of just my work?’
Ernesto nodded. ‘That’s right. Can I take it that you accept?’
Penny had no hesitation at all. ‘Of course, thank you, thank you so much.’
‘We’ll see how your landscapes go this time and if they do well, we might think about another show in the summer, maybe of your abstracts next time?’
Penny could hardly believe her ears. In a daze, she sat down with him and signed all manner of forms, including an agreement about prices and commission. He explained this to her. ‘I’d like to set the prices myself. I know what sells and at what price. We’ll split the proceeds fifty-fifty.’
Penny had already been warned that galleries took exorbitant commissions for sales of paintings, and fifty-fifty was actually better than she had been expecting. As he then went on to name the sort of figures he thought each painting was worth, her knees turned to jelly once again and she had to sit down. Up until now, she had only ever sold any of her paintings for a few hundred pounds each. He was now talking in thousands.
When Penny emerged, shell-shocked, she made her way back to the café and ordered a glass of prosecco. She sat there, stunned, unsure whether she was going to laugh or cry. As it turned out, she cried. She cried for a full minute, staring into her glass, tears of relief and joy streaming down her cheeks.
‘Penny, what’s the matter?’
She looked up, wiping her eyes. It was Caroline and she looked concerned. She took a seat opposite Penny who, by this time, had located a tissue and was wiping her eyes. Finally she blew her nose and then looked up.
‘It’s the gallery. They’ve said yes to my paintings and they’re giving me a solo exhibition.’
‘Penny, that’s amazing!’ Caroline reached over and squeezed her hands. ‘I’m so pleased for you. I had a hunch I’d find you here, seeing as the gallery’s just down the road.’
Penny ordered more prosecco and they chatted. She didn’t mention the man with the black beard, preferring to keep him to herself until she had had time to figure things out, and just talked about her art. Caroline asked her what she was going to do next.
‘Keep painting, I suppose. If by any chance I start selling some of my work, I’m going to need more.’ Then she remembered the Venice conference, scheduled to take place in only a few weeks’ time, and the weekend in Paris coming up before it. She looked up from her glass. ‘But I’m in no rush for the moment. I think I’ll take it easy until after Christmas.’
‘That sounds like a great idea. You deserve a bit of a break after all this hard work.’
‘But, first, we need to celebrate. How would you feel about coming out for a few drinks tonight? I’ll ring round my friends and see if we can turn it into a real party.’
‘Just try and stop me.’
* * *
In the end, there were over twenty people at the pub that night. Among them were a number of fellow artists, as well as a few old friends, mainly from her time at university, who lived in or near London, Jimmy from the café, Caroline and, of course, Owen. It was a pity she hadn’t been able to invite Olivia but, of course, the two of them couldn’t be seen together in public. Penny had warned Caroline to dress down for the occasion and she appeared in jeans, blending in well. To Penny’s surprise and slight embarrassment, seeing as Owen was there, albeit a little distance away, talking to one of the other artists, they were joined partway through the evening by Sam, her former boyfriend prior to Rick. She had no idea how he had heard the news, but somehow he had got wind of her success. Penny, after her initial surprise at seeing him, almost laughed out loud at the expression on his face when he saw her. She had also chosen just jeans and a plain top, but there was no disguising her new hair, nails and gleaming white teeth. He almost choked on his drink.
‘Penny, hi. Congratulations. I heard the news… Wow, you’re looking… erm… great. Yes, great.’
Doing her best to conceal her mirth, she gave him a hug. They had had an on and off affair over a couple of years and, although it had gradually fizzled out, she still bumped into him from time to time and still liked him. But she had never seen him as bamboozled as this before, ever. She gave him a smile. ‘Hi, Sam. How’s it going?’
‘I’m fine, thanks. Still selling houses to foreign investors, seeing as they’re the only people who can afford to buy in London these days. But, how come you’re looking so… gorgeous?’
Penny trotted out the same story of her Auntie Flo’s lottery win and he appeared to accept it. He disappeared off to the bar, returning with a bottle of prosecco and a handful of glasses. He filled a large glass and gave it to her, before splashing wine into half a dozen other people’s glasses, among them Caroline and Jimmy. These two had struck up an unlikely friendship and were deep in conversation about the latest fashion trends in London this autumn. From what Penny could hear, Jimmy was much more knowledgeable than Caroline. She and Sam chatted for a while and she rather got the impression her makeover had stirred some renewed interest on his part. She was rather flattered, but felt no urge to resurrect the relationship with him, now that she had Owen. Partway through their conversation, Owen himself reappeared and Sam, unusually perceptively, soon took the hint and departed.
Owen took her to one side towards the end of the evening. She gave him a smile and a big kiss. He was a very good-looking man, and she was feeling ever more attracted to
him. If they hadn’t been in a crowded place with a load of other people around them she would have done more than kiss him. From the look on his face, he felt the same way and, tonight, he had a positive suggestion.
‘How would you feel about coming away with me for a weekend?’
‘Owen, really!’ She feigned outrage. ‘Are you proposing we go on a dirty weekend together?’
He grinned and nodded. ‘Well, it can be as dirty or clean as you want to make it.’
She kissed him again. ‘Very dirty, please. Where were you thinking of going?’
‘Anywhere with a nice big bed. How about Oxford?’
‘The big bed sounds very good. Wherever you like. And when?’
‘How about next weekend?’
‘That sounds marvellous.’ She reached up and kissed him again, surreptitiously running her fingers across his thigh as she did so. Then she suddenly remembered. ‘Oh, bugger it, no.’
He drew back, an expression of surprise on his face. ‘No?’
Penny shook her head in frustration. Of course, this coming weekend she had to be in Paris for the conference. The problem she now had was to come up with a convincing story for Owen, to explain why she couldn’t join him for their long-awaited dirty weekend without breaking her oath of secrecy. So far she had easily explained away her occasional absences by inventing relatives and friends she had to visit. This time all she could think of was her parents. In fact, when she had phoned them at lunchtime to give them her good news, they had asked her to come down to Devon at the weekend to celebrate, but, of course, she had had to say no. Now, she used them as her alibi, secretly sorry she couldn’t be open with Owen about her plans.
‘Bugger it, Owen, I’d completely forgotten. I’ve promised to take the train down to Devon to see my mum and dad this weekend. Could we make it the weekend after?’
‘Of course. Pencil me into your busy schedule.’
‘It’s a date. And, Owen?’ She kissed him again. ‘I can hardly wait.’
By the end of the evening, Penny was feeling quite weary and fairly drunk. Caroline was little better so they called a cab to get the two of them home. When they got there, Caroline made two mugs of tea and sat down with Penny at the kitchen table.
‘Thanks, Caroline.’ Penny had almost been nodding off.
‘You’re welcome. I’ve been dying for a cup of tea for an hour now. Well, you famous artist, you, how does it feel?’
Penny grinned at her. ‘It feels pretty damn good. I’ll tell Olivia when I next see her. I’m sure she’ll be pleased for me.’
‘I know she will. I must say your Owen’s a hunk. I rather like the look of him. Why haven’t you brought him round here before? Are you afraid I’ll steal him off you?’
‘I thought I’d wait until you’re set up with Nick before I start bringing men home.’ She waved away Caroline’s protestations. ‘To be honest, if I got him anywhere near my bedroom I think I’d probably jump on him and I wouldn’t want you to feel embarrassed.’
‘It’s your room and half the house is yours. You do whatever you like with whoever you like.’
‘Well, we’ve got a weekend away planned for the end of next week so I’ll be fine to hold on until then.’
‘As you wish. Anyway, I liked your other friends. Jimmy’s the chap who almost outed you at the drinks party, isn’t he?’ Penny nodded. ‘He’s such a sweetie. He told me he’s trying to get into women’s fashion.’
Penny nodded again and grinned. ‘Designing, rather than wearing, although come to think of it…’ She sipped her tea. ‘He’s lovely, and he’s a bright boy. You can talk to him about anything and he’s always so supportive. Far more so than any boyfriend I’ve ever had.’
‘Not Owen?’
Penny had to think about that one for a moment. ‘I’m sure he’d be good. The problem is that I’m sort of living a double life at the moment because of the whole Olivia thing, and it feels odd having to keep secrets from him. As a result we haven’t really talked about personal stuff very much.’
‘And that tall boy with the broad shoulders, he was one of your exes?’
‘Sam? Yes, we went out for a good long time, but it wasn’t going anywhere.’ She grinned again. ‘He’s very nice and he’s really rather fun to be with in bed, but it wasn’t much more than a physical thing really.’
‘So, no coup de foudre yet? No love at first sight?’
Penny took a long time making up her mind how to reply. In the end, the alcohol she had consumed gave her the courage to contemplate owning up to Caroline about her pirate man with the dark hair and the beard. ‘Um, I don’t know. Maybe, possibly.’
‘Maybe, possibly? I’m not totally sure that qualifies. Who was the lucky man? Your ex in Australia?’
Penny shook her head quickly. ‘No, definitely not Rick.’
‘Well who, then? The new man, Owen?’
Penny shook her head again. ‘Nope, not him either, although I do find myself liking him more and more. Anyway, to be honest, I’m not so sure that love at first sight’s really a thing. How can you see somebody once and fall in love with them without getting to know them? Do you believe in it? Is that how it was for you and Nick?’
She saw Caroline blush. ‘I don’t know how it was for him, but I’m pretty sure that’s how it was for me. You just know, somehow.’
‘What, literally the very first time you saw him, you knew he was the one? Just like that?
Caroline nodded more firmly. ‘Yes, just like that. And everything I’ve learnt about him since then has just confirmed my first impression.’
‘I envy you that, Caroline. A lot. Like I say, I love Owen to bits, but I can’t really say that I had that kind of revelation with him from the first. Who knows? Maybe with me and him it’s a slow burn thing and it’ll last longer as a result. No, the only definite love at first sight I’ve had so far in my life was when dad brought a puppy home when I was little. I loved that dog instantly and for all his life.’ She closed her eyes and remembered Tom the Labrador who had been her constant companion as she grew up, back home in Devon. ‘Pure, simple, uncomplicated love, that’s what I got from Tommy.’
‘So who were you talking about before, when you said maybe, possibly?’
Penny took a deep breath and launched into an account of her two sightings of the man with the beard. Caroline listened, fascinated, right through to the end.
‘And you say you saw him again just this morning?’
Penny nodded. ‘Like I say, it was just a fleeting glance and then he was gone. I couldn’t get up to chase after him, so I’ve lost him again – always assuming that I didn’t just dream him twice.’
‘Have you ever had that sort of experience before? You know, hallucinating?’ Penny shook her head. ‘Did you have an imaginary friend as a child?’
‘No, not at all. I was a perfectly boring little girl and the only hallucinations I’ve had were at university when some boys got hold of some wacky mushrooms. I can remember hallucinating a bit before I spent the rest of the night in the toilet.’
‘Well, in that case, Penny, I think you’ve got to accept the fact that this chap exists. He’s real. You really did see him.’
Penny nodded, her eyes on the remains of the tea in her mug. ‘Yes, I’d pretty much come round to that conclusion too.’
‘And the effect he had upon you was the same on both occasions?’
‘I’ve never been struck by lightning, but there’s no disguising the fact that seeing him had a weird effect on me. I went quite weak at the knees.’ She looked up from her mug and across at Caroline. ‘Surely that sort of thing only happens in books and movies.’
‘Don’t you believe it. I reckon you’ve been stricken.’ Caroline was grinning at her, but Penny was far from cheerful.
‘All right then, assuming, just for a moment, that you’re right and what I suffered was some sort of love at first sight thing, where does that leave me now? If that was the man of my dreams, that means I’ve
loved and lost all in one go. I saw him, I fell in love, and now he’s gone. I haven’t a clue who he is or where he lives. In all probability I’ll never see him again. Are you telling me that I’ve just fallen in love and straight out of it again in the space of a few seconds?’
‘Twice.’ Caroline was still grinning.
‘Twice…’ Penny shook her head in disbelief. ‘And that’s that. So, I’ve just got to accept that for the rest of my life I’m going to be looking back on what happened in the space of just a handful of seconds, knowing that this was the love of my life?’ She caught Caroline’s eye. ‘It’s going to drive me barmy.’
‘I wouldn’t worry about it, Penny. You saw him once. You thought that was that. Then, out of the blue this morning, you saw him again. If it can happen twice, it can happen three times. Just you wait. And next time you see him, no matter where you are or what you’re doing, grab hold of him and never let him go.’
Penny dreamt about Venice again that night. No doubt fuelled by all the wine she had drunk, it turned into a pretty fiery erotic dream involving a big bed in a huge room overlooking the Grand Canal and a tall man with a mass of dark hair. Frustratingly, when she woke up in the morning, although she could remember a worrying amount of close detail of her enthusiastic partner’s anatomy, the one thing that still escaped her was his face.
* * *
On Wednesday morning Penny went round to the house in Notting Hill for her first cookery session with Olivia. Caroline was already there and she let Penny in. As usual, the Labrador was on hand to give her an enthusiastic welcome.
Dreaming of Venice Page 11