Blake opened the door to the attic and barged in. "Oh, my God, it's so perfect that you're up here right now! Look, look at this." She thrust the magazine in her hands towards Maisie.
Curious, and smiling over Blake's obvious excitement, she took the magazine that was folded open to a specific article, Foster/White Gallery Call for Artist Submissions. Reading on, she realized that one of the local galleries in the cities was opening its doors to artists to submit their work for a chance to be featured in a local talent showcase in their gallery. Her heartbeat sped up in her chest and goosebumps raised on her arms. This was it, this was the type of opportunity she'd always dreamed of, the chance to really let the world see her art, instead of hiding it away in the attic. But could she do it? Could she really find the courage to share her most prized possessions with the whole world? And if she was rejected, would she ever recover?
"Hello! Say something! Isn't this amazing?" Blake practically stomped her foot at being ignored.
"It is. It really, really is. But, Blake, I don't know if I can do this. I've never shared my work with anyone. I don't even know if its good enough to be featured in a showcase."
"Are you kidding me right now?" Blake exclaimed. She peered behind Maisie's shoulder at the easel. "This." She stabbed her finger in the direction of the painting. "You're going to finish this one and enter it. It's stunning, Maisie."
Maisie read over the rules a few more times to get a better idea of what exactly she would have to do to be entered. Apparently, all they needed was for her to fill out a form and bring it down to the gallery and drop it off. They would then contact with her with a time to drop off her painting, and if they selected it for the showcase, someone would be in touch.
"I don't know. I mean, are you sure I should do this?"
"Yes. Absolutely without a doubt. Maisie, you've got to start having some confidence in yourself, in the gifts that you have. Don't sell yourself so short all the time. Do you think I could paint something as beautiful as this?" She gestured towards the easel again. "Hell no. The most I could ever draw was stick figures. You're special, and you're doing yourself and the rest of the world a disservice by not sharing this talent you've been given. If you ask me, its pretty selfish of you to hide such beautiful things away." Blake crossed her arms across her chest and cocked an eyebrow, daring Maisie to disagree with her.
She stared at her sister, unsure of what to say. She'd never looked at it that way, and although she knew on some level that Blake was trying to manipulate her into doing what she wanted, there was also truth to what she said. But even if Blake was right, that didn't mean that Maisie would be able to find the courage to let her guard down and open herself up enough to have her work be left up for interpretation and ridicule. After several moments of fighting an internal war, she decided that filling out the form and dropping it off couldn't hurt anything. Maybe she wouldn't hear back from them and then it would take the choice out of her hands. Yes, that was the coward's way out, but she'd learned from a young age that protecting the most private parts of herself was the only way to survive.
"Alright, alright. I'll sign up and see what happens," she gave in, laughing when Blake let out a squeal of delight and embraced her.
"You aren't going to regret this, Maisie, you'll see. This is going to be the start of something amazing for you. Come on, get your purse and let's go." Blake headed for the door.
"Wait, now? You want me to do this now?" Maisie panicked as she looked at her watch and calculated how much time she had until Brant got home. If they hurried, she had a little over an hour before she needed to be back in the house to have enough time to make dinner.
"You're damn right we're going now; this way you won't be able to chicken out when I'm not here." Frowning, as that thought had absolutely crossed her mind, Maisie gave up and followed her sister down the stairs, calling out to her that she'd meet her in the kitchen after she'd changed her clothes. In her ensuite bathroom, she tugged the band out from her ponytail and let her waist-length, light brown hair fall around her shoulders. Giving it a quick brush, it fell in loose waves around her shoulders. Her brown eyes held an excitement she hadn't seen in quite some time as she secretly hoped that her work would be chosen for the showcase. Maybe that would finally bring her and Brant closer together, if he saw that she was actually worth something and could accomplish her goals if she put her mind to it.
Peeling off her smock, she quickly changed into a black jersey-knit dress and tugged on a pair of comfortable black boots. Grabbing her purse, she was ready to take the first step in what would hopefully be her shot at achieving her dreams.
Sipping on her caramel latte in Coffee Time with her sister, Maisie tried hard to commit the feeling of euphoria she was riding on to memory. After meeting with a lovely receptionist at the art gallery, and handing in her application, they'd decided to walk the few short blocks to Maisie's work to grab a quick cup of coffee before she had to get back home.
"So I told him, listen, dude. You gotta realize, I'm not looking to settle down, so if you can't handle that you're not the only man I'm talking to right now, its best if you just move along, buddy." Blake shook her head, as if she was astonished that a member of the male species might want to have an exclusive relationship.
"Well, you are going to have to settle down sometime, Blake. Although, I do envy you your courage to play the field they way you do," Maisie admitted.
"I still have my frogs I need to kiss before I'm ready for that. And speaking of kissing..." her voice trailed off as her eyes widened at something over Maisie's shoulder. Curious, she turned in her seat to see what had come through the door that was causing that reaction in her sister. Soon, she was mirroring Blake's expression as she spotted Ridge in line beside a man she'd never seen before. He usually came in alone. The two were similar in height and build and studying them further, she'd guess they were brothers or at least somehow related.
"Daaaamn, that man is fine! I take it back, I'm ready to settle down," Blake said in a loud whisper. Maisie kicked her under the table, her face burning in mortification. She peeked back over her shoulder, praying that they hadn't been overheard. No such luck, Ridge was staring right at her and the stranger beside him had his gaze locked on her sister. She felt a momentary sense of relief that Blake hadn't been talking about Ridge, as even she could see the instant sparks between Ridge's friend and her sister.
The two men got their coffees from Greer, who was not so subtly winking at her from behind the counter and mouthing the words, "talk to him!" while pointing at Ridge. Maisie had never wanted to be anywhere else in the world more than she did right then. Between Greer and her sister, the level of embarrassment was through the roof. Ridge must have felt obligated to say hello to her, as the two men headed their way instead of retreating out the door.
"Hey, Maisie, not working today I assume?" Ridge greeted her. Maisie swore if Blake's eyes bugged out any further in her head, they'd be rolling across the floor.
"Um no, I had the day off. I'll be back tomorrow," she explained. Blake kicked her in the shin in a procession of three swift blows, obviously wanting an introduction and not having the patience to wait for it. "This is my sister, Blake," she complied, glaring at her.
"Sister? Well, its nice to meet you. This is my brother, Ramsey." His brother stepped forward and shook both their hands, although he barely spared Maisie a glance. His full attention was on Blake, and she was reciprocating by staring right back at him.
"So, the coffee really is that good in this place that you can't stay away on your days off, huh?" Ramsey asked her, although if the question hadn't been about her work, she would never have known he was talking to her as he and Blake were locked in a stare-down.
She laughed. "Yeah, its pretty good. And thank God for that or I might be out of a job," she joked. Ridge grinned at her and leaned casually on the window. Ramsey pulled up a chair and in seconds he and Blake were lost in conversation, completely ignoring the two of them.
"I didn't know you had a brother," Maisie commented. Ridge raised his eyebrows at her and she immediately cast her gaze down at his shoes. What a stupid thing to say. Of course she hadn't known, she barely knew the man.
"I didn't know you had a sister," he teased. He used the tip of his index finger to raise her chin, looking deep into her eyes when she obeyed his silent command. Something passed between them in that moment, an electric charge that she couldn't explain. They had a connection unlike anything she'd ever felt before, she was drawn to him in so many ways. All she wanted to do was fall forward into his arms, lay her head on his chest and seek comfort that she instinctively knew only he could offer. But that could never happen. She wasn't available, and the more she harbored these thoughts for another man, the worse off things were going to get for her.
Checking her watch, she saw that she only had two hours before Brant would be home from work. She needed to get dinner started and quick if she wanted to have it ready when he walked in the door. There was no other alternative, she had to get home. Dragging her eyes from Ridge, she tried to get Blake's attention.
"Blake, I need to go, can you drive me home, please?" They still had a ten-minute walk back to the gallery to pick up Blake's car.
"Yeah, in a minute," Blake answered distractedly, not turning away from Ramsey. Maisie shifted uncomfortably in her seat as panic began to crawl up her back. She'd have to grab an Uber, waiting around for Blake to finish up wasn't an option.
She pulled out her phone and opened the Uber app and was about to order her car when Ridge chimed in. "Look, if you need a ride, I can take you. My truck is just around the corner." he offered. She looked up at him in surprise, unsure of what to say. Saving the money would be great as she wouldn't have to explain the charges later to Brant, but did she really want to be alone with him in close quarters?
"Um, you don't have to do that. I don't want to be a bother," she replied, still not sure what she wanted to do.
"Honestly, its fine. We were gonna take the rest of the day off anyways, and you'd be saving me from having to sit here and witness an episode of The Bachelor," he told her, rolling his eyes.
Left with no choice, Maisie agreed and after saying goodbye to her sister and Ramsey and waving at Greer who was beaming at her, the two left the coffee shop. They walked along in awkward silence for a few minutes before Maisie spoke.
"I'll give you gas money. I'm so sorry to put you out like this. I can just call an Uber right now, and then you won't have to worry about taking me," she babbled.
"Stop. I told you, I don't mind and its no trouble at all, so stop worrying about it." Shutting her mouth, Maisie obeyed and again silence fell between them.
They reached a large black, Chevy Silverado on raised wheels. Seeing the height, it was Maisie's turn for her eyes to bug out of her head. There was no way she'd be able to get up there. The ledge to step up into the truck was taller than her. Ridge unlocked it with his keypad and before she knew what was happening, the door was open and his hands were on her waist, lifting her up and into the passenger seat. Her whole body went tense at the contact and she was embarrassed that she jumped more than a little. But his hands were gentle, yet firm. Her skin warmed where he touched her and a feeling of need grew in her belly. If he was that gentle and caring with her when helping her into a vehicle, what would he be like as a lover? Shaking her head, she cleared the fog and snapped her seatbelt into place, the click giving her the jolt she needed to snap out of her ridiculous fantasies.
Ridge closed her door and in seconds was sliding into the driver's seat. He started the car and then looked at her expectantly. "What?" she asked, confused as to why he was looking at her that way. Was he feeling the same way she was? What did he want her to say? Let's forget about my boyfriend and you can take me home? Wasn't going to happen, she wasn't that kind of girl.
"I need an address..."
"Oh." She was an idiot. "I live on Peters Street. If you go down here—"
"I know where it is," he interrupted and started to drive. Maisie fidgeted in her seat. While it was very kind of him to offer her a ride, she really should have taken the Uber and just risked the consequences with Brant finding out about the art gallery before she was ready to tell him.
"So my brother and your sister seem to have hit it off," Ridge commented, in an effort to break the uncomfortable silence.
"Yeah, they really did. Is he a good guy? I don't mean any offense by that," she added quickly.
Ridge chuckled at the look of horror that had crossed her face when she realized how insulting her words were. "He's a really good guy. A bit of a pain in my ass, but that's to be expected. We work together. Private investigations," he explained.
"Really? So do you like go on stakeouts and things like that?" she asked, intrigued.
He chuckled. "Something like that. Mostly its a lot of computer work. We make a good team though, Ramsey is an ex-cop and I'm pretty good behind the scenes so it's a great partnership."
"Sounds like you really enjoy it. Must be really nice to go to work everyday doing something that you love," her tone was wistful, and had Ridge taking her eyes from the road to chance a glance at her.
"I'm guessing that being a barista isn't your dream job?" There was no censorship in his voice, just genuine interest. It had been so long since anyone outside of her family had actually cared enough to ask her what her dreams were, that for a moment, she didn't know how to answer. She wanted to tell him everything, her dream of being a full-time painter, of teaching photography, of pushing herself to excel as an artist.
"No, I have other dreams." Was all she said, too afraid to share anything more than that. When Ridge pulled onto her street, she told him her house number and they rolled to a stop at the end of her driveway a few minutes later. Thankful that Brant's truck wasn't in the driveway, she faced Ridge.
"Thank you so much, I really appreciate the ride." she told him and opening the door, hopped down before he could come around to help her. The drop was a lot more than she expected, and pain radiated up her injured leg, that had just begun to finally feel a little better. Wincing, she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and then turned to close the truck door. Ridge was staring down at her, his confusion at her actions evident.
He didn't push though, and instead slipped a pair of white sunglasses over his eyes. "See you soon, Maisie." She waved and then closed the door. As she walked up the driveway, she couldn't help but feel like his parting words were more a promise than a farewell.
1999
Graham Jackson was the most handsome boy Maisie had ever seen. She'd had a crush on him for as long as she could remember. They were in the same grade, but he didn't even know she existed on same planet as him, let alone had feelings for him. It all began one wet, rainy day when she was walking to school. She was in such a rush as she didn't want to be late for her first class, that she didn't notice how slick and slippery the sidewalks had become. When she took the corner too fast, her footing went out from under her and she went down, hard. Only she didn't, strong arms caught her and kept her from falling headfirst into a large puddle.
Catching her breath, she looked up into a pair of green eyes twinkling with amusement over her plight.
"Oh, my God, I'm so embarrassed. Thank you," she rushed out, pulling back out of his arms. He gave her forearm a gentle squeeze, which had the butterflies in her stomach dancing a furious beat, and then released her.
"No problem. Didn't want to see you get hurt," he replied and started to move past her. She opened her mouth to say something more, to make a joke, to ask him his favorite color, something to keep him from leaving so suddenly.
He wasn't very tall, maybe five foot ten, with sandy blonde hair to match his green eyes that he styled up in a kick at the front with hair gel. His build was lean from playing basketball, she knew he wasn't the tallest boy on the team, but had heard the rumors that he was still one of their best players.
"Thank you," she ca
lled out lamely, wishing she was brave enough to strike up a conversation. Graham turned back and the heart-stopping grin he flashed her had her sixteen-year-old heart falling, splashing at his feet.
Since that day, her crush on him had multiplied. When she passed him in the hall, her face would turn beet red and she'd have to look away to avoid any embarrassment. The only person she'd confided in about her feelings for him was her sister, Blake.
"I remember Graham. Nice kid. Maisie, just ask him out for ice cream or something! You've got to put yourself out there more. Don't be afraid to join in. You're denying everyone the chance to get to know you, and I happen to know that you're a pretty amazing person to be around," Blake encouraged her.
While she didn't fully believe Blake's words, she couldn't deny that she wanted to try. She wanted to see if she could somehow build a friendship with Graham, or maybe more. Her heart pitter-pattered in her chest at the thought, but she gathered her resolve and forced herself to agree that the next time an opportunity came around, she was going to go for it.
By a twist of fate, her chance came a few days after her conversation with Blake. A clutz by nature, Maisie was no stranger to having stains on her clothes, holes in her pants or bruises from colliding with objects. Climbing the stairs to her math class one afternoon, she watched in dismay as her pink pencil case slipped from her fingers. It crashed onto the tiled steps, and by some misfortune, the zipper split open, the contents exploding everywhere. Her pencil crayons, erasers and pens littered the hallway from one flight to the next. Giggles echoed around her as she hastily began picking her things up as fast as she could. Someone knelt down beside her and handed her the broken case, a handful of pencil crayons stuffed inside.
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