by Neil Crenner
didn't enjoy himself in a disco crowed and tonight would be less hectic.
After all, Trevor was a new artist; he couldn't know that many people. They drove up to the front of the gallery and it wasn't busy yet, good sign, for him. He parked on the street up a bit. He didn't plan to stay that long.
The air was warmer tonight, not much, but the chill in the air was gone. They walked to the gallery and entered by pulling on this frosted glass door. As soon as Reason did this, a gush of noise came bellowing out. It sounded like a disco. They went inside and Trevor was standing near the entrance, dressed in all black, wearing sunglasses. He turned and faced them in a whirl.
"Howdy boys, welcome to my first showing. So glad you can come."
"Everyone and your funny uncle is here," Reason quipped back. He felt hurt by this, by the fact that Trevor didn't acknowledge him, or recognized him. He wanted to leave right then. How dare he not acknowledge me! I saved his life.
The music was blaring some instrumental disco with orchestrations in the background. It didn't have a big bass sound, so the room wasn't shaking. Reason leaned over and pulled Trevor close to him.
"Trevor, you don't recognize me?"
Trevor looked up at Reason, he lent close to his ear and said, "yes, but I am keeping that quiet. I will tell you later what I mean." Then he pulled back and put out his hand to shake Reasons, then Didier's hand. "Hello, so nice of you to come."
"Oh not at all, I'm with Reason." Reason was so proud that he had such a handsome boyfriend. He smiled over at Didier and winked at him.
"Well get some champagne and look around, be one of the crowd, you might find something you like." Trevor was almost shouting as he told them this.
"Let's go see this boy's work." They headed into the crowd which was mostly in the center of the gallery, they moved to the outside of the crowd and strolled around slowly looking at each piece. The music was turned down after a few minutes.
"Boy, I am so glad they turned it down. I just was having a hard time enjoying myself."
"I know it was a bit much," Didier agreed. "I like his work, it's not too abstract. It has a warm feeling to it."
"Well I asked him to do this work, he brought a piece to my gallery he did a few months back and I told him to do several of these and he'd have a show. I knew he was a savant."
"A savant, you knew he was one?"
"I did."
"You didn't mention that to me."
"I just let it slide."
"So this was your idea then."
"Yes, yes it was and he did an absolutely fabulous job too. They have a slightly different style than the one I saw. I gave him some of the negatives of the lighthouse that I had."
"You did, why?"
"Well I wanted him to make something out of it." They walked around the gallery and didn't see any lighthouse. "I will ask him about it later."
"Oh look at this one, it looks like the sound of the atom splitting." The place was getting more crowded with young people, most of who were dressed in black. They couldn't see Trevor anywhere around. While staring around, Reason noticed this nice looking man talking with a woman. He caught his eye for a moment.
The man had dark hair, slicked back, broad shoulders, sporting a goatee and wearing a mock turtleneck. A suave Don Juan, he looked very happy with whom he was chatting with, a women about the same age, brown hair, shoulder length, dark eyes and a slender face. Reason still didn't see Trevor, so he looked over again at the couple; they had walked off out of sight. Just then Joe Handel popped out of the crowd, David in tow.
"Hey Reason," Joe was waving and smiling, walking towards them.
"Joe it's so nice to see you again," Reason gave him a hug, "And David, it's so nice to see you as well."
"Likewise Reason."
"I want you to meet my boyfriend, Didier Gauthier. This is Joe Handel and David."
Didier extended his hand and shook both of theirs. Joe smiled at Reason and mouthed, "He's gorgeous."
Reason giggled and mouthed back, "He is."
After the introductions, Reason asked, "So who are all these people anyway?"
"I don't know, but I think most of them come to all of these just for fun."
David smirked and said, "For the free champagne is my guess." Joe frowned at him. "I don't do the invites, I have an assistant who takes care of that."
"Yes, well it is a big crowd. I love Trevor's work, he has matured."
"You said it wasn't your kind of work," Joe quipped.
"I just knew he would do so much better here at your place," Reason gave a big smile.
"You are absolutely right. Cheers!" They all clinked their champagne flutes at once and took a swig.
"So did you see the lighthouse one?" Joe asked Reason.
"No, we didn't see it, where is it?"
"Well, as soon as we opened this couple came in and were quickly walking through and looking at all the pieces and as soon as they saw the lighthouse they immediately want to buy it. "
"Trevor sold it?"
"No, no he didn't. He told them that that particular piece was not for sale. Well they kept insisting on buying it and Trevor finally just had it taking down and put in the back. That couple would not take no for an answer."
"Oh really. That is interesting."
"I wonder why they wanted that one so bad?" Joe asked rhetorically.
"Can't imagine," Didier said and as he looked at Reason.
"Well I'll call Trevor tomorrow and ask him about it."
"Yes do that and then let me know what happened," Joe said as he gave a hug to Reason and said they were going to go mingle. Reason gave him back a slight hug and said, "I think we are leaving soon, call you tomorrow."
"Okay, good-bye then." Joe and David went off into the crowd.
Didier looked at Reason and smiled.
"Joe is a dear, I told him we were leaving soon.
"Do I have too?" Didier said jokingly.
"Let's move towards the front and if we run into Trevor then we will say goodbye."
They were almost at the front entrance, and Reason caught another glimpse of the Dark haired man with the mock turtleneck. The man saw him as well and nodded to him, a smile maybe too. They were out the door in a moment. Was that man who wanted to buy the lighthouse? This peeked Reason curiosity. He would have to ask Trevor about him.
"Well that was fun. I have never been to an opening for an up and coming artist before. This is my first."
"Well did you enjoy it?"
"Yes I did. A brief moment in the glitzy life of a noveau artist."
"Well that's a good way to put it. I am glad that you enjoyed it. I had fun too. I just can't believe Trevor disappeared like that. I hope everything was alright."
"Stop worrying, there were a ton of people, he was mingling."
"Yes, yes that's true, there were quite a load of people there. Oh well, I will call him tomorrow."
"And don't forget to ask him about the lighthouse," Didier interjected.
"Okay, let's go home and hop into bed. I am freezing."
Didier looked up at Reason and smiled, "I'll warm you up."
"I bet you will and more."
Chapitre 21
The next day.
Reason was at his gallery looking thru some of his negatives when the phone rang and picked it up.
"Hello."
"Hey there, so where did you disappear off to last night?"
"Well when we went to leave, we couldn't find you, where were you?"
"I was having a little sell-a-thon in the back office. I had three people interested in buying my work."
"Well that's lovely. Who were they?"
"I had this older gentlemen, he had a cane, who wanted the lighthouse piece. Then a couple, said they were newlyweds and their parents had given them cash for their wedding gift and they wanted to buy a piece of artwork with it. Well they both loved the lighthouse piece that I did for you. I really didn't want to sell that one, I wa
nted to give it to you. I even took it down and brought it to the back and they both followed me to the back. They were trying to outbid each other for it, so finally the price was so high I just had to accept. I am so sorry you didn't get to see it."
"Who did you sell it to?"
"The older gentlemen had cash, $100 bills."
"Really?"
"The couple immediately left after I accepted his offer, which I thought to be odd, but I did see them later still hanging around.''
"So this older gentlemen, did you give him a receipt?"
"Oh no, he insisted on just paying cash and taking the piece out the back door. He seemed anxious as well, once he got his hands on it."
"I bet he did. So you didn't make more than one?"
"I didn't have time because he gave me an earlier date."
"I see."
"That piece was very interesting. When I was finished it, it looked like someone was standing there on the porch, waving. Kind of creepy, but I figured it was the overlapping of the negative on itself."
"Oh really, that is amazing. So do you still have the negatives I gave you?"
"Oh yes, when do you want them back?"
"When can you get them to me?"
"Well I can come by tomorrow and drop them off, will you be there?"
"Oh yes, come around noon and we can go have lunch."
"Oh that sounds wonderful. Now is that what you were going to tell me or was it more? Well actually, yes it was about that older gentleman, he wanted to know how I had come to get that particular lighthouse."
"Did you tell him where you got them from?"
"Well I only told them from a friend. Then he didn't ask me any more questions. Is that strange?"
"Well no it's not. I had a robbery her last week, and the only thing stolen were those negatives and my receipt book, a hand written one."
"Really? When did this happen?"
"Oh about 3