by G. D. Madsen
"Yes, my queen," David chuckles, the flames in his eyes matching the ones I captured on canvas, fearing I would forget that expression. Yet it's there, every time he looks at me, and then I forget the rest of the world instead.
* * *
It is time for my speech. The gallery curator, Amber, approaches me and despite my reapplied make-up and relatively in-control hair, I feel like she knows what David and I have been doing in the storage room for the last half hour.
"There you are," she says nonchalantly, brushing her long copper hair to the side. "I feared you developed stage fright. Must be something special about the storage room as it appears to help artists overcome their anxieties."
My cheeks catch fire, and the corners of her freckled lips tilt upwards. The indifferent expression she mastered minutes ago is now only a distant memory, as her pale green eyes gaze past me toward the door.
I cannot help but wonder how many other people had sneaked into the room before us. "Special indeed."
"Oh, I almost forgot." She takes something out of her round handbag. "Somebody asked me to give this to you."
She unclenches her fingers and my heart stalls. My eyes immediately fly off to the painting where two small hands reach up from each side of the metal bars. The smaller hand holds a seashell, offering it to whoever is on the other side.
He kept it.
I scan the hall, yet in vain. Mauro is not here. At least he does not want to be seen.
Pressing the shell to my chest, I walk with Amber to address the guests.
"Thank you all for coming here tonight. It means the world to me," I say looking at my mom, Steve, Gregory, Lea, Bryan, Lara, Lucas, and Aurelia – my new family.
I lock my eyes with David's. I need to see those eyes if I want to go through with this. "I heard that many of you were fascinated by the painting of the girl in a blue coat and about the different emotions it evoked. But only a few of you know that I was that girl..."
David's eyes glisten as he mouths a mute 'I love you', and I find all the courage I need to continue telling my story.
The End
End Note
Thank you for choosing to read the "Imperfect Forgery"!
I can only hope you will not judge me too harshly as this is my debut novel. I sincerely hope to grow as a writer and author from here onwards.
Writing this book has not been easy. Research I did for this story had my skin crawling and eyes flooding with tears in multiple occasions. More than once I doubted if I should continue and if the dark subjects would overshadow the romance, but I hope they only made the love between Kahina and David shine brighter.
If you liked the book, I hope you will equally enjoy Aurelia and Lucas's story. It is coming soon!
Acknowledgements
I am insanely grateful to have found an incredible writing community on Instagram. Thank you all for your kind words and daily motivation!
A huge thanks to my editor, Sara, for your input, kind words, and personal reaction to the story! I am glad I trusted you with my very first book baby!
Last but not least – my husband! I don't believe I would have done this without your support, encouragement, and unbelievable patience when dealing with my mood swings and self-doubt. And for proving to me that men like you still exist in this world! I love you more than all the stars combined!
About the Author
G.D. Madsen was born and raised in Lithuania.
Historian by education, former journalist, photographer, and Argentine tango teacher G.D. Madsen had followed most of her dreams but one – to write a book.
This childhood dream finally won over any other when she and her Greenlandic husband left the busy Copenhagen and moved to the French countryside.
She loves exploring different countries, cultures, and cuisines, and invites her readers to join her through the eyes of the diverse characters she creates.
If you have suggestions or notice any errors, feel free to drop me a note: [email protected]
Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/gdmadsen/
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For future releases, check her website:
http://gdmadsen.com
Copyright
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any informational storage system without the express written permission from the copyrights owner except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used factiously. Names, characters, and places are the products of the author’s imagination.
Imperfect Forgery © 2019 G.D. Madsen
Kindle Edition
Author © G.D. Madsen
Cover Design © G.D. Madsen