“You’re right, I will.”
Gabe wasn’t alone. Not for the first time Amber admired Maddy’s mind—scientific, but with a good helping of empathy, which made her able to decode muddled thoughts with razor-like accuracy, and help Amber focus. And she had only one focus now, to ask David what the hell was going on.
“What the hell’s going on?”asked Angus, entering the open-plan office at the top of the modern building, flooded with bright winter light.
David looked up from the papers, which he and an engineer had been checking over. It wasn’t the first time someone had asked him that very question in recent weeks, but then what did he expect when he put everything on hold for two weeks to do a major U-turn in his life?
“I think we’re done here,” he said to the engineer and then waited for him to leave the room, before he moved to the hard part of the U-turn.
“I’ve decided to keep the building.” He indicated the black house opposite which, despite its look of Victorian solidity, was anything but safe and secure. “I’m going to upgrade it.”
“What? Have you gone mad? I heard some rumors but thought my team had misunderstood. What’s going on? What’s changed?”
“I can’t make it public yet. There are all sorts of hoops I have to jump through with the council and resource and building consents first. But I’ve set them in motion.”
“And I repeat, what’s changed?”
“Everything.” He sat opposite Angus. “Everything,” he repeated.
“What, are you in love or something?” Angus laughed at the stupidity of the notion. Then he looked at David’s expression and his smile fell. “Jesus Christ, you are!” He jumped up and pushed his hair from his face. “I don’t believe this! You, David Tremayne, don’t have a soft bone in your body and yet you’re intent on changing the whole course of our work together because you’re in love? Who the hell is this paragon of virtue? Don’t tell me your back with Katherine again.” He shook his head. “Anyway, it can’t be her because there’s no way she’d want that old place kept as it is.”
David decided not to be drawn on the subject of love.
“It won’tbeas it is. It’ll be renovated, renewed and improved.”
“It’ll cost a fortune.”
David shrugged. “I have a fortune, so there’s no problem, is there?”
“The problem is, David, that you’ll be doing something you’ve never done before—you’ll be wasting that fortune. If you carry on like this, you won’t have any money left.”
David knew that there was an outside chance Angus could be right, but there was a lightness to his spirit that made him not care. It was as if his whole world had shifted, giving him a different perspective on things. He’d literally changed direction and now all he could see was Amber—like a guiding light, pulling him towards her. And he knew that he was helpless to do anything other than surrender to that pull. Because it would bring him home.
“Can’t stop and chat,” he said with a grin to the bemused Angus. “I’ve an art exhibition to attend.”
Before Angus could remonstrate, David scooped his phone off his desk and walked out the door.
Amber lookedaround the exhibition space with wonder, tinged with doubt. She could hardly believe it was her work hung with such care under the expensive lighting on the walls. But she felt ill-at-ease. There was something not quite right and she couldn’t put her finger on it. David had managed to pull off something none of her family had been able to do and had got her an exhibition at the most exclusive inner-city gallery. So why did she feel so uncomfortable—like she was a gatecrasher and would be discovered at any moment?
Rachel followed her gaze. “This is amazing, Amber. Your work looks fabulous all grouped together like this.”
“Hm,” said Amber, “I guess.” She turned to her sister. “You don’t think it looks a bit odd in this setting?” She followed Rachel’s gaze around the immaculate gallery. Its exterior wall was glazed to allow clear light in, controlled by electronic eaves which extended according to the time of day and season. It had been described to her as high-tech, but the word ‘brutal’ sprung to her mind as she surveyed the interior gray cement walls upon which her pieces were hung.
“The gallery certainly has a different vibe to your work, but in some ways it’s kinda cool to have your bright paintings against such a stark background. It’s almost as if your work is passing comment on the cold gray of the interior.”
Rachel had lost Amber on the last point. “Yes, I guess,” she said doubtfully. “Anyway, no one else wanted it. I’ve asked the café a couple of times, but they don’t seem keen. They only want touristy pieces and my heart’s not in them.”
Rachel stroked Amber’s arm in a loving gesture. “I should think not. They’re too commercial for you. Your pieces are all about heart.”
“Heart is all very well, but some money would be good too,” she said plaintively.
Rachel turned her head suddenly as one of the gallery owners fixed a red dot beside a piece. “Looks like someone’s just bought that piece.” Amber turned with a squeal as they watched the owner move on to another piece with a red dot. Amber was too excited to squeal this time, Rachel did it for her instead. Soon they were following the owner around, watching as she placed a red dot on each and every piece.
Rachel gripped Amber’s arms. “You’ve sold out!”
“She has, indeed,” said the owner, coming up to them. “Congratulations! I’d be interested in seeing what else you have.”
Amber listened to the gallery owner talk about the current state of the art market before losing interest and checking over her shoulder to see if David had arrived. Luckily Rachel was on top schmooze form, and did the talking. As soon as Amber saw the familiar tall, broad outline enter the room she made a beeline for him, weaving her way through the crowd of people, half of whom she didn’t know. She wondered which of them had bought her work. She had no idea and didn’t really care.
