“Ah, now I see the problem. Perfection doesn’t exist. You always were too idealistic. David is a man—a person even more prone to imperfections than women are.”
Amber sighed. “I mean perfect for me.” She jumped up and wandered over to the window, leaning against the frame as she took a sip of her tea. “Goodness knows I know perfection doesn’t exist. I do really,” she said in response to Flo’s expression. “And I like people all the more because of it. But I thought David was different. I thought he respected me, but he thinks I’m as dumb and as foolish as everyone else does.”
“No one thinks you’re dumb and foolish, and I don’t believe David thinks that either. Come on, Amber.He’dhave to be dumb and foolish to believe that, and he’s patently neither.”
Amber gave a small grunt of disagreement. “Do you know what he did yesterday at my exhibition?”
Flo shook her head. “I had to leave early. But what could he have possibly done to upset you? It looked like it was a great success. I mean, all your paintings were sold, weren’t they?”
“Yes, because he bought them all!” Amber crossed her arms and sat back, as if that explained everything.
“All of them?”
“Every single one.”
“Well,” said Flo, considering. “I think the matter is even more serious than I imagined.”
“Exactly,” said Amber, glad that she’d confided in her best friend.
“He’s obviously head over heels in love with you, and will do anything to make you happy.”
Amber did a double-take. “That is not how I see it.”
“How do you see it?” asked Flo mildly, taking a sip of her tea.
“He tried to fool me, trick me, into believing the exhibition was a success.”
“It was.”
“You’re as bad as him! I thought at least you’d be on my side.”
Flo gave her a long look. “And what does Rachel think?”
“She doesn’t know what I’m going on about. She thinks I’m making a mountain out of a molehill. But she would, because it’s the sort of thing that she’d do, too.”
“How awful. People wanting to make you happy. People who’d do anything for you.”
“Flo! Don’t you see?” said Amber, jumping up. “I don’t need people to do anything for me. I’m not helpless.”
“No one has said you are.”
“I’m strong and independent, and I want to know that my art—which is important to me—has made it on its own, too.”
“Do you really think artists have become successful on their own merit? Not through people they know? Come on, Amber, it’s all about the people you know. Even amongst artists. Look at this place. It was falling down and I didn’t have a penny to my name until Maddy came along and turned it into a destination for archaeologists and other university regulars, who just keep on coming. And that’s led to investment interest.”
“So, that contract you were signing the other day, it’s going ahead?” Amber squealed, forgetting her own frustrations for the moment, as she realized what this would mean to Flo.
“Yes! Apparently no strings attached. Some sleeping investor with more money than sense. Again, one of Maddy’s contacts. Or Gabe’s… or someone’s.”
“You sound very vague.”
“That’s because I am. I don’t know the name of the investor, only their agent and solicitor. But it’s all above board. I’ll be getting the money next month, to make improvements as I see fit.”
“That’s amazing.” Amber jumped up and hugged Flo. “You can do all the things you’ve always wanted to do. You can get domestic help so that you can concentrate on the garden; you can get office help—”
“So I can concentrate on the garden! Yes! I know. It’ll change my life!”
The door buzzed at the backpacker’s end and Amber went to answer it.
