“You look so well!” She urged as she squeezed my hands, her thick, mousy blondebraids shimmying over each shoulder.
“Thank you, Lou,”
“Can I get you anything before we head in?” She snaked an armaround my shoulder, and walked me in the direction of the conference rooms.
“I don’t suppose you’ve got any Earl Grey left, do you?” I put on my best‘pretty please’ grin. “I’d kill for a cup of tea.”
Louellen led me into the kitchen as she made my tea, or tried to. I was veryanal about my brews, and so far I’d only entrusted Daisy to make them properly. She had the milk ratio down to a T. Unlike Goldie, who seemed to think there was a milk shortage in the city, and we had to ration ours.
Rory was nearly there; she just forgot to add the tea bag most of the time; blessher.
But Louellen was a natural.
“When are you due to head back to Liberty?” Louellen broke the silence between the dings when the spoon hit the porcelain.
My eyes locked on hers, guilt veiling them as I picked at the fading purplepolish on my nails. “Today.”
Her eyes turned to globes. “What? What do you mean today?” She whippedaround quick as anything to chuck the bag in the bin, then pinned me with a stare as she grabbed the milk.
My head rolled from side to side, my face scrunching. “I mean… I may or maynot have pardoned myself from my afternoon classes.”
These brown globes narrowed as she poured the perfect amount of milk.“Cora.”
I pulled my head back in a jerk, my smile thinning. “Do I get points for goingto my morning ones?”
She shook her head, as a beam of sun from the late afternoon golden hourstruck through the room. But her smile told me that I could tell her I’d carry on missing them, and she’d still never push me to go.
“Look, if it’s what you feel like you have to do, then I support you. You knowthat, right?”
I nodded, taking a sip of—Oh God, that was a good tea. My smile grew. “Iknow.”
Half of her smile lifted. “But that being said, I’m also not going to let you holeyourself up in your room for eternity. Getting out, back into society, might help you feel okay with going back to your classes.” She shrugged. “It’s baby steps.”
I angled my head, rolling my eyes. “You say baby steps, I hear launch partiesfor brands that want my following, not my opinions.”
She waved me off as she hopped down from the counter. “Okay, A, I had a call from Prada this morning that want you toattend some launch party at the weekend.That'sthebrand.” I spun around on my stool to face her, finding her leaning against the wall, legs crossed over casually. “And B, all these events just mean you're one step closer to getting invited to a certain gala.” Her face was all smug. “You know, Nouvelle Muse, the event where literally everyone in the art world will be, and you’ll have a chance to show off what you actually care about to the best of the best?”
I loved this woman.Hatedwhen she was right, though.
I nodded, trying hard not to let her see how happy I was that she was right. “Iknow.”
The Nouvelle Muse Gala was the event for anyone who lived for art. One nightwhere the world’s best gathered under glittering lights, balancing champagne flutes and hors d’oeuvres while debating whether art was political.
(It was. Obviously.)
But for me, the gala was more than small talk and spectacle. It was opportunity.It was just another reason I yearned for this city.
Each year, the Nouvelle committee, made up of art icons, selected five emerging artists to showcase their work, auction it off, and step into the industry for the first time. And for one, the one they believed held the most promise, came the ultimate reward: a three-year scholarship to any art school of their choice.
I’d applied every year since being in the US, but I’d never heard back. Ever. I’dtry again this year, like I always did, but it was becoming clearer that maybe the only way I was gettinginto this event was being invited to post about it, not as a prodigy.
I brought my eyes back into focus, landing on Lou, nodding softly. “Shit launchparties it is then.”
“Atta girl.” She sighed, dropping her folded arms as her face softened. “Whichleads me on to the next matter.”
Sarcasm masked my smile. “I’d rather not.”
“Ha. Like you have a choice.” She grabbed my hand. “Like hell I’m sendingyou out into the world unprotected.” I grabbed the mug as she pulled me from my stool and through the door back out into the hallway. “Who that protector is? Totally up to you. Not having one? Not gonna happen.”
