“And you’re the artist?” Mr. Veers asked, peering at me as though he didn’t believe it.
“That’s me,” I answered.
He stared at the self-portrait for a few moments, making indecipherable noises in the back of his throat before picking up the painting of Aubrey.
“This is incredible. The depth of the colors, the level of intimate detail... You actually have the aesthetic of that street artist X. His portraits share this... intensity.” I couldn’t help but grin.
“Uh, yeah. That’s me,” I told him.
“You’re X? And you’ve never shown your work in a gallery?” Mr. Veers asked incredulously.
“Yeah, things haven’t really worked out.”
The man looked at me in disbelief. “I can’t believe you actually walked into my gallery tonight. This isamazing! I’m... I’m a huge fan!”
He took another moment to examine my work. “Are you interested in setting up a show here? I know several people who’d likely be interested in these pieces, and they’d pay a handsome price for them.”
“Really?” I asked, hardly able to believe my luck.
I hadn’t expected anything when I had walked in. The idea to take my art into the city had been a whim. Mistaking my silence for hesitation, Mr. Veers waved his hands rapidly as he spoke, attempting to convince me.
“Look, we can keep it small. You choose which pieces you want to display, and I’ll sell them for you. We can decide together what to sell your work for and I’ll add my commission fee on top of that. How does that sound?”
I made a show of thinking about it. I pointed to the more colorful Aubrey portrait. “How much do you think I could get for that?”
Dandy Veers rubbed the back of his balding head and stared down at the painting thoughtfully. “I think it could easily bring between five and ten thousand. This kind of art is in high demand right now. And your talent is unquestionable.”
I almost swallowed my tongue. “Are you fucking serious?” I laughed, hardly able to believe it.
Mr. Veers nodded. “I’m very serious. X—is that your real name?”
“No, my name is Maxx. Maxx Demelo,” I told him.
“Okay then, Maxx, you’ve built quite a following. And street art is huge right now. There are major collectors out there wanting to be the first to discover the next big thing. And you could be the next big thing. I mean, to my eye, you already are.”
Dandy Veers might have been a little quirky, but I liked him. And he was willing to take a huge chance on an unknown artist who had literally wandered in off the street. It was more than I could have hoped for.
“Sure. Yeah, let’s do it,” I said, nodding.
Mr. Veers grinned and held his hand out. I shook it. “Great! Let me go get my calendar and we can talk about scheduling a date.”
chapter
thirty-eight
aubrey
on the drive to Compulsion, the numbness wore off and the anger resurfaced. It felt good to be pissed rather than annihilated.
I waited in line at the old factory impatiently, barely aware of the people around me. When I got to the front, I was surprised by the lack of derision for my anticlub attire. The bouncer, a guy I didn’t recognize, stamped my hand and waved me inside.
And here I was again. Looking for Maxx.
Compulsion had been our beginning. And it had proven our end as well. It was a sad full circle.
I pushed through the teeming crowd, craning my neck to look around. The place was heaving tonight, and I could barely walk two steps without colliding with someone.
There was a strange energy in the air. One that had me edgier than I already was. I made my way to the bar but didn’t recognize the guy serving drinks. I waited my turn, and when the man wearing a tight leather halter top and bracelets up to his elbows came over to take my order, I shook my head.
