“Say what now?”
29/
why are you like this?
BELL
Confrontation had never been my thing.
For as far back as I could remember, I’d either shrink away, flat-out run, or, in Dennis’s case, go into Vacant Little Thing mode rather than get in a fight.
“Girl, stop being so weak,” my older sister, Joy, grumbled after threatening to beat up another second grader who’d been intimidating my lunch money out of me for nearly the whole school year. “You’ve got to learn.”
I never did.
But here I was, forty-eight years after Joy called me weak, having just hung up with Vinso, the proprietor of the Bear Mountain Gift Shop and Art Gallery, crossing the road for a third time to confront the first maul who wouldn’t stop interfering in my life.
I didn’t knock.
Just threw open his door and?—
Froze.
Heat flooded my face when I found all three bears there, not just the guy I’d come looking for.
Ravik stood behind his catalog-worthy reclaimed-wood kitchen table like a commander, addressing Zion and Boone, who were both sitting down. They all had mugs in their hands, and they all turned to stare at me when I crashed into Ravik’s private domain without so much as a “May I?”
Boone’s face stained red the second he saw me.
It was obvious what I’d interrupted.
Another silent maul bond conversation. About me.
How I’d blown up on Boone after he’d made me come spectacularly—with no relief whatsoever for himself. What I’d said about him just needing to give up on me already.
And now, here I was, busting into Ravik’s house. Wild-eyed. Hair in a lopsided bun. Braless and, to their advanced senses, possibly still reeking of what had taken place at Boone’s one-story cabin.
I could only imagine how crazy I must appear to them now.
And the thing was, I was about to look even crazier.
“Bell...” Boone rose from his chair.
“Sit down, Boone,” I snapped through clenched teeth, focusing all of my attention on Ravik. “We’ll deal with what happened at your place later.”
“Bell, are you quite all right?” Zion, silver-tongued Zion, who always seemed to know exactly what to say, even in the most awkward situations, sounded truly alarmed.
“No.” I answered him without taking my eyes off of Ravik. “I am not all right.”
Then, before Zion and Boone could ask me any more questions, I asked Ravik, “You gave my number to yourbrotherto call me for acommission?”
My voice rose, getting louder with each word. “You told him I was a newly discovered American artist who’s selling my sculptures forfifteen hundred US dollars?Each?”
Ravik’s face became a cold mask. He set down the cup in his hand, then came around the table to face me directly. Like a general getting in front of his lines to lead the way into battle. “Yes. I did.”
“Why?” I shook my head at him. “Why would you do that?”
He stretched his jaw to the left, then the right, before clasping his hands in front of him to answer, “Youarea newly discovered American artist. You wanted to pay us back but lacked income. This solves both problems. I am aware you probably have some…”
