"I don't know, Hazel," Archer said thoughtfully. "Do you think I should bedazzle my junk and coat it in glitter?"
"Edible glitter body paints!" Ida exclaimed as she stuck price tags on the paintings. "That's your next viral food."
"I'm not sure Chloe is going to go for that," I said as I made the snacks.
* * *
After several hours of work,we finally had everything ready for the gallery showing. Remy had come over and laid some old stones out on the little courtyard between my building and the one Chloe already had next door. Then he and Archer strung up lights.
Terrence, from the bank, was the first to arrive with his grandmother, Bettina.
"Wow, that is a nude," he said, looking at the paintings and artwork displayed around the café. "Is that you?" he asked Archer. "I see why my grandmother really liked this place."
"The men and the booze," she said, raising her glass.
More people arrived. The Svenssons all packed in to see Theo's and Otis's paintings. Melvin had even flown in with his husband, kids, and their guinea pigs.
"This is so cozy!" Chloe said. "This is going to be a great partnership. You already did so well!"
Greg, Mace, and Hunter were staring in shock at all the Archer-inspired paintings.
"Geez, Archer, you modeled for them?"
"Yeah, I look great too. Look at that!" he said, pointing to the painting Ida did.
"Why are you yellow?" Mace asked.
"It's abstract," Garrett said, coming up next to them.
"I should have all of these up in my house," Archer decided.
"Please don't," Hunter said.
"Too late," Archer said with a grin. "Hey, Ida!"
"Hey, hotcakes!"
"I'm going to make you famous like Fang Fei!"
"You will?" Ida asked, shaking Olivia. "Did you hear that? I'm going to be just like that grandmother who became a famous painter in her nineties."
"God help us," Olivia muttered to me. Meg wordlessly refilled Olivia's glass.
"You boys ever think about modelling?" Dottie asked, tottering by on her cane, alcohol sloshing out of her glass.
"I can't say that I ever considered it," Greg said slowly. I hurried over to rescue him.
"Honestly, Greg," Archer drawled, throwing an arm around his older brother while I directed Dottie to the snack table to hopefully soak up some of the alcohol. "It's very freeing to pose nude for a dozen admiring eyes."
"I hope you didn't do it in front of Otis and Theo," Mace said with a frown.
"You better not have," Greg snarled.
Archer jerked his hand away. "Please. They were safely tucked away upstairs, painting T-shirt designs."
Greg scowled.
"Also, Greg, might I add that I am very proud of you for sticking it out this long. I know you detest parties."
