If only they knew there was a pair of soon-to-be celebrities just one house over. With a smile on her face, she went back to work.
Chapter Fifty-One
Background music playing softly, Frankie rested her brush hand on her leg and studied the work she’d done so far. She’d begun to layer in Arlington’s face, mapping the contours with various shades of flesh tones, sketching out the nose and cheekbones, refining his strong jawline, creating the slope of his neck.
He was coming to life under her brush.
She could see him much more clearly than before. She’d always had a vision in her head of the finished piece. That was her process. She’d imagine what she wanted to paint and then work from that, although she liked to use photos, too, when it was a portrait. But what was on her canvas and what was in her head were starting to mesh.
Her favorite part was doing the small details that really made a piece come to life. The highlights and shadows that gave dimension and spark to a flat painting. She was days away from that, however.
The ice in her water tumbler clinked as a piece melted and shifted. She’d unintentionally worked through lunch. The paint had been going on exactly how she wanted it to, her vision hadbeen really strong for how she wanted each stroke to look, and so she’d kept going, despite her grumbling stomach.
Maybe now was a good time to take a break. She’d make a quick meal and come back down, see what else she could get done today.
She’d had a text from Harper earlier, to say they’d arrived safely and were about to get on the road to the assisted-living facility. Frankie picked up her phone and checked to see if there were any more updates from her sister.
There weren’t but there was a notification of a new email. She went to her inbox to see what it was. A message from Allan. She clicked the link to see what he had to say. She’d sent him the cover mockup a day ago and hadn’t heard anything. That wasn’t usually a good sign.
She smiled as she read.
Hi Frankie,
Sorry for the delayed response. I wanted to sit with the cover and get past my initial reaction. To be honest, it was a lot to take in. I know you talked about using color, but that was more than I expected. At first, I wasn’t so sure.
But the more I look at it, the more I love it. This might actually cause a new trend in sci-fi covers. It’s still very much science fiction but you’ve made it fresh. It feels really accessible, too. Like something someone who doesn’t usually read sci-fi might take a chance on.
Bottom line is you’re hired. I’ll send you the titles and synopses for the next two books. Please feel free to invoice me for whatever additional deposit you need. Can’t wait to see what you come up with next.
Best,
Allan
She exhaled. That was amazing news. This was exactly the kind of work she needed. The kind that would get recognizedand bring in more work. She was thrilled. The fear she’d been holding on to, the fear that working as a full-time illustrator wouldn’t be enough, no longer seemed like a fear at all.
She turned off her music, dipped her brushes in oil, and went upstairs to make some lunch. The house was quiet, as Willa and Jack were in the guest house knitting. Willa had taken Archie with her.
Frankie was getting leftovers out of the fridge when someone knocked on the front door. She went down to answer it.
Lucas was on the other side. “Hi.”
“Hi!”
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “I know you’re working, and I shouldn’t be interrupting, but I feel like I’ve barely seen you the last few days.” He kissed her again. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too.” She stayed in his arms. It was such a nice place to be.
“With everything going on, I never did get to have everyone over for dinner like I wanted to and now Angie’s leaving in a few days.”
She pulled back. “He is?”
Lucas nodded. “Yep. He’ll be headed back home before you know it.”
“I’m sorry about that. I thought he’d be here longer. That I’d get to see him more.”
“None of us anticipated that he’d end up working for Mitch and Jack, but what can you do? They needed help and he was the right guy for the job.” He shrugged. “How about you and me go out for dinner or a movie or something tonight?”
“I’d love that, but don’t you want to spend time with your brother?”
