“Of course. She doesn’t shut up about it,” Marco joked with a twinkle in his eye. “Thanks for inviting us.”
Grace nodded absently. Just thinking of the museum was another thing that brought Raf to the forefront of her mind. Hours of sorting through paintings and planning and talking to each other. And then there was the time she’d kissed him right there in the middle of the cave. God, she could still feel his lips on hers.
She hadn’t decided whether or not to attend the opening night. She’d be there soon for the event for her students, after all, and maybe one trip to the exhibit was more than enough. But Alma and Obinna were going, and Grace was supposed to be fine. She also couldn’t seem to help herself from taking every opportunity to get a glimpse of Rafael, even if she kept her distance and didn’t speak to him.
“I’ll see you there, then,” she said to Marco. “And I’ll see you next term.”
He gave her a little wave. “Just wait until you see how well I did on that exam. I’m telling you.”
Grace grinned at him again. “Get out of here before you distract the whole class, Marco.”
“What are you wearing to this thing?” Grace asked Alma, holding up the hangers of two different dresses, one floral and one with too many buttons, both admittedly terrible options.
Alma shrugged. “Gracie, you’re the one who should know what to wear to an exhibit.”
Grace pursed her lips. “This isn’t just an exhibit, though, this is a party. This isyourarea of expertise.”
Alma sighed. “Okay, then, don’t be offended when I say you can’t wear either of those.”
“I’m not offended, but I really need help.”
Of course, Grace also wanted to lookgood,not that she would admit that to Alma. Rafael had seen her sweaty from moving furniture, he’d seen her sobbing in her bed, he’d seen her brushing her teeth in the bathroom sink, but for once, she just wanted to look put together, even if there was nothing between them anymore. Just one time, she could look like she wasn’t a total mess.
“I think we’re going to need to raid my closet,” Alma said.
Grace followed Alma to her bedroom. Raiding Alma’s closet would certainly mean she would look different than usual. Alma was glamorous, sexy, and adventurous, while Grace’s usual attire didn’t come close to any of those things.
“This is what I’m wearing,” Alma said, holding up a low-cut red dress with a slit up the side. Grace could tell it would be form-fitting, too, which meant Alma would look hot as hell, as always. “And Obinna’s wearing a suit with a little red pocket square to match.”
“It’s like you’re going to prom,” Grace said.
Alma ignored her. “You look good in blue because of your eyes,” she said. “I bet there are going to be a lot of handsome, rich guys there tonight.” She gave Grace a wink.
Grace wasn’t sure what facial expression she made in response to that, but she could tell it wasn’t the right one when Alma frowned. “You’re okay, right Gracie?”
Grace tried to put on a smile but kept her eyes trained on the dress. They hadn’t talked about Rafael. They’d barely talked about anything that had happened at all, which Grace hated. She was used to sharing everything with Alma, but she couldn’t bring herself to admit how much she missed Raf. She was supposed to be strong. “I could try this one on.”
Alma eyed her suspiciously for a moment longer. “Try this one, too,” she said, pulling another blue dress from the closet. “I’ve never even worn it, but I feel like it will look great on you.”
Grace hadn’t really considered the parking situation in Sacromonte near the museum, and when she arrived with Alma and Obinna, she realized that this was another challenge Rafael must have been concerned about in this setting. It was simple enough to park one or two cars on the little curve outside the cave, but enough for a whole party?
It turned out that the road curved around to a dead end, however, one they managed to set up like a parking lot. There was even a valet who was taking cars and parking them on the hill wherever he could manage, and by the time the three of them arrived in Obinna’s car, there was still a good amount of room where they would be able to accommodate even more guests.
“This is so beautiful!” Alma exclaimed as they headed toward the front entrance, her hand reaching out for Obinna.
Itwasbeautiful. Grace remembered the first time she’d driven up here with Raf, the way she hadn’t been able to take her eyes off the whitewashed dwellings on the side of the road, the view of the city and the Alhambra like a castle in the sky on the horizon. It was like nothing she’d ever seen.
When they stepped inside the exhibit, Grace didn’t even recognize it. It was so bright it was almost sparkling. A framed print on an easel welcomed guests to the gallery and offered a brief description of the collection. Gone were the dismantled frames and scattered boxes. Everything was in its place, ready to show off. Alma gave their names to the attendant while Grace was busy staring in disbelief, amazed by how everything had been transformed since her last visit. The first room was glowing with a light that shined from new fixtures that hadn’t been there before. They’d worried about the lighting, how to make it easy to see the paintings without everything having a clinical feel, but somehow Rafael had found a balance between brightness and comfort.
There was a new plaque on the wall, too, shiny and bronze and far larger than she would have anticipated. Alma and Obinna joined her as she read through the text that dedicated the exhibit to the Roma people who called these caves home in the past and in the present. That was something, at least. Raf and Christian had come through on that promise and the one to have days where the local community who’d heard of it could visit for free. They also planned to invest in the area as well, though Grace wasn’t clear on the details.
“Ready for some Picassos, Gracie?” Alma asked.
She was ready, even if she’d seen them all before. It would be another thing entirely to view them when they were properly hung and displayed in their full glory. A number of people milled about the first room of the exhibit, but not enough to make it feel too crowded. Rafael had been careful with that, she knew, emphasizing to Christian just how few people they could fit in here without the place feeling too tight. A waiter offered them champagne from a tray and they all accepted. Grace was perhaps a little too eager to get her hands on the glass, to have at least one serving of liquid courage before an inevitable encounter with Rafael, even if it wouldn’t help all that much.
After she’d had a few gulps, Grace slowly scanned the room. It was beautiful, honestly, not that she was surprised. Rafael had gotten the job done. The paintings stole the show, but it didn’t feel too busy. They were well-organized, and there was enough space to move through the room and admire them. The setting still retained all the beauty and character of the original cave, but Rafael had managed to seamlessly blend the artwork into the scene, to make it a part of the cave as if it belonged. She hadn’t even gotten the largest room with the new wall, yet, but she already knew he'd managed to pull this whole thing off, and Christian must be elated.
“You helped with all of this, right Grace?” Obinna asked by her side as they stopped at a painting, one of Picasso’s earlier self-portraits from the Blue period.
