Falquen's Nest

Chapter 17

The next few days came and went uneventfully for the most part. In the mornings, Janie went to work with Falquen in The Crypt. Darien came in and helped in the afternoons. When Gray and Jesse showed up for their shifts on Thursday, they were pleasantly surprised to learn that Janie was also working there.

Handing over the shop to their care, Falquen suggested that he and Janie drive over to the art gallery and get set up for his upcoming show that weekend. Janie was enthusiastic to help and thrilled that he'd asked her to come along.

The gallery wasn't far from the apartment. It was situated just off Queen Street. Falquen had already had a couple of previously successful shows there, and he was quite familiar with the space. Janie helped him load up the van with his paintings.

She held the gallery door for him as he began bringing them in. The pretty receptionist greeted him with an enthusiastic smile and nodded politely in Janie's direction. She wore her dark hair in a stylishly neat bob. Her makeup was perfect and she dressed impeccably, wearing a figure flattering dark suit and high heels.

"Falquen, wow... you've certainly kept yourself busy," she said, standing back as he carried in another large canvas.

"Yes, well..." Falquen said with a shrug as he left to get another.

"Not much of a talker, is he?" she said with a sigh, introducing herself to Janie, a note of disappointment in her voice. "Hi, I'm Gwen."

"No, I suppose he isn't. I'm Janie, nice to meet you."

"Artists..." Gwen said with a curious smile. "Are you a friend?"

"Yes, actually, we're roommates," Janie rushed to say. Why she felt the need to tell Gwen that detail, she wasn't quite sure. But the desire to stake her claim on Falquen became oddly important to her.

"Roommates?" Gwen said, looking questioningly from Janie to Falquen. "The two of you?" Her eyes narrowed skeptically.

"Yes, why?"

Gwen smiled awkwardly and shook her head. "Nothing it's just... oh never mind, I'm sorry. It's none of my business. You two go ahead and get set up. I'll be in the back if you need anything."

"What was all that about?" Falquen asked, holding up another canvas, having caught the tail end of the conversation.

"I guess she doesn't think the two of us make likely roommates," Janie said, coming to his aid with the large painting.

"She'll get over it," Falquen said, glad for Janie's quick thinking. Finally, maybe Gwen would read a little too much into his and Janie's relationship, and quit flirting with him. Besides, he had more important things on his mind than dealing with Gwen's ongoing crush on him. "Now, let's get these lined up."

Janie watched him strategically hang his paintings around the white walls of the gallery. He'd hang one, then change his mind and hang it somewhere else until at least an hour had gone by.

"What's wrong, Falquen?" Janie asked when he seemed particularly frustrated.

"Ah, the lighting's all wrong in here," he said, furrowing his brow.

Janie stood back and looked at all the paintings. She had to admit that although they weren't her kind of thing, they were indeed impressive as a collection. "It's too bright," she suggested.

"You're absolutely right!" he said, inspired, running around, turning off the lights.

"Everything all right?" Gwen asked, peering up from her desk in the back.

"It is now," Falquen said with a satisfied nod.

"All ready for tonight's opening?" Gwen asked, joining Janie and Falquen in the centre of the gallery.

"As ready as I'll ever be," he said with a nervous sigh.

"How exciting!" Janie said as he drove back towards the apartment.

"What?" he asked, distracted.

"Your opening night at the gallery! What's that feel like?" she asked dreamily. One day she'd like very much to show her work in a gallery.

"Nerve-racking," he said soberly.

"Oh, but it must be so exciting, so satisfying to show your art in such a way."

She had no idea just how soul destroying a negative review or even an insignificant comment from an art critic could be. "I just hope it sells."

"But you've had successful shows before, haven't you?"

"I suppose," he said reflectively.

"How many paintings have you sold?"

"A few."

"Well then, you have nothing to worry about, do you?"

"Janie, it's not that simple," he frowned, pulling the van into the driveway behind The Crypt.

"Um, Falquen?"

"Uh huh?" he asked, sitting patiently back in his seat.

"I was thinking..."

Falquen smiled knowingly. She did that a lot, think about things. Then she'd share her thoughts with him. Sometimes they were silly things, like to tell him that she had a nightmare about the skulls in his paintings, chasing her around the apartment. Another time, she'd confessed that she liked it when he stayed up after she'd gone to bed. She claimed it helped her to sleep, knowing that he was up and about.

"Tell me," he said, raising an eyebrow, watching her struggle for courage. It usually took a while but eventually she would get the words out.

She turned so that she sat facing him. "Well, I know that you don't think it's a big deal, but..."

He smiled again and waited patiently, inwardly loving the turmoil on her sweet face. In fact, he found her so adorable in those moments that he had to seriously control the urge to hug her and tell her how incredibly cute he found her.

"Monday is Thanksgiving," she finally said. "The other day when I went out to get us our lunch, I noticed this little restaurant on the corner, Harvest Moon. They had a sign out on the sidewalk."

"Uh huh?" he waited, hanging on to every word.

"Well, they're featuring a Thanksgiving menu and they're taking reservations but they're filling up fast," she said, pausing for a breath looking at him for a sign. "And..."

"And you'd like to know if I'd be interested in joining you?" he finished her sentence for her.

"Yes... and maybe Gray, since he's your brother and families should be together on Thanksgiving. Jesse and Darien are welcome too, of course."

Falquen hesitated. Her sudden interest in Gray threw him for a loop. Surely, it wasn't happening again. Then as suddenly as the disturbing thought crossed his mind, he dismissed it.

"Um, I don't know about all that," Falquen said, but watching her smile drop he took it back. "All right, I don't see why not. I'll be there. Although, I can't speak for Gray."

Her smile returned and it warmed his heart. "Good, because I kind of already made reservations for us. We can tweak the numbers later."

"Rascal..." he chuckled, thinking that he'd certainly like to tweak something all right.

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To be continued...

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Falquen's Nest

Copyright © 2015 by Maria Bernard. All rights reserved.

ISBN: ISBN: 978-0-9731474-8-3

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