Finding Sam (Featured)

Chapter 27 - The Show

The next day, I agreed to meet Collin at Java Man around noon. He was dressed in expensive-looking dress shirt and slacks, carrying a leather briefcase in his hand. As we sat by one of the tables in the far corner for privacy, Collin pulled out the contracts and laid it all on the table between us.

He began telling me about how being represented by the Logerman Art Group worked, and how my signatures on certain forms allowed them to represent me and my work, including the exhibition of two of my paintings at CSK Gallery in L.A. As he spoke, my thoughts drifted back to the past, my vision growing distant each time the image of David came to my mind, his voice replacing Collin's at times. But this time, instead of allowing the past to send me into a full-blown anxiety attack similar to what happened when I first met Collin at Java Man, I pushed the thoughts away and forced myself back to the present, where I told myself I was safe.  This time, I was in control.

I could refuse to sign if I wanted to. I could do whatever I wanted to do. It was my art. This was my life.

After Collin explained all the details, going through each line with me and having me initial next to each bullet point or number, I wondered if he knew of my history with David by now. Surely Erik would have told him. Surely this was the reason he was treating me with kid gloves, spelling everything out so that this time I knew what I was getting into.

After I signed everything, he filed the documents away and slipped them into his briefcase. Then he handed me a stiff envelope containing an invitation.

"Is this the invitation?" I asked, trying to quell my excitement. "For the gallery showing?"

"I know it's last minute, but yes, it is," Collin said, grinning. "The invitation doesn't include your name because you're a last minute replacement, but it will be all over the gallery."

"I'm just so happy to be included," I said, blushing. "Thank you so much for everything, Collin."

"Even if Erik's the one who's been proudly showing off your work to anyone who'll listen, you deserve every bit of praise and attention for your work, Sam. Strands alone deserves to be featured, but Erik is stubborn about not including it. He's suddenly afraid someone's going to slash it or something," he chuckled. "But it doesn't matter. Two of your pieces made it in, including a third one."

"A third?" Erik hadn't told me anything about a third painting making it into the exhibit.

"Olivia's portrait was a personal selection for the brothers who own CSK Gallery, and Olivia's given her permission to have it included."

"Will she be going this Saturday?" I asked.

Collin's brow furrowed. "I think she and the in-laws are heading up to Ojai with Josh. The aunts and uncles enjoyed it so much the first time they went that they begged for another weekend there, and I think this weekend opened up for two of the casitas."

I tried to hide my disappointment, but Olivia had her life to live, and I couldn't expect her to be there for me in everything, the way Rosie was, even though Rosie was helpless against helping me deal with David. But then, that was only because I was so caught up in my choreographed dance with David to allow anyone to help me then.

"But I hope you can be there," Collin said. "Erik said he would be there though he's going to be late. I think one of his doctors is still on vacation."

The thought of me going on my own scared me though it wasn't exactly the act of stepping out the door and driving there, actually standing up when my name would be called, and taking ownership of what I had created. I'd been so used to having David take credit for my work, convincing me that I didn't need to be there and that he'd be the one to represent my art because he knew it more than I did. How could I have been so stupid to believe him?