When One Door Closes, Another Opens
1806 Words
Isabella's POV
" Are you ready for tonight?" Stella asked me.
Stella is the owner of the gallery, and four years ago, she took a chance on me and gave me a job. Since then, I have seen many beautiful art pieces and art exhibitions.
I have always wondered if my art would ever be good enough for an exhibition. Working here is intimidating. I have met so many brilliant artists, and I would like to see myself as one of them someday.
" It's too late to change your mind now. Everything is already set. Stop stressing. Everything is perfect. People are going to love your art like I do," she said to me.
" Thanks for this..." I said to her.
" It has been four years. You deserve this," she said and left.
I was nervous, the gallery was full, and people were looking at my pictures; I hadn't made my entrance yet. I was in the office, pacing up and down, when Steven knocked on the door.
" Come in..." I said. The door opened, and Steven made his way in. He was wearing shades.
" Hey," he said and sat on the couch.
" Hi Steven," I said to him.
" You weren't picking up my calls, I thought you'd take away my invitation for tonight," he said to me.
" Why would I do that?" I said to him.
" I don't know, Bella, you seemed different last night. What happened in that house?" he asked.
" Nothing, now if you'll excuse me, I have to go," I said and walked out of the office.
Stella was showing the showstopper painting to a couple who seemed to have been taken by it.
I took a glass of champagne from one of the waiters walking by with a tray. Stella waved and motioned for me to join her. I took a deep breath and walked to her.
" Hi everyone," I said as I joined them.
" Everyone, this is Isabella, our brilliant artist," Stella said and introduced me to the couple.
" Young lady, I haven't seen work like this in a long time. This particular piece has captured my attention," the man said to me.
" Who's the woman in the painting?" The woman asked.
"No one in particular, just a figment of my imagination," I said to her.
I was lying, I knew the woman in the painting like I knew myself. It was my mother, sitting on a chair with a cigarette burning in her hand.
" She's quite remarkable. Her features are so beautiful and bold, but she has sad eyes," the woman continued to say.
She's right. My mother is a sad woman, fooled by love. I vowed to myself that I would never let love fool me like it did her.
" Yes, I guess she does seem to have sad eyes," I said to her.
" Is this painting on the bidding list? I would like to buy it," the man said to me.
" Yes, the auction will begin in a few minutes," Stella said to her.
" Great," the woman said.
I saw someone else looking at another painting, a portrait I painted. It was a silhouette of a woman, nothing but a shadow, not even Stella knows this, but that was my silhouette.
The gentleman had his back to me, he seemed to be the only one interested in the piece, just as I was about to go and talk to him, someone approached him and whispered something in his ear, they left shortly afterwards.
I turned around only to bump into Steven. Unfortunately for him, his glasses fell off when he bumped into me. He quickly reached for his glasses, but it was too late, I had already seen the black eye.
" What the hell happened to you? Were you in a fight?" I said and held his arm, but then he twitched, like I was hurting him.
" Can we talk?" he said to me.
" Steven, this is a dream come true for me, I don't need any drama, not tonight of all nights," I said to him.
" I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important, please..." he said, holding my hand gently, as if he was begging me to talk to him.
" Fine, let's go and talk in the office," I said and went back to the office.
I don't know what happened to him, but whatever it is, it can't be good. In the same way, I know that I am probably not going to like what he has to say to me.
" Isabella, we have to finish the job," he said to me.
" I should have known... You only came here because you want me to steal that painting for you!" I said to him.
" It's not that simple," he said. He sounded scared.
" What do you mean it's not that simple," he said to me.
" They have already paid for the painting. We have to deliver," he said to me.
" Then give them their money back Steven," I said to him.
" These are not the kind of people who take back their money. They want their painting or else..." he said and stopped talking mid-sentence.
" Or what Steven?" I asked him.
" Or they'll kill us both. Last night, when I got home, they were waiting for me. Isabella, they jumped me, I thought that I was going to die," he said to me.
I was scared for him. He did look like he was hurt, but what does that have to do with me? I didn't make a deal with anyone.
" I'm sorry to hear that, Steven, but this has nothing to do with me. I didn't take their money," I said to him.
" Do you think they care? They know that we work together, Bella, they'll kill me, and they'll come for you," he said to me.
" What the hell did you get me into Steven? Who are these people?" I asked him.
" I guess there's no point in hiding it anymore. The job was for Luciano Gerald," he said to me.
At the mention of that name, the hairs at the back of my neck stood up. I know who Luciano is. The whole city knows who he is. He is a gangster, the worst kind there is in the world.
" No! You wouldn't! You didn't!" I said to him.
" I had no choice," he said to me.
" Why would you even make a deal with someone like that?" I asked him.
" I owe him a lot of money, that painting is the only way I can pay him what I owe," he said to me.
" How much?" I asked him.
" You don't want to know," he said and hung his head in shame.
" I said how much!" I asked him.
" A hundred million dollars," he said to me.
" For what?" I asked him.
" Gambling debts in his casino," he said to me.
I knew that Steven had a gambling problem, but I thought that was over. The man even went to rehab, and now he has wrecked up so much in debt?
" I know I shouldn't have gone back... Isabella, you're my only option. You have to help me!" he said to me.
" No, I don't have to do anything! You lied to me Steven, you owe them money, not me! I'm sorry, but you're on your own!" I said and walked out.
Walking out, the chairs for the auction had already been arranged. I was angry, but this was an important night for me; I had to compose myself.
I took a deep breath, and with a smile on my face, I walked to Stella. She smiled when she saw me coming.
" Are you ready to sell your art?" she said to me.
" There's no turning back now," I said to her.
" Relax, people love your art, we already have a few offers for your showstopper, one of them is insanely high, I wanted to talk to you before I sell it," she said to me.
" You want to take it off the auction?" I asked her.
" Only if you're okay with the price," she said to me.
" Okay, how much are we talking?" I asked her.
" A million and a half?" she said to me.
" What? Is someone willing to pay that much for one of my paintings?" I said to her, surprised and shocked that someone was willing to pay that much for my work.
" Yes, so what do you say?" she asked me.
" Sell it, where is he? I would like to meet this person, is it that couple?" I asked her.
" Mr Brown would never buy anything over a hundred thousand. It's not them, a gentleman I have never seen before," she said to me.
" Well, whoever he is, he just made my night," I said and held up a glass of champagne.
" Cheers to a successful night," I said, and we clicked our glasses.
" Where's Steven?" she asked me.
"Somewhere around here, I guess," I said to her.
" Let me finalize the sale, I'll come back and take you to the man who bought your painting," she said to me.
" Isn't that my job?" I said jokingly.
" Oh, not tonight. Tonight, you're the star artist. Your only job is to enjoy this night," she said to me.
" Thank you, Stella, I wouldn't have any of this if it wasn't for you," I said to her.
" Don't forget that when you're a world-renowned artist," she said.
" Never," I said to her.
A few minutes went by, and I saw Steven. He didn't take his eyes off me, but I didn't care. As far as I am concerned, we are never going to work together again.
The auction began, and I excused myself and watched from the back. A guy was sitting in the dark; I couldn't make out his features, but he bought most of my paintings.
Stella came to get me at the end of the auction. She wanted to introduce me to the man who brought my paintings. The man was standing alone with a glass of brown liquor in his hand.
" Be nice. He is our biggest buyer tonight," she said to me. She patted him on his shoulder and said something to him. He turned around and looked at me.
The man gave me a shock that I even dropped the champagne glass in my hand.
" s**t!" I cursed under my breath.
- Writer
