Chapter 59

fifty-nine

ANDREW

I smiled as a man from Wisconsin told me what he liked about the canvas in front of us.

So far, the opening night of the exhibition had gone really well. Nick had started the evening with a lovely speech, welcoming me and all the guests to his gallery.

After that, delicious finger food and trays of bubbly champagne had circulated the room. Art collectors from across America had admired my photographs. If the art critics’ comments were as positive as those of the other people in the room, the exhibition would be a huge success.

I was more than a little shocked by the prices Nick had placed on each canvas. But that didn’t faze the man I was speaking to. He wanted to purchase the three canvases I’d shot at Yellowstone National Park. At five thousand dollars each, they weren’t the type of spontaneous purchase I would have made.

As soon as our conversation was over, he shook my hand and made his way to the sales table.

“I can’t believe how many people are here.” My friend Jonathan handed me a glass of orange juice. “Most of your photographs have already sold.”

My eyes widened. I hadn’t paid much attention to the red dots appearing below each canvas. “Are you sure?”

Jonathan nodded. “Positive. When I was standing beside the photo of the New York City skyline, two people almost had an argument over who was going to buy it.”

“I didn’t think there’d be this much interest in my work.”

Jonathan smiled. “From the look of things, you’ll have to get used to it. The room’s full of gallery owners. They’re all speaking to Nick about hosting one of your exhibitions.”

After tonight, I’d have to take a serious look at my career. If other gallery owners wanted to exhibit my photos, I’d need to reduce the number of commissions I accepted. There were only so many hours in the day, and I was already exhausted.

“I saw your portrait of Jacob. It’s incredible.”

I swallowed deeply. “I’m giving it to him as soon as the exhibition’s over. I hope he likes it.”

“I’m not a professional photographer and I don’t know much about art, but Jacob’s portrait is stunning. I don’t know how you create such beautiful images, but I’m glad you do.”

I gave my friend a hug. “Thank you. It means a lot to hear you say that.”

A lady who was wearing the sparkliest pair of spectacles I’d ever seen stopped beside us.

Jonathan smiled at the woman before touching my arm. “I’ll see you later. I promised Shane I’d take plenty of photos.”

“Remember to take a picture of the bison canvas. He’ll like that one.”

With a quick nod, Jonathan disappeared into the crowd.

I wished I could do the same. It was nerve-racking being here when people were discussing my photos. It was even worse when those same people could make or break my career.