A Gallery Finish
“His work is magnificent. It’s just like him. He does a single female nude, in pencil, on brown wrapping paper, framed, but always without glass.”
“I know his work.”
“There’s really no need to sign it. That’s how the reclusive Frederick Bloom does it. Have you ever seen anything like it?”
“It’s okay, but I see some problems.”
“What? You see problems? What would you know?”
“Well, the nose needs lengthened, and the breasts are rounder than that.”
“And how would you know that?”
“The model’s my wife- she poses for the artist quite often.”
“What are you doing with that pencil? STOP...STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!”
“See how much better that is?”
“I SAID STOP THAT! Alright, you leave me no choice. You are ruining a masterpiece. I’m getting the owner and he’ll call the police. You’ll be arrested.”
“Hi, honey. Are you almost done? I‘m getting hungry.”
“Yes, in just a second.”
“Remember we have two more galleries to visit after lunch. I think if the owners ever find out you don’t use glass because you like to tweak your pieces once they’re hung, they might be very upset. Now...where shall we eat?”
“There, that does it, sweetie. If that guy could see the finished piece now, I’m sure he’d recognize you, and then he‘d know who I am.”
“I think it’s time to go.”
Steve Heverly has held almost every job there is, and has done well in all. However, the only one that means anything to his is writing.
