Upon entering Katie's house, Francis set down her bag and kicked off her shoes. She pulled the bottle of white wine out of her bag and headed to the kitchen to open it. In the dining room a petite plump lady was setting out paint brushes, paint, and little cups of water in front of eight small easels which sat up on the table, each with a canvas already set up on it.
"This is Beverly," said Katie. "She will be leading the painting party this afternoon."
Francis wrinkled her nose at the pre-stenciled flowers and leaves upon each canvas and the fluorescent colors Beverly was currently preselecting them to paint them with.
Francis followed Katie back into the kitchen and poured herself a hefty glass of wine while Katie attended to a large salad she was preparing and chatted away about her children. Slowly the other member of the local ladies group arrived bringing more food and wine for the party. The party itself was in honor of those with May birthdays–Kim and Kelly. Once the women of honor had arrived, the ladies gathered in the dining room in front of the easels, dawned the smocks provided, and got to work under Beverly's instruction.
Francis intentionally picked the chair at the far end of the table, boxed in by her friends, and with her canvas facing only the window behind her. She refilled her wine glass, smiled to herself and got to work.
"I have drawn in the leaves and flowers," said Beverly, "but if you would like to add more to your painting like this example," she held up a painting with lots of leaves and flowers on it, "then raise your hand and I can give you a pencil."
Francis raised her hand.
Thirty minutes later the instructor asked everyone to hold up their painting to show how much progress they had made. Most of the ladies had diligently filled in the background with a muted white color.
"Oh, I'm not ready to show mine," said Francis, pretending to be behind the others but secretly adding the final outlines in pencil she needed to complete her painting.
Another hour later, the ladies were anxious because they wanted more time than Beverly had budgeted for the party session. But since Beverly approved of the prim and proper ladies group (and their compliance with her instruction) arrangements were made that the supplies would be delivered later that night back to Beverly's home allowing everyone to finish the details of their floral paintings to their satisfaction.
Before she left, Beverly asked everyone to show their painting. Francis steeled herself for the reaction to the licentious behavior she had secretly indulged in for the last two hours at the far end of the table. But when she raised her floral design picture, nobody said anything.
Beverly saw what she thought she was going to see and so did the others, thought Francis laughing to herself.
It was only when the ladies were getting their shoes and coats on and collecting their casserole dishes and dried canvases, did anyone notice Francis's painting.
"Wait, oh! Look at what Francis painted!" exclaimed Katie.
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