Framed Connection

Chapter 21: A world beyond the box

Roxanna sets down her hairdryer on the nightstand next to her bed, then walks over to her desk to pick up her laptop. That nice meal with Celine and Lucas had her thinking as she opened the door and headed to the living area. Setting the laptop down on the coffee table she anxiously opens it before doing a few quick edits to the format of her column then sends it off. Having figured she should cut her losses now rather than wait for the inevitable of Valdes' scrutiny of having failed to produce a proper article for next month's issue.

Even if he complains about why there isn't any quote from M.W himself there's not much she can do about it. Remembering a conversation She and Lucas had when Celine had excused herself from the table.

"Did something happen at the gallery?" She could hear the hesitation in his words. Having known that something felt off the day before.

"Actually I thought I heard someone call my name when I was on the second floor." Roxanna said truthfully, seeing no reason to hide it from him. Though she's not sure what's going on in his head as he looked confused.

"Did you see who called for you?" Lucas had asked but she shakes her head not sure if she should tell him that the voice sounded like someone she knew.

"No, but let me ask you something first." Roxanna says wanting to confirm something. "Who really lives up there?"

Lucas seemed a little hesitant to answer, he avoids eye contact while tapping on his glass with his finger. "By your reaction I'm guessing M.W lives there." Roxanna says, seeing that he remains silent, unable to answer, that's all the confirmation she needed.

"Yes, but please keep it a secret between us we can't have where he lives out because of...Reasons." Lucas says, seeing as there's no point to lie to her seeing as she seems to have figured it out. However she has no intention of leaking his whereabouts anyways.

"Look, I have no intention of implicating the artist by spreading vulnerable information like that. I only went there with only taking pictures of his artwork in mind." Roxanna says, wanting to set one thing clear but she still sees that Lucas looks a bit tense "I promise anyhow that nobody else will come to know about this."

"Okay good, thank you it's just that-'' Lucas wanted to say something but Roxanna cut him off, shaking her head and raising a hand.

"You don't need to explain anything that you don't need to. A promise is a promise." she says, "Though I'm also guessing i wasn't supposed to be there in the first place was I?" Lucas sighs looking away from her

"You're right, I think it's time I be honest with you then." Lucas says, feeling guilty for having been lying to her. "M.W never agreed to do an interview with you, this was all my doing. When you first contacted him... well me, I was all for it for him to give it a shot but he wouldn't agree to it." Lucas says looking up at Roxanna who doesn't show any emotion.

"I didn't mean to get your hopes up, I'm sorry. But I'm not sure if I will ever get him to agree to it. " Lucas apologizes and Roxanna puts down her fork and sighs, having expected that to be the case.

She sits there for a moment not saying anything while he starts to tap his fork nervously. He wanted to say something again, but that's when she said first " It would have been easier if you'd tell me what's going on so we could work out some different arrangements." Roxanna says, now feeling like an idiot for not realizing it from the first interview. "That's why it's no use for you to be so intolerably hopeful, especially when you know things don't always work out for you."

"Again I'm sorry, but if there's anything else you need that could help you with-" Roxanna cuts Lucas off again.

"No, it's fine, you've already done quite enough for me already." Roxanna says, seeing as she can't really blame him as he was probably just trying to do something for his friend.