The Art of Loving You

Brush (Sage)

After getting the groceries, we returned to my family home where Heath was waiting. Heath Parkland, eldest son in the Parkland Family who owns various museums in the city, has been my best friend and art dealer for the longest time. Heath has an eye for the art and could always curate pieces that struck a chord in me. And he was also Emerald's ex. They may have ended their relationship for "professional reasons" that only they know, but deep down, I know he still loves Emerald. Needless to say, the break up was amicable, and hence they were able to be in the same room together.

Heath and I sat at the living room while Emerald hustled in the kitchen with the chefs for our dinner. My parents took a jet to Paris earlier today after dropping the bomb. I thanked god for giving me a chance to recuperate while my parents were away. Their trip to Paris this time would take at least two weeks as they attempt to secure an investment for a new mall.

"So, here are some portfolios of potential artists that I have secured for your new gallery. Some of them are friends of friends while some are sourced from the network. I know you trust my eyes in choosing "the one" for your upcoming opening but I thought that you might want to have a say in choosing the spotlight artist." Despite being the same age as me, Heath had a really good connection with the people in the art world and could easily cultivate relationships as compared to the introvert, me. Heath has always succeeded in bringing gems to me and I've never doubted his choices for my galleries. But this time, my gallery opening is a symbol of my independence from the family and I needed the works shown to signify my passion in order for investments to come in.

I took the portfolio from Heath and browsed through it as Emerald set the table behind us.

"See anyone you like, Sage? You always have eyes for those heart-wrenching and painful art works. Anything happier this time?" Emerald questioned, as she placed the dishes down.

I narrowed my eyes and took the time to dissect each of the artwork in the portfolio. There were some that were beautifully painted, some realistically sketched but nothing really caught my eye. I needed an art that evoked feelings in people, a piece that draws attention, something that represented me.

"How about this one? This is sketched by a junior of mine from college, I chanced upon her work in the network. Her works are mainly sold in art fairs and small galleries, centering around landscapes. Recently, she has been exploring portraits and some pieces are really selling well. These are some pieces that I managed to source at previous art fairs." Heath handed another portfolio to me, and I thumbed through the works, before landing my eyes on one of the portraits.

"Well... She probably still needs more work, but knowing her since college, she is actually a really good artist." Heath added.

The drawing was of a young lady. Her body was drawn slightly turned to the side, as though she was caught by surprise. But the look on her face was anything but surprise. It was as though she was glancing at a mirror before she leaves and all she could see was despair and disappointment. The lines on her portrait were shaky and marks of her errors could be seen. But I could not tear my eyes away from the eyes of the drawing. It pulls me in and before I knew it, I could sense a swell in my chest.

"This." I handed the drawing back to Heath and pointed. "Are there more works of hers?"

"Well... I'll have to check with her as these were purchased off the fair. Let me look for her contact and get more pieces. Don't you want to know her name?" Heath looked at me pointedly.

"You know me, Heath. I'll never get acquainted with the artist. You handle the names, I handle the art." I closed the portfolio and tucked it carefully into the briefcase I brought along.

"Oh Heath, you know better than to try to get my brother engaged with those artists." Emerald scoffed. "Cmon, enough of the business talk."

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