Murder was the Case they Gave Me

Chapter 6

My hands were shaking. I was pretty sure the grilled cheese sandwich I had earlier for lunch was going to end up on the smooth tile floors. Today was finally the day of my art show and to say I was nervous was definitely an understatement. I wasn't sure if it was the nerves or the pregnancy that was making me want to throw up currently. Either way, I wasn't sure if I could really do it.

There was so much artwork here, decorating the walls in colorful strokes that told endless stories of pain and love. Mine looked subpar to all the others here. Every piece had a little description, telling stories of the artists and all the meanings behind their works. Mine I tried to keep happy. No messages about my missing husband, none of that.

Fans were pretty disappointed about the cancellation of the tour, especially since we didn't give them a specific reason. Merely said the rest of the tour was canceled due to some personal emergencies. Officer Jackson decided it would be best to keep this under wraps, everything goes more smoothly when you don't have the general public involved in everything.

"Wow, your stuff looks amazing up here," Henry said. "Normally I wouldn't feed your ego so much but this is actually really great, Emma."

"I don't have a huge ego or anything," I said. "You know, you didn't have to come if you didn't want to, I know you're not really that big into art or anything."

"I'm here for the moral support," he said. "Plus, there's gotta be some pretty cute gay guys here. Maybe I could meet one of them."

"Maybe I should just go home, my work doesn't really fit in the showcase, everyone else's is so much better," I said.

"Stop it, your work is so amazing because you are the most talented person on Earth," Adrianna said. "You can't drink the wine, but they've got some nice sparkling cider for you and you can meet some people who can really help you to get into the art business."

I took a deep breath and nodded. I was never the best at talking to people, but I've gotten better since I've met Eli and gotten to know all his friends and was introduced to the people he worked with. She was right, this was my opportunity to truly get into the business. I could really earn some money and help to pay the bills.

            "Have you told your parents that you're pregnant yet?" Adrianna asked. "Or at least anyone, for that matter."

            "No, not yet, I want to keep this thing under wraps until Eli gets back home," I said. "And then we'll tell people about it together."

            "That sounds like a pretty good plan to me," Henry said. "It'll be nice for you two, mom and dad will be so happy to have their first grandchild."

            "I don't think they'll be as happy when the baby is born out of wedlock," I said. "And I really wasn't planning on having a shotgun wedding at all. I'm trying my best to be okay and put on a happy face right now, though. Nobody is going to be interested in my art if I'm just going to be a whole big downer the entire time."

            "Just because you're a downer doesn't mean your art isn't good," Adrianna said. "And, might I add, you look absolutely stunning tonight."

            She had been the one to help me pick out my outfit. It was a red dress, shockingly red. I don't usually wear red, but Adrianna insisted that it looked amazing on me, so I decided that I might as well give it a try. It was a nice cocktail dress that ended just above my knees with lace along the shoulders and back. Part of me was self-conscious wearing this, I was worried that I stood out too much.

            "I can see your worrying face, stop that," Adrianna scolded playfully. "Here, let me go and get you a nice glass of sparkling cider. How does that sound?"