I’ve often been on a stage and addressed an audience. Doing cooking demonstrations and making Christmas decorations is a lot different than what I’m about to do. This is personal. I’m putting everything I have out there for everyone to see.
Antonne takes my shoulders and kisses both of my cheeks. “You’ve got this, sweetie. See you in a minute.”
He ducks back around the curtain and into the gallery. I hear him clap to get everyone’s attention.
Then he says, “Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention please?” When the murmur of the crowd quietens, he continues, “We have one more treat for you this evening. I’d like to introduce you to Penelope Aldin.”
I step out from the curtain, and all eyes are glued on me. People are clapping at Antonne’s introduction with a mix of confusion and surprise.
I clear my throat and address the audience. “Hello, everyone. As you might be aware, I’ve had a lot of publicity lately, and not of the good kind. I’ve had strangers shove cameras in my face, follow me, interrupt private moments, and spread lies about me. Now I’m faced with something else. Something more obtrusive than anything I’ve had to deal with before. Private photos of me are set to be published in the morning. Photos that I thought were deleted and would never see the light of day. Once again,I’m facing humiliation. When I learned what was about to happen, I was shocked and mortified. I wanted to hide alone in a darkened room and not show my face again. This is what the person who leaked the photos wanted—to bring me down. Cause another scandal, and damage my reputation even more than it already is.
“I believe they hoped people would see these photos as something dirty and salacious. But they are far from that. More like a work of art. Beautiful. Captured by a man with a tremendous amount of talent. Someone who not only sees beauty in models wearing Alessi Fashion, but also in things that inspire him, as you can see from the photographs on the walls.
“One stormy day, I was his inspiration. He made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. And for that reason, I want to share the amazing photographs he took of me before some sleazy tabloid does. The media won’t taint this for me. Once something like this would have broken me.” I glance at Lucas; pride is shining from his face. “But like someone I love said to me, I’m unbreakable.”
I nod at Antonne, and he whisks back the curtain, revealing the enlarged photographs hanging on the wall. The audience gasps in surprise then break out with enthusiastic rounds of applause. They’re smiling and cheering, and by the expressions on their faces, they’re loving what they see.
There is one person I’m focused on—Claudia. All color has drained from her face. Her betrayal sliced through me. Years of what I thought was friendship gone. Why? What did I ever do to her to cause such hatred? When she starts to leave, Lucas, his family, and my mother block her path. Lucas leans down and whispers something into her ear. Her jaw tightens, but she doesn’t move.
Reaching my hand out toward Lucas, he comes to me, takes it, and kisses my knuckles before placing a kiss on my lips. Thenhe turns to his guests. “If anyone wants to doubt our love, or try to sell stories about it being fake, just take a look at these photographs. In case you’re still wondering, I love this fucking woman.”
He cups my face and kisses me deeply to the amusement and cheers of the crowd.
Lucas pulls back. For my ears only, he whispers, “You are amazing. Do you know that?”
“I feel amazing when I’m with you. Thank you for doing this for me. This is supposed to be your exhibition’s big debut, and I’ve made it about me.”
Brushing my hair back from my face, his fingertips are feather-light when he touches my cheek. “This is about us and how much we love each other. We are in this together. Always.”
“As much as I’d love to bask in this with you, there’s something I have to take care of.”
I glance over at Claudia, who is still surrounded by the most important people in my life. She must have worked fast to find the photos when left alone in the apartment. Why did she go to so much trouble?
When Lucas sees who I’m looking at, he says, “I’ll come with you.”
I shake my head. “I need to do this myself.”
He places his hands on my shoulders. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“I’m here if you need me.”
Gosh, I love this man. He is my rock. My heart. My everything.
Leaving him, I walk over to Claudia. “Follow me.” Not waiting for her to answer, I turn and walk toward an office at the back of the gallery Antonne told me I could use. When we’re inside, I close the door behind us.
Claudia crosses her arms over her chest and gives me a haughty expression, like she doesn’t care what’s to come. Yet hergaze is flicking around the room, looking at everything but me, giving away her fear.
“Why?” I thought our friendship was solid. Never in a million years did I think she’d stab me in the back so viciously. I did not see this coming.
With a shrug of a shoulder, she says, “Why what?”
“Now’s not the time to play dumb. The paparazzi always finding me, the photos getting leaked. Why did you want to destroy me? You were someone I trusted. Loved. The only person who knew what my life was like.”
Making a scoffing sound, she rolls her eyes. “Oh please. You always played the victim. Always using the ‘my life was so difficult’ card. You’ve always gotten everything you wanted handed to you.”
Her comment is like a slap to the face. The person standing in front of me is a stranger. How was I so blind to this hatred?