Wednesday
When he arrived at the restaurant, Dom greeted the hostess but then explained that he was meeting someone and walked past her. He already knew where he was going, having spotted Candice through the window, looking through what he could only assume was his portfolio. It reminded him of the stakes of tonight’s dinner.
“You’re late, but I guess I’ll let it slide this time.”
Dom checked his watch, fully prepared to apologize and explain that he wanted to make sure his daughter got home safe from ballet class first, but when she explained that she had arrived early and his watch confirmed he was right on time, he relaxed and put a smile on his face. Even if his heart was beating out of his chest right now, he wanted to at least seem like he had full confidence in himself. He watched as she closed his portfolio and offered for him to have a seat. He sat down, now at eye-level with her, which only made him more nervous for the coming conversation.
“Thank you.” He responded when she complimented his pieces and commented on his growth as an artist. Having been witness to some of his earliest works, Candice was one of, if not the most qualified people to make that statement. “If you have any questions about any of the pieces, I’d be happy to answer them.” He added. Each piece in his portfolio had an accompanying artist statement and the commissioned pieces were marked as such but he knew that some pieces were best explained in person by the artist.
He thought he had been doing a good job at pretending he wasn’t the most nervous he had been in years but her next question made him wonder how much his body language was giving away. “I-” He stopped himself, realizing he had no idea what he was going to answer. He wanted to keep up his confident facade but maybe it was better to be honest. “I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty nervous right now.” He admitted, forcing himself to maintain eye contact despite the confession and his every instinct telling him to break it.
@benitz786 - Candice