Seeing the smirk on Candice’s face as she teased him for being nervous ironically helped him to relax. Only by a little but it still made him feel more confident that the evening wouldn’t be a complete disaster.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” He teased back, referencing her smirk. He then quietly sighed. “Anyways, that was a long time ago. And I only did it because my parents wouldn’t let me go and he was one of my biggest inspirations.” He continued as if he had to justify why he was no longer the person she was talking about.
Candice flagged down a waiter, ordering him a drink and getting his usual order right on the first try. Of course, she did. She clearly remembered more than he had thought she would.
“I’m surprised you remembered.” He responded as the waiter walked away. She straightened her posture slightly, signalling that the pleasantries were over, and Dom did the same. Though she was doing it out of professionalism while he was tensing up, preparing himself for whatever was coming next. However, he relaxed when she started talking about his pieces. He had been worried because she had the most to compare to but she seemed to genuinely like his artwork.
She opened the portfolio to a specific piece and his gaze followed as she pointed to details on the painting. It was abstract but, as she had likely already figured out, his abstract art was usually a representation of his emotional state. They were created on days when he sequestered himself in his studio because he had something he needed to process. He had a feeling of when this had been done but he checked the date, just to be sure. Before he could answer, she flipped to another piece in his portfolio, asking if there was a connection between the two.
“Art has always been my outlet for difficult emotions. The anniversary of Clara’s death was right before I started college, which is when I painted that first one. I didn’t want my peers to think I was this moody artist who’s only inspiration was depression, even though I really was at the time. So I painted that and tried to keep it colourful and interesting but the darkness still crept in. This might seem silly, but I never feel truly in control when I’m painting. Like my brush is guiding me instead of me guiding it. I guess I could have painted over it but it felt better to leave it.” He explained to her, hoping he wasn’t bringing down the mood of the evening. He then focused on the other one she had drawn her attention to.
“That one was years later, after I met Colin. I was doing much better mentally and I think it showed in the pieces I was creating. There were still good days and bad days but for the first time in a long time, the good days were starting to outnumber the bad ones.” He explained, again wondering if he was oversharing. The only reason he didn’t stop himself was because she had asked about the pieces and it was important to the meaning behind the artwork.
Candice set the portfolio aside and when she started speaking, he went through a rollercoaster of emotions. When she started, he thought she was going to tell him his work wasn’t right for her gallery, period. Then she continued by saying that it would fit in her opening, which gave him some relief, except then she trailed off on a ‘but’, leaving his heart in his throat. She held the silence for what felt like an eternity and when she finally spoke, Dom could have sworn he had a mini heart attack.
“I…I don’t know what to say.” He stammered. Of all the things he expected her to say, this was not it. He had to take a minute to collect himself before continuing. “I would be honoured. This was not what I was expecting at all but that would be amazing.” He replied once he had regained his professionalism. He was still in shock but it was slowly wearing off.
It helped that she moved on, flipping to another piece in his portfolio and asking him about it. He surveyed the piece for a second, reminding himself of the time when he created it. “You know that feeling when you’re in a new city alone and you somehow feel lonely even though you’re surrounded by people?” He asked, more rhetorically. He made eye contact with her, letting her see his vulnerability instead of hiding. “After the divorce, before I met my current husband, I got really lonely. But it was strange because I wasn’t alone. I had my kids and my friends but I couldn’t stop the feeling. I ended up channeling it into this painting.”
The conversation had taken a more vulnerable turn than he had expected but he didn’t completely dislike it. It almost felt like they were teenagers again, when Candice was the first person to see any of his pieces. He watched her for her reaction, trying to figure out if he was scaring her away.
@benitz786 - Candice