Second Chance, Chapter 67
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Second Chance, Chapter 67
Josh felt pressured in early November despite the fact that he had an adequate body of work for his show. The opening was scheduled far enough ahead of Thanksgiving so as not to conflict with it, but close enough to perhaps entice people to purchase his work for Christmas. His paintings would be on display through the major shopping season.
Staging it in November would also coincide with the release of Eric and Josh's "Armadillo Rap" and hopefully launch it as well. Norm Hadley and Ed Overman were working hand in hand to make it beneficial for all concerned. Unlike some gallery owners, Norm had no problem with mixing a book sale with fine art. He felt it took away the elitism that seemed to keep art at a distance from the ordinary person. He also encouraged the guys to use any and all forms of media for exposure. Under Mike Bradbury's guidance, Blake was helping the guys with a video to launch on YouTube to make use of one more source of publicity.
Josh was possibly more nervous over this show than he had been for his first. Last year, he had gone into it without high expectations of becoming well known in the art world. This year, he had a reputation to maintain and he would be receiving more exposure. Tiffany Jones wanted to do a live TV interview with Eric and him about their book and also about his exhibit the day before the opening. She planned to include behind the scenes footage of Josh's paintings being hung. Norm had graciously allowed her cameraman to film various aspects of the process. Naturally, he had no objection to free publicity!
Eric helped Josh take the latest pastels to the shop for matting and framing. The owner was quite happy to have a sizeable order because he was operating on a pretty thin profit margin and could use the extra work. He promised to have everything ready at least two days before the show was scheduled to be hung. He was elated to hear that Tiffany Jones wanted to send a cameraman to film shots of the process to include in her interview.
To add to Josh's stress, the younger boys in the LGBT club were eager to have a retreat so that they could ask the questions which were never covered in high school classes about sex. In order to take pressure off of Josh, Eric took over the main responsibilities for scheduling it. Aaron had done the groundwork, but couldn't coordinate everyone's schedule as easily as the main people involved.
After several phone calls between Eric, Dr. Mann, and Ms. Hovland, they came up with a date. Dr. Mann had wanted to wait at least until the holiday seasons of Advent and Christmas were over because of the numerous responsibilities he had. Ms. Hovland didn't want it to conflict with term finals. Eric felt that Josh and he would need to have the swimming season out of the way before they could deal with it. So, sometime in the middle of February seemed to work out best. It could be held around Valentine's Day.
Their interview on the noon news went smoothly. Josh was his usual out-going self and Eric was particularly articulate. The guys came off looking more like young professionals than high school seniors. Ms. Jones mentioned that admission to the opening reception had originally been by invitation only, but that there were a few extra tickets available on a first come, first served basis by calling Norm Hadley at the gallery.
Norm smiled as he watched the interview. He wouldn't limit the number of people unless it became completely unmanageable. He was interested in having as many people come as possible. The exposure would be great not only for the boys, but also for his business. His grin got wider as he heard his secretary busily working the phone to fulfill requests. He had found that more people tended to want to come if they thought it was an exclusive event than would have when it was an open invitation as he'd done for Josh's first show.
Since the gallery opening wasn't at the end of swimming season this year, the guys weren't faced with the problem of having their heads shaved only a couple of weeks before. However, their hair was taking a beating from being in chlorinated water for practice, so they went to Corray on Friday afternoon a few hours before the show. As usual, Corray worked wonders and the boys left looking very stylish. Corray said he and Corky were enthusiastic about coming to the opening. Corky had never been to one, so he was especially keyed up.
Despite being nearly as excited as Josh, Eric kept a cool head about selecting their coordinating outfits which were in the same color range as last year's. Both wore khaki slacks. Josh had a camouflage shirt with open collar and an olive drab neck scarf. Eric wore an olive drab shirt and a camo scarf. They complemented each other without looking like twins.
Norm sent a limo for the members of the Larson-Brady household with the understanding that the driver would be available to take anyone home at any time. No one knew how long Robbie would hold up or if his dads would outlast him.
When the guys arrived, "La Galleria D'Arte Moderna" was abuzz with activity. Some of the caterers were filling chafing dishes with tiny meatballs, chicken wings, and sausages. Others were doing a last minute check of the drinks table. Given the array of heavy hors d'oeuvres, fruits, and pastries, no one would have needed to have eaten dinner before they came. As energized as the boys had been, they hadn't eaten a lot. The nibblies would be welcome.
This year, guests began coming through the doors as soon as they were opened. Several of their high school friends arrived together – Dylan, Damian, Peter, Luc, and Garret had ridden in Garret's car. Sam had brought Aaron and Casey with him. They headed for the table where Eric and Josh were signing copies of their book. Several of them wanted autographed copies to give to children they knew. A couple of them wanted to save the books for the children they hoped to have one day. They all bought toy armadillos to go with them.
To Josh's amazement, Brayden Bousek, a fellow art student and sometimes pain in the ass had come to the opening right after his friends. Josh wasn't sure what to expect and was happy to have Eric beside him for support if the scene turned ugly.
Josh was more surprised when Brayden walked up with a smile, offering his hand.
"Is there somewhere we could go to have a few words in private?" he asked.
"There's a conference room off the next gallery, but Norm really wants me to stay visible. You can say whatever you like in front of Eric. We have no secrets."
"Okay. I feel like a dork about being overheard, but here goes. I want to apologize for the way I've acted toward you in the past. You're a really talented artist and I can't hope to surpass you. Until I got a glimpse of what you have hanging here, I thought you were Gilbert's pet. I've always been jealous like Jake was about your swimming ability. I used to hang on the fringes of his bunch of dirts, but I came to realize what a mistake it was after what he did to his own family. Anyway, I hope we can bury the hatchet even if we can't be buddies."
"I don't see why we can't be friends," Josh answered. "You have a lot of ability and you have next year to develop it further. We don't have to be rivals."
"Thanks," Brayden swallowed. "I really envy your skill in drawing and painting figures. You must spend hours drawing nude models. I wish I could do that."
"You could. There are classes at the art institute in the evenings and some weekends where you can simply go to draw without instruction for a nominal fee. I did that a few times before I got Eric."
"I'm not sure my mom would let me. You're lucky to have someone in-house to pose."
"Yeah, I even married him so I wouldn't have to pay him," Josh grinned.
"Oh, I feel so used!" Eric exclaimed in a campy imitation of Corray.
"You could even get guys from school to pose for you," Josh said while giving his husband an affectionate pinch on the butt. "Swimmers could pose in their suits if nudity is out of the question. Those team Speedos don't leave much to the imagination. I had Eric and Rob pose in jocks or thongs when I did my angel series. Since angels are spiritual beings, I didn't want to dwell too much on their, uh, physical attributes."
"I'm afraid I'd be tagged as gay if I asked other guys to pose nude or nearly nude." Brayden blushed.
"It's not all that bad to be thought of as gay," Eric interjected. "I suppose it could be a problem for someone who isn't."
"Oops, I know that didn't come out right," Brayden apologized. "I know you guys are partners. I didn't mean to offend."
"No offense taken," Josh smiled.
When Brayden left them to see the rest of the show, Eric turned to Josh.
"I guess I could pose for both of you sometime. Of course his mother might freak out if she discovered he was hanging with queers!"
"Perhaps I'll consider inviting him, but I don't know if I want him perving on my husband." Josh grinned.
"Hey, you once said drawing a nude isn't much different from drawing a still life of fruit," Eric countered. "If he's straight, he won't get a rise from drawing another guy."
"Yeah, I know what I said and it holds true if I'm drawing a female. But there is difference when I'm drawing you. I've never been tempted to suck on a still life!"
Within half an hour, the place was packed. The crowd ran the gamut from teens on allowances to the gray-headed group with fat wallets. Some came to look and wish while others were there to buy. Several had been present at Rob's fund-raising ball.
Josh's largest work, "Angel of Mercy" was a life-sized figure with wings spread in a manner that suggested a heavenly hug. It also carried the largest price tag, $4,000. Josh didn't think it would sell even though his smaller one had fetched $5,000 at the auction. After all, that was for charity and Tinker Bell had probably purchased it because she had taken a special liking to him when he'd confronted Randall Chadick on the golf course. He was surprised to see a "sold" sign covering the price when he went back into the main gallery.
"Oh there you are," Tinker exclaimed. "I think your `Angel of Mercy' is priced entirely too low. I would gladly have paid more. I've talked to Mr. Worthington and he agrees that it should be the focal point of the lobby when the Morrison Hotel gets renovated. It's the perfect symbol of the mission's work. It will be a welcoming gesture and a tribute to Rob. I can tell you used him as your model, just as you used Eric for the painting I have in my foyer."
"I'm honored that you would choose this painting for the mission. Had I known it was going there, I would have donated it."
"I'm sure you would have, but it's better that you reap a reward for your talents in this case because you'll want it for college. You've already donated the `Archangel' for the fundraiser and look what it brought. What you did was far more than any other teenager did other than Rob, of course."
"You're the one who bid it up and I appreciate it."
"I only bid because I wanted the painting. You saw how many other people were after it. I paid what I had to in order to acquire it. It wasn't for the reasons you assume. Speaking of which, I'm pleased to see Damian here tonight. He appears to be a loyal friend."
"Loyal and protective! He was ready to risk getting in trouble at school in September when someone made a nasty remark about Eric and me. He told us he'll always have our backs if anyone ever hassles us over our orientation."
"You defended him without hesitation when you knew it could well have cost you your job. He knows who his friends are too." Tinker smiled. "The expression, `what goes around, comes around' is way overused, but it fits."
Their conversation ended when several other people joined them. Sophia wanted to visit with Tinker, and Norm had several of "Joshua's" admirers with him who desired an audience with the artist. Josh still couldn't understand why people felt they had to meet him. Despite his outgoing nature, he always felt uncomfortable in the role of a celebrity whom someone would fawn over. It was like they needed to touch the hem of his garment in order to be healed of their own insecurities. He was really pleased when Corray and Corky came over. Corray's gushing was at least a sincere expression.
"We are so overwhelmed by all of these beautiful works of art," Corray exclaimed. "Corky and I bought one of the smaller ones for our apartment."
"Your apartment, as in yours together?" Josh smiled.
"Oh, didn't I tell you when I was doing your hair? We've decided to give it a try. We really have a lot in common and we want to settle down. And, well, I'm madly in love with him!"
"The feeling is mutual," Corky giggled. "It's not one-sided at all. I'll love Cam and Reese forever for introducing us.
In one sense the evening seemed long, but in another it zoomed by quickly. The boys were pleased that they'd sold most of the books Mr. Overman had sent over for the opening. They'd also sold about as many plush armadillos as books. Next week when they were scheduled for a signing at Barnes and Nobel, they might need a bigger supply.
Robbie had long since fallen asleep and been chauffeured back home with his daddies. When the last guest had departed and the doors were bolted, Josh and Eric along with their dads were very happy to have a driver to take them home. Josh and Eric both caught a few winks of sleep on the way.
"You're probably dead tired," Eric said as he stripped and lay face up naked on their bed.
"Oh, I'm not as tired as I was before that little nap on the way home in the back of the limo. What did you have in mind, dare I ask?"
"I wondered if you have enough energy to test your statement about nudes and still life."
"I think I misspoke again. The banana in this still life looks good enough to eat. I think I'll begin with the two plums under it. They look yummy too." Josh grinned as he fondled Eric's crotch.
He didn't waste any more time discussing Eric's attributes in fruit-like terms but began to run his tongue over them. He was happy to see that married life hadn't made Eric any less appreciative of his attention.
"I'm getting hungry too," Eric said with a pout in his voice. "Please bring your still life up where I can enjoy it. I know I can't draw it, but I'll bet I could write an ode about it with the right inspiration."
Even though they'd had a long evening, they seemed to be up to the challenge of pleasing each other. Their lovemaking didn't last as long as they would have liked because they really were ready to go to sleep. However, it wasn't viewed as a duty by either of them. The thrill was there, but they didn't ride the wave of desire for as many minutes as they would have if they were better rested.
Their welcome climaxes arrived with a goodly amount of noise and splooge despite not having edged as they often loved to do.
"Hmm, that banana was protein-filled," Josh joked. "I shouldn't be starved for breakfast in the morning. Speaking of mornings, are we going to church on Sunday or sleeping in?"
"I think we should go if we're up to it. We have tomorrow to unwind – well after swim practice and homework. I want Dr. Mann to see us enough so he remembers us when we do the retreat."
"After doing premarital counseling and all the rest, how is he going to forget a couple of handsome studs like us?" Josh snickered.
Two tired, but happy boys pulled up the covers and were soon transported to dreamland.
Author's notes: Thanks to you who emailed since last posting: John McD, Harry T, Terry, Bill, Tom A, Paul R, Walt S, Rad, Paul Fz, Roger L, Rutabaga, Bobby W (about "Tales"), Jim We, and Jim C. As you can see there are a couple more new readers.
Please keep Rad in your thoughts and prayers as he faces tough graduate school exams. Don't forget the earthquake victims in Haiti and Chile.
Progress seems to be coming in the military's stance toward those who are openly gay or lesbian serving our country. Progress always seems to take too long, but things are changing for the better.
David