He stopped in front of the one Justin had called “Night,” that wasn’t for sale. Armand had asked for twelve pieces for the show, and this was the thirteenth. Kalli and I both convinced Justin it should be shown as from the artist’s collection.
“Jesus.”
I took a sip of wine, and signaled to a passing waiter to replace my glass. “I know. I feel that way a lot.”
He took another glass, too. “I’ll be honest, Brian, I couldn’t believe it when you brought him to dinner that time. I would never have imagined you with someone like Justin.”
I didn’t say anything.
Richard went on. “I know he’s older than he looks, but I thought he was about eighteen. I know I pissed him off when I asked him his age, but he must get asked that a lot.”
I just raised an eyebrow and shrugged.
“Then I look at something like this…”
I turned back to the painting. “I know.”
Not that Brian needed his opinion of Justin's work validated, but maybe he needed to hear someone who may have dismissed Justin's talent because of his age actually admit that they were wrong. Did that make sense?
Armand nodded. “I liked his work from the beginning, but what he’s doing now? I’ve never seen an artist progress this much in one year. Never. The maturity and completeness of this work is beyond anything I expected, even given how impressed I was with the early pieces.”
“Kalli said the same thing, but…”
He laughed. “I know. It’s just as with Justin, their youth is an obstacle to believing in their abilities. But she’s also like Justin in that working with her, I’ve completely forgotten her age. She has extraordinary instincts.” He took a glass of wine off the bar, and sipped it. “And Justin has an extraordinary talent, and something most artists his age don’t have, the opportunity to devote himself to it full time.”
Yeah. What he said.
I cleared my throat. “Do you miss New York, Justin?”
I’d had no intention of asking him that. I lay there wondering how the hell that happened. But he didn’t look surprised, just thoughtful.
“I’m in New York. How can I miss it?”
“Miss living here.”
“No, I don’t miss New York.” He moved his head to my chest, and curved his fingers around the back of my neck. He kissed my chest. “And I didn’t miss Pittsburgh when I lived here. I missed you.”
This owned me. Just...god, Xie.
He smiled and surprised me by rolling me over. He straddled me, and I grabbed his hands, and he leaned his weight into them, his knees tucked under on either side of my hips. “The show went great tonight, didn’t it?”
I nodded, and felt my throat unstick for a second. “I’m proud of you.”
His face lit up, and he dropped his head down and kissed me, just a light kiss on my mouth.
The only validation that really matters.
He lay down flat on top of me, and kissed my chest. I wrapped my arms around him, and then reached down and found some blankets, and pulled them up. He settled against me, shifting his weight off to the side, leaving his head on my chest.
I played with his hair, and when I heard his breathing get slow and deep, I closed my eyes.
In New York, sleepy, peaceful, with Brian's fingers in his hair. All is right with the world.
Risks, pt 3
“Jesus.”
I took a sip of wine, and signaled to a passing waiter to replace my glass. “I know. I feel that way a lot.”
He took another glass, too. “I’ll be honest, Brian, I couldn’t believe it when you brought him to dinner that time. I would never have imagined you with someone like Justin.”
I didn’t say anything.
Richard went on. “I know he’s older than he looks, but I thought he was about eighteen. I know I pissed him off when I asked him his age, but he must get asked that a lot.”
I just raised an eyebrow and shrugged.
“Then I look at something like this…”
I turned back to the painting. “I know.”
Not that Brian needed his opinion of Justin's work validated, but maybe he needed to hear someone who may have dismissed Justin's talent because of his age actually admit that they were wrong. Did that make sense?
Armand nodded. “I liked his work from the beginning, but what he’s doing now? I’ve never seen an artist progress this much in one year. Never. The maturity and completeness of this work is beyond anything I expected, even given how impressed I was with the early pieces.”
“Kalli said the same thing, but…”
He laughed. “I know. It’s just as with Justin, their youth is an obstacle to believing in their abilities. But she’s also like Justin in that working with her, I’ve completely forgotten her age. She has extraordinary instincts.” He took a glass of wine off the bar, and sipped it. “And Justin has an extraordinary talent, and something most artists his age don’t have, the opportunity to devote himself to it full time.”
Yeah. What he said.
I cleared my throat. “Do you miss New York, Justin?”
I’d had no intention of asking him that. I lay there wondering how the hell that happened. But he didn’t look surprised, just thoughtful.
“I’m in New York. How can I miss it?”
“Miss living here.”
“No, I don’t miss New York.” He moved his head to my chest, and curved his fingers around the back of my neck. He kissed my chest. “And I didn’t miss Pittsburgh when I lived here. I missed you.”
This owned me. Just...god, Xie.
He smiled and surprised me by rolling me over. He straddled me, and I grabbed his hands, and he leaned his weight into them, his knees tucked under on either side of my hips. “The show went great tonight, didn’t it?”
I nodded, and felt my throat unstick for a second. “I’m proud of you.”
His face lit up, and he dropped his head down and kissed me, just a light kiss on my mouth.
The only validation that really matters.
He lay down flat on top of me, and kissed my chest. I wrapped my arms around him, and then reached down and found some blankets, and pulled them up. He settled against me, shifting his weight off to the side, leaving his head on my chest.
I played with his hair, and when I heard his breathing get slow and deep, I closed my eyes.
In New York, sleepy, peaceful, with Brian's fingers in his hair. All is right with the world.
The perfect ending.