Signs of Interest 13

Eyes Wide Shut

@J Hontz and S Pickrel 2009 - all rights reserved

  Susie got down off the stepladder and stood back where Justine, Luc, Justin and a frowning Goldie stood at the center of the main gallery floor. Hanging in an even better location than it had that morning, was Goldie's quick little fantasy 'Signs of Interest.'

Goldie was biting her lip, worrying it really, frowning.

"It makes me smile every time I look at it. Stop saying it isn't serious art. Serious art doesn't have to be grim and gritty," Susie said to Goldie.

"I know. It's just... It wasn't planned. I mean, it's ... crayons on a napkin. And kinda personal," she added, determined not to glance over at Justin.

Susie, who was used to temperamental artists who had ego problems, just shook her head.  "Ignore her," Susie advised the others.

Justine put an arm around Goldie and hugged her.  "It's finger paints, not crayons.  You should know that by now.  You graduated kindergarten."

"I think I flunked kindergarten. I never would color inside the lines," Goldie retorted.

"That's because you're a REAL artist," Justine flashed right back.

"Okay, okay," Goldie replied blushing. "I give up. I just hope it helps the guys find their bad guys although I'm still confused as to why they'd care about this painting."

"Are there any of your paintings you like?" Justin asked, passing around the Starbucks.

Goldie frowned again. "Uhm...Sure. Of course there are. That one I did of Justine."

Luc looked interested.  Justine socked in the arm.  "It's not a nude."

"Ouch. Why isn't it?" Luc demanded to know.

"Don't worry. I've got several of those too. I'll gift you guys one for your wedding," Goldie replied between sips of her Starbucks.

Justin waggled his eyebrows.  "Do you do self portraits?"

"Nope. Don't lop off my own ears either," Goldie retorted.

"Self portraits don't require self mutilation.  "I think you should do one," Justine said.

Goldie made a face.

"I do too," Luc put in. "I'd buy it."

Justin snarled.

"Down tiger," Justine laughed.  "I'll paste on fig leaves."

"Who said it would even be a nude," Goldie put in. "I'll do it with me wearing a nice pair of baggy sweats, my hair all glued to my head with sweat and my skin all splotchy from running."

Justin went still.  She would.  She had. He'd  seen it.   It was her second most important work.  Right up there with the teddy bear.  "I'll help," he said.  "I'll keep the sweat out of your eyes."

"Don't count on me painting it, buster," Goldie replied. "Ugh, I can't imagine anything uglier."

He dipped his head to the curve of her shoulder, nudging the collar aside, nibbling.  "No chance."

Goldie smacked him.  "Behave, we're in public."

He laughed.  "I know."

Susie turned as she heard the main gallery door snick open. "Oh, hi Mr Hawkins. How do you like your daughter's latest masterpiece?"

Harry Hawkins sidled in, keeping his eye on the two men. "Oh?  You didn't tell me you'd been working on anything special, Goldie."

Goldie blushed. "It isn't anything special, Daddy. You saw it, the teddy."

Harry looked up and squinted at the painting. "Doesn't look like much," he said as he examined it.

"It's an amazing painting," Justin said. 

Harry looked over at him. "I don't claim to be a critic."

"No?  Goldie thinks you are."

Harry looked at him, hard. "A man shouldn't ought to come between a daughter and her father."

"Daddy, he didn't mean anything," Goldie said, glaring at Justin.

"I'm not coming between you, Harry."  Justin looked him up and down. "But a man should support his children."  He paused.  "In every way he can."

"And you're implying I don't?" Harry demanded. 

Goldie looked from one to the other and clearly wanted to smack them both. "Justin, please."

Justin looked at her.  "Are you asking me to just stand here and let him hurt you because he's jealous of your talent?"

Goldie met his eyes. "I'm asking you to accept that he's my father. That's all."

Harry hrumphed and moved up to get a closer look at the painting. "Why's he got a sword anyway?"

Justine rolled her eyes.  "It's a phallic symbol."

Justin snorted.

"It was a joke," Goldie groaned. "I wasn't thinking sex. I was thinking SCA stuff."

Susie moved over to her desk to set her coffee down. "Critics always read more into works than the artist meant. For good or for ill.  So how long do you want me to show it, Goldie? And what do I do if, by some miracle, someone wants to buy it?"

"You call me," Justin said.  He omitted the 'like we discussed..'

Susie nodded toward Harry Hawkins. "Yeah. Just want to be clear."

Harry looked around at that. "Well, I should get going. Call your mother, Goldie. She called me because your cell wasn't online."

"Oh. Crap. Yeah, I promise, Daddy. Sorry. I forgot to charge it."

"Susie, can I use your phone?" Harry asked.

"Sure, Harry. Help yourself," she replied and got up from the desk to motion Harry to sit and make himself comfortable.

"I left my cell in the car, and I want to make sure my friend Rick will meet me," Harry said by way of an explanation. "Oh, honey, you remember Rick. He said to tell  you hi."

"Oh, Rick," Goldie muttered unenthusiastically. "Yeah, tell him hey for me."

Justin leaned back against the wall, looking at the teddy bear.  "You need more stuffed animals, baby girl."

"Why?" Goldie asked warily.

He laughed.  "Baby, you sound like you don't trust me."

"Well, let's just say I can't figure out how  your mind works," Goldie replied. "And you're more a trouble-maker than you pretend."

He looked wounded.  "Angel face, I'm crushed."

"I'll bet," Goldie muttered.

Luc laughed. "She's got you pegged."

"I am," Justin repeated.  "My woman, my mate doesn't trust me."

Harry looked up at that comment. He frowned hard.

"I didn't say that," Goldie protested. "But then I don't trust Justine when she's got a watergun in her hand either."

Justine giggled.  "Dead eye dick, that's me," she said, making a shooting motion with her hand.

"I'll remember that," Luc commented, giving Justine a look.  "So, we done here?"

"As far as I know," Justine said.  "Harry?" she said, turning towards him.

Harry set the phone down and nodded. "Yeah, I'm meeting Rick at the diner." Harry stood.  "Goldie, I'll see you, yeah?"

"Yeah, Daddy, soon."

Harry stood and knocked Susie's purse off the corner of the desk. He squatted down and picked it back up. "Sorry Susie."  Harry straightened his jacket and slipped his hand into his pocket.

Justine raised an eyebrow.  "Was that a lipstick, Harry?"

Harry, who'd been halfway to the door, sped up.

Justin slid in front of it, blocking his way.  "Must be a particularly nice shade, there Harry."

Luc walked over to stand behind Harry. "Jig's up, Harry. Don't embarrass  your daughter."

"What?" Goldie asked, looking from Justin to Luc, to her father and then back to Justin.

"He's got Susie's keys," Justine said, moving close to her, hugging her close.

Susie searched her purse. "Yeah, they're gone."

"What... Why did you take the keys, Daddy?"

"Honey, I didn't... I mean. .."

Tears rolled down Goldie's cheeks. "All you ever had to do was ask."

"You don't understand," Harry replied. "I.. I had to."

"Had to?" Justine prompted.  "You in the scrap metal business now?"

"I owe this guy a favor. And it wasn't like.. No one was gonna get hurt," Harry said.

"Where are you meeting these guys, Harry? When?" Luc asked.

"Tonight. At the diner," Harry replied, unable to look at anyone.

Goldie was shivering. "No," she whispered. "You wouldn't. Not my stuff."

Justin started to go to her and stopped when Justine just barely shook her head, warning him off.

"They took the other paintings, didn't they?" Justine said.  "From the first break in."

"I don't know," Harry replied. "I guess so."

Goldie stifled a sob and ran out the door.

"You going after her?" Luc asked Justin.

"Let me," Justine said from the door, following her out.

Justin's jaw tightened, and then he sagged back against the wall.  'You really are a piece of shit, aren't you Harry?"

Harry stared at the door. "It was only a stupid painting."

"Yeah, well the guys you're dealing with aren't just your everyday art thieves either," Luc replied. "And you are a piece of shit. Your daughter loves you, despite yourself and you treat her like this."

Harry, before he knew it, had his hands pulled behind his back and he was cuffed.

"Well, we only caught you lifting the keys, Harry. Give up the other guys and your stay in prison will be short... er."  Luc turned to Susie then who stood there frozen, her face pale.  "Don't you worry, Susie, we'll make sure your gallery is fine. That painting ain't going anywhere Justin doesn't want it to go."

Susie nodded uncertainly, then looked at Justin. "You should go after Goldie."

"She hates cops."

"She doesn't hate you, that's clear," Susie replied.

Justin looked at Harry.  "Not yet.  Who wants the painting Harry?  Who wants that worthless, unimportant, lousy piece of canvas bad enough to make you betray your daughter?""

Harry's eyes went wide and he seemed to shrink before their eyes. "I just know them as Mike and Pat. They blew into town a couple of weeks ago. Met 'em in a poker game."

"And what's in it for you," Justin snarled, forcing himself to stay where he was, to not go after Goldie, to not keep seeing the bruised look on her face, the pain and betrayal in her eyes or the tears leaking from her eyes.

Harry kept his eyes on the floor. "I owe someone. I had to pay back a debt."

"What kind of debt, Harry?" Luc asked.

"One that if I don't pay back I pay with my life. It's only a painting. Nobody was gonna get hurt. Quick in, quick out. No sweat.  I did tell 'em I wasn't gonna forge anything of hers."

Justin closed his eyes and prayed to gods he didn't believe in for the strength to finish this without killing his mate's father by rending him joint from joint.  "Of course not.  You're too good a guy to do that," he said, not trying to rein in the awful sarcasm.  The rage was taking all his control to manage.

"So, you're gonna meet them at the diner tonight, that what you said?" Luc asked.

"Yeah," Harry replied, hoping Luc could hold off Justin.

"Okay. You're gonna meet 'em, and once we meet 'em we'll take it from there. If you breathe a word, act nervous, or just look the wrong way, I'm personally gonna see you end up in prison for the rest of your miserable life. Got it?" Luc's voice made it clear he was absolutely serious.

Harry nodded. "Got it."

Justin pulled his phone out and punched a button.  "I'll have them meet us there," he said to Luc before engaging in a short, terse and very one-sided conversation with who ever answered the number he'd dialed.  When he hung up he looked at Susie.  "Tell her..." He stopped there and forced the rage back enough to think for a moment.  There was nothing to tell her he hadn't already told her.  "Tell her I'm sorry," he said finally.

"You can tell her yourself. You're gonna have to see her at the wedding, buddy," Luc commented. "Come on, let's get this done, so we don't have to look at Daddy an extra minute."

****************

Justine found her leaning against a wall, sobbing.  She didn't say a word, just pulled her close and let her cry.

It was awhile before Goldie ran out of water and energy.  She hiccupped a couple of times, and brushed at her red-rimmed and swollen eyes. "How could he?  How could he?"

"I don't know," Justine said. 

"Oh, God, Justine. I thought... I mean... I'd have given him any painting he wanted."

"I know."  She fished some tissues out of her pocket and handed them to Goldie. 

Goldie blew her nose and wiped her eyes. She started tearing up the tissues into little pieces as she looked down at the ground. "I never really believed he was a bad man. He's my dad. Justine, he's all I have."

"Not true.  You have me and Dane and Justin."

Goldie shook her head and the tears began again. You. Yeah. But Justin.. No. He doesn't need to be stuck with the daughter of a scumbag. No. Won't work. I'm not putting him into that sort of situation."

"I doubt he'd describe it as stuck.  He looks at you like he hit the powerball lottery all by himself."

Goldie shook her head. "He's a nice guy. He deserves better."

"Girlfriend..."  Justine shook her head with a sad smile.  "Come on.  I'll take you home."

"Yeah thanks. I got a lot of cleaning up to do."

"Yeah.  Cleaning."

"So, you're really gonna marry Luc?" Goldie asked as they tramped toward Justine's car.

"I haven't been asked to," Justine said.
 
"You want him on his knee?" Goldie asked, managing a grin. "He says he's marrying you. Told Dane he was."

Justine's teeth flashed vivid white in the glow of the streetlights.  "Doesn't matter what he tells anyone else.  I deserve the courtesy of being asked."

"Yeah. You're right. Maybe he's waiting for five minutes when you two are alone."

"Maybe.  I think he's hoping to avoid the pain.  He's such a guy."

"I thought you liked that?" Goldie asked, confused.

"I do.  But that doesn't make me stupid enough to let him get away with just assuming we're getting married.  It would be a very bad precedent.  He'd think he could do stuff like that all the time and I'd just do what he wants."

"And you won't just do what he wants?  Even when it's what you want?" Goldie asked, as she climbed into Justine's car.

"Not in this case, no.  Later, after he's figured out a few things, it'll be fine."

"What things?" Goldie asked, fascinated despite herself.

"That I'm his equal.  That we decide things together.  That I get asked, I don't get told.  That he can't assume things."

"Uh huh. I see. He'll smile at you and you'll cave."

"Would you like to place a small wager on that?" Justine asked, laughing.  "Say a triple shot breve mocha latte and a chocolate chip scone?"

"I'm gonna miss you so much," Goldie replied, fighting back a sob.

Justine looked at her friend, a smile hovering.  "I'm willing to bet a new pair of Jimmy Chou's it won't come to that."

Goldie looked out at the scenery. She was quiet for some time, until they'd almost reached her place. "Even if I wanted him, it doesn't matter. It's not gonna work. So you make you and Luc work for me."

"Don't lie to yourself.  You want him.  You want him so bad it hurts to even think about it and that terrifies the stuffing out of you."

"Is that how you feel about Luc?  Wouldn't you want to do what you could to make him happy, even if it means giving him up?"

"I trust him to be able to make that decision for himself.  And I respect him enough to allow him that freedom."  Justine sighed.  "I knew a priest once who told me one day when I going on about something that God trusted me.  It shocked me.  I mean who ever thought God trusted us.  Wasn't it just that we're supposed to trust Him?  And my friend the priest said that the proof of His trust was that He gave us free will."

"Yeah, I understand that. But his family will love you. They won't be ashamed of  you, and think he ... "  Goldie's voice faded and stopped. "Listen, I want you to tell Justin for me that I do trust him, and that I don't blame him for this. Will you do that for me?"

"No."

"No?" Goldie's voice broke on the word. "Please. I'm not gonna see him again. I can't. I'll cave."

"If you're serious about this, if you really trust him then it's up to you to tell him.  If you really trust him you know he'd never, not EVER, do anything at all to hurt you, including putting you in situations where you were disrespected or forcing you to do something you don't want to do."

"I know..." Goldie whispered. "But I have to do the same for him."

"Actually...girlfriend you'll have to forgive me.  You know I love you more than anything except my vibrator.  But right this minute I think you're being an idiot.  There's no reason to immolate yourself on the altar."

"I don't know what to do, Justine. Every choice feels wrong."

"Then wait to make a choice until one feels right."

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