The gallery (2013)

Prologue

“Hey Mark, it’s been forever. What’s up?”

“Trevor! Where in the hell have you been?” The tall man smiled while grasping Trevor’s hand, then shifted to pull a skinny brunette up to his side. “This is Mandy, my fiancee. She’s an accountant – can you believe it? I guess one of us has to have a real job.” He pulled the girl tighter with a lanky arm and she greeted her fiancé’s friend with a matching smile.

“That’s great, Man.” Trevor’s voice changed. Jenna could hear it while he congratulated the guy and his fiancé. She looked up at his face. That had changed, also. She shouldn’t have come.

“Is this the girl we’ve heard the rumors about?” The couple stared curiously, studying her.
Trevor touched her arm, barely. “This is Jenna … my girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend?” Mark raised his eyebrows. “We uh … kinda heard you had a kid. True?”

Trevor smiled, relaxing. “Yeah, a little girl. She’s nearly one. We also have Jenna’s son. She’s good at letting me claim him, too.” Finally, he cast a grin at her. He adored talking about the kids.

“So c’mon, Man, I know you’re the wandering artist type, but so am I. If I can take the jump into unholy matrimony, you can.” The guy winked, then turned to Jenna. “Let’s meet up for dinner this week and I’ll help you work on him.”

Jenna cringed. Trevor had looked away, unwilling to do the conversation again. She had to do it this time. “I’m the holdout, but I’d rather you wouldn’t try to work on me. Trevor does that enough.”

The couple’s expressions changed, looking back at Trevor, feeling sorry for him, Jenna expected. And Trevor had dropped his hand from her arm. This would ruin his mood for the night. She shouldn’t have come.

Plodding her way through the chit-chat, becoming somewhat acquainted with Trevor’s old art buddy and the girl who was ecstatic about her engagement, Jenna tried to keep Trevor pulled in, content to just be there together, without the kids for a change. That rarely happened outside of leaving them with Aunt Nina while she worked, still only part time. The gallery wanted her to increase her hours and part of her wanted to agree, but Anna was still a baby and Aaron…. Jenna sighed. Aaron, the easy and quiet child, had become quite a hand full. It was tiring for Nina to keep up with him. If she moved to full time, Jenna would have to find a sitter who could handle the
three-and-a-half-year-old. But she was fairly sure part of Aaron’s problem was that Jenna was already away from him more than he wanted her to be. He was wonderful on weekends. The other five days were something else.

Returning her thoughts to the current conversation, she looked up at Trevor, her favorite companion. The other couple talked openly about being inseparable. Trevor grinned and stayed quiet. Jenna wondered if he had any idea that she couldn’t even begin to imagine being without him anymore. He was comfortable; secure. But he was more. It wasn’t anything like her marriage to Daniel. Trevor wasn’t an escape. He was an anchor.

Sliding an arm around his back, she felt his surprise. She didn’t often show affection in public; it was no one’s business. But she was enjoying the rare night out alone and wanted him to at least know that.