Martine The Beginning (Cruising to Love, The Prequel) (22 page)

NOTTING HILL

CLOSED TODAY FOR SPECIAL OPENING

OF BELINDA BOYLE’S ONE WOMAN SHOW

RECEPTION FROM 6PM TO 9PM

HONORING

THE FRIENDS OF CONSERVATION

 
Martine spent the day fussing, making sure everything was as perfect as she could make it. 

 
The rented wine glasses were in place.  The wine was delivered from Alfredo’s, the white nicely chilled, and the red at room temperature.  Martine was amazed at how much Gloria had ordered.

 
“Why the Chianti, Gloria?”

 
“For your freeloading students, Martine.  Tom and Dan tell me that half the school is planning to show up.  We’re not wasting good plonk on them, they haven’t any money to spend.  Dan’s going to be at the door to start and he’ll give them the message.  All the Hors d’oeuvres they want, but only Chianti to guzzle, and if we catch any of them drinking the good stuff, they can’t come next month.”

 
“Oh. Isn’t that a little harsh?”

Gloria laughed. “That was from Tom and Dan.  They know the kids at the Art School very well.  Tom doesn’t think anyone will take offence, and if they do, too bad.  Belinda is the only exception, since it’s her moment in the sun.  I’ve told Harold the bartender to keep her in champagne all night.  Dan says it’s her weakness, and who knows, if Lucy doesn’t come, he may have plans for Belinda after…”

 
“Oh, did he say that?”

 
“Actually, no, but can you see Belinda going home alone?  It’s not her style,” Gloria laughed.

 
Martine giggled, a very nervous giggle.  She continued to circle her show room, went out into the street for the fifth time to check the

windows.  Made sure that Dan had fifty order sheets, and a hundred donation forms. Made sure there were lots of cocktail napkins for the food. They had decided to skip plates, save the expense of renting them.  Made sure there were lots of waste paper baskets for the used napkins.

 
Made sure there were at least a hundred programs, listing the art and the prices.

 
Lucas came in at three, carrying the picture from their bedroom wall, the picture of Lucas and Martine.  He hung it carefully, high up in the little alcove.  When Martine was otherwise occupied, he swung one of the spotlights to show it to best advantage.  Lucas loved that charcoal sketch.  He privately thought it was the best thing Belinda had ever done. He tucked the ‘Sold’ sign into its corner.

 
The pictures from Leona, Louise and Lucy had been picked up by Dan the day before.  They hung with discreet ‘Sold’ signs tucked into the corners.

 
At five, Gloria and Martine went over to the flat, to get ready.  Gloria had brought her dress over earlier.  Martine was wearing her backless crepe, the one she wore to the Cancer dinner.  But she put the sequined jacket over it, and it looked lovely.  “Warmer than without the jacket,” she said to Gloria.

 
Gloria nodded.  “It’s going to be cool at first, with the door opening all the time.  But when all those bodies are in, the Gallery will become quite warm.”

 
“I don’t think Lucas and I quite realized how much work this was going to be, Gloria.  I can’t thank you enough for all your help.  Not only with the Reception, but with our wedding…”

Gloria flushed with pride.  “I’m so glad to help you, Martine.  I love working for you and Lucas.”

 
“And he keeps telling me that he doesn’t know how he would have handled his increased workload without you.  Alfredo is going to hate us when we pull you away from him next month.  I’d like to you to start full time February 2
nd
, if you could.  Lucas will need you desperately, and our next show is February 10
th
, Tom’s show.  I think it will be more successful than this one.  Between you and me, he’s a better artist.”

 
Gloria beamed.  “I think so, too.  But I’m prejudiced.  I’ve already told Alfredo, and promised to help him out on weekends. Tom will be busy delivering pizza. And I’ve trained my younger sister to take over at the restaurant for me. 

 
“Tom and I are going to need the money.  He finishes school in April, and then, Martine, you’ll be coming to our wedding!”

 
Martine hugged her.  “Oh, Gloria, I’m so happy for you!”

 
They were back at the Gallery, both glowing, by ten to six.  Belinda arrived with her parents at five to six, and six students piled in at six on the dot, and as Gloria had predicted, made a beeline for the bar. Gloria mouthed ‘Chianti’ to

Harold and he nodded.  He gave the students

generous glasses, and told them the drill.  They

all nodded, and were happy to promise to comply.  Free wine was free wine
…

 
By half past six, the Gallery was packed.  Lucas started to do a head count, and gave up at ninety.  At least thirty of those were students, he knew, but still, for the middle of January, it was a great turn out.

 
By seven, the crowd had swelled to at least a hundred and twenty. 

 
By eight, every painting had a ‘sold’ sticker.  Lucy was sitting with Dan at the order desk, taking donations because he was too busy writing sales receipts.

 
By nine, the ten photographs Martine had chosen from Belinda’s Jamaican holiday were sold. 

 
And the crowd showed no signs of leaving.  Lucas turned the sign to ’Closed’ and for the first time since Martine opened the Gallery, the lights in the window were turned off.

 
Dan and Tom went around and whispered in the ears of the students, who all nodded and started to leave, all congratulating Belinda and asking for appointments with Martine to view their work. Gloria, with her usual efficiency, had provided a book for them to write their names and phone numbers in.  Martine would schedule the appointments later.

 
By twenty past nine, the crowd had left.  Only eight of them were still in the showroom.  Tom, with his arm around Gloria.  Dan, smiling at Lucy, Martine, Lucas, Belinda, and Harold the bartender.

 
Belinda looked at Dan and Lucy, shrugged her shoulders and took a good look at Harold.  Smiled.  “Oh, Harold,” she went over to the bar.  “Are you coming to Alfredo’s with us?  Gloria’s just told me Alfredo has dinner waiting for us…”

 
Harold winked at Dan.  They’d had a talk earlier.  “Oh, Belinda, I’d love to join you…”

 
Within ten minutes, they were all sitting at a round table in the middle of the restaurant.  Alfredo brought over a bottle of Proscecco, and toasted Belinda and Martine.  Gloria’s sister carried in platters of antipasto, and everyone was elated.

 
Lucas held Martine’s hand tightly.  She smiled up at him. 

 
“It was a bigger success than I thought it would be,” she told him.

 
“Bigger than I hoped,” he agreed.

 
Lucy leaned across and smiled at them.  “The Charity is going to be thrilled.  I took in over twenty thousand pounds in straight donations, Lucas.  Double your projection.  Charities are going to be lined up to be part of your monthly Openings.”

 
Dan spoke, “I think that Lucy and I make a great team for your openings, Martine.  In fact, we’re signing up for Tom’s in February right now, aren’t we, Lucy?”

 
“Oh, yes, Dan.  We are.”

 
“Yours is in March, Dan.”

 
Dan was thrilled. “I’m chuffed you think my work is good enough, Martine.”

 
Lucy grinned.  “He’s practicing his nudes,

Martine.  They
’re coming along quite nicely.  But the boy keeps getting distracted…”

 
Everybody laughed.  Everybody but Belinda.  She thought this was
her
night, and she should be the centre of attention.  “I bet nobody else sells out on opening night, Martine,” she said petulantly.

 
Martine smiled at her.  “It was exceptional,

wasn
’t it Belinda.  John Brown was there, did

you talk to him?  I would imagine he
’ll mention you in his column tomorrow.”

 
“Is he still going out with Penny?” Belinda asked.  “I didn’t see her here tonight.

 
“She got back from the cruise gig with the band on January 7
th
, and the record company sent her straight out on a twelve day tour.  She gets back on the nineteenth.  It’s a concert tour featuring five of their new artists.  Penny was devastated to miss your Opening, Belinda,” Lucas supplied.

 
“I don’t think John and Penny are seriously involved,” Martine added.  “She’s going to be very busy with the recording company, and he wants a girlfriend he can actually spend time with.”  Not quite true.  John would have loved to spend time with Penny.  But he was very realistic, and knew that for Penny, the spark had gone out.

 
Belinda smiled.  “Hmmm…I wonder if he’d like to pose for me…”

 
Harold looked at Belinda.  “How about me, Belinda?  Wouldn’t I make a good model?”

 
Belinda looked at Harold, and smiled, a slow

smile,
“I don’t know, Harold.  I’ll have to take a good look at you, and see. Study your physique.  Do you live alone?” 

 
Harold winked at Dan.  “I’m Dan’s flat mate now, Belinda.  But I understand he’s going to be away tonight…would you like a ride home, maybe stop at our flat for a nightcap.”

 
“I’d like that, Harold.”

 
“Great.  I’ll grab a small bottle of champagne from the bar, shall I, since that’s what you’ve been drinking all night, Italian champagne.”

 
The party broke up at half past eleven.  Lucas gave Gloria strict instructions to sleep in, and not show up at his office until noon.

 
After many thanks to everyone at the table, and Alfredo, Lucas took Martine home.

 
He hung up their coats, and her sequined jacket.  Lucas pulled her close to him, and ran his hand up and down her bare back.  He smiled down into her eyes. 

 
“Two weeks, tomorrow, darling, and we’ll be married.”

 
“Two weeks and sixteen and a half hours, Lucas and I will be your wife,” she whispered.  “And you know what that means don’t you, Lucas?”

 
“What does that mean, Martine?” he asked huskily.

 
“It means I can burn that flannel nightie,” she laughed.  “It means I can burn that flannel nightie.”

 
Lucas laughed.  He kissed her softly, sensuously.  “And I can kiss you like that, darling, whenever I want.”  He caressed her

bare back and unzipped the dress. 
“And I can slip my hands under your panties like this, and hold your bottom close to me, like this…” He held her close. Martine could feel his heat, his hardness…”And kiss you like this, Martine…” Lucas kissed her deeply.  Their tongues danced together.  He held her closer, and she could feel

him, longer and harder. Their breathing was ragged.

 
Lucas pulled away.  “Go put that flannel nightie on, darling.  I don’t know who hates it more, you or me!”

 
Martine laughed.  She slipped her dress off, and handed it Lucas, standing there before him, in her lacy black panties, garter belt and black stockings, black high heel sandals.  “Hang this up for me, would you darling?  While I go and change…”  Her hips swayed as she walked away from him.

 
Lucas groaned.  It was going to be a long two weeks.  He was glad he was going to be away for eight days of it, four each week.

 
Penny came to dinner on Sunday.  They opened the Gallery to show her the pictures hanging there, with the ‘sold’ signs on every piece of Belinda‘s art..

 
“This is wonderful, but isn’t it costing you money?” Penny asked.  “I mean, there is nothing here to sell.  You’ve got another week to go.  Without being able to make money.”

 
Lucas nodded.  “That’s why we’re closed today.  And next Sunday.  We were going to be open, but there’s nothing to sell.  We’ll know better next time.”

 
“Tom’s been working day and night.  He’s given me about fifty pieces.  Everything he’s done for the last year and a half, and he’s still working on some nudes of Gloria, which are quite lovely, incidentally.  Innocent almost,” Martine told Penny. “I’m going to put thirty of

them out for the opening, and then put new pieces out during the show.  And the new show space, where the desk is, I
’m putting some of Ian’s work.  It’s similar to Tom’s style.  And if you two think it’s a good idea, I’m going to have Tom at an easel, working some days during the show.”