I shake my head.
“No. I don’t think so. But heis a scorpion, so who knows?”
“Is he coming tonight?” Maria asks.
Shit.
That thought never even crossed my mind.
But I breathe a little easier when I figure he doesn’t even know about it. And since he dealt with Bryan, his goons haven’t been following me around.
“Why would I invite him?” I say, pulling the red drape back over my painting. “He led me on. And he’s leaving for Londontomorrow morning, so he’s probably packing his stuff. Sooner he’s gone, the better.”
Maria picks up her chips and hugs me hard.
“Sorry, Harper,” she whispers.
“It’s okay. I’ll get over him when he’s not here reminding me how handsome he is.”
She leans back and grimaces. “Wasn’t talking about Chris.”
“So what’s wrong?” I ask.
Maria waves her hand at me. “I have cheese fingers. And now so does your beautiful gown. Lucky it’s mine.”
I roll my eyes when she tips broken chips into her mouth.
“They’ve been on the floor!” I groan through a giggle.
“And?” she says, cheese coating smothering her lips. “All food starts on the floor.”
“What?” I laugh.
She shrugs. “Meat walks around. Fruit and vegetables grow from the ground. All food comes from the floor.”
“What about fish?” I say, smirking.
Maria’s eyes grow wide.
“Philistine!” she shouts, Doritos flying everywhere. “Sorry. Always wanted to say that.”
Tossing the chips into a trash can, Maria slides her arm into mine.
“I listened to a podcast about this thing called ‘smiling’ yesterday, Harps. You should try it.”
She drags me toward the bar.
“Come on, let’s get your mind off that douchebag silver werewolf. You need to impress some fancy-pants art investors. And lucky for you, you have the best friend in the universe, and I won’t let you fail your art project. Now let’s go wine and dine some rich people in that dress of yours. They’ll be putty in your hands.”
After ordering us both a vodka cocktail, Maria wipes the cheese dust from my dress and groans.
“What’s wrong?”
“My bitch radar just went crazy,” she says, nodding behind me.
I turn to see Christina Fawkes and Becca King sauntering into the art gallery.
“What the hell are they doing here?”
Maria shrugs. “Causing drama. Seeking attention. Being evil. The usual shit. Let’s just treat them like a solar eclipse and get drunk.”
“A solar eclipse?” I ask as she clinks her glass against mine.
“Yeah,” she winks. “If we don’t look directly at them, we’ll be fine.”
A much-needed laugh bubbles up from my stomach as I pull out a bar stool.
Four drinks and one hour later, the art gallery is crammed with wealthy investors. They’re all staring at the various artwork in the show, but the drape still covers mine.
“Come on,” Maria says, grabbing my wrist. “Time to show the snooty rich folk whatreal art looks like.”
“I can’t do this,” I say, but she’s too strong as she drags me over to my painting.
“Attention!” Maria yells, and I want to die. “Hey! Rich people! Woo-hoo!”
Great. Of course she’s standing on a table. Why wouldn’t she?
“Ladies and gentleman!” she shouts. “Bring your eyes and cash this way for the pasta resistance!”
Kill me now.
“Pièce de résistance,” I mime up at her. “And…shut up.”
“What she said!” she yells, jumping from the table.
Every set of feet in the art gallery shuffles closer to us.
I feel claustrophobic and I might hurl when Maria grabs the drape.
“Let me introduce you to the Silver Fox Werewolf Jekyll & Hyde piece!” a tipsy Maria shouts, pulling away the cloth. “Ta-dah!”
An audible gasp ripples through the crowd, and I throw a hand to my mouth.
Maria nudges me, looking out behind us.
“Holy shit, Harps. They can’t take their eyes off of it. They can’t believe what they’re seeing.”
Nor me…
Staring at the painting I’ve spent so many hours on, a warm tear trickles into my fingers.
“Open bid is ten thousand big ones! We take American Express and Masterc-” Maria stops talking when she turns to my painting. “Oh my effing gee!”
I thought these past few weeks couldn’t get any worse, but as I stare up at my portrait, I realize I was clearly wrong.
The full moon Chris is staring at has a smiley red face drawn into it.
His once blue suit is dripping with fresh, yellow paint.
And the word
Skank covers my signature in black ink.
I don’t know what to say or think and my stomach is churning. I poured everything I had into this painting.
Hours and hours of late nights and skipped meals. And now it looks ugly and worthless and that’s exactly how I feel inside. I want to run away and pretend this hasn’t happened, but I can’t move.
“I’m never going to graduate,” I mumble through tears. “Why would someone do this to me?”
“I’m confused,” a familiar voice says. “Is that painting supposed to lookthat ugly?”
Grinning and giggling, Christina Fawkes and Becca King barge between us and step up close to the painting.
Christina winks at me. “Don’t be mean, Becca. It’s obviously Harper’s self-portrait.”
They’re the only two people laughing in this whole place.
“Bad month for you!” Maria shouts, stamping her foot. “First you show your true colors at Harper’s party and get fired from Greek Life, now you’re going to get suspended. Because Iwill be taking this to the dean. You won’t get away with it, you big…whore face!”
Christina rolls her eyes. “Shut your yapping, Scrappy-Doo.”
“That was actually quite good,” Maria mumbles.
“No one is going to suspend me because I did nothing wrong,” Christina says. “And if you think I did,prove it. Good luck with that, losers. That’s what happens when you fuck with me, Harper. I warned you.”
Dozens of people are mumbling behind me, but I can’t bring myself to look at anyone.
“Harper!” a male voice bellows from near the entrance. “Harper Reeves!”
Great. My art professor is here.
Barging through the crowd, he rests a hand on my shoulder.
“Here’s my star student. I’ve been looking for y-” He stares up at my painting. “Harper? Isthis your work?”
Hoping this is some crazy nightmare, I stare at the floor and pinch my leg.
“It’sso ugly, isn’t it, Professor?” Becca cackles.
“We have to fail Harper for this,” Christina chimes in. “I mean, it looks like a joke! My six-year-old nephew could do better than this.”
“He’s probably more intelligent than you, pea brain!” Maria shouts.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.