Free Alone by Tiffany Lovering

chuckle.
    “ Yes. That is understandable. Anyway,” Jace said getting back on track. “What I am requesting is a featured art show. A collection of work by you at the gallery. A few of my colleagues would be there as well as me and whomever you wanted to invite.”
    “ Jace, what would be the purpose of the show?” I wasn't quite sure where he was going at all.
    “ My colleagues come from some of the largest, well known galleries in the country, Willow,” his voice was suddenly very intense. “There would undoubtedly be at least one person there who would want your work in their gallery on a full time basis. What I am proposing is an opportunity to leave this small town and go to a place where your art could get the recognition it deserves.” He spoke so sure of himself.
    “ I um, I don't really know what to say.” A life out of New Jollie. How terrifying! I couldn't do it. It was the big fish moving from the small pond to the big ocean complex that was overwhelming me now. Absolute certainty of failure away from here.
    “ Willow, there's absolutely nothing to fear in what I'm requesting. Even if I'm wrong, which is almost never the case,” he added smugly “Even if no one wanted to take you on in their gallery, it gives you an opportunity to make money. Of course the work displayed would be for sale unless you noted otherwise. Also, if you did go to another gallery and it wasn't what you wanted, you know Miss Morgan would welcome you back with open arms.” He was very convincing and the fact that I could come back anytime I wanted, put me at ease.
    “ When would this happen?” I asked.
    “ The first week of January. I'm hoping you'd be able to come up with a significant amount of work to show by then.”
    “ How many pieces?”
    “ I will leave that up to you. However, I am hoping for at least twenty.”
    “ Twenty?” Not completely impossible in a little over two months.
    “ More if you could manage.”
    I smiled coolly. “Okay, I'll do it.”
    “ Really?” Jace asked surprised.
    “ Yes. Mostly because I owe it to Miss Morgan for everything she has done for me, and also because I want to know if I really do have the potential to make it out of New Jollie.” I hadn't realized how true that was until I had spoken the words. Even if it didn't work out in my favor, at least I would know I made the right choice to stay in New Jollie.
    “ Very good,” he said obviously pleased with my acceptance. “This will be a good thing Willow, you'll see.”
    “ I hope so.”
    “ Now, about this,” he said lifting the envelope from the table, “Let's not consider this payment for those paintings. Let's consider it a payment for the supplies you'll need over the next two months for the event.”
    “ I can't take it. I'm sorry.”
    “ No argument Willow. Take it and use it for whatever you'll need,” I could tell by the tone of his voice the subject was closed so I took the envelope and thanked him again.
    The rest of the meeting, we discussed specifics for the art show. He was sending invitations to several galleries around the country. He was hoping for a variety of representatives in hopes that I could choose where I wanted to go. It was an out of body experience the whole time we spoke. Completely unbelievable that this stranger was so determined to have me on display. At least Miss Morgan would be happy with the outcome of the meeting.
    I got home a little after eight, completely exhausted. I put the key in the door and walked in. I nearly dropped my keys when I saw a person sitting on my couch.
    “ The door was unlocked, I hope you don't mind,” Sara said smiling at me.
     

 
    CHAPTER 6: SWEET SARA
     
     
     
     
    I sat next to her on the couch, my heart pounding wildly. I couldn't believe she was sitting there on my couch. Had I really left the door unlocked? That wasn't like me, but I was in a hurry when I left earlier. I must have skipped locking my door, how else would Sara have gotten