Chapter 2: Flashback to Their First Meeting

Two years ago, at the opening of "Emerging Visions" at the Atrium Gallery, everyone was rancorous. It marked the first big coming-out for some of the city's most brilliant new talent, including Olivia Greene, who smartly turned out in a black evening gown and whose heart beat nastily against the fancy hem. Olivia took a deep breath as her eyes scanned the room. Moving around were art critics, collectors, and fellow artists, while murmurs intermingled with soft jazz music. Her gaze was on her paintings: abstract but bold, pulsating under strategic lighting. "You can do this," she whispered, squaring her shoulders. This was her moment—the one for which she'd sacrificed thousands of days. Nerves wouldn't overtake her now. As Olivia weaved her way through, she felt a pricking sensation at the back of her neck. She turned to face a stranger across the room. Tall and well-groomed in his charcoal-gray suit, it was his brown eyes that captured her look. They met halfway, his smile lengthening as he held out his hand. "Nathan Carter," he said, his voice low and smooth. "Olivia Greene," she said, praying he didn't feel the tremor in her hand. "Enjoying the exhibition?" Nathan's eyes gleamed with humor. "I was, but now I am engrossed in something else altogether." Olivia felt her face flush, but she didn't back down from his piercing gaze. "Smooth," she laughed. "Does that line usually work for you, Mr. Carter?" "Nathan, please," he chuckled. "And for your information, Ms. Greene, I'm usually far more articulate. Your art seems to have left me quite tongue-tied." The more they joked, the more at ease Olivia had not expected to feel crept on her with Nathan. A tiny voice at the back of her mind, however, told her to beware. She'd been hurt once; letting another person in was risky business. Nathan gestured toward one of her larger canvases, a swirling vortex of deep blues and vibrant purples, shot through with streaks of gold. "That one's mesmerizing. Like looking into the heart of a storm and finding unexpected beauty." Her eyes widened in surprise at how intuitive he was. "That's. intuitive," she said softly. "I painted this during a turbulent period of my life. It, in a way, showed me how to sort out the chaos." Nathan nodded pensively. "Art does manage to save our truths, doesn't it? Even the ones we try so hard—consciously—to hide from ourselves." Again, their eyes met, and Olivia felt that jolt of recognition. Here was a person who understood her, who saw beyond the façade to the heart of all things. It was both exhilarating and terrifying. Soon, drinks were flowing, and the conversation came easy—the night progressed with abstract expressionism and favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurants. Olivia was drawn to Nathan's intelligence and appeal while having this crawling apprehension that she could not shake off. "You know," Nathan whispered, bending in a little. "I have something to confess. I looked you up this evening and read a bit of background information. Your work caught my eye in the exhibition catalog, and well, I wanted to learn something about that guy who shot those amazing images." Olivia's heart skipped a beat. "So, what did you find out from the research?" She tried to sound casual as her stomach did little flips with butteries inside. Nathan's eyes softened; now they were sharp. "You're even more captivating in person than I've imagined." The air was electrically charged between them. Olivia knew that a step back, putting space between them, was what she must do. But she inched forward, as if drawn by some invisible force instead. The phone rang, breaking the spell. Nathan groaned an apology as he pulled it out. "I'm so sorry, but I really need to take this. Business never sleeps." Olivia nodded slightly, but the disappointment was only thinly veiled. "I understand, of course." Nathan paused, then drew a business card from his pocket. "I'd like to continue this conversation, Olivia. Maybe over coffee sometime?" Olivia took the card from him. Their fingers touched. "I should like that," she said softly. As Nathan walked away to take his call, Olivia's mind began to race. The chemistry between them was undeniable, but so was the fear gnawing at her insides. That last relationship of hers had gone sour and was a painful reminder of why she should fear opening her heart again. For all that mattered, she had really worked hard as an artist and could barely afford to let someone in who would unbiasedly sidetrack her from her pursuits. She stepped back, and Nathan wrestled with his own demons. He was exhilarated and scared by the ease he felt with Olivia. All his previous relationships went down in flames due to his ambition and commitment. As he spoke mechanically into his phone, he wondered if it was worth the chance once more of sacrificing his heart. Olivia's fingers traced the raised letters on Nathan's card. She should sling it in the bin, focus on her career, and avoid the complications a relationship could bring. It was the sensible thing to do. Instead, she slipped the card into her purse, and he knew she would call. Whatever this was between them—or might become—seemed too much to just walk away from. Olivia turned back to the gallery, pasting on her smile for an approaching art critic, and she knew in that moment that things were never going to go back to the way they were. Excitement for the success of her exhibition sloshed with thoughts of Nathan in her chest to create a cocktail of thrumming excitement and nervousness. That night, as she lay in bed, Olivia had mixed emotions. The image of Nathan's smile caused her heart to gallop, yet at the same time, there were darkening doubts. Was she ready for this? Could she balance a burgeoning career and a new relationship? What if Nathan turned out to be just like all the other men who couldn't understand her dedication to her art? Across the city, Nathan lay awake, staring up at his ceiling. Olivia's fervor and artistry wakened something in him that he thought had been buried a long time ago. But each time he closed his eyes, he felt the personal demons that still hadn't been conquered: the workaholic in him, the fear of openness, and the ghosts from those past failed relationships that still followed him everywhere. As the sun broke through the horizon, so did Olivia and Nathan ease into an inconvenient restless sleep, literally at a crossroads in one's life. The question that came across both of their minds was, could they be braver to follow through on this bond, concentrating on the disturbance it was already causing inside them?