Friday, March 25th, 1955
9:30 p.m.
As the installation opening wrapped, Dannie and Phil were still helping themselves to beers, wandering around looking at the photographs on the wall. Therese walked over toward the two brothers who were gesturing to the oversized black-and-white images on the walls. "You guys realize you're the only reason beer was served?"
"Thank you, Therese!" they shouted in unison as they kept staggering from picture to picture, finally able to walk around without the crowds of people interfering with their view. Therese has refused to show anyone the photos before the opening, begging their mutual friend who did the framing to not reveal the content.
Therese saw two of her friends from the Times standing by the door, waiting to say goodbye. After giving them hugs and wishing them a good weekend, she turned back toward the room to keep an eye on the increasingly inebriated brothers. Therese was having a moment where she regretted inviting them. They could easily be rowdy at times, but Phil and Dannie always brought a spark to any event they attended. It was just a fleeting feeling of regret about having them there anyhow, especially when they were both so supportive of her and Carol.
Louise walked up to stand next to Therese; all she could do was shake her head. "You'd think they'd never seen a naked woman before." Therese shrugged, essentially used to Dannie and Phil's shenanigans after three years, but somehow surprised about it today. Or not that surprised considering the content of the photos. "On second thought," Louise walked up to the photo of legs from mid-thigh to mid-calf, angled to form two overlapping arches, "maybe I've never really seen a naked woman before either." She tilted her head to get a better perspective on the pair of smooth, length legs.
Avoiding Louise's look, Therese turned her attention back to Dannie who popped open the last beer. "Therese, are these all the same person?"
She smiled. "Why'd you ask?"
"Those back muscles. How are they - I mean, look at them. They're… wow." Therese patted him on the back and took the bottle cap from his hand before it ended up on the floor. She stood next to him for a moment, admiring the muscle definition she had been able to capture despite the lighting not being the best and casting far too many shadows on each dimple. Perhaps that is what made it so alluring to the viewer, all those shadows and secret spots.
"Therese, you got any more beers?" Phil asked, as he slicked back his hair with the comb from his back pocket.
"Dannie took the last one. You can see if he'll share, but I doubt it."
Phil walked over to Dannie and did his best to pressure him into sharing the beer. Or what was left of it. Therese couldn't entirely hear the conversation; nonetheless watching the hand gestures from afar was entertainment enough. Luckily, Dannie knew that if his older brother wanted "only a sip," he might as well give him the rest of the bottle, which he ultimately handed over without too much hassle. "You gonna tell us who it is in the photos?" Dannie pleaded.
"Nope!" shouted Therese, echoing through the near vacant gallery. "I promised."
"Please? I mean, look. Look. Look, Therese. These are swell." Phil wildly gestured to the close-up of a woman's breasts. Dannie shied away and looked back toward Louise at the other end of the room. "C'mon, Therese, back me up here."
"They're amazing breasts, Phil." Therese sighed, rolling her eyes.
"Can you introduce me? To the model." Phil eagerly.
Therese blankly stared back at Phil, now coughing and scratching his head. "No, sorry, Phil. She set sail - "
There was a flurry of commotion at the front door to the gallery, followed by the unmistakable sound of heels against the hardwood flooring. "Sorry I'm late."
Therese turned around to see Carol rushing in the door, arms full of bags, her jacket, and a purse that seemed to get heavier every day. Therese rushed over to take some of the items from her and put whatever she could on a desk by the front door.
Carol looked around the room to see Louise still standing and admiring the photo of the legs and the other two resuming the squabbling about beer, but now doing so in front of the breasts portrait. When she assessed the room and realized it was the usual crowd of Therese's three friends, Carol leaned in to kiss Therese on the cheek. "I'm sorry I wasn't here for the whole thing, Therese."
"It's fine. Really." Therese assured her, reaching out to grab her arm. "I'm glad you're here now."
Therese walked to the gallery door and locked it, leaving the five of them inside. After a quick glance to the windows, she drew the blinds more firmly shut so no prying eyes could see anywhere inside the gallery. She had spent the whole evening not drinking and now that the event was over, she really wanted a glass of wine. A couple bottles remained on the table and one clean glass, which Therese grabbed and filled to the brim with red wine.
"Sorry there aren't any other glasses. Share with me?"
"Oh, God, yes." Carol took the wine and downed half the glass. All Therese could do was smile, looking at the half-filled glass with the lipstick stain, and top off the wine. "How'd you do?"
"Sold all but one."
"I'm very proud of you, sweetheart." Carol offered Therese another kiss on the cheek. "Wait, which one?" She quickly looked around the room at all of the photos, the tell-tale sticker in the bottom corners each indicating that the works had been sold. It wasn't easy to spot the unsold photo from the displays.
Therese motioned to the lone photo against the far back wall, one of a close-up of a woman on her back, knees parted, fully exposed. "That one's not for sale under any circumstances."
Dannie and Phil sat on a couch, moving onto drinking water at Carol's insistence, and Louise sat between the two, watching Carol and Therese go from photo to photo. Therese took Carol around the room, standing behind her with her arms around her waist, enthusiastically pointing out every nuance to the framed images. She occasionally needed to stand up on her toes to look over Carol's shoulder, especially since she came in wearing heels, to point to the photos and show her the work.
"Guys, guys" Louise whispered as the boys leaned in once she had nudged them enough times, "do you think Therese still thinks we don't know these are all of Carol?"