"Chloe, c'mon, we're going to be late!" Chloe rolled her eyes in Max's general direction - she was running up and down the hallway, grabbing things last minute herself. Chloe fought with her tie for another couple of seconds before tugging it off from around her neck, throwing it blindly behind her towards Max's bed.
"Stupid tie, stupid dress code," she grumbled. Before she could move, Max was in front of her, the tie having reappeared around her neck. Max quickly tied it for her, a nice and neat knot resting below her throat. "Thanks, babe." She moved for an appreciative kiss, but Max had already run off again, grabbing who knew what. Her little clutch can only hold so many things, where the hell is she sticking this shit?
Tonight was the big night - the Chase Space's exhibit on Arcadia Bay was opening in a few hours. Max had been anxious about it for the past three months, ever since she had submitted her final photos, but most of the time had been capable of acting normally. She was exceptionally on edge today, darting around for the last few hours as she tried to remember every little thing she needed to do.
They were far from being "late" - Max had wanted to get into the gallery a whole hour before they were required to be onsite for the opening. With the exception of mingling with the custodial crew, there wouldn't be anyone else in the building, probably. Not that Chloe could talk her in to staying in the house for a second longer than they possibly had to.
"You know, I bet Victoria isn't making Kate rush to the gallery," Chloe commented loudly, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice.
"Victoria practically owns it, she can show up whenever," Max's voice called from the bathroom. "I get one shot, Chloe, one shot -"
"Jesus, Max, I get it." No need to panic. She knew better than to say that out loud, though. She slipped her phone into her black slacks before poking her head into the hallway. "Are you good to go?"
"Yes, let's get going!" The reply echoed up the stairs - Chloe wondered if Max was pouting at the front door. Muttering extra quietly to herself, Chloe walked down the stairs to spot Max in the entry way, shifting her weight back and forth quickly. She was wearing a simple black dress, on Victoria's suggestion, and stole another of Vanessa's shawls. Had Max not been in such a stressed mood, Chloe might have taken the opportunity to enjoy how adorable she looked. As it was, Max had the door open as soon as Chloe started descending the stairs, darting out towards the car.
"It's gonna be a long night," Chloe muttered to herself as she headed out the open door.
Max was shaking as she slipped a hand into Chloe's, staring up at the gallery. She had been muttering cuss words to herself as they left the parking garage, either in an attempt to fend off her nerves or to talk herself up. Chloe had to bite her lip to keep from making snide comments - as much as it would be fun to tease Max right now, she wasn't sure she'd survive the night by doing that.
They didn't go through the main doors - there was a separate side door that the Chases' partner had given Max a code for. It led them into a clean, white hallway, and Max took a sharp breath before guiding them towards one of the doors, labeled "HALL C".
Chloe was biting her lip to keep from making a comment about the painful grip her hand was trapped in, but her mind was taken off it as soon as she saw a large art piece in the middle of the hall. "I thought this was just going to be pictures?" Chloe said quietly, staring up at what she could only describe as a junkyard-material recreation of the lighthouse in Arcadia Bay. It towered over them, nearly touching the tall ceiling, and it made Chloe feel a little uneasy. She wasn't sure if it was the fact that it looked like one touch could knock it over, or if it was just a haunting reminder of the real lighthouse.
"I thought so, too," Max whispered back, head tipped back as well to take it in. "Holy shit, that's cool," she murmured, eyes wide in surprise and awe.
Chloe had to bite back a snicker, aware of how much the noise would have echoed in the hall. "Is that appropriate language for an art gallery?"
"It's an art gallery, not a funeral parlor," Max muttered, finally looking around the room before pointing across it, towards a small group of people. "There's Victoria's dad," she commented, and Chloe could see the resemblance - he had the same blond hair, and was dressed in an undoubtably expensive three-piece suit.
At the sight of them, his face broke into a wide smile, excusing himself from the conversation he was having to move towards them. Chloe wasn't used to seeing adults excited to see her, and it was slightly unnerving. "You must be Max and Chloe. Victoria speaks so highly of the both of you," he said with a deep voice, smile still on his face. It was a genuine smile, though - not fake, as Chloe would have expected.
"Thank you, Mr. Chase," Max responded automatically, her hand extending cautiously to shake his.
He chuckled, shaking her hand briefly. "Please, 'Mr. Chase' makes me feel old. And you're friends of Victoria's - Cam's fine."
Chloe couldn't help but laugh, getting a disapproving look from Max as the sound echoed. "Sure thing, ah, Cam. Speaking of Vic, is she around?"
He shook his head, still smiling. "No, she and Kate were getting dinner with Liz. They should be by in any minute, though." His eyes panned across the room quick before focusing on Max's hand, quivering slightly as she fussed with her shawl. "Nervous, Max?" he asked, gesturing towards the hand not death gripping Chloe's.
Max nodded, and it looked like she was chewing at the inside of her cheek. "Maybe a little," she admitted, a shy smile spreading across her face.
Cam laughed louder than Chloe had, a jovial sound that didn't quite fit the somber gallery. "Ah, don't be. Your work is great. I'm looking forward to having you come back here some day, with an exhibit of your own."
"You think she can do it?" Chloe asked, eyebrows raising as he turned to look at her. "I know I've always thought she could, but I don't know sh- a lot about galleries." She felt Max shrink slightly next to her, either embarrassed of the question or nervous for the response.
Cam looked thoughtful, scratching his chin for a moment as he glanced around the hall. "If I'm being honest, the biggest thing separating the talented and the successful is the ability to put your work out there. As long as you keep showing off your work, I'd say I expect to see you back, real soon." He gave a friendly wink at Max, whose face was almost crimson, before his name was called by a lady in the group across the hall. He grimaced slightly as he gave her an acknowledging wave. "Sorry girls, have to bustle. I'll never hear the end of it if Jessica doesn't get to parade me around the city tonight."
As he walked away, Victoria seemingly appeared out of thin air in the spot her father had just occupied, dragging Kate along with her. Best Chloe could tell, they had been hiding behind one of the nearby pillars. "Thank god, he's gone," Victoria complained, eyeing her father's departing figure. "He's been talking all kinds of shit all morning. He's so excited to be able to 'show me off'."
"He is excited, Vic. This is a big moment, for both of you," Kate reminded her, giving her girlfriend a reproachful look. "This is the sort of thing that gets new artists lots of attention, isn't it?"
Victoria seemed to be weighing her options - to continue being upset, or to try to placate Kate. "You're right, but that doesn't mean he needs to be over the moon about it," she finally said, sighing. She bristled again, almost looking like she was about to flee, when Cam spotted them and started coming their way again. "Fuck, should I run?"
"You better not," Kate replied, almost reprimanding. Victoria's should slumped slightly as her father waved, calling for her and Max to come with him. "Chloe and I will be right here, okay?" Kate promised, pushing Victoria towards Cam.
The two photographers followed Cam quietly, while their girlfriends both tried to stifle snickers. "Was Vic dragging you out of the house two hours ago?" Chloe asked Kate quietly, relieved that she was finally out of Max's earshot. Her hand almost felt bruised, and she kept flexing it, trying to get feeling back in the tips of her fingers.
Kate laughed quietly, glancing over at where Max and Victoria were standing, both in various states of nervousness as Cam introduced them to a group of well-dressed visitors. Chloe thought she spotted Victoria's mom as well - there was something in the way she and Victoria were standing that made them nearly identical. "No, I think Max is just a little on edge," Kate responded kindly, although the corners of her mouth were twitching as though she wanted to smirk.
"'On edge' might be an understatement," Chloe muttered. The two of them watched their girlfriends for a moment, quiet, before Kate turned her head to look at Chloe. It was only for a second before her head turned back to watch the pair again, and Chloe couldn't determine what that look was about. "What's up?"
"She was down there, wasn't she?" Kate asked quietly, almost inaudible. It took Chloe a moment to realize the question was aimed at her, and it wasn't until Kate had looked back over at her that her brain started processing the question at all.
There was a churning in her stomach that she was attempting to ignore. "Down where?" Chloe asked, hoping her voice didn't betray that she did, in fact, have something to hide. No way she knows. Max wasn't going to tell anyone else, Vic wouldn't have...
Kate sighed, her fingers twining together in front of her. "The bunker, dark room, whatever you want to call it," she whispered.
"Well, yeah, when we were trying to find Rachel," Chloe responded quickly, hoping she sounded confident in her answer. How the fuck does she know? "The two of us got down there, what, the day before the storm?"
"That's not what I meant." Kate was watching her, surprisingly calm. It was a similar look that Chloe had seen from Joyce, when she knew her daughter wasn't being truthful. It was, honestly, terrifying. "She was, wasn't she?" Kate repeated, still focused on Chloe.
Chloe opened her mouth and closed it again, finding speech more difficult than normal. This wasn't her secret to tell, but Kate was being oddly insistent, and Chloe didn't want to lie to her face. Playing dumb still seemed to be the best way to proceed. "What are you-"
"Chloe, I'm not stupid. I've seen how she reacts to anything related to Mr. Jefferson," Kate answered evenly, watching Max and Victoria shaking hands with a new group as Cam walked them around the hall. "Victoria knows too, right?"
Chloe exhaled heavily, shoulders slumping. "Yeah, she got it out of Max a while ago." Her hand reflexively clenched into a fist at the thought, which made the corners of her mouth jerk up. "I think Max wanted to tell you, just...didn't know what to say."
Kate was nodding, eyes still glued on the photographers. She didn't seem happy to hear the confirmation, but she had a polite smile on her face for anyone that could be watching. "I don't blame her for that. It was a hard conversation for me to have, too." Her head turned slightly towards Chloe, frowning. "How is she, now?"
"It was…rough, but she's better now." Kate nodded in response, frown easing back into the fixed smile. "Are you two good, with it? Or, I guess, better?"
Kate looked up at the ceiling for a moment, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I'd say yes. I don't remember a whole lot of it, so it doesn't bother me as much. And Vic finally agreed that she would try therapy, so I think it's going to get better for her, too."
"Dude, that's awesome!" Kate flashed her a brilliant smile, but before she could respond, Victoria and Max had rejoined them, both full of nervous energy as they heard the hall doors opening for the public.
The next few hours flew by, with Kate and Chloe trying to stay out of the way of guests coming up to talk to Victoria and Max. The two non-photographers ended up wandering around the gallery instead, looking at the other exhibits. Chloe found the non-Arcadia Bay related exhibits to be almost peaceful, and even though art was still not her thing, it was entertaining to walk through the works with Kate.
She realized Kate had been watching her at one point, deep in thought. Kate smiled apologetically as they made eye contact, clearing her throat. "Sorry, I don't mean to stare or anything, just thinking," Kate said quickly, eyes darting away again.
Chloe leaned carefully against the nearest wall, checking first to make sure she wasn't close to a painting. Last thing she needed was to get kicked out of the gallery for damaging some priceless art. "'Bout what?"
"Vic's been asking about my final decision for school," Kate said slowly, still watching Chloe as if looking for a tell. "I think she wants to go wherever I go, or at least close."
Chloe shrugged, glancing around the room quickly to confirm there were no other visitors in the area. It seemed like the vast majority of people were still up in the main hall. "Not that weird, I'm doing the same thing with Max."
Kate was chewing her lip, gazing off at the nearest painting. "I mean, I don't mind that. But she's been talking about paying for it, though."
"Columbia gave you a full-ride, right?" Chloe questioned, scratching her chin as she tried to remember where all Kate had applied.
Kate was nodding, still gazing at the painting to avoid eye contact. "But if we go out there, Vic wants to pay for an apartment, and everything."
"And you don't want the hand-out." Chloe stated.
Kate shook her head, still chewing her lip. She fiddled with her cardigan sleeve for a moment, eyes unfocused. "I know she's just trying to be nice, but...that's a big deal."
"You know her parents are loaded, and that it wouldn't impact them in the slightest, right?" Chloe pointed out before shrugging. "It means more to you than it does to them, probably."
Kate turned to look at her, eyebrow raised. "Would you let Max pay for you to go to school?" Kate challenged.
They stared at each other for a moment before Chloe sighed, shaking her head. "No, probably not."
Kate sighed as well, looking dejected. "Victoria won't admit it, but it's really bothering her."
"Well, if you do end up taking out student loans or something, she'd wipe them out once you two get married anyways," Chloe joked. Kate giggled, covering her mouth to try to stay respectfully quiet. Chloe couldn't help but smile in response. "Something funny?"
"That's just...nothing," Kate said, waving her hand dismissively. "It's just...it's still weird sometimes, thinking about...us."
"This might be shocking for you to hear, but Victoria really likes you," Chloe commented, fiddling with her phone inside of her pocket.
Kate's cheeks were turning a gentle shade of pink. "I know," she said quietly, a shy smile working its way onto her face.
There was a flurry of footsteps near the entrance of the room, and the two of them turned around in time to see Victoria and Max darting into the room, giggling to themselves. "Thank god, we were looking everywhere for you two," Victoria exclaimed, slightly out of breath. "We finally escaped Jessica."
Chloe looked between Max and Victoria, confused. "Okay, who is this Jessica, and why is everyone afraid of her?"
"My parents' partner. She practically runs this whole gallery by herself," Victoria explained, putting a hand on her hip. "Between her and my dad, feels like we've been introduced to everyone in Seattle."
"Well, did you meet anyone important?" Kate asked, smiling politely. Chloe thought it almost seemed a little forced, as if their interrupted conversation was still weighing heavily on her mind.
Max was the one to shrug first, still slightly out of breath. "Mostly just local artists and venue owners. No one huge, but they were all very nice." She turned to give a sad look towards Victoria, exhaling heavily. "We should probably head back in, before Jessica sends a search party."
Victoria groaned, walking forward and grabbing Kate's hand before starting to walk back. "If I'm going to continue suffering, you're coming with me," Chloe heard her mutter as she strode off.
"Are you gonna drag me off, too?" she asked, looking down at Max, who was watching the retreating blondes with a smile. Max seemed significantly calmer than she had been earlier, almost peaceful. "Make me, er, suffer?"
There was a little grin on Max's face as she stood up on her tiptoes, giving Chloe a short but rather sensual kiss. "Only if you want to," Max responded, offering her hand out with a smile.
It took Chloe a second to get her brain functioning appropriately, grabbing Max's hand and giving it a quick peck. "I think I'd be an idiot to say no. Uh, by the way, the dress? It's nice."
Max snickered, glancing around the empty room, as if suddenly worried people might be eavesdropping. "What, were you scared to say something earlier?"
Chloe smirked as she let Max lead the way out of the room. "Maybe."