Perfectly Too Far Read Free Page A

”
    “ Actually,”
Lorraine started, her expression twitching. It was strange, seeing
such delight morph to consternation. Judith instantly felt her belly
clench with dread. “There was one person who was a buyer tonight.”
    “ Oh,”
she pouted, trying not to feel too dejected, “just one?”
    “ Yeah,
but...” Lorraine frowned, her fingers gliding over a stack of
papers. “I don't know how to say this. Um, you might have a
fan, or something.”
    Knotting
her brow, Judith settled onto her knees. “Me, a fan? Besides you? ”
    “ I
like your work, don't get me wrong, but this is... different. Here,
just look.” With an expression that bordered on dubiousness,
Lorraine slid a piece of paper across the table. The red-head didn't
want to touch it, but she was too curious. Grabbing it, she lifted it
close and read the form.
    “ I
don't understand,” she mumbled, “this is a sheet listing
all of my artwork, why...?”
    “ No,
Judith. It's a list of all your work that sold tonight.”
    The
two stared at each other, the clarity sinking into Judith like a
heavy stone. “You're telling me one person bought everything?
One person, they bought it all?”
    Lorraine
didn't give an answer, but she didn't need to. This was strange, they
both knew it, and it marred what should have otherwise been amazing
news.
    Tentatively,
Judith rolled her eyes down that paper, terrified to read the
signature at the bottom. But she had to know, she needed to see the
name of the person who would have the money, the desire, to purchase
her entire collection.
    Scrawled
beautifully with the practiced penmanship of someone who knew their
signature would be read over and over, was a name that made her skin
prickle.
    Benedict
Vance.

    ****

    Judith
stared into her glass of wine, the pair sitting on the floor of the
gallery with a bottle between them. Lorraine had insisted they
celebrate, and the young woman had little in the way of resistance.
Lorraine didn't seem to care that Judith was only nineteen, she just
poured her the drink, insisting she deserved a bit of law breaking.
    “ You
really don't know who he is, Judith?”
    “ I'm
serious, should I know?”
    “ Well,”
the other woman tilted her head back, her mop of hair waving like
there was a breeze in the room. “Here's the thing. I actually
do recognize his name, is why I'm asking.”
    “ What?”
Judith almost spilled her wine, her knees to her chest as she leaned
forward. “Why didn't you say anything before?”
    Shrugging,
Lorraine drained the last of her glass and pursed her lips. “I
thought you knew. Listen, it's sort of like... You know, you assume
people know some names by default.”
    “ Some
names, you say. Who is he?”
    Pouring
out the last of the bottle, Lorraine tapped the rim of her drink in
thought. “He's one of the biggest donors to Sun Arts College.”
    “ Sun
Arts College!?”
    “ Yeah,
that's right. Why do you look so pale?”
    Touching
her cheek, Judith tried to slow down her brain. “That's—that's
the college I've been trying to get into.”
    Lorraine
gaped at her. “I'm trying to be relaxed here, for your sake.
But this is insane, Judith. Like, extremely insane.”
    Hanging
her head, her lashes brushing her cheeks, Judith breathed out loudly.
The scent of the alcohol was bothering her, making her stomach ripple
with sourness. “I know it is.” Is this coincidence?
Fate? What's it mean?
    “ No,”
Lorraine said. “You don't. Here, this is the part I was waiting
to give up.” Digging into her pocket, she pulled out a crinkled
card, offering it like it might bite. Judith reached for it just as
reluctantly, turning it over to realize it was a business card.
    “ Why
did he give you this?”
    “ He
wanted me to tell you to call him, he... he wanted to know if you
took commissions.” Lorraine hesitated, biting her lip. “I
said I wasn't sure. He insisted I give you that, so you could reach
him.”
    Judith
felt a strong urge to throw the card away,