Earlier chapters

by Mike Schwarcz, text and art

Her brief stay in New York had confirmed Cece's suspicions about Rachel's romantic tendencies. She didn't wonder, care, or ask about what they were doing on the boat, that was none of her business, though she was a little curious about Vanessa. No, Cece's main focus remained the same, leaving the stifling air of the city behind and returning to the fresh air of Santa Fe. Rachel was alive; that would have to do for now.
Once home, she caught up on her mail and bills before calling Miguel. "I'm back, what's going on?"
"I'm painting number three, what's up with you?"
"Glad to be home, I've decided New York isn't for me."
"Not even with a sexy studio and a limo?"
"It's not that, it's the men, they were a real disappointment. The food turned me on more than the guys," Cece groaned. "The food was awesome."
"TMI thanks. What do they call it? Metro… something?"
"Yeah, city boys, they dress great, but they're all talk, God, they talk. Little or no action, insecurities galore, especially about sex." Cece pondered James' shoe collection.
"Santa Fe and New York are two different worlds. Aisha and I were talking about the same thing at the groundbreaking."
"I'm heading your way. I've missed your cranky ass."
"I missed you, too. Come and get a peek at my latest works. Hottest thing for next season."
"All right, see ya soon."
Cece knew Miguel was going to pepper her with a million questions about Rachel, SpACE Gallery, the Goodmans, and anything else she was willing to share.
As she cruised through the studio, inspecting La Peralta's changes, Miguel did just that, trailing her with questions.
"Aisha told me about Rachel. That call must have been quite a shock." he began.
"I nearly fell off the chair, but she's okay, that's the main thing."
"Hayden had nothing to do with it, that threw me, I was sure he was up to something."
"Hayden is still a creep, I found him waiting for me, IN my studio, the first night in town. He had a key for some reason, I had to take it from him," she shuddered at the memory changing the subject.
"Aisha said you've been busy, Let's see the new stuff."
Miguel led her to the room where his few paintings were stored and flicked on the lights.
"Trying to keep the same influence, but a step up from the watercolors, Aisha called me flameboyant, so this is it, The Flaming Sunsets of Santa Fe," Miguel said.
A long pause. "That's it? Interesting, but it's not enough for a show," Cece said.
Interesting? Not exactly a vote of confidence, like saying it was a nice party. Was she just trying to be kind?
"You're crushing my ego."
"C'mon, don't be such a whimp."
"I'm following Aisha's advice, she didn't care for the expressionist ones I showed her, so here we are."
"They'll probably all be spoken for before the show anyway. Take a breath, relax. You should see some of the junk that SpACE manages to sell."
"Their hype machine is what makes them successful, it's not the art. Some of these emerging artists, well, you know….." She minced the last few words.
"Forget the art, their client's desire is anything scarce and prestigious." "Depressing, isn't it. Let's take a walk, I'll show you how things are shaping up. The project is underway, and it's scheduled to be finished for the holidays." Miguel steered out the door to the perfect weather she had been missing.

Circling the block to arrive at the old hacienda that once housed Galleria de Arte de Santa Fe, Cece welcomed the chance to stretch her legs.
"Seems like ages ago already, doesn't it?"
Seeing her old gallery undisturbed was a relief; what she didn't notice was what was happening next door, and on the other corner of the square.
"Looks the same to me." She glanced around looking puzzled.
"Over here." He gestured toward the corner where the neighboring building was being gutted and connected to the hacienda via what was to be a patio or possibly an outdoor display area.
"Okay, I'm starting to get the picture now," she said.
Inside the roofless building, a Bobcat mini skip loader was picking up debris and piling it in the back parking lot. Picking up another load, the operator drove straight toward them. In the driver's seat was Roger from La Peralta. Catching a view of Cece, he shut down the Bobcat and climbed out.
"Hello, you two, long time no see." He walked over, mopping his brow.
"Hi, Roger, it's been a while."
"Too long."
Remembering Cece's comments about Eastern men, Miguel had a sense where this was heading, Roger was decidedly all work boots and khakis.
"You two should catch up," Miguel said, " Roger, show her the vision. Give her a tour of the place. Cece, I'll meet you back at the studio." Miguel said heading back. 'Roger could be a good match for Cece.' He chuckled at the idea of playing matchmaker while also placing an inside source at La Peralta. Ron would love that.

An hour later, Cece texted him, "Meeting someone, see you tomorrow." Miguel used that as an excuse to go home early, once again, to an empty house. He didn't want to be there, simmering issues with Sara were bubbling to the surface again, and she was being distant, avoiding him. Keeping her nose buried in her phone, texting God knows who. He found distraction in painting, but he knew it was going to boil over at some point. She was convincing herself of stuff that just wasn't true. He was threatened by her independence for example. The last time it happened he called her bluff. He wasn't sure he had the energy to go through that again, with everything else that was going on.

The next morning, arriving at the studio, Cec didn't look happy. She ushered him to her desk and sat him down.
"I had dinner with Sara last night."
"Oh. I was asleep when she got home. How did it go with Roger?"
"Never mind Roger. Do you know Sara's thinking of leaving you?"
"Wouldn't be the first time," Miguel stared at her, aware of what was coming.
"She told me she's miserable, you're always at the studio, never at home, and you don't care about her career, only yours."
"She's right, I have a job to do, and I'm going to do it. Forgive me if I find real estate uninspiring. Her problem isn't me. It's her own insecurities.
"How so? I've never seen her like this."
"You don't know everything about Sara, her background. To understand her, you have to understand that. For starters, did you know she was adopted and that her adopting mother then left Sara to be raised by a religious cult? Or that we aren't legally married because she's never been ready to commit."
"No, I didn't know that."
"Sara still thinks the way I used to think. We both believed no one was looking out for either of us, that we only had each other. It was a bond we shared for many years, sort of a codependency. For her, it was the parent adopting her, then abandoning her. Then, eventually, it became me who was abandoning her."
"I didn't know that."
"She's not going to change herself, and I can't change her. I'm tired of it. I'd love to hear her say something positive about this whole adventure, but instead, it's poor me and I'm abandoning her, which isn't true."
"I'm sorry. She's painting a different picture, convinced you're going to take the money you earn and run."
"That makes absolutely no sense! Think about that for a second. Run? Run where? I only get paid if I stay here and produce paintings. If I run, the money stops flowing. And, I'll probably get sued!"
"Yeah, probably."
"You and I know I'll never get rich from this; what artist does? Staying here and painting is the best way I have to fund my retirement. Yet she would prefer me to be home and dependent on her income, giving her a secure hold on me. She has no faith in me sadly."
"So what are you going to do?"
"Nothing. If Sara leaves, I'll take care of myself. Maybe if she decides to be independent for a while it will help her decide whether I'm worth it. I'd be okay with that."
Miguel's explanation helped Cece understand that Sara's issues were a result of her childhood, abandoned by her single parent to a cult that offered her no support.
"It's affected her self-confidence, as I said. I can't fix that; she needs therapy."
"Wow, I wasn't expecting any of that. You think you know somebody." Cece felt bad for assuming so much.
"Sorry, I guess you have to tell me about Roger now since I spilled my guts about Sara to you."
She smiled. "I like Roger, he's a regular guy. He knows how to ride a horse, but he doesn't confuse himself with Prince Valiant."
"That's cute."
"Did he give you an idea of what the finished project is going to look like?"
"It will be awesome. But it pales in comparison to the NYC Gallery. Did you know it takes up almost an entire city block? They don't own all the land; they lease some of it, over half a million dollars a month. Can you believe that?" Cece said.
"It would be something to see, any good exhibits while you were there?"
"Nothing really to my taste, most interesting to me were the inner workings, their Marketing/PR machine and how they use it.
"Well, it's good to have you back. What have you got planned between now and when the new SpACE is ready?"
"Aisha wants me to start working on mailing lists and other mundane crap, but I want a vacation." Cece crossed her arms and put her head down on the desk, making snoring noises.
"Burning the candle at both ends in New York?"
"Yup, I was exploring new territory and having adventures, that's all I can say."
"You're going to see Roger? What's his position at La Peralta?"
"Haven't read his CV or asked about his current position, but he did ask me to a movie," Cece said.
"How positively old-fashioned. No chillin' with Netflix for Roger. Who goes to the movies anymore anyway? Is there even a theatre in Santa Fe, a Cineplex at the mall maybe?" Miguel wondered aloud.
"Sorry, no Netflix on a first date."
"Maybe a drive-in!"
"That's a swap meet now."
"I'm sorry about Sara. I wish things were better for you," Cece said.
"I appreciate that, but she has to conquer her demons. I committed to a job, and I intend to fulfill that commitment. I'm hoping Sara doesn't try to sabotage it somehow. Did she say anything to you about Aisha?"
"I'm not going to repeat anything she said. But you're right, she's not a trusting person."
Silence. Cece was still processing what she had just learned about Sara. There wasn't much more to say on the subject.
"Let's talk about New York. You never called, not even a postcard. This is how you treat your friends?" Miguel turned the conversation hard left.
"Sorry, you're right. The whole thing had a surreal feel to it, like it wasn't actually reality," Cece related.
"How so?"
"For starters, guess who was waiting for me in the studio the first night, when I came home from dinner."
"No clue, someone I know?"
"Well, you've met him, that Hayden guy from the Hamptons."
"Holy crap, are you kidding?"
"Not kidding. He had a key for some reason, which I had torelieve him of."
"When I mentioned it to Mary Goodman, she told me he's bad news and to stay as far away from him as possible."
"Funny how he keeps popping up."
"Isn't it?"

Questionnaire on the story

To be continued

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