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.So much for being seductive andseducible.Damn you, Leah Beck, and the snowstorm you rode in on.132Chapter 13At the edge of her hearing, Leah knew the phone was ringingagain.She continued to ignore it.Every ounce of energy she hadwas directed at finishing the five canvases she was working onsimultaneously.Today was rubine red for depth and to give translucency tothe creamy figure that would be painted over it.Her back waskilling her but she remained bent over the first canvas, workinglaboriously with a wide tipped brush.Here would be a knee andthe inner curve of thigh.The canvas immediately to the rightalready had the outline of the same shapely leg, but smaller.It was topped by round, voluptuous hips.Hips that looked asthough they would move like a dancer s.In the third canvas she used more red where eventually abreast would emerge, along with the arm, shoulder and stomachof the same woman.A woman she could paint a thousand timesfrom memory now.A thick braid of hair dangled from theopen curve of the body and there Leah intended to use braided133blackened pewter tied with a ribbon of bronze.In the fourth canvas, a long line dominated, taking shape asthe swell of the same hips as before, the downward curve to thewaist and a rising line of what would be ribs and the delicatecurve of armpit leading to shoulder.Again the braid would figureprominently, coiling over the waist with the ribbon dangling andthe braid itself loosened, suggesting a loss of composure and lackof restraint.This could easily be her favorite canvas her favoriteof what she would allow to be exhibited.The fifth was hers and hers alone.Her heart was in everystroke.It would be all she ever had.Jackie s face, her eyes, herlips, slightly parted. Jackie Saying Yes was for Leah s comfort.The blue and gold of her eyes, the black lights in her hair, thesweet, pale pink of her lips.The next day she worked in a bluish gray to outline the figuresand a reddened gray to fill.She found that she had properlygauged the amount of rubine underneath, and in the right placesthe skin color took on a richer tone.The flesh looked transparent,which should, she thought, tempt the viewer to concentrate andtry to see through the paint to the real woman.Day after day she continued with new shades, each layerbuilding the figure and suggesting where the body was thewarmest.She spent days on the backgrounds alone, paintingwhite on white until she really thought she would touch cottonsheeting when the paint dried.It took nearly a week for her to produce an acceptable braidwith the pewter strips.She left the incoming messages on theanswering machine and only when she was done, the braidsanchored into the canvases and the canvases coated with the lastsealers did she feel she could rest.Butch sat meaningfully by herempty dish when Leah went into the kitchen.The answeringmachine blinked frantically.She treated them both to steak and added a half bottle ofwine for herself.She replayed the messages and found thatValentina had called five times with lengthy pleas for Leah to134call her back.A telemarketer wanted her to refinance her home.Constance s messages went from  I m not really speaking to you,but you have to call me this minute to  If you don t call me, I llsue. Maureen had called once about a fundraiser and Jackie hadnot called at all.Well, Leah had promised she would call her.Shewondered what Jackie was doing, who Jackie had met.When her appetite was sated she treated Butch to a long,thorough brushing followed by a walk to the riding school andalong one of the trails.Butch was panting happily when they gotback to the house and ran barking to the woman who clamberedout of the T-bird at the sight of them. Didn t you get my messages? Do you have any idea whathappens next Sunday? Constance s agitation was such that shewas standing on tiptoe. The photographer from the ChronicleSunday magazine is taking pictures for the magazine spread andyou haven t even begun the installation!Leah froze and stared at Constance. Oh my God.I completelyforgot.I m so sorry  I ve been trying to reach you for days! All you had to do wascall.I don t care if you do have some new lover, this was reallyirresponsible of you  I don t have a new lover.What gave you that  I never let my feelings interfere with business, and it s really  Will you stop for a minute, Leah demanded. If we regoing to yell at each other, we can at least do it in the house.She turned and led the way into the house, not waiting to see ifConstance would follow.Her cheeks burned and she hoped noneof her neighbors had been watching.Constance s heels echoed in the hallway as she followed Leahto the kitchen.Leah offered Constance coffee and received astony look in reply. I m sorry, I should have called.I was working and withoutSharla to keep me on a schedule I forgot about everything,including eating.You could have said why you were calling, youknow. She wouldn t tell Constance she d only just listened tothe machine.135Constance stared at her shoes, two-toned leather heelsthat made her calves look even longer and more shapely.Leahwondered why she couldn t accept the passing pleasure Constancehad offered. I m very sorry, she said again. Where is she? Constance raised her head and staredunhappily across the kitchen at Leah. I have no idea.I m not seeing her. I would have sworn she.Well I should have left a bettermessage, I guess, Constance admitted. I was going to drive overhere a couple of days ago.I was jealous.And envious.I know Ididn t offer you forever, but I wanted more than a day. I sorry I can t give you more.There was a heavy silence, then Constance shook herself. You were working? I hope you re going to tell me that thePainted Moon is done. They were done just a few days after you were here last [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]