“Wow, it showed up even then.”
“The camera finds little things.” She flipped to the next two,
both taken in natural light. “You were very angry that day. See
the lines around your eyes?”
“Amazing.”
She paged through the album, stopping again at the photo of
Claudia’s profile and shoulder. “This was the day I realized my
crush on you had gotten out of hand. You had the most exciting
body I’d ever seen.”
Claudia cocked her head and gave her an accusatory look.
“You still do. Next time I’ll add that without prompting.”
She turned to the first photo she had made on their last day
together, just before the nude. Claudia was smiling and looking
directly into the camera. “This one is my favorite because you
were thinking about us.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because I’d just asked you something about when we walked
on the wharf. It made you smile.”
Leo grasped the next page with her fingertip but held it still.
“You ready for this one?”
“Is it good?”
“It’s still the best photo I’ve ever taken.”
Claudia gulped and nodded once. “Oh, my God,” she
murmured as the page opened to the nude photo. “Is that really
me?”“In the flesh,” Leo said. “And lovely flesh it is.” Every time
she looked at it, she remembered how thrilling it had been to
have Claudia’s total trust.
“This is exquisite. I can’t believe you never showed it to
me.”“I hoped to give it as a gift someday, but you always said you
didn’t want to risk anyone else finding it.”
“Oh, Leo,” Claudia said as she leaned over and planted a kiss
on her cheek. “This is far too beautiful to hide in that cedar chest.
It should be hanging in a gallery somewhere.”
“I thought about hanging it up here, but I never wanted
anyone else to see it.”
“You’ve had someone up here?”
“You know how nosy some people are. They push through
the door and demand to see your whole house.” She laughed at
Claudia’s shocked response.
“The truth’s finally out. There I was reaching out in friendship
and all you saw was someone being nosy.”
Leo set the book aside and pulled Claudia into her arms.
“Thank God you were. You gave me the biggest gift of my life
just by coming into it.”
“But then I took it away.”
“I held on to the best part, Claudia. Your love stayed inside
me all these years, and now we get to share it again.”
Epilogue
“You artist types are so hot,” Claudia whispered, her eyes
dancing with flirtation.
Leo put an arm around her waist and pecked her on the
lips. If anyone was hot, it was Claudia. The plunging neckline
of the deep green cocktail dress had tantalized her all evening.
“It’s usually tradition for the artist to get laid after a successful
showing.”
“I’m a big believer in tradition.”
Maria caught her eye from across the gallery and pointed to
a tall gentleman who had just entered. He looked out of place in
his worn tweed sports jacket and polo shirt, but Leo recognized
him as the photo editor for Golden Shores , a California-themed
magazine. He had expressed interest in contracting her services
for a series on powerhouse couples in Hollywood, and Maria had
promised to make the introductions.
“There’s David Kent,” Leo said.
“Do you want me to leave so you can talk to him?”
The annual fall gallery walk in San Luis Obispo always
brought out a crowd, and tonight was no exception. Leo shared
space in Maria’s gallery with several other artists representing
four media. Hers were the only photographs, and she had chosen
a handful of her favorites. She was a regular exhibitor in San Luis
Obispo, something she did as much to honor her friendship with
Maria and Sandy as to network with potential clients.
Sandy squeezed between them to deliver two flutes of
champagne. “Thought you’d be interested to know Maria’s
gotten two inquiries on the naked ladies.”
“Not for sale,” Leo answered, not hesitating for an instant.
With Claudia’s encouragement, she had toyed with the idea of
including her nude portraits in a published body of work, but in
the end decided she preferred the real-time display, especially
with Claudia at her side only vaguely unrecognizable as the
model.
With a hand over her mouth, Sandy playfully taunted, “I’m
just waiting for some kid to come in here and say, ‘Hey, Mom,
look! It’s my third grade teacher.’”
Leo grinned at Claudia, who was rolling her eyes. “All the
little third-grade boys will be dreaming about you. And probably
half the girls.”
“Oh, my God! Look who it is,” Claudia exclaimed.
Leo followed her eyes to the door, where a lovely woman—
mid-fifties with graying brown hair and wide dramatic eyes—had
entered on the arm of a much younger man Leo would have bet
was gay.
“That’s Christina John,” Claudia said animatedly. “I’ve seen
every movie she’s ever made. What’s she doing here?”
“I think she lives here.”
“Maybe she’ll come over and look at your work. Wouldn’t
you just die if she said something about it?”
Leo was delighted at Claudia’s fan-girl zeal. From the corner
of her eye, she watched as the couple drew closer. When they
stopped to study the nude photo and its description, Claudia
nearly burst with excitement.
The actress suddenly whirled to face them. “Leo?”
“Hello, Chris. Good to see you again.” They traded kisses on
the cheek. “And you’re looking marvelous, as usual.”
“Thank you. It takes a little longer than it used to, but the
minute I don’t do it some rude asshole takes my picture.” She
motioned to the man to continue on without her and he did so.
“Let me introduce you to someone.” She guided Claudia
forward. “This is my wife, Claudia Galloway. I think she’s a fan
of yours.”
“How do you do?”
“Miss John, I’m so pleased to meet you. I can’t believe Leo
didn’t tell me she knew you.”
“She’s probably still having nightmares about my dogs.”
Leo laughed. “Not true,” she explained to Claudia. “I had
the pleasure of doing a magazine layout with Chris and her dogs
about three years ago. I wish all my jobs were that much fun.”
The actress pointed over her shoulder at the nude portrait.
“I bet that was fun. Any chance I could get you to do one of those
for me?”
“Are you serious?”
“Of course. I’ve done nude scenes in film, but I’m always
playing someone else. I’d like to have something more personal
for myself.”
“I’d be honored.” Leo fished a calling card from her pocket.
“Have someone get in touch and we’ll set something up.”
“You have to promise to make me look like that, though.
Brush away all the wrinkles.”
“Walk around and have a look at the other side.” She and
Claudia followed as Christina found the updated photo, same
lighting and pose, taken last year in her studio on Cannery Row.
“This one’s you!” she said, looking at Claudia with
astonishment.
“So is the other one,” Claudia said, beaming with pride. “Leo
does amazing work.”
“I’ll say.” She looked directly at Claudia while leaning in to
speak to Leo. “For that, I think I could be a lesbian too.”
Leo grinned at Claudia’s stunned look as Christina walked
away. “I think you just got a huge compliment.”
“I’m going to faint.”
“I want to hang these in our bedroom when we get home.”
True to her word, Claudia had moved in with her for good
in Monterey only three weeks after Eva’s wedding. Leo’s perfect
memories of their time together long ago were still intact. They
even had a few disagreements under their belts, but they were
mostly minor adjustments to sharing personal space with someone
else. Disagreements or not, Leo intended to share everything in
her life with Claudia for as long as they lived.
“Here comes Maria with David Kent. I’m going to go stalk
Christina John.”
Leo caught her hand as she started to leave. “Don’t forget
about that tradition…you know, the one where I get laid.”
“Not a chance.”
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