fandomtownies | The York Gallery; Tuesday [ 10/14. ]

Entry tags:

The York Gallery; Tuesday [ 10/14. ]

With plenty of coffee on hand, Charlotte went down to the gallery to get some work done on her computer, most importantly two emails to two different groups:

To: Gallery Employees
From: Charlotte York
Subject: Exhibit closing.

Good morning!

I heard that you all have the week off from school, and so I figured this would be a good time to go ahead and close the exhibit and also give you all the time off from work to really enjoy yourselves! I'll let you know when I've closed in on the next exhibit and will be starting it, but, until then, have fun! If you need anything, though, I'll be at the gallery probably every day this week and next so that the artists can pick up their work.

--Charlotte.

To: Showcase Artists
From: Charlotte York
Subject: Exhibit closing.

Good morning!

First of all, let me thank each and every one of you for your wonderful contributions to the community showcase. The turn-out was amazing and the works were all so spectacular; it exceeded my expectations and I could have never done it without you! Thank you so much! As of today, the exhibit will be closing to make way for another, so, if you get the chance sometime this week or next week, please stop by the gallery to see me about what to do regarding your piece.

Again, thank you so much for your contributions! I look forward to speaking with some of you later this week; the gallery will be closed, but I'll still be there. Just remember to knock on the door.

--Charlotte York.

Yes, she made sure to include the part about knocking on the door; she was keeping them locked during off-hours, because she had had enough of people just coming right in and it leading to very bad things lately, thank you very much!

[[ gallery is closed (with locked doors!), but the post is very much open for knockers ~~No, not you, Temari~~. Artists, feel free to completely hand-wave your pick-up, too, if you prefer. I'll be posting pick-up posts all this week and some of next ]]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Claire had been playing online anyhow -- it wasn't as if she had anything better to do, and she'd found a good flame war to poke at -- when she got the email, and decided to head to the gallery. She could make another print of the portrait of Jan, but the self-portrait had taken a lot of time and she wanted to make sure none of the fabric got knocked off, or anything.

She knocked tentatively, hoping Ms. York would be inside.

Sometime after his shift was over at the station, Dale decided to drop in on Charlotte and see how she was recovering from the past weekend.

He knocked on the door and held up a small sign that he had made just to make sure that there wasn't any confusion.

It of course read "Not Trey."

Charlotte glanced up from the computer at a sign of a knock, edged her way over to the big front windows and took a peek outside to see who it was before opening the door.

"Oh, hello!" she greeted the redhaired girl with a smile. "You're one of the artists, aren't you?"

When she looked up and saw the sign, Charlotte wasn't sure if she felt amused or just upset about the reminder of the very, very bizarre debacle that had occurred of the weekend. The sigh and the sagging shoulders and the frown she gave through the window, though, alerted her to the fact that it was much more of the latter.

It was a very nice try, though.

Still, she stopped her work for a moment, got up, and went to unlock the door to let Dale in. "Of course you aren't," she said. "He's a doctor; his handwriting is much worse than that."

Okay. So it was a bad joke.

He gave her a small grin.

"Well at least that's one way you can tell us apart," Dale tried to joke as he crumpled up the paper. "I'm sorry, Charlotte. Maybe it's too soon for me to come by."

"Don't be ridiculous," Charlotte said, frowning slightly as her expression implored Dale to not take her bad mood about the situation personally. "It's never too soon. I just..." Her hands gestured in a expression of futility, and she shook her head. "If it's not one thing," she said, letting Dale in as she moved back over to the desk, "it's something else. At least this time it was my past, although I have some severe issues with the whole likelihood of any of it."

"It did seem rather preposterous," Dale said rubbing the lump on his head, "unfortunately I can attest that it was reality."

He frowned a little and looked at her with concern. "Charlotte? Are you happy here?"

Charlotte paused as she reached the desk; it was almost as if she was considering how to answer before she sat down. When she did, she did so with a sigh and looked up over at Dale thoughtfully. "I can't exactly say that, if I wasn't, I wouldn't stick around," she said, "because I might have. But, at the same time, it isn't like I don't know I can't just pack up and ship right back out to New York, either."

The word artist was new, and Claire took a moment to savor it before responding. "I guess," she said. "Claire Fisher. I have a self portrait and a photo of the unicorn and I'm not doing anything else today so ... figured I'd pick them up."

She looked the woman up and down. Pretty, kind of preppy. "You're Ms. York?"

Edited 2008-10-15 00:26 (UTC)

"Oh, that's right!" Charlotte beamed at the girl a little. "Your self-portrait was among one of my favorites; it was a lovely step away from the expected, incredible symbolism, too. I have your pieces right over here, if you'll just follow--"

Charlotte started to move and then stopped, laughing a little. "And, I'm sorry, yes, I'm Ms. York, but please, just call me Charlotte." She offered out her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Claire. Is art something you're really interested in, or more of just a pastime?"

Dale frowned a little more and leaned against the desk.

"I don't suppose there's anything I can do to help?" he asked.

"Charlotte," Claire repeated as she shook the hand. She was clearly pleased by the praise for her self-portrait, even blushing a little. So what if it was from 10th grade; she liked it.

"Um, I've sort of been thinking about art more lately. You really think I'm any good at it? 'Cause sometimes I feel like I am, then sometimes it just feels like this whole other way to waste time."

"Dale," Charlotte said, hands folding in her lap as she looked at him steadily, "you're one of the best things about this place."

"I think," Charlotte offered with a faint smile, heading back toward the gallery to get the paintings; she gestured with her arm for Claire to follow if she'd like, "that you get that with almost anything. I know I can't paint, so all my passion for art went into dealing. I say, if you've got the talent, use it."

Dale gave her a warm grin.

"Until you came here, Charlotte, in many ways my life was just a job here on the island and not much else," he said replied. "And while I find the oddities and challenges of the island fascinating at times... I know it's not for everyone."

Claire trotted close behind. "I'm kind of thinking about maybe going to art school," she said hesitantly; it was the first time she'd admitted it out loud. "I don't know, I think about a lot of things. But -- it's good to hear somebody thinks I have talent, y'know?" She hesitated, thinking she must sound like a suck-up.

"What did you have to do to be a dealer?"

The warm grin managed to get a little bit of a similar smile out of Charlotte, as did the words. "I still don't think I'm really used to it," she admitted, and reached out to take his hand, "but I have noticed that things still do to come out pretty well in the end."

And that, really, had to be another reason why Charlotte stayed. Because it seemed that, even when she had to force herself to say that things would get better, they actually did, here.

Charlotte gave Claire a smile. "Definitely think it's a path worth taking," she said with a nod. If anyone should feel like a suck-up, it was her, but she barely even noticed the praise that came out of her. Deal with artists and exhibits as long as she had, and it was just as natural as breathing to bolster egos, especially since so many artists seemed to either eat it up or desperate need it. "It'd be a shame to just nip your talent in the bud like that. You're so young! There's so much room there to explore!"

"And, as for being a dealer, well...my degree probably helped, art history and business, but, really, it's just all about knowing what's good and, if not more important, what gets people going. There are thousands of art dealers in New York, but it's the ones who get people moving that really make it."

Dale smiled and gave her hand a little squeeze.

"They usually do," he agreed and then tilted his head at her. "And it certainly showed me how beautiful you would look in a wedding dress."

He was teasing. Just a little bit.

"DaLe," Charlotte went almost instantly pink, and her head ducked, and, as affronted by the teasing as she pretended to be, it certainly made her heart flutter a bit. But then there was the whole fact that it was the second wedding dress she'd ever worn. You shouldn't be able to have two! Two just screamed out that three was certainly never gonna get there...

...although they also said the third time was a charm.

Charlotte was just going to change the subject.

"You're not...hurt, are you?" she asked, frowning with concern. "I mean, with all the knocking out and the punching and everything?"

Dale smiled, enjoying the fact that he could still tease her.

"I've got a bit of a lump on my head," he said touching the back of his head gingerly. "Nothing that won't heal in time. I'm just glad I was able to stop the ceremony in time."

"You know," Charlotte admitted, "I never actually thought people ever said anything at that part of the ceremony..."

"No one else probably had reason to stop one," Dale chuckled. "I certainly wasn't going to let you go without a fight."

"And that was a pretty good punch," Charlotte observed, although she winced slightly in remembering it. "Probably undid millions in Botox work..."

...Botox work that Trey would have never...ever...ever have gotten. If Charlotte looked confused in her efforts to joke, it was because she was. Very confused. So many things about the last weekend were just a blur of...nonsense.

Claire was in camp Desperately Need It, apparently, going from how she seemed to be all but blossoming right there. She went all blushy and foot shuffly and started closely examining the toes of her sneakers.

"Yeah, it's ... I think that's what I want to do. Explore." If she found out she sucked, at least it might be less boring than regular college.

"And you definitely should," Charlotte nodded, locating the unicorn portrait and handing it to Claire with a broad smile, her eyes almost trying to push the girl straight on into a dean's office. "I didn't even know how much I wanted to get involved as a dealer until college."

Dale reached out to touch her shoulder to try and steady her a bit. "I think it's best if we don't dwell too much on what happened. In fact... I think we should start talking about the future."

Those were certainly words to draw Charlotte out of reveries of anachronisms and unlikelihoods. She blinked, staring up at Dale with her heart in her throat.

"...Really?"

If this turned out to be some other doppleganger, or trick, or...anything, she was done. Done. Next flight to New York, and she'd be on it.

"Yeah, I have time to choose a career," Claire said, tucking the artworks carefully into her portfolio. "But thank you, again. And thanks for doing the exhibit. It was neat to see my stuff on the wall and everything."

Edited 2008-10-15 02:58 (UTC)

"Really," Dale said squeezing her hand. "I love you, Charlotte. And... Well I'm not sure what our next step forward should be. I don't want to pressure you at all and I certainly don't want to rush things. But I think that if we start moving forward and making plans for our lives together... whatever strange things that might happen to use on this island won't afflict us as much. What do you think?"

"Oh!" Charlotte laughed a little, waving a dismissive hand. "It was my pleasure. So much talent here. I was really very pleasantly surprised."

Charlotte felt her heart pounding in her ears as her chest filled with a sort of excited hesitation...

...and then she realized that she'd almost married her exhusband this weekend; what was the worst that could happen? After this weekend, she was thinking she knew what the right step would be, too. A good striding step, without the risk of overstepping.

"I think," she said, smiling softly as she sought out Dale's eyes, "that I've got an awfully big apartment for just one person..."

Dale's smile became awfully broad at that moment.

"I think that's a wonderful idea," he said happily. "If you're absolutely sure?"

Charlotte nodded, without hesitation. "I'm sure," she said. "I mean, if...if you're sure..."

Dale gave her a little smirk... and then leaned over to give her a kiss and show her exactly how exactly sure he was.

Dale certainly did make a very convincing argument. Charlotte barely had time to give a grin of her own against his lips before, kissing him back, she drew her arms up around his neck to keep him close.

"I think we have a deal," Dale whispered.

"We certainly do, Mister Cooper," Charlotte muttered back, grinning as, eyes closed, she kept herself close to kiss him again.

And yes. It was quite a kiss.

"I'll look into breaking my lease tomorrow," he said little lightheaded from the kiss.

"And the exhibit's just closed," Charlotte noted. "I'll have plenty of time to help you move, and we won't even get in the way."

Although she did know that she could probably recruit Teddy and Kevin without even a word of complaint from them.

And no doubt Ralph and the troopers could be convinced to help as well.

Though they'd probably complain.

"I can't think of a better step forward," Dale said happily.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

The York Gallery; Tuesday [ 10/14. ]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject