Tears of Endurance (Romantic Drama) Book #1 by D.G. Torrens Read Free Book Online Page B

queried.
    “ No, you can just turn up, although it will be a full house tonight so you may want to arrive a little earlier. Have you been to Coleshill before?” she asked.
    “ Yes, I know Coleshill fairly well,” replied Ben.
    “ Then you will know how hard it is to park on the high street. I advise you to park opposite the local gym at the back of the high street, close to the police station. There is a large car park and there are always spaces available,” advised Arianna.
    “ Thank you very much, Arianna, I look forward to the show. See you later then.” Ben rang off but the subtle, yet irresistible, voice of Arianna remained with him for a while later.
    Ben looked around and studied his rather sparse looking walls. He really could do with brightening the place up a bit, he thought, as he walked slowly from room to room. He decided if anything caught his eye at the show, he would purchase something for his apartment. He wanted a contemporary piece to complement his contemporary surroundings. The show was due to start at 7:30 p.m. so he had plenty of time to get showered and changed.

Chapter eight
    Arianna felt that all too familiar feeling she always experienced before a show; the adrenalin was pumping through her veins at a highly charged rate. After jumping out of the shower, she made her way to the kitchen and poured herself a small glass of wine. She took the towel off her head and gave her hair a good shake, before tying it into a loose knot on the top of her head while she applied her make-up. She’d decided on a simple classic black shift dress with black sling-back shoes. Understated elegance. She smiled to herself as she glanced over her outfit hanging up on her bedroom door.
    With virtually no money left in her bank account, the importance of tonight ’s show had risen tenfold. She had a lot of faith in Oliver’s work and knew that people would be in awe of it just as she had been when she first laid eyes on his unique paintings, which screamed individualism more than anything she’d ever seen before.
    Arianna checked the time, 6:20 p.m. “Oh God, there’s less than an hour to go,” she shouted as she scrambled under her bed, looking for her hairdryer. Twenty minutes later, she was dressed and ready to make her way to the gallery. She sent a message to Casey asking where she was, as she should have been at Arianna’s house over an hour ago. Five minutes later, Casey pinged back a reply. Arianna clicked on the message icon and read Casey’s message.
     
    “I’m so sorry, Arianna, I can’t make it as Charlotte’s come down with a temperature. She’s not well at all, and I think she may have a virus. Please forgive me and I wish you all the success in the world for tonight. Be sure to call me in the morning to fill me in on the night’s events.” Love Casey x
     
    Arianna grabbed her bag and headed out of the door hurriedly. She practically sprinted to the gallery and she got there just as the catering company pulled up outside. “Thank you so much, Peter, for doing this. Can you just take the platters inside and lay them down on the table I have prepared.” Arianna picked up the sign advertising the show and placed it outside the main doors; it was a freestanding A-frame with the advertisement displayed on both sides.
    “ All set, Arianna. Good luck for tonight and if there’s anything else you need during the next hour, just ping me a message as I will be at the shop until just after eight o’clock,” said Peter as he made his way back to his van.
    “ Thanks Peter, you’re a superstar.”
    Walking around the gallery doing her last minute checks, Arianna smiled to herself, feeling very pleased with the overall look.
    “Hey, you look lovely,” complimented Oliver as he made a quiet entrance.
    “ Why thank you, Oliver. So, looks pretty good in here, don’t you think? Your work looks stunning; I think you will do very well tonight.”
    Oliver paced around the exhibition space