Page 23 of All That We Are Together

“Eighteen months.”

“And what happens if I regret it and I want to break it?”

“Leah…” he sighed. “That won’t happen. You won’t regret it.”

“Does it surprise you that I question your promises?”

He needed a few seconds to assimilate my words. A muscle tensed in his jaw.

“I won’t fail you this time.”

His voice was barely a whisper. The first thing I thought was that he seemed sincere, and I scolded myself for trusting him.

I shook my head.

“I want to negotiate the term length.”

“It’s a standard contract, Leah.”

“Then I want a nonstandard contract.”

“That’s not how it works.” He was getting tense.

“I’m not signing for eighteen months.”

“Fuck.” Axel rubbed his face, huffed, and leaned back in his chair. “Fine. A year. And I’m making an exception for you, so don’t push it, Leah.”

“What you were proposing was ridiculous,” I said, defending myself.

And I meant it. Everyone in the field said the same. Galleries took advantage of their artists, making them sign abusive contracts just because they were so excited to see their work hanging on walls somewhere. There were agents that offered thirty percent ofprofits and kept seventy, or made the artist cover expenses, or just broke the terms of the contract, period.

“Give me your email, and I’ll send you a copy of the modified contract,” Axel said, grabbing the papers and sticking them back in the folder. “When you sign, we’ll set a date for me to visit your studio.”

“My studio?”

“You’ve got a scholarship, right?”

I nodded, but I had to set my glass down because my hand was shaking. I realized Axel hadn’t taken a sip of the coffee sitting in front of him either.

“I don’t want anyone else in there.”

“Are you kidding?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Leah, this isn’t negotiable.”

“Everything’s negotiable,” I replied.

“I need to see your work. I need to make a study of it. I need to evaluate it, price it out, catalog it. You get that, right?”

“Yeah, but…” I wanted to cry. I wanted to run.

“Leah…” Axel stretched out his hand across the table to look for mine when he saw me blinking over and over, but I pushed it away and retook control. “We’ll do this a little bit at a time, okay? The first day, I’ll just take a quick look. We’ve got time.”

I nodded, because I couldn’t speak, and I stood up when the attack of nerves subsided.

“I’ve got to go.”