Chapter 5

Harry stepped back and said, “You have to admit, that’s one good looking man.”

William chuckled and asked, “Is that what it is?”

“Of course,” Happy Harry said. There was a hint of offense in his voice.

Grinning, William asked, “The fact that it is the spitting image of you doesn’t have anything to do with your impression of it?”

“Not at all,” Harry said, “That’s a good looking man, plain and simple.”

Amused by the exchange, Dante asked, “So I can cast it?”

“Outside of the fact that I’m rather disappointed that Half Feather wants to immortalize me as a collector of pigeon droppings, I don’t have any objections,” Happy Harry said. He reached over and rubbed William on the head.

“How about the bust?”

“I look like a love sick puppy in that,” Harry said pointing to one of the two busts of him.

Nodding his head, Dante said, “I captured the expression on your face when you saw Lady Lucy down in Atlanta.”

“He does look like a love sick puppy. Of course, he always looks like a love sick puppy when Lady Lucy is around,” William said with a wink at Dante. Harry had the grace to blush.

Pointing to the other bust, Harry said, “I like that one better. It gives me a fatherly appearance.”

“Funny you should say that about that one. I captured the expression on your face when William and Lucy stopped by the Homeless Hotel in Savannah.”

Lucy wrapped her arms around her husband and said, “That’s just how he looks at you, William.”

Harry mumbled, “One of the problems with artists is that they see too much.”

Having to speak loudly to be overheard over William’s laughter, Dante asked, “So what about the busts?”

“You can cast the second one,” Harry said looking embarrassed.

“Actually, I’d like to cast both of them. The second one is for William,” Dante said moving over to a third bust that was covered with a damp cloth.

“Why cast the first one if William isn’t paying for it?” Harry asked.

“When I showed the sketch for it to Lady Lucy, she told me that she liked it. She mentioned something about you and her meeting next to a little waterfall in Virginia,” Dante said. He removed the cover off the third bust and said, “I thought your bust and this one belonged beside that waterfall.”

Happy Harry stared at the bust. It was the most amazing thing he had ever seen. The emotions in his voice made it difficult to understand his words. “That’s my beautiful Lady Lucy. You’ve really captured her spirit.”

“I’m going to mount the two of them on a granite block so that you are looking into each other’s eyes,” Dante said. Harry and Lady Lucy had performed the dance of love for over thirty years. Their love for each other was just as fresh as the first day they had met. Their characters were such that they couldn’t be together in life, but Dante hoped that with this gesture they would be together in spirit.

Maggie, tears in her eyes, went over to Dante and hugged him. She had seen the work, but hadn’t heard his plans for it. She said, “That’s so sweet.”

“You’ll wait until I’m gone?” Harry asked.

Shrugging his shoulders, Dante said, “I could wait. I could also put it up so that you could meet her in front of the statue when the weather is warm enough for a swim under the waterfall.”

Harry grinned and said, “I like the idea of that.”

“Dante’s got the soul of a poet,” Maggie said thinking it was the most romantic thing she’d ever heard. She wanted to wrap herself around Dante and never let go. Despite years as a prostitute, Dante was her first boyfriend. She smiled to herself at the thought of him being her boyfriend.

Lucy went over to Maggie and whispered in her ear, “He’s a keeper. How about we go off for a little girl talk?”

“Sounds good to me,” Maggie answered. Maggie led Lucy out of the studio, leaving the men behind. Maggie was familiar enough with the layout of the studio to know the perfect spot for the two of them to talk. She had been there her entire spring break and would be heading back to New York City the next day.

Watching them leave, Harry said, “You boys are in trouble now. The women are conspiring against you.”

Winking at Harry, William said, “I don’t have anything to worry about. My fate is already sealed. It’s Dante who should be worried. I wouldn’t be surprised if my wife isn’t giving Maggie step by step instructions on how to get a man to propose to her.”

“And what would be wrong with that?” Dante asked. The past week with Maggie visiting him at his studio had been one of the finest weeks of his life. He was totally smitten by her and he knew it.

“She’s had a hard life,” Harry commented watching Dante closely.

“It never touched her soul,” Dante said. Over the past few months of traveling with Harry, he had gained the ability to see past the surface and into the depths of people. Looking over at the statue of Harry, he knew that for a fact. It was the best work he had ever done.

“And?”

Dante remembered how nervous Maggie had been the first time they kissed. She had trembled when his lips touched hers. She had relaxed into the kiss with all of the passion of a school girl. There had remained in her the ability to love and he had found it. He smiled and said, “She’s got a good soul.”

The summer found Maggie living with Dante in his studio. During the day, she worked in the local office of the Fallen Angels while Dante cast the statues to complete William’s commission. They both found their days rewarding, but that was nothing compared to the evenings together.

Completely naked, Maggie reclined on the sofa. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was slightly open as if ready to receive a kiss. Everything about her pose screamed out for the right man to come and make passionate love to her. Seated across from her, Dante’s hands drove a pencil close to its breaking point capturing the sight. He said, “You are so beautiful.”

“You’re the only one who thinks that,” Maggie replied. The intensity of his gaze upon her body thrilled her. His eyes missed nothing. She knew that he saw every flaw in her body, but there was no trace of them in his work. She asked, “Are you going to show this to anyone?”

“You have asked the question that torments the soul of this artist and lover,” Dante answered pausing from his drawing.

“Torments?”

“Yes. As your lover I want you all to myself. No one but me should be able to gaze upon your body. As an artist, I want the world to see it. Such beauty should not be hidden. It has to be shared. The conflict is tearing me apart,” Dante said. He looked down at the sketchpad.

“I don’t mind if others see it,” Maggie said. She knew that plenty of men had already seen her naked and under circumstances that were very seedy. After all, she had been a prostitute.

“I do. I love you. I have since the day I met you. I want to protect you from every eye that might look upon you with lecherous intent,” Dante said.

Maggie’s breath was taken away. It was the first time that Dante had told her that he loved her. Rather than react, she said, “There’s a small matter of my past.”

Rising from his chair, Dante approached her while saying, “Your past is in the past. I don’t care about what you’ve done in the past. I care about the now. I care about the future. I want you to have the best present and future possible.”

“That’s nice,” Maggie said. She bit her lower lip to keep from crying.

He lowered his body to cover hers and said, “I love you.”

Maggie was going to answer that she loved him too, except she was too busy returning the passionate kiss he was giving her. She opened herself to him and let him know that she loved him in the best way that a woman could. In doing so, the toxins that had been in her body were released. She become whole for perhaps the first time in her life.

Maggie stepped out of her class and was surprised to find Dante waiting for her. Living with him for three months over the summer had been more wonderful than she thought possible. Since the new school year had started, she had missed him more than she could put into words. Her dorm room, despite the fact that she shared it with a bright perky roommate, seemed so empty. She tried to fill her time with study, but spending twice as much time as necessary didn’t fill the lonely hours.

Dante said, “Surprise. I missed you so much that I just had to come out and say hello.”

Grinning, Maggie said, “You came all this way just to say hello. Don’t tell me now that you’ve accomplished your mission that you’re going to go back to your studio.”

Putting an arm around her, he steered her out of the building. He headed in a direction that was not quite headed towards the student union building. He said, “I thought we could have a cup of coffee before I drove back.”

“It’s Friday and I don’t have classes until Monday morning.”

“You don’t say,” Dante said with a grin that suggested he had plans of a special kind.

“I do say,” she countered with a grin that matched his. She bumped into him with her hip as if to let him know that the lower part of her body was interested in making contact with the lower part of his body.

Passing by one of the benches in Washington Square, Dante maneuvered her so that she found herself sitting on the bench. Across from her was a tent that ruined the view, but her eyes were on him. Kneeling, Dante took her hand and slipped a diamond ring on it. Looking into her eyes, he asked, “Will you marry me?”

Open mouthed, she stared at him speechless. This was absolutely the last thing she had expected to happen. It seemed like her brain wouldn’t work and she couldn’t say a word. There was a tap on her shoulder. A male voice from behind her said, “Say yes.”

“Yes,” she repeated numbly. It fully registered that Dante had proposed. She shouted, “Yes!”

She grabbed Dante and kissed him. She hugged him with such energy that she nearly squeezed the life out of him. It took another minute before it dawned on her that Happy Harry was standing behind her. She swiveled her head and shouted, “Happy Harry!”

“Guilty as charged.” Harry said with a wink. He waved his shepherd’s staff and pointed across the walk. He said, “Look at that.”

Her head spun in time to watch the tent fall to the ground and reveal a statue of a woman seated on a park bench with a young man on bended knee proposing to her. There was a small angel seated on the bench beside the young woman. Maggie stared at the statue for a full minute before she realized that the woman was her. She grabbed Dante and hugged him again.

Happy Harry laughed at the expression on Dante’s face. The young man was still on one knee and was being held against the seat of the chair. Maggie was nearly killing him in her excitement. Harry winked at the students who had witnessed the entire proposal. One of the young men was looking from the couple to the statue and back again. Harry said, “Love hurts.”