“The Opening” (The Final Story)

I stopped wearing makeup because I no longer had anyone to impress, at least not with my looks.

I never felt the need to wear it in the studio with Edgar. Whenever we were working, we were concentrating on crafting the best shots possible and concerned with our beautiful models, not with ourselves.

But on the day of the opening, I put on makeup. I wanted to look my best because I was proud of Edgar and proud of the show.

We had spent weeks preparing for the opening at Lantern Gallery in Chelsea, on the far West Side. Lantern would be showing a retrospective of Edgar’s food photography from the past five years, mostly stuff he had done in his spare time. The “hobby” work was easier to sell because it was more unique and inspired.

I had been staying late nights to help matte and frame the photos, cleaning the glass and making sure that all the frames were dusted and pristine. Edgar would leave me alone at night, instead of helping me, but I was okay with that. He was so stressed by the whole endeavor, and I enjoyed the time alone.

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