In the Eye of the Beholder

one

Jade Moore | TW: *brief* thoughts of suicide

Jade thought about how she could hang myself with my lanyard. But it would be unprofessional. She was at work, after all. The museum was recently opened and the groups of school kids had just started pooling in. Jade smiled politely at the groups of people walking by as they ooed and ahhed over the artworks around the Louvre.

She stood in the corner, not really sure what to do with her hands. Jade wanted to pull out her phone and check it so bad. She wanted to call her bank to cash her check. Scratch that - she needed too. The 'rent due' envelope she'd received this morning weighed heavy on her mind. 

Why did she have to be like this? Jade thought about the twenty year old version of herself who had just dropped out of college and the major of environmental science to become a museum tour guide. It was supposed to be temporary. But now, two years later at twenty-two, she was still a museum tour guide. Jade thought of her older sister who was now starting her second year at med school. She sighed. 

Maybe Jade should patrol a bit. The museum was beautiful but nothing much exciting ever happened. Unless it was a day where they brought in a new piece of art. She loved those days. 

They weren't planning on bringing a new piece for months though. Jade's earpiece suddenly rang out. 

"Jade, can you move to section 1E? Amber just clocked in and we're moving her to your section." 

"Okay," Jade said while pressing on her earpiece. She loved when she could walk through the museum and not stay in one section. She went down darker corridors and out in the well lit spot where they held all the statues. The open windows on the ceiling let light stream in. Jade looked up as she was walking, it was a sunny blue day out today. And she smiled. 

And then it happened. 

The moment that single-handedly changed her entire life. Jade had never particularly beilieved in fate or destiny. Until she bumped into him. Jade felt her body slam into a tall figure in front of her. 

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!" Jade said. She looked up and... oh my god. There was the most beautiful man Jade had ever seen. She had to keep herself from dropping her jaw. 

"Hey, look where you're walking next time," The man furrowed his brow. He was honestly gorgeous and Jade felt her knees grow weak. He had darker skin and black curly hair that sat atop his head but was still neat and maintained. He had a mole on his right cheek and she noticed how his cheekbones jutted out. He was wearing a suit which made him look much fancier than all the other guests around them. She genuinely would do anything for this man. 

Oh my god, what am I thinking?! Jade thought to herself. 

"I'm so sorry. Do you uh- do you have any questions about this art?" Jade said urgently to steer away from her awkward moment. She straightened her blazer and smoothed her lanyard with her picture on it down. He looked her up and down and proceeded to look at the statue she was gesturing at. Jade looked, it was the Winged Victory of Samothrace. 

"No, this is one of my favorite pieces though,"

"Oh mine too!" Jade said. All the professionalism had dripped out of her mouth and onto the pavement below, leaving her with just word vomit. 

"Really? Many of my friends don't know of it." He raised an eyebrow. 

"How? She questioned, "It's so gorgeous. I love how there's so much emotion in the wings... I mean, Thiersch's choice of having no head was beautiful in my opinon. It conveys so much raw emotion without having any facial expressions at all."

"Thiersch?" He asked. 

"The artist's name," Jade clarified. 

"You really are educated on this." 

"It's kinda my job," Jade smiled, pointing to her employee id. She suddenly felt embarrassed, he probably had a much better job and was looking down at her. She studied his expensive watch and newly pressed suit. 

"I see. Well, the original piece was actually rumored to have a head, and arms, but they were never recovered." He said, looking back at the piece. Jade stared blankly at him. She racked her mind for this piece of information that should have been there. But it wasn't? 

"Wow, you could work here!" Jade smiled. 

"I would... love too," He admitted. Jade turned to look at him - a curious light shining in her eyes. 

"Really?" 

"Yes, you're very lucky." He stated. Jade thought about her parents, her low bank account, her sister who was so much better than him. 'Lucky' was the last thing she thought of herself as. 

"Thank you, what do you do for work?" She asked. She wanted to know more about this secret man who showed up to her work in a fancy coat and tie. 

"I model," He said, not making eye contact. Jade looked back to the statue to keep herself from literally crying with joy and pain. Of COURSE he's a model, of course this beautiful man was a model. He probably had lines of girls behind him. She felt her chest heave even though she didn't have a damn chance in the first place. He seemed so confident about it too, he was hot and he knew it. 

"That's so cool, I wish I had that kind of confidence," She said. 

"Are you calling me vain?" 

"No! Not at all!"

"Because I am, so it's okay," He said. Jade looked him up and down. 

"I don't think you're vain. A vain person wouldn't be so interested in art because they consider themselves to be one. Or they'd take a selfie with the art and make the caption something like 'only art in this room.'" Jade said.

"Sounds like you've had experience," He chuckled. She smiled, it was the first time he'd made a sound of amusement the entire time. 

"I have," 

"Maybe that makes you vain," He said. Before Jade could even process or try to figure out what he said, he checked his watch. "I apologize, I must go now." Jade felt her heart drop into her feet.

She wanted to ask him for a number, a facebook, a name. Anything. Fear filled her, she started to think of him. And her. And how he could never in a million years go for her. She was too little in his grand world of art and modeling and women. 

"Well I'm glad you came to see the exhibit," She smiled and nodded politely to him. 

"Thank you, I hope to return soon," He smiled and left. She stayed standing there for many more moments. She stared up at the statue. She wanted to pray to it. To give her hope and trust into something crafted hundreds of years ago, something so ancient it felt connected to the earth and mother nature herself. Maybe this statue had blessed her with the beauty of the man she'd met. Even if had a disappointing end. It was better than no start at all. 

She smiled up to the statue and thought about how it once carried a head. She whispered a small 'thank you'. She'd probably never see mystery man again. But at least she was able to see him once. The eye candy was refreshing.