Page 10 of On The Edge

“It’s just missing one thing...” Jess said in a silly voice with her finger in the air.

Cat picked up the other bag and brought out two bottles of beer.

“You’re a mind-reader! I do declare Miss Cat you are rather fabulous!” Jess giggled and took a bottle.

“I know,” Cat agreed; “You just better have a bottle opener!”

“Of course!” Jess jumped up and went in search of the device.

Once seated again the two girls ate their dinner out of newspaper cheerfully. It wasn't long until, surrounded by empty wrappers and bottles abandoned on the ground, the girls were groaning and moaning about being so full.

“I think I’m going to explode... I should not have eaten that much!” Jess grunted.

Cat got up off the floor and stepped over to a collection of similar large canvases. The colours were energetic and intoxicating, prompting Cat to jump right into them. The brush strokes swirled into a deep midnight-blue sky, with standing stones etched out in silhouette below. She thought of the story of the selkie-girl, and gazed more closely at the imposing stones.

“It’s just beautiful there at sunset.” Jess took down her hair and ran her fingers through it with relief. “Especially on a crystal clear night in the middle of winter when Northern Lights are shimmering above.”

“I want this one,” Cat said decisively.

“Really?”

“Whatever you’re selling it for I’ll pay,” Cat pursued, determinedly.

“Well I could give it to you for...”

“No,” Cat butted in, “I don’t want a deal because I’m your friend, this is stunning work, and I could keep looking at it forever.” She fell silent a moment. “Although you will need to keep it here for me, for the time being if that’s OK? Just until I find my own place.”

“Of course!” Jess smiled, happy with her only sale of the day, flopping back down to nurse her full stomach, as Cat gazed in awe at her beautiful new acquisition.