CHAPTER 1
The doorbell chimed, signaling someone’s arrival. In a matter of seconds, Nico’s cheerful voice echoed through the Rainbow Mirage, “Hey, babe. Are you in?”
It had been six months since Teagan’s murder, and it was still a struggle for Ren to work on her own. The thought of Teagan’s killer being at large made Ren uneasy, prompting her to add the bell to the gallery door. In hindsight, it would have been useful to have one there earlier, but it might have been impractical during busy showings and special events. Ren planned to remove it for events, but for now, the bell provided her with a sense of confidence and control.
The safety of the Boystown neighborhood was a key factor in Ren and Teagan’s decision to settle there. The close knit north-side community watched out for one another, because the area comprised the city’s most marginalized individuals. There was safety in numbers against the bigots and haters.
Since the murder, Ren refrained from keeping the gallery open late without her best friend, Nico, present. Not that she needed a man to protect her, but Detective Brody’s assertion that Teagan’s murder was not a random act, but seemed personal, made her wonder if someone was out to get her, too. With no personal effects taken, Teagan the police believe she knew her killer. This raised Ren’s concerns, because it was possible, she knew her killer.
“I’m in the studio!” Ren called while putting down her palette and brush.
Nico peeped around the corner and found Ren, who was wiping her hands on a towel in the modest private studio concealed behind a portable partition. This was where Ren created customer-commissioned art, including the current piece that would cover some of the gallery’s monthly rent. It would help, but not by much.
The Grizzly Den, a local gay bar, wanted a painting. The request was of a man shone from behind wearing only leather chaps, exposing his muscular ass while he glanced over his shoulder, blowing a kiss. Ren didn’t enjoy these commissions, but she excelled at them. They decided, when Teagan bought the gallery from Randy Passion, they would cater to the existing clientèle which comprised gay men from the neighborhood.
Back then, The Rainbow Mirage was the city’s most popular gay establishment that wasn’t a bar. It hosted an extensive collection of men’s erotic art, including photography, drawings, and sculptures, which blazed a trail for the queer community to come out of the closets during the day instead of hiding in the evening shadows. When Randy tested positive for HIV, he turned his disease into a provocative exploration of the faces of AIDS, including his own, with an unprecedented art collection opening. The groundbreaking event attracted so much attention that it backfired, sending the queer community back into the closet when protests broke out in front of the gallery. When the Rainbow Mirage struggled to keep its doors open, Teagan and Ren purchased the gallery and its artwork from Randy, whose health declined and passed away.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Cyan LaBlanc - Writing For The Hell of It to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.