Page 212 of Double or Nothing

The red carries Jack’s force. The purple contains everything I hide. The yellow is unmistakably Alice, breaking through whatever attempts to contain her.

Alice joins us, reaching into the hug, all three of us a triptych looking at the triptych.

“It’s incredible,” I say. “There is no way in this lifetime that Camilla will say no.”

“You can’t know that.”

“Oh, I do.”

“Look, Bryce,” Alice says. “See how I’ve described the paintings!”

She leads me to the artist’s statement mounted on a placard in front of them.

The language is recognisably hers, only sharpened.

‘The Shape of Things Unbound’

Colour used as force rather than ornament. Gold representing fracture and transformation. The black line moving from division into trajectory.

I adore it.

“You don’t think it’s too pretentious?” she asks me.

“It’s an artist’s statement. Some pretentiousness is compulsory.”

“You sound like Jack.” She laughs as I raise my eyebrows.

“Guess he’s rubbing off on me.”

“Literally, later this evening. I think I deserve it.” He elbows me jokingly.

Jack hands Alice her phone.

“Reserve price. Time to send it.”

“We haven’t agreed it.”

“Yes, we have.”

I can tell from their tone that they’ve been squabbling.

“No. You said three hundred thousand. I said it was absurd.”

“One hundred thousand per painting. That’s still a massive undersell.”

“They’re being sold together.”

“Which makes the number even more impressive,” he says.

I stare at him. “Three hundred thousand? As the reserve price?”

Jeez. He’s as bold as the red on his canvas.

“Camilla suggested between two hundred and two hundred and fifty,” Alice says.

“Exactly,” he says. “And I suggested three. Minimum.”

“What if nobody bids?” Alice asks.