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The small bell above the door tinkled when Bianca let herself into her shop and flicked on the lights, bathing her in a soft white glow. She had a new painting to display, wrapped in brown paper and string, carried under her arm. It was smaller in size than most of the pieces in her modestly sized gallery but she believed it was the most interesting. She flicked the lock of the door behind her, not wanting any early punters to destroy her early evening routine.
The hours on the glass window of the door showed that she opened late morning (11am) to mid-afternoon (2pm) and then again at 6pm and staying open until 'Late'. Most of the time she would stay until midnight, working in the small back room of her studio because rarely would she paint pieces to put into her gallery elsewhere. Sometimes she would remain open until the wee hours of the morning if she had a potential sale on her hands. A few times she'd left around ten, bored with staying around when there were few visitors and she wasn't feeling creative - or had something (or someone) else to do.
This time she'd painted something at home that she wanted to share rather than to keep on the already-full walls of her apartment. It was cuter than the rest of the artwork inside her shop, but there were dark elements to it too, if studied for long enough or if the viewer had a good eye.
She hummed as she placed her rectangular parcel on the desk she used to write out invoices and removed her white duffel coat and hung it on the hook on the wall behind her workspace. Beneath the coat she wore a sea-green top where the fabric was so light it was semi-transparent and she had no bra beneath. Long, tight fitting light blue jeans hugged her slender hips and backside, ending at her strappy wedges. The weather outside had been warm but the wind was brisk and cool, so she'd taken her coat (plus it looked glamorous on her).
Her hair was up in a messy bun today, curls threatening to escape even as she unwrapped her painting and discarded the string and paper. With it now in her hands, she studied it again.
Rabbits surrounded a large black hole (such as in space, for even though it was in the ground surrounded by grass and daisies, there were also galaxies dripping into it). Most of them were hopping into it, but one of them looked appalled and was recoiling. Bianca was pleased to have captured a detail of terror in its eye. Watership Down had nothing on her talent. This particular bunny was about to be pushed into the warren that was really a black hole, by its idiot friend who thought to be performing a favour. There was a message in there; ignorant friends can suck you into places you don't want to go.
The painting had started off intentionally cute but had worked its way into something with secondary meanings. Like a lot of her paintings, it was often the first glance that gave someone an impression of beauty or enchantment, and it was the second glance that offered up darkness and gritty reality.
Bianca set up an easel in the window, getting it just the right height before placing her rabbit artwork onto it. She could sense someone watching as she set up. With calculation, she got her painting just right before turning and smiling at whoever's eye she'd caught, hoping her pretty face would also capture the person who obviously appreciated art if they were gazing into a local gallery's front window.
She saw a woman. But not just any woman. An intensely interesting looking one. The kind that only came out at night. Bianca's smiled twitched ever so slightly wider and she turned a little more fully. If this woman wanted to come in, she would unlock the door for her.
