Chapter 3: In Which They Mingle in High Society

The next day, during one of her little mental breaks, Lisa looked at some more of Friedrich’s art on the internet and grew even more curious about why she recognized that name. Wandering down to the break room, she started asking around about the name, and she quickly learned why it had seemed so familiar.

“Friedrich? The romantic German painter? There’s a big exhibition at the city art museum, which is about to start week after next,” said Wally, one of her fellow graphic designers, around bites of a tuna sandwich. “One of the teams on the second floor did the print ads for their publicity campaign. You may have seen some of their work on the sides of buses around town.”

“Week after next?” Lisa asked. “What does it take to go see something like that?”

“I think tickets are already on sale on the museum’s website. Of course, if you are a real art nerd, you’ll want to attend the Opening Gala for the exhibition, which is on Thursday. Normally, I’d say good luck with getting into that. It’s mostly for crazy rich people, donors and such. I remember seeing something on one of the company e-mail blasts saying that the museum comped the company some tickets, so you might want to see if any of those are still available.”

“Who would know about that?”

“You could try Carol, the CEO’s executive assistant. She usually handles things like that. Ask her. But I don’t get it. What’s so romantic about Germans?”

“It’s capital-R Romantic, Wally. It’s an aesthetic movement from the ... Oh, never mind. I need to go see Carol. Thanks, Wally! I owe you!”

“Uh, sure” said Wally, taking another bite of his sandwich.

Lisa was a little out of breath when she arrived at Carol’s desk. Carol signaled to Lisa that she should take her time to collect herself before speaking. Finally, Lisa asked her about the tickets.

“If you wanted to go so badly, you probably should have said something when the tickets first became available. These kinds of events usually go to the senior management, partners, and board members, but” Carol placed great emphasis on this last word, “you may be in luck. There was a cancellation, and I got a pair of tickets back yesterday and they have not been claimed.”

Carol saw the excitement on Lisa’s face when she heard this and took that moment to add, “Just so we’re clear, this is a formal event.” with emphasis on the word “formal.”

Carol held the tickets out toward Lisa and, as Lisa started to reach for them, pulled them back a bit.

“There’s a dress code.” She looked Lisa up and down. “Do you have formal wear?”

“I’m sure I have something, and if I don’t, I’ll get something.”

Carol moved the tickets in Lisa’s direction again and then abruptly pulled them away again.

“If I hear that you or your guest show up in jeans and tank tops, there will be consequences to your career here. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Carol. My guest and I will be dressed impeccably. May I please have the tickets?”

“Yes, Lisa. Enjoy your evening. And what is it with romantic Germans, anyway?”

“Google it, Carol. And thanks.”

Lisa carried the precious tickets back to her desk, imagining how excited Julie was going to be to go to the gala.

“Julie, what are you doing on Thursday evening and do you have any formal dresses?”

“Uh, nothing, and I don’t think so, but I could maybe find something. What’s up?”

Lisa told her about the tickets and asked, “It’s Caspar David Friedrich, right? That’s the painter you like so much?”

“Oh, my God, Lisa, you did NOT!”

“Yes, I did, and do you want to go as my ... guest?” Lisa almost said “date”, but stopped herself just in time.

Julie spent the next few minutes making other incoherent sounds of happiness, which Lisa took as a yes Once Lisa calmed her down and got her speaking in sentences again, they started talking about what they were going to wear. Lisa didn’t own many dresses, but felt that she could pull it off with a dark suit with a white shirt and no tie. Julie said that there were enough girls about her size in her sorority that she could borrow something that was appropriate and, if not, she would go to every thrift store in the state if she had to. They made plans for Lisa to pick up Julie and drive together to the event. Julie thanked Lisa for thinking of her.

When Lisa first saw Julie, she was speechless. She knew Julie was beautiful, of course, but in that elegant dress and with her makeup and hairstyle, she was on another level.

“You look amazing” she finally managed to stammer.

“Thank you,” she replied, blushing a little. “You look really nice yourself.”

Lisa was floating on air and the evening was a bit of a blur. There were opening remarks by some of the museum officials and then a short speech by a professor from Oxford who, according to Julie, had written the most widely respected biography of Friedrich. Most of what he had to say was lost on Lisa, but Julie was hanging on every word and so Lisa was happy.

After the opening remarks, the attendees were divided up into groups and each group took a tour of the exhibition led by a different docent. Julie was a little disappointed that Prof. Vaughan was not leading her group, but she asked a lot of questions as they toured the paintings and she decided by the end that their guide was a pretty good Friedrich scholar.

The plan for the rest of the evening was for the attendees to socialize in the main atrium of the museum, sipping champagne and nibbling on canapes, with a string quartet in the background. Julie wandered away from the party into one of the nearby galleries, with Lisa following, to spend a little more time with one of Friedrich’s masterpieces, “Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog.” It depicted a solitary figure on a mountaintop, seen from behind, gazing into the misty abyss below.