Page 51 of For the Love of Art

CHAPTER

EIGHT

Afile folder I was carrying hit the floor, echoing through the empty gallery.

“Shit.” My voice also echoed through the gallery.

I knelt and gathered the papers.

It was late. The only light coming in was from the streetlights outside. Streaks danced across the marble floors just enough that I could see the papers.

A shadow crept over me, and I fell back.

“Jesus!” I shouted, looking up to see Nathan standing in the dark, his hands in his pockets.

“Need some help?”

“You don’t look like a cardiologist,” I teased, settling back on my knees to finish cleaning up the mess I made.

Nathan knelt next to me and began to pick up the strewn papers. We worked in silence, but I snuck a few peeks at him. The lines at the corners of his eyes that deepened when he smiled were barely visible in the little bit of light on his face.

It was quiet in the gallery, save for the sound of papers being collected. When the floor was clean, we both stood up.

Nathan handed me what he had gathered. “Here.”

Our fingers grazed in the exchange, and I felt a spark of electricity run up my arm.

I gasped.

“What?” Nathan asked, concerned.

“Nothing.” I took a step back and tucked some loose hair behind my ear. “Thank you for the help.”

Nathan looked out at the dark street and then back at me. “Can I offer you a ride home?”

I chuckled. “I think I’ll be okay.”

“At least let me walk you.”

“I only live a few blocks away.”

“It’s dark.”

“I’m thirty-five.”

“You’re carrying gallery information out into Manhattan. Based on what happened in here, I think it’s only fair I make sure it doesn’t happen out there.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but what came out was, “Try and keep up.”

Try and keep up?

Was I really inviting Nathan to my apartment?

I turned on my heel and headed out into the street. Nathan kept a couple of steps behind me. I tried to peer over my shoulder, but he caught me and gave me a wide grin every time I did.

When we reached the Chinese restaurant I lived beneath, my cheeks were on fire.

“Why are we stopping?” Nathan asked.