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Not ready.
Not ready.
Ready. It was so ready. Shut up, Negative Nancy voice.
I wrapped my arms around my middle. I never wanted to use my friends as a way to sell my work, least of all Phil, but desperate times…
“I have one.”
Her gaze snapped to mine. “You do?”
I gnawed on my lower lip. Just spit it out, Grace. “Just finished last night actually.”
“You’ve always sold well in the past. Can you get it here? How big is it?”
My belly fluttered with nerves and hope. “I don’t want to push it on you.”
“Stop.” She placed her hands on my shoulders. “As I said, you’ve always sold well for the gallery. You’re doing me a favor.”
I tipped my head to the side. “Come on, Phil.”
She waved me off and placed her hands on her hips. “What do I have this place for if I can’t help a friend or two? Besides, you’re like a daughter to me. Of course, I want to put your piece in here. I should have thought to do it sooner.”
My eyes prickled. “It’s a little different than my usual stuff.”
Her shrewd hazel eyes lit with interest. “Oh?”
“It’s a bigger piece.”
“Is it a window?”
“No. A sculpture.”
“Then yes, definitely. Can you go get it?”
A wide set of shoulders drew my eyes away from Phil. “I…”
“Do you need someone to help you?”
Blake nodded to me as he strode across the room to the archway. He stopped there and gave me a slow half-smile. Just the corner of his mouth turning up. So very much like the first time I met him. Then he was gone.
“Grace?”
“What? Oh, yes.” I moved forward and caught Phil’s hands. “I’ll go get it now. Thank you.”
“Well, go ahead.” She squeezed my hands back. “And maybe a new dress? Something less…mangled.”
I could feel the heat in my cheeks. “Right. Of course.”
Philomena turned around, and citron and gold sparkled against her all black layers. She waved from the doorway. “Off you go, dear.”
I ran back to the frame room, but Blake had erased any proof we’d been in there. In fact, it was too neat
. He’d cleaned off the table, even so far as dumping scraps in the correct recycling bins.
I didn’t know quite what to think about that, so I backed out and closed the door once more. I scooped up my iPad from the empty pedestal and the butterflies returned to nest in my belly.
My sculpture would be there for everyone to see.
