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“I have no idea, but it’ll be something you like.”
A corner of her mouth lifted. “You’re sure I’ll like it?”
Finn leaned in close, whispering in her ear. “I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.”
Colleen didn’t say anything in return, but her wide eyes and slightly parted lips told him she was interested. And that made his heart expand in his chest.
He got to his feet, saying to Sean, “Thanks for dinner. I’m going to take off.”
“You’re leaving already?” Sean asked from the kitchen.
“Yeah. I’ve got some work to do.”
“Thanks for coming, Finn,” Ana said over her shoulder.
Finn walked to the door with Colleen following him.
He opened the door and said to her, “I’ll see you in two weeks, princess.”
She grinned. “Asshole,” she said after he left, closing the door with a laugh.
CHAPTER 20
COLLEEN
“Thanks for understanding, Kiki,” Colleen said, gathering her tote bag. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out.” That was an understatement. It had been the longest two weeks of her life.
“Goodbye and good luck,” Kiki said, flashing a fake smile. She returned her attention to her computer.
Colleen headed out the door for the last time.
After two weeks of working at the Grayson Gallery, Colleen had three insights: First, she didn’t trust Kiki; she was a shameless opportunist. Second, if she was going to succeed working in an art gallery, she would have to do a ton of ass kissing. Third, she hated ass kissing.
Like a native New Yorker, Colleen made her way to the subway, weaving around pedestrians. She loved everything about New York: not needing a car, the hot dog carts, the buskers in the subway, the cats that hung out in the bodegas, and the constant energy. All she needed was a job.
Rushing down the steps, she joined the line to pass through the turnstile to her train. She stepped onto the train just before the doors closed. She wrapped her arm around a pole and took a look at her phone. A message from Finn made her break out into a grin.
I can’t wait to see you.
Finn had kept his word and left her alone for two weeks. She’d missed him. He’d also been right about the job. It had been a mistake. She would never be happy working at a job where she couldn’t be herself. She typed out a quick reply:
Me too.
After Colleen showered, she considered her wardrobe options. It was another warm evening, so jeans weren’t necessary. Thankfully, her mother had sent more of her clothes. After rummaging through the closet, she found a short dress with a flared skirt and a crisscross open back. It was yellow, the same color as thebikini that Finn liked so much. Did he remember that yellow bikini like she did?
She styled her hair in a ponytail and applied only lipstick and mascara. Even though this wasn’t an official date, she was excited to see him and wanted to look her best.
She was putting on gold hoop earrings when the doorbell rang. Sean wasn’t home, so she walked quickly to the door and peeked through the peephole. A grinning David held a large vase of roses.
“Hi, David.”
“Mr. O’Connor wanted you to have these as soon as possible.”
“Thank you,” she said, taking the enormous glass vase, which held dozens of light yellow roses. She’d never received so many flowers before. Finn was sending a message that this dinner was more than just hanging out with a friend.
“Have a nice evening,” David said as he left.
“Thanks.”
