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And then they are gone and we are walking up the stairs. “Were they important?”
“He’s worth about a billion dollars.”
“Nick. You just blew him off.”
“Tonight isn’t about him. If he has a problem with that, fuck him.”
“Nick Rogers,” I say, giving his sleeve a tiny tug that earns me the focus of those navy blue eyes.
“Yes, sweetheart?”
“I’m a little too crazy about you.”
“Not yet,” he says, giving me a wink that does funny things to my belly. “But we’re getting there.”
We reach the second level, and the entire floor is literally the party, clusters of women in fancy dresses and men in sharp suits everywhere. Elegant multicolored chandeliers dangle at random locations from above. Waiters work the crowd with drinks, and there are tables filled with finger foods. “We still haven’t eaten,” Nick says. “Shall we grab a few snacks?”
“I’ll drop it, spill it, and generally make a mess.” I glance at him. “I need to know which three pieces they picked.”
“I’d like to know, too,” he says, motioning me toward a sign that leads to the display room while another next to it points to the ceremony’s location.
We walk that way. “Why am I suddenly so nervous?”
“Because in your mind you know your top three picks,” he says as we reach the doorway, “and you’re about to find out if the judges agree.” He halts us and turns me to face him. “Name your top three.”
“You.An Eye for An Eye. An older piece I calledSonoma Sky. What do you think?”
“My picks as well.”
“Do you knowSonoma Sky?”
“I studied and admired it when we packaged it up. Let’s go look.” He starts to turn, and I catch his arm.
“I want you to be there.”
“Why, Faith?”
“Because that painting was the first one I painted for me in a very long time. And you’re the first thing I’ve done for me in a very long time.”
He reaches up and drags his knuckles down my cheek. “I’ll show you how much that means to me later,alone.”He motions to the door. “Let’s go look.”
I nod, and we enter the room, people milling about displays, and, of course, Macom’s is the centerpiece. And maybe it’s my nerves, but heads turn as we walk the crowd, seeming to land on Nick and then me. Which is quite possible, since my heart is racing so fast that I can barely breathe. Finally, we reach my display, and I step inside to find exactly what I’d hoped for: Nick,An Eye for an Eye, andSonoma Sky.
Nick’s hand settles at my back. “How do you feel?”
I glance up at him. “Validated.”
“Good. You need that. You lack confidence you need to find. I should buy the one of me.”
“If you buy it, then it looks like I can’t sell it. I’m still inspired. I’ll be painting you again.”
“Is that right?” he asks, heat in his eyes.
“Oh yes. And I’ll know every piece of your story before you tell me your story.”
Something flickers in his expression that I can’t name, there and then gone, but before I can ask him about it, Josh suddenly appears, standing beside us and cursing under his breath. “Holy hell. Who painted these?”
I face him. “You hate them.”
