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Maia laughed the sort of dry, humorless laugh she usually saved for conversations about Austin. She had busied herself in the kitchen, measuring water into a pan and setting it on the stove to boil.
“What’s funny?” Felicity asked.
“I just think it’s ironic that you say you’re leaving, and he tries to create a position to make you stay. He finds out you’re dating someone, and he starts acting even more beastly than usual.”
Ugh. And he found himself someone else to date. The thought made Felicity’s heart hurt.
“Just sayin’.” Maia measured rice from a storage container and added it to the boiling water.
“Yeah, well, don’t start reading too much into anything. He has a date tonight with Macks. I’d think if he was interested in me, he would ask me out. And not on a work date. Besides, I think he’s taking her to the ball. So...there ya go.”
“Then you go sit with Kevin at his table,” Maia said. She used tongs to pick up the chicken breasts that were on a plate on the counter and place them into a skillet to sauté.
“Well, I did tell Kevin I’d be his date.” Felicity watched her friend season the cooking poultry. “I’ll have to work some that night, but I’m sure he’s expecting me to sit with him when I can. But as far as Kevin goes, this is it, Maia. I’m not going to see him anymore. The only reason I said I’d be his date is so he’d buy the table and support the foundation. I feel kind of weird about that.”
Maia shook her head. “If Kevin can use you for business, then there’s no harm in you using him to get a hefty donation for the foundation. Or to get Austin’s attention. It’s good that you’ll have a date. That way you won’t have to sit there and watch him dance with that woman all night long.”
“I’m not exactly attending the ball as a guest. I’ll be busy.” Her stomach rumbled. She put her hand on her middle, unsure if it was hunger or envy that he would be holding Macks on the dance floor. “That smells delicious. What are you making for dinner?”
“Chicken and rice. Want to stay and eat with me?”
Maia’s cooking was always good and tonight Felicity needed company, so she wouldn’t sit in her silent house and brood over Austin being with Macks at her art opening, wondering if they’d go out for drinks or dinner afterward. If he’d stay at her place...or bring her back to his.
“I’d love to,” Felicity said. “I have a bottle of sauvignon blanc in the refrigerator. I’ll go get it.”
With the help of a good friend and a little liquid courage, she would make it through this night without being tempted to do a drive-by of the art show.
Felicity smiled to herself. Or she could forego the wine and take a little after-dinner drive to see what she could see.
After she’d added the date to Austin’s calendar, she’d done a little research and discovered Macks owned the Chanson de Vache gallery, where the show would take place. It was located in the artsy Warehouse District. Pictures on the website showed that the front of the gallery was floor-to-ceiling glass. She’d get a glimpse of what was going on by simply driving by.
Back at Maia’s house, she stowed the wine in the refrigerator. “Want to do something a little outrageous?”
Maia’s eyes lit up. “Always. What do you have in mind?”
Fifteen minutes later, they were in Maia’s car heading up Tchoupitoulas Street toward the gallery on Julia Street. Claiming she wasn’t hungry yet, Maia had gladly put aside her chicken and rice dinner to join Felicity on the adventure.
The reception was from seven o’clock to nine. There was a little less than an hour left.
“I didn’t realize it was so late,” Felicity said as they turned onto Julia Street. “We may have missed him.”
“Let’s drive by and see,” Maia said. “You know, Austin and I have never seen each other face-to-face. If you want, I could go in and scope out the scene for you, get a barometer reading of the situation.”
“Oh, there it is,” Felicity said as they pulled up to a stop sign at the corner. The car was directly in front of the gallery. There was no one behind them, so it gave them both a chance to look inside the windows. That’s when Felicity saw him. Austin was holding a glass of wine, standing by himself frowning at what looked like a giant red papier-mâché dress that might have come from the closet of Alice in Wonderland’s Queen of Hearts. To the left, was a similar dress in black and white.
