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We headed down, taking the elevator to the expansive lobby. The black SUVs that we’d been taking around the city over the last day awaited us, and together Logan and I piled inside ours. Once we were seated and on our way, Logan reached into the side bar and pulled out a bottle of champagne.
“I hope you all are in the mood for something sparkly,” he said.
“You kidding me?” Pearl asked with a grin. “I’ll take the whole bottle.”
That got a laugh out of us. A tinge of tension ran through me, however. Obviously, I wasn’t going to be drinking. How would I play it off without attracting attention?
Logan popped open the bottle and poured glasses for all of us. Outside of the car, the sun had begun to set, casting the streets of Manhattan in wild colors. It was the perfect New York night, something I’d always dreamed about since I was a little girl.
“I’m not big on toasts,” Logan said as he poured and passed. “But with the special night we have ahead of us, I’d be remiss if I didn’t say a few words.”
He held his glass in front of him, the look on his face suggesting he wasn’t quite sure where to begin.
“Anyone who’s met my wonderful sister, Marianne, learns right away what a light she is, what a warm presence she gifts upon anyone lucky enough to know her. What many who’ve met herdon’tget a chance to learn is how damned talented she is. I know this, and so does everyone in this car. But tonight, the world is going to find out about you, Mar. I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of this amazing night.”
He started to raise his glass, Marianne leaning over to hug him with such intensity that he nearly spilled it. Logan let out a laugh, wrapping his arm around his sister and giving her an eager hug right back.
Logan raised his glass. “Cheers!”
We all said the same, tapping our glasses together. I waited until everyone was sipping to bring my glass to my lips. Maybe a single sip wouldn’t matter, but I wasn’t about to take that risk. I formed a hard seal with my lips around the glass, letting the drink flow against my mouth without ingesting any.
“Delicious,” I lied.
Ten or so minutes later, we pulled in front of the gallery in Chelsea. The neighborhood was gorgeous, tall condos flanking us on both sides, people packed on the sidewalks, the evening alive with activity.
“There it is!” Marianne slid over to the other side of the car, putting her hands against the glass. “I can see my paintings from here!”
The front of the Fordham Gallery was glass, and inside I could see that the place was crowded with well-dressed men and women, all of them looking like the elite of the city. On the walls were several paintings, many of which I’d recognized from Marianne’s room.
We parked in front and stepped out, the staff leading us to the front doors. On the sidewalk was a sign for the showing—“Marianne Stone: Sketches from a Future Master.”
“The title was my idea,” Pearl said with a wink. “And it’s true, right? Imagine what this girl’s going to be putting out in a decade or two.”
The staff opened the front doors for us and the moment we stepped inside, Marianne was the center of attention. A crowd formed around her, tears in her eyes.
“Thank you… thank you so much for coming!” the music over the speakers quieted down, the crowd silenced. “I… this means so much to me to see so many people here tonight. I’m so used to working in my room alone that I forget sometimes that there’re people out there!”
Light laughs sounded from the crowd.
“I can’t wait to get to know you all more and tell you about my art. So many of these pieces mean a lot to me, and sharing with you is like sharing a part of myself. So, enjoy!”
The audience applauded, and Marianne melted into them, answering questions.
Logan moved to my side, smoothly taking a pair of wine glasses from a server’s passing tray.
“This is really something, isn’t it?” he asked.
“It really is.”
We said nothing for several moments, both of us looking over the pictures. My gaze lingered on Marta’s drawing, longing tugging at my heart.
“Marianne and I aren’t all that different,” I said. “Both of us are learning about the wider world in our own ways.”
“That’s right,” Logan agreed. “And you’re both thriving. There’s two women in my life now with amazing futures in front of them. I can’t wait to see what you two can do.”
I couldn’t resist leaning over and kissing him. As I took my lips away, I spotted the stares of a few young women in the crowd, a naughty bit of satisfaction forming in me as I knew that they were all realizing at the same time thattheLogan Stone was taken.
Or was he? Everything was so confusing on that front.
