Chapter 32 Andrea #2
Miranda tapped me on the wrist. “And then you and I can catch up properly.”
She and Hugo were already half-turned when a man stepped into their path.
“Sorry, Hugo—”
He looked to be in his mid-forties, wearing a linen jacket and a blue-striped shirt. I couldn’t quite place him, but I felt like I’d seen him somewhere before. Yesterday, maybe?
“Oh, Sebastian,” Hugo said. “Good timing.”
Sebastian?
They shook hands, and Hugo turned back to us.
“Sebastian Wetherall,” he said, gesturing to the man.
Fuck. Of course it was him. The art critic.
“This is Liam Roth. And his partner, Andrea Jones.”
Of all the people to resurface here.
Sebastian was already looking at Liam, his fixed smile making it clear he knew exactly who he was. Liam had enough money to turn opinions into opportunity. Enough to buy a whole gallery, for that matter.
“Liam,” Hugo continued, “Sebastian is one of those infuriating people who makes a living handing out opinions on other people’s work.”
Yes. He had plenty of opinions.
Naive.
That was what he’d called my piece—the word that had stuck.
“Someone has to,” Sebastian said mildly.
“And worse,” Hugo added, “he’s usually right.” He laughed.
Great.
Perhaps he wouldn’t recognize me. I was nobody, after all.
Before Sebastian could respond, someone appeared at his shoulder, tall and blond in a tight gold dress.
Bonnie.
She hovered there like a wasp, eyes darting from Sebastian to Liam, and then back to Hugo and me. Did she think I might say something wrong? I’d done pretty well so far.
Bonnie stepped forward, and I found myself nudged half a pace back without having moved.
Sebastian turned to Liam and offered his hand.
“Liam Roth,” he said. “Good to finally put a face to the name.”
“Likewise.”
I kept my eyes down. I hadn’t had enough champagne to pretend I could handle Sebastian.
Then his attention moved.
“Andrea?” he said. “Andrea Jones?”
A prickle of heat ignited in my neck and started creeping toward my cheeks.
“Hi.” My voice came out high, like I was trying too hard.
“Right,” he said, his expression adjusting slightly. “I thought I recognized you.”
“You two know each other?” Hugo asked.
“We do,” said Sebastian. I smiled weakly.
Liam turned to me, a slight knit in his brow. “You do?”
God, could this get more awkward? Bonnie stuck her hand into the informal circle. “Bonnie Marchand.” Her smile was efficient and bright. “I work with Liam. I didn’t realize you knew Andrea.”
Sebastian barely looked at her. “Sebastian Wetherall,” he said absently, before turning back to me. “I saw your piece again recently, Andrea. At the Chelsea Harbour auction event, Cranley House.”
So he had been there. Thank God Eliza and I had managed to avoid him.
Bonnie cleared her throat. “Her piece?”
Sebastian seemed not to have heard her. He glanced at Liam. “Andrea has a very particular eye,” he said. “You don’t see it often.”
It took a second longer than usual to work out what to do with my face.
“I’m afraid we’re about to steal Andrea,” Bonnie said, laughing as she reached for my elbow. “We’ve got people looking for her.”
“You’ve seen her work, then?” Liam asked, as if Bonnie wasn’t there.
Sebastian nodded.
“Of course. At London Met, originally, when she was a student.” His eyes didn’t leave my face. “And again, at the auction. Hugo was there, wasn’t he? Andrea won one of the portrait prizes—the Montclair. Well, of course, you’d know that.”
Hugo blinked.
From the corner of my eye, I could see Bonnie’s eyebrows drawing closer together. Her gaze darted to Hugo, then back to me.
“It was an ambitious piece.” Sebastian smiled. “Unfashionable, even.”
Yes, Sebastian. I remember what you wrote.
“But that was part of the appeal,” he said. “It paid attention to who the subject was when she wasn’t posing.”
Liam glanced at me.
“I said at the time it was naive,” Sebastian added. “But only in the sense that it was raw and honest. It hadn’t learned to protect itself yet.”
I tightened my grip on the glass.
“That’s usually where the interesting work starts,” he continued. “Before people start doing what they think’s expected of them.”
Liam nodded, as though this confirmed something rather than surprised him.
“I remember being quite struck by it,” added Sebastian. “I’ve always been curious which way you’d go.”
“She notices things most people miss,” said Liam. “It’s one of the reasons I like her.”
“Yes,” Sebastian said. “That kind of attention is rare.”
From behind, someone called his name, and Sebastian turned and lifted a hand in acknowledgment, before looking back at me.
“Oh, well. It’s been good to see you again, Andrea.” He pressed a card into my hand. “Let’s stay in touch, shall we? I’d be interested to hear what direction you’re heading in now.” He was already being drawn away as he spoke.
“Of course,” I said.
“Well,” Bonnie said lightly after he’d gone. “Lovely that you’re catching up with old friends here, Andrea.”
It didn’t sound like she thought it was lovely.
Miranda met my eyes and held them a fraction longer than necessary, then the corner of her mouth twitched, and she raised her glass and glanced away.
Hugo was still looking at me, his expression quietly amused.
“He sounded more like a fan than a friend,” he said. “Most surprising, Andrea. Sebastian isn’t exactly generous with his critiques, as I’m sure you know. I’m impressed.”
I drew in a careful breath. I felt as if something in me had been knocked loose and needed a moment to settle back into place.
When I looked up, Liam was watching me too.
“So am I,” he said quietly. “Just less surprised.”
His face had softened into a gentle smile.
If I hadn’t known better, I’d have thought it was pride.
*
“Liam!”
Another old friend, waving him over.
“Do you mind, Andrea?” he said. “We could find somewhere quiet if you need a break—”
“It’s fine.” I smiled. My phone had buzzed again, and I reached into my purse to check it. “I’m just going to sit here for a minute.”
“I’ll be right back,” he said.
Kelly: The bank declined my overdraft. Just got the letter.
Me: But you’ll get a redundancy payout, right?
Kelly: Not required. I’ve been there less than two years.
Shit.
I saw Miranda waving to me on her way over.
Me: I’ll text you soon, hon, sorry. I’m a bit busy.
Too busy for my friends? Nausea tugged at my gut.
“Andrea, I had no idea.” Miranda pulled up a chair next to me, her tone conspiratorial. “How did we not know this about you?”
It was cooler away from the terrace, and the fairy lights looked sharper now that the sky was almost dark.
I didn’t feel like talking about myself with Kelly in bits back in London. I shrugged.
Miranda laughed, dragging me back into her world again. “Of course, it all makes sense. Why you were at the exhibition, why Liam was so drawn to you. I should have guessed.”
A waiter drifted over, and I took a tiny pastry shaped like a flower from his tray.
“Hugo was right,” she went on. “You must have something very special. Sebastian doesn’t bother unless something’s caught his attention.”
“It was kind of Sebastian to say something. Surprising really.”