Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
K at took a sip of her coffee and gazed at the much-needed eye candy before her. Wearing the I-heart-New-York T-shirt she’d given him, boxers, and morning stubble, he looked as if he belonged there. He looked flat-out gorgeous.
Nick had gotten up before her and started the coffee.
He’d been caring and gentle with her all night, and she still felt wrapped in his warmth.
She sat with her back against the arm of the sofa, her legs stretched across his lap.
It was a great start to the day. She tried to push away any feelings of guilt about not being at work.
She didn’t want to harbor sour grapes over the promotion no-go, but the truth was, some of the luster had worn off her job at the museum.
And her give-a-damn had taken a nosedive.
“I’ve been thinking,” Nick said.
Kat raised her brows. “Mm-hmm?”
“We gotta get back at that scumbag Pete.”
She nearly spit her coffee. “Nick, that’s a wonderful but terrible idea. He can just go to hell, and I don’t ever want to see his creepy face again.”
“I could go over there and kick his ass.”
Laughing, Kat shook her head. “I’d love to see that.”
“But I’d rather not end up in jail on assault charges.” Humor laced his words. “Got the HBTV filming, you know.”
“Ah. Right. What’s plan B?”
“String him along like he did you. Make him think I’m gonna buy some stuff. Trying to decide if it’d be way out of line to tell him I’m with HBTV and looking to source some art for my show.”
Kat sat straighter. “No. No way. The last thing I want is for you to get yourself in trouble with HBTV over that slimeball.” She pondered the possibilities, though.
Could they cause Pete any grief or embarrassment?
And did she want to waste one more second on him?
Finally, she grinned. “I do like the idea of stringing him along. Giving him a dose of his own sleaze. Maybe even putting down a deposit then canceling the transaction.”
“I could say I’m buying a house in a ritzy neighborhood. Need stuff for the walls. Say my ex took everything, and I want a clean slate.”
Laughter bubbled to the surface. This guy… “Oh, my gosh. That’s brilliant. If you could–” The peal of Kat’s phone interrupted. Kat lifted it from the side table and groaned softly. She glanced at Nick. “Nana.”
Nick swung her legs around and stood. “Take it. I’ll jump in the shower.” He leaned down and planted a kiss on her cheek. “You might as well get that over with.” He squeezed her shoulder then turned away.
She knew he was right. It wouldn’t get any easier no matter how long she stalled. And it was odd for Nana to call mid-morning on a weekday. Kat blew out her breath and answered the call. “Hi, Nana.”
“Hello, love. Are you busy or can you talk a minute?”
“I can talk. I’m not working today.”
“Are you sick, honey?”
How to answer that? “Not really. I just needed a day off. I got some bad news yesterday.”
“What do you mean? What happened?”
In as calm a tone as Kat could manage, she forced herself to relay the story.
“Oh, love, I’m so sorry. Is it absolutely certain? No rescheduling?”
“No, Nana, it’s off. And I wouldn’t work with this gallery again anyway. Not now. The owner isn’t a good guy.”
“It’s just as well, then. You don’t need him or his gallery,” Nana’s voice hardened. “It’s his loss.”
Kat teared up again. “Oh, Nana. Things seem to be going all wrong. I don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing. I was passed up for a promotion at work a couple of weeks ago, too. They hired someone from outside.”
“Dearest Kat, I can understand why you’re upset.
That’s another tough blow. But you don’t need all the answers right now.
Give yourself some time. Let things take their course.
Listen, I’m going to talk to your dad, and we’re going to come visit you anyway.
He’s already made all the arrangements. It’s been years since I was in the city. ”
She paused, and Kat let the silence stretch a moment.
“They do know? You’ve told your folks?”
“No. It just happened yesterday. I…I don’t know what to say.
I wish I’d never told them about the show at all.
I made such a big deal of it. Wanted them to be proud.
” She swiped at the tears on her face. “That guy didn’t see me as an amazing artist—good enough to not embarrass him, I guess—but mostly an easy target.
A desperate artist willing to do anything to get a show. ”
“Nonsense. You are an amazing artist, and you should expect shows and your parents’ pride and many great things.”
Kat squeezed her eyes shut. Nana…her personal cheerleader.
“You know, sweetheart. The man is breaking a contract. Maybe that’s his right, but maybe there’s a loophole. Your mother will know people. She could at least threaten him but good.”
Kat almost laughed. Nana should team up with Nick. “No, I can’t involve Mom. That would make the situation even more humiliating than it already is.”
“Do you want me to tell your father?”
Oh, how she’d love to avoid that call. But could she put that on Nana? Was that a coward’s way out?
“Let me take care of it, sweetheart. And I’ll tell him we’re still coming to treat you to a weekend on the town.”
“But, Nana, what will we do?” Without the show, there’d be so much down time. And a big fat void in the weekend plan.
“All the things you already had set up. Add another play or a museum. I don’t care. I want to spend time with my granddaughter.”
“Are you sure, Nana? You feel up to it?”
“Absolutely. Is that young man you’re seeing still going to be there?”
“I don’t know. We haven’t talked about it.” She glanced toward the bathroom. She knew the timing wasn’t the greatest for Nick since he was set to begin HBTV filming. He might like to have an extra day or two. Maybe he could still join them for a dinner and meet Nana at least.
“I hope so. I’m looking forward to meeting him. We’ll have a grand time.”
Trust Nana to take it in stride and make everything seem all right. Not that Kat had much choice. There was nothing she could do but move on. But it seemed as if her path now was unclear. Move on how? To where?
“Good heavens, I nearly forgot why I called in the first place.”
“What’s up?” Kat frowned into the phone. Of course, she hadn’t called to hear Kat’s bad news.
“I know this won’t make up for losing the show, but I have an opportunity I want you to consider. The art museum here is looking for auction items for the annual fundraiser. How would you like to donate a painting?”
“Hmm. I certainly have a surplus now. They’re framed and ready to go. Could be pricey to ship.”
“I’ll cover that cost. It’s for a good cause, and I know any of your pieces would command an excellent bid. All the big art patrons in the city attend that ball, my dear. It could be a wonderful opportunity.”
The bathroom door opened, and Nick peeked around. Kat caught her breath. Okay, time to end this conversation. Heart pounding, she moved toward Nick. “Sure, Nana. Do you have all the info on who to send it to and when?”
“I’ll send you an email with the details.”
“That’s perfect.” Kat stopped inches from Nick’s bare chest. She took his hand and twined her fingers through his.
“All right, love. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Bye, Nana.” Kat ended the call and stepped into Nick’s arms.
* * *
“I’m hungry,” Nick announced, nipping at Kat’s ear.
“Still?” she asked playfully.
“A guy’s gotta keep up his energy.” He perched on an elbow. “Should we get dressed and get out of here? Get some fresh air?”
Kat considered all the activities they’d discussed last night and not a single one sounded more appealing than staying in her apartment with Nick.
Call it hiding or whatever, but she wasn’t quite ready to face the world.
If she went to the studio, anyone there would mention the show.
And if they went ice skating, other people would simply skate around her, laughing and having fun as if nothing was wrong. That was equally depressing.
She swung her legs to the side of the bed and pushed herself up. She rarely ate lunch at home but could probably throw something together. “What about a charcuterie here?”
He sat up and studied her. “You’d rather stay in?”
Kat tugged a shirt over her head and looked away. “Maybe.”
“That sounds fine.”
“You sure?”
“Yep.”
A moment later, he joined Kat in the kitchen. She gestured toward the living area. “I’ve got this. Why don’t you see if you can find us a good rom-com or fun movie to watch?”
“Sure.” He sauntered toward the other room but looked back over his shoulder. “Is the no-talk policy still in place or should we brew up a plan for those amazing paintings?”
Kat stiffened. She was still in mourning and not sure she had the mental energy to tackle whatever Plan B might look like.
“I’ve got my laptop,” Nick said. “We can research other options. And re-formatting your postcard to make it an info piece to send to other galleries. Sometimes snail mail gets more attention than an email.”
She blew out a harsh breath. “I suppose. I’m sure I still have a list of the galleries around here, but…”
“But?” Nick’s brows rose.
“Ugh. It’s like cold-calling.” She slammed the knife onto the counter and shook her head.
“I did so much of that already. I should be past it. If I’d had the show, that would’ve given me a reason for contacting them all again.
And it would’ve increased their interest. You know they’re inundated by artists trying to break in.
I bet they get hundreds of promo pieces every month if not every week. ”
“Sure. But not everyone is going to have the design sense, power photo, and drive you do.”
He braced against the table, apparently forgetting his original task.
“They won’t come knocking on the door,” he added softly.
Kat groaned inside. He was right. She knew she had to get back out there, but the thought made her head hurt. If it was meant to be, should it be this hard?