Page 33 of From West, With Regret

He frowns, shaking his head. “Nothing. I just like that you’re strong willed.”

“Well, when you’re part of the top one percent, I guess it’s easy and comfortable to stay in your bubble rather than think of others who are scraping by just to survive.”

“Is that what you think of me?”

My chest caves in. “No. I didn’t mean to insinuate I was talking about you.”

“You were talking about Heath.”

I wring my fingers in front of me. “Well, Heathtraded more money in a day than others could ever dream of making in a lifetime. So, what do you think?”

He smirks. Then nothing. Several beats of silence weigh between us before he takes two steps away from the toilet paper. “I have an idea.”

“For?”

He scratches at his chin, looks at the ceiling before dropping his gaze. “Twenty pieces. You create at least twenty pieces to be framed and displayed for The Veiled Door’s reopening.”

“Reopening?”

“Does twenty pieces sound reasonable?” he asks, ignoring me.

“I guess.”

“Good. You create twenty pieces, and when you’re finished, we can decide which ones we’d like to keep displayed here at The Veiled Door.”

“What happens to the other ones that won’t be displayed?”

“We’ll put them up for auction at the reopening.”

“Like the other night at Holt’s place?” I ask, holding back a chuckle.

“Yes. Whatever we raise with the auction money will be donated to whichever charity of your choosing. As far as your payment, I’ll match what is raised and pay you that amount.”

“West, that’s, um…” I can’t help but smile.

“What?” he asks, his eyebrows pinching.

“That’s amazing.”

His face relaxes. “I thought you were going to say complicated.”

I laugh. “Well, it kind of is.”

“But we have a deal?”

“Yeah.” I nod quickly. “Sounds good.”

“I’m glad we finally have that figured out.” He laughs under his breath and points to the floor. “Now, get back towork.”

I chew on the inside of my cheek as I watch him turn toward the door. My drawing isn’t even on the floor anymore, along with my portfolio.

Before he’s made it out the door, I’m slipping a blank sheet of parchment out of my portfolio and kneeling to the floor.

And before he disappears down the small stairway, I swear I see him flex his fingers before curling them into a tight fist.

Yeah, working for West is definitely going to be interesting.

TEN

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