Page 17 of Until She's Mine
Half an hour later, I’ve successfully obtained a position on the museum’s advisory board and secured Evelyn’s position as lead restorer on the Caravaggio. The board members exchange relieved glances as they sign the agreement. They think they’ve won a multi-year partnership, but they’re wrong. This was never about the museum or the art.
It’s all abouther.
Don’t get me wrong, I like art. Love it, even. But for me, the act of creating something is the best part. It’s personal, raw, and intimate. Looking at other people’s emotions crystallized in paint and canvas has never held the same appeal as capturing my own thoughts in charcoal and paint.
As the board members file out, murmuring their gratitude and assurances, I linger behind, pretending to review the documents one last time. Duval hesitates at the door, casting a backward glance in my direction. There’s a flicker of resentment and suspicion in his eyes.
I meet his gaze head-on. He looks away and quickly exits the room.
“Mr. Duval.” I intercept him on our way to the elevator. “You seem concerned about Ms. Laurent’s involvement.”
He adjusts his glasses. “Evelyn’s overworked as it is. I worry that adding this project to her plate might be ill-advised.”
“Your concern is noted. But unnecessary. Evelyn is more than capable of managing her workload. I trust you’ll provide whatever support she requires.”
The elevator arrives with a soft chime. Duval steps inside, his jaw tight. “Of course.”
“Blackwood!” Langford waves from down the hall. “The Times will want a comment on—”
“My secretary will contact you regarding the press release.” I step into the elevator with Duval before she can finish. The doors slide shut, cutting off her protest. The air thickens with Marco’s sandalwood cologne—Tobias’s favorite. “Tell me, Marcus. Do you always speak on behalf of Evelyn when she’s not present to defend herself? Or is this a special case?”
Duval shifts his weight, his discomfort palpable. “I-I’m not speaking for her, Mr. Blackwood. I’m merely expressing concern as her friend.”
“Yet you opposed her promotion last spring.” I smile at his startled blink. “Odd, for a friend.”
The promotion would have moved Evelyn from his team to the museum’s senior restoration department, where she’d have more autonomy and prestige. It would have also meant less time under his watchful eye, fewer opportunities for his lingeringtouches and concerned glances. So Marcus blocked it with concerns about her readiness and need for more experience.
“You don’t know anything about—”
“I know you’ve been infatuated with her since NYU.” I press the emergency stop button. “I know you still have the exhibition ticket stub from your first date-that-wasn’t-a-date.” His pupils dilate, confirming my investigator’s report. “But most importantly?” I straighten his crooked tie. “I know you’ll step aside. Not because I’m asking, but because you know she deserves better than to be caught in the crossfire of your pathetic attempts to win her affection.”
The silence in the elevator is deafening, broken only by Duval’s shallow breaths. His hands twitch at his sides, but he doesn’t speak.
I release the emergency stop, and the elevator hums back to life.
“Evelyn is brilliant,” Duval finally manages, his voice strained. “She deserves recognition for her work.”
“On that, we agree.” The elevator opens to the lobby. “Which is why you’ll ensure she has everything she needs for the Caravaggio restoration. Good day, Marcus.”
My phone buzzes as I cross the lobby. It’s Tobias, predictably drunk at two in the afternoon:
Dad says uve stolen my case?? Wtf Luce
It’s been a week, and he noticed only now. My brother has always been slow to react to anything that doesn’t directly affect his immediate pleasures.
I reply with a single line:
You left it unattended.
The town car idles at the curb. Through the building’s glass façade, I catch a glimpse of Evelyn in the atrium. She’s in a white coat, her hair twisted up with a pencil, while she frowns at a tablet in her hands.
She’s beautiful.
My fingers itch for my sketchpad.
Soon, I promise.Soon you’ll understand what it means to be truly seen.
Chapter 9
