Page 32 of Fast Currents
“Now’s our chance,” she murmured, tugging at my elbow.
We slipped behind the curtain. A single light at the back illuminated the room. I recognized a lot of the framingequipment from our first visit. Scanning the floor and tables, I didn’t spot the case.
“Where was it last time you were here?” I asked.
“I kicked it under this table.” Lucy bent, flashing more thigh than was healthy for my concentration. She glanced up and caught me looking. “Down, boy.”
I swept the shelving, zeroing in on a closed cabinet. Two strides brought me close enough to test the latch. Locked. I grimaced. Noticing what was readily visible was one thing. Forcing a lock was another.
“Robertson, I think you should go examine the canvases we brought this week.” Lucy waved a hand to the darker part of the studio. “Over there.” She reached for a pin from her updo. “Like,now.”
I turned on my heel, spotting the framed canvases from class along one wall. At least we could make our excuse for slipping into Chaz’s back room true. Slowly, I flipped through each piece. Soft scratches provided the soundtrack for my examination.
A few minutes later, Lucy appeared at my shoulder. “Let’s go.”
“Did you find anything interesting that I missed?” I asked.
“Ask me no questions, and I’ll tell you no lies.” She patted her purse. The small tilt to her lips and satisfied gleam in her eyes made me think she’d been victorious over the flimsy cabinet lock.
“Hey.” Chaz’s rough bark snapped through the space, startling us both. “I told you I’d escort you later.”
Lucy twirled on her heel, the menacing smile from earlier curling across her lips. “Don’t mind me, Chaz. You know I’m impatient like that. I couldn’t resist taking a peek.”
Did he pick up on the subtle taunt in her tone? I was so used to hearing it from her, I recognized it immediately.
“Please return to the main gallery with the other guests,” Chaz said, jaw tight, words clipped. The affable gallery owner was gone, replaced by someone sharper. Harder.
“No problem, Chaz.” I extended my elbow to Lucy. “Let me buy you a drink.”
We returned to the main showroom, Chaz hovering behind us. I slipped into line at the bar with Lucy. Chaz rejoined his wife, talking with a gray-haired couple on the other side of the gallery. Other than the occasional frown in our direction, Chaz seemed to have dismissed us.
We spent the next half-hour circulating and sipping. I enjoyed peppering Lucy with questions about the artwork, impressed by her overall knowledge of the different media. Art history hadn’t been part of my natural resources degree.
The show centered around a local anonymous artist affectionately dubbed A.A. To me, the canvases looked like someone spilled paint and walked through it, maybe rolling around. And while the erotic possibilities were intriguing, I couldn’t imagine they sold.
“People really buy this?” I muttered softly to Lucy.
She chuckled, the low sound like a stroke down my spine. “Oh, yes. A.A. is a local phenomenon.”
She squinted at the piece in front of us. Mostly reds and oranges. If I narrowed my eyes at just the right angle, I could almost believe it was a sunset. Almost.
“Sunset musings.” She picked up the tag, eyes widening. “It sold for over ten thousand.”
“Dollars?” I croaked. “How?”
She lifted one delicate shoulder. “Never underestimate art people or how much we love something beautiful in our homes.” She glanced around. “Though I’m curious who from this crowd has that kind of cash. Tommy Givens is going through cancertreatment. And Rachel Younce has a rare kidney disease. I wouldn’t think they’d have this kind of disposable income.”
“Interesting.” Things were starting to come together. But we needed privacy to talk about what Lucy saw in the cabinet to finish putting the pieces together.
I tipped back my glass, emptying it. “Ready to go?”
Lucy nodded. “I think we’ve seen what we needed to see tonight.” She smiled mysteriously. “I’ve got a different kind of art to show you when we get back to my place.”
“I hope that beautiful piece of art is your naked body.”
She flinched.Notthe response I was hoping for. Her reaction made me feel shitty for teasing her. It was hard to make her believe I wasn’t pressuring her for sex when I let stupid comments like that drop out of my mouth like confetti.
“I swear, Luce, my intentions aren’t that impure. I just let my mouth run away with me. Let me take you out for ice cream instead.”
