Page 66 of A Lot Like Forever
Chapter 14
“How are you?”
Faith smiled and tucked the phone under her ear. “I’m fine, Sam. You don’t have to keep checking up on me.”
Her brother chuckled. “If not me, then who?”
“Seriously, I’m great,” she said. It wasn’t that she wasn’t happy—on the surface of it she had everything, and she wasn’t complaining. She could smile even though it didn’t warm her heart, and she could laugh even though it didn’t make her belly tingle like when she’d been with Nate. But she was getting there. Slowly but surely she was getting there. One step at a time.
“How’s the job going? You’re still loving it?”
“Yeah,” she said, not needing to lie or fudge the truth when it came to work. “I’m learning so much and they’ve offered me a full-time position as soon as I can start.”
“Sometimes I wonder if you’re the only person in the world who doesn’t realize how amazing you are,” Sam said.
It was on the tip of her tongue to say that he sounded just like someone else she knew, but she didn’t. That last night flashed through her mind, between the sheets with Nate, lying in his arms, listening to him tell her things that had only made her want him more.
“I’m your sister, Sam,” she said instead. “You have to say things like that to me.”
They both laughed, even though she knew he meant what he’d said. Sam didn’t bother saying things for no reason, even when it was her.
“I texted you my new address the other day. Don’t be a stranger if you want to come by.”
“Yeah, I got it,” Sam grunted. “Still wish you were here.”
“Oh yeah, just what you need, your baby sister being the spare wheel and ruining your little honeymoon period with your girlfriend.” She laughed, lowering her voice as someone entered the gallery. “Kelly seems really nice, so I’d rather not be responsible for screwing it up. Anyway, I have to go; I have a client. Talk soon.”
Sam said good-bye and she flicked her phone to silent before slipping it into her pocket. She took a deep breath, reminded herself that she was in charge for the afternoon, that she was a capable, confident art consultant, and fixed a smile.
“May I help you, sir?” she asked, crossing the tiled floor.
“I’m interested in your upcoming auction,” the man said, returning her smile. She noticed his Louis Vuitton wallet and the Rolex glinting from his wrist. If there was one thing she’d learned fast it was identifying potential new clients, and she intended to make sure she developed a list of loyal clients that one day would make her an asset to the most prestigious galleries in the country.
“Is there a specific piece that caught your eye, or would you like me to talk you through the catalogue?” she asked.
“How about we start by you telling me which pieces I should be making sure I don’t miss out on,” he said with a chuckle.
She smiled and touched her hand to his forearm for the barest second, careful to make him feel important without sending mixed messages. “It would be my pleasure. How about you start by telling me about the pieces you already own, and I’ll make sure you continue to build your collection in the most profitable fashion.”
“I’m in this for the long term, but I like traditional pieces. Brushstrokes of scenes that suit my library, nothing too modern.”
“Some pieces we buy to appreciate every day until we need to sell them; others we buy simply to store in a safe place in the knowledge that one day we’ll make a small fortune on them,” she said.
“How about we consider both then?” he asked, chuckling. “Just don’t dupe this old man into buying a lemon, okay?”
Faith got a kick out of knowing more about art than most people she met, and she’d fast learned that she loved nothing better than making a sale, either. Maybe it was Nate’s business acumen rubbing off on her, or maybe it was just the fact that she was enjoying working in the gallery. Either way, she was happy doing what she was doing, being part of the art world, and she couldn’t wait for the day that she worked with some of the best collections and pieces in the world. She was reaching for the sky now, and nothing was going to stop her, not even her broken heart.
* * *
Nate finally pulled the phone from his ear and took a moment to catch his breath. He was exhausted. What he wanted to do was get back to the ranch and just roll up his sleeves and get his hands dirty. Do the kind of work that took his mind off everything and reminded him of who he was and what he’d come from. Instead he’d been working at a frantic pace for the past three weeks, and if he didn’t slow down he was going to drop.
He turned to check he’d locked his car and headed inside to the hospital. He’d just gotten off a plane from California, a trip long overdue to personally check on a number of their real estate investments there and secure a new property, as well as do a surprise visit to their property managers. Nate liked to turn up unannounced to gauge just how well things were running and whether he was being bullshitted just because he lived in a different state. There was no pulling the wool over his eyes, not now and not ever.
Nate stopped at a coffee machine and made himself one in a cheap polystyrene cup. He could have gotten a decent coffee if he’d wanted to wait, but he just needed a quick shot of caffeine and he was here to see his granddad, not sit around sipping lattes.
Nate went to down it, burned his mouth, and cursed.Damn coffee. Everything pissed him off these days, and a stupid fucking coffee that scalded his mouth was one of those things, even if he should have known better.
Nate continued to walk, knew the way so well he could have made it with his eyes closed. He paused as he always did outside his granddad’s door, said a prayer like he only ever did when he was about to see the man he knew was slipping away from him, then entered.
