Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 88501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
“How much did you bid?” I demanded.
“None of your business. But I suspect I could still be outbid.”
That was fine. I was already riding on cloud nine. Pierce had bid on a piece of art I’d said I liked. That was as good as buying me a present. I didn’t need to get the statue.
When he reached a nearly empty gallery, I pulled him aside and snapped a few selfies of us together, which inevitably required his grudging help because of the nine-inch height difference between us. He seemed less grudging about it now that he’d admitted that some of my evil scheme to convince his parents we were dating wasn’t so bad.
“You said you had two reasons for bringing me to this event. The first was more social media pictures, I’m assuming. What was the second?” I began as we began walking toward the large room where the welcome reception was being held. “Was it that you missed me?”
“No. My father has thought of a new way to torment me.”
“Pfft. If your dad needs help finding ways to torture you, he should come to me,” I muttered under my breath.
“No kidding.”
“At least my torture is fun.”
“Not even close.”
I rolled my eyes and elbowed him in the gut. “Fine. What’s your dad doing now?”
“He wants to have an office party before he and my mother leave town.”
I tipped my head to the side, my brow furrowing, as I gazed up at him. “Shouldn’t you have had your holiday party already? It’s February.”
“We did, and that was a lunch for the employees. This is more of a mixer—drinks and light finger foods—for employees and significant others.”
I inhaled sharply and released a wicked chuckle. “That sly old dog. He wants to see if you’d be willing to introduce me to all your coworkers.” I closed one eye and smirked at my pretend boyfriend. “So? Are you?”
“Yes, if you’ve got some free time. I’ll try to have it in the middle of the week, so it won’t conflict with your upcoming performances.”
“No worries. I’ve got some weekends free soon. I’m not scheduled to perform with the symphony every time. Some free time is necessary if I’m to write this original piece they’re supposed to perform.”
“How’s that going?”
I shrugged. “Not bad. Slow.”
That was an understatement. I’d written a few shorter pieces in the past, though nothing I’d been willing to share with the public. This was the first one an entire orchestra would play in public, and it was going very slowly. Panic hadn’t set in yet, but it was coming if I didn’t score a breakthrough soon.
“But never mind the music; tell me when you need me and I’ll be the most doting, loving boyfriend in existence.”
“Thoughtful and well-behaved is more than enough for me.”
“Boring. So very boring.” I sighed. Pierce didn’t need more boring in his life. He needed fun and excitement.
After our chat, Pierce didn’t appear to be in the mood to linger, or even chat with the few people he appeared to recognize. Pierce grabbed my hand and led me through the foyer as they were beginning their welcome and thank-you speeches. Not something I was interested in sticking around for.
“Don’t you want to check any of your bids? Maybe update the first one you made? You seemed interested in getting that one.”
Pierce shook his head. “No, it’s fine. If I win one, that’s good. If not, it’s not a big deal. I snagged the business card of the artist. I can always commission something later if I don’t win.” He passed me my winter coat as he received it from the check woman. “Unless you want me to check my bid for that statue.”
“No! No! It’s fine. Part of the excitement is seeing if the bid gets through to the end. When will you find out if you’ve won?”
“Probably in the next few days.”
We walked outside to find a short line of people waiting for the valet to bring their cars out. Clearly, we weren’t the only ones interested in escaping the speeches. An icy wind rattled the bare trees and swept across the hill the museum sat on in Eden Park. Dried leaves raced across the concrete. I shivered and ducked my head closer to my shoulders. My wool coat wasn’t very heavy, but it complemented the suit I’d chosen to wear. Plus, I hadn’t planned to stand outside much.
“Where’s your scarf?” Pierce demanded.
“Huh?” I glanced up to find him unwinding the long charcoal-gray-and-red scarf he had artfully wrapped about his throat, making him appear both warm and sophisticated. That was not something I was naturally good at—the sophisticated part. I didn’t care if I looked warm.
Growing up, all my attention had been on being the best violinist. The agent my parents had hired to help with my career had handed me over to a stylist to fix my wardrobe. Even now, she would still have clothes sent to me along with instructions on how to wear things.