Why Not Tonight
Page 57

“Thanks.”
She glanced back at Ronan, on the far side of the room. He was working with his team today, already dripping sweat from too much time spent near the fiery ovens. He spotted her and gave her a quick thumbs-up.
She went into the gallery and set the canvas on an easel in the back room, then knocked on Atsuko’s open office door.
“Natalie. I thought today was an art day for you.”
“It is. I finished something.”
Her boss immediately rose. “I’m excited to see whatever it is.”
“It’s not the flowers. I’m still working on those.”
“That’s fine. I know better than to push one of my artists.”
Natalie nearly stumbled. Was that how Atsuko thought of her? As one of her artists? Nick and Mathias and Ronan were her artists. Natalie had always thought of herself as, well, not like them.
She mentally paused to remind herself that getting a lot of money for something didn’t mean someone was better or worse than anyone else. Art was about creation and drive and vision, not a check from a gallery. And while she mostly believed that, she had to admit there was an element of legitimacy that she craved. Not to mention a few dollars in her hiatus fund.
They walked into the small back room where they stored tables and chairs and linens for their special events. Atsuko paused when she saw the canvas.
“I saw this before, when you first started it. You made a lot of changes.”
Natalie shook her head. “They weren’t voluntary. At least not at first.” She explained about the fire.
“Once I recovered from the shock, I kept going back to it. One day I knew what to do.” She touched a ribbon petal. “I’m thinking I might try burning a piece again. In a very controlled way, of course. There’s something very freeing about the whole rising-from-the-ashes concept. I can’t really explain it.”
Atsuko walked back and forth, examined the canvas, moved close, then moved back. “I would suggest you start working on being able to explain it. We have a gallery event in a couple of weeks and you might be asked a few questions.”
“Wh-what?”
Asked questions? Why would that happen? While she’d had her pieces in the gallery during events before, she’d never been one of the featured artists. She’d attended the fancy evenings, but only as staff. The important artists, the ones displayed on the gallery walls, were the featured talents. They were expected to mingle with potential buyers, make small talk and explain their art.
Before she could think about breathing or ask any questions, Atsuko picked up the canvas and carried it into the gallery. She leaned it up against the far left wall, considered it, then shook her head.
“No, not on the end. I think I want it more toward the center. I’m going to need to do some rearranging.” She glanced at Natalie. “Assuming this is mine to sell.”
“Of course.”
“Good. Draw up the standard contract.” Atsuko smiled. “I’m going to price this at twenty-four thousand dollars.”
Natalie did her best not to gasp or faint or scream. Rather than risking speech, she simply nodded. “I’ll get to it right away.”
“Good. I’m going to need a little time to figure out how I want to rearrange the gallery, but I should have your piece up by tomorrow.”
“Thank you.”
Natalie left her talking to herself about space and display, and slowly made her way back to the studio. Her heart was pounding and she was having trouble doing the very simple math. The gallery took half the sale’s price, which meant Natalie got the other half. She was almost sure that meant she would get twelve thousand dollars.
If it sold, she reminded herself. That had to happen first. Except all her pieces had sold so far and Atsuko had an excellent eye and if she were even slightly featured in the next gallery event, then... Then...
She came to a stop and closed her eyes. Twelve thousand dollars. That was huge! That was five figures. That changed everything.
Okay, not everything, but close. Between what she’d earned helping Pallas and making the centerpieces for the wedding, she had three months’ rent. Even after taxes, the commission would maybe cover another three plus her living expenses for nearly half a year. She could afford to take a couple of weeks off a month to really focus on her art. She was nowhere near ready to stop working completely, but she was on her way.
She drew in a breath and thought longingly of her mother, who would be so proud of her. She thought of all the work, all the small projects that had sold for fifty or a hundred dollars. She thought of how life was quirky and unexpected and surprising all at the same time. Then she thought of Ronan.
He would be so happy for her. So excited. He would want to celebrate and tell everyone. On the night of the event, she had a feeling the usually famously reclusive Ronan Mitchell would make an appearance. All for her.
He was good to her. So supportive and affectionate. She enjoyed his company, his laughter, his brilliance. Even his struggle made her care about him more.
She reached for the studio door only to stop. The truth she’d been avoiding, the truth Silver had so bluntly shared, couldn’t be ignored anymore.
She was in love with him. She was in love with Ronan. She’d assumed she would be sensible and not fall for him but she’d been wrong. She loved him and she honestly had no idea what that meant or how to deal with the fact that there was a very good chance he would leave her. But for the next however long the guys wanted to talk about her meeting with Atsuko, she was going to have to fake it.
She pushed away thoughts of love and what it all meant, remembered how it felt when Atsuko had said she would be on one of the center walls and walked into the studio.
All three of them were waiting there, looking expectant.
“Well?” Ronan asked. “Tell us.”
“She took it! It’s going up in the next couple of days.” She paused for effect. “On one of the center walls.”
Mathias and Nick cheered. Ronan wrapped his arms around her waist and spun her around.
“I knew it,” he told her as he held her close. “Good for you, Natalie. Congratulations.”
Her heart swelled a little and her eyes filled with tears. Happy tears, she thought as he kissed her.
This was what she wanted. As for the loving part, she would deal with that later. Or maybe not at all.
* * *
“I’M IN LOVE with Ronan,” Natalie said plaintively.
“Well, duh.” Silver was sprawled in the club chair in her living room while Natalie sat on the sofa. “You’re just now getting that?”
“You were right. I was wrong. Better?”
Silver grinned. “As nice as that is to hear, this isn’t about me.” Her smile softened. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. I hope so. I’m trying. It’s just I never expected this to happen.”
“Why not? He’s a good-looking guy. Successful, talented, and he treats you like gold. How could you not fall in love?”
“I thought I was immune.”
“No such luck.”
Apparently not, Natalie thought. “Do you think anyone knows?”
“Your friends might be suspicious but no one will say anything. If you’re asking if Ronan knows, I wouldn’t worry about it. Men don’t see that kind of stuff. I’m not sure if that’s a blessing or a curse.”
Natalie wondered if they’d stopped talking about her and Ronan and had shifted to Silver and Drew. Not that there was anything to talk about.