Page 74 of Secret Baby for Dr. Grump

“Good. I hope you value her and keep her.”

“I will, Mrs. Solis. I’ll do my best to make her happy.”

Is it me or is it getting hot in here? I want to say I’m blushing at Mrs. Solis’s compliment, but I know I’m blushing at the intimacy in Luke’s voice. Why does it sound like he’s already talking about something else and not just me being his assistant?

Impossible. We still haven’t defined this relationship, and I don’t think he has any plans to. He’s respecting my wishes and…

He’s respecting my wishes. Not crossing boundaries. It should make me happy.

I am happy. Aren’t I?

I brush off the intimate voice as my imagination gets away from me.

And I brush off the nagging feeling that I want more to the very back of my mind.

“Olivia? It’s me, Jennifer. Do you remember me? From the museum?”

I shift the phone from one ear to the other, surprised to hear from her of all people. We haven’t talked since I visited their place, and while that conversation was amazing, she never really promised me anything beyond displaying my art pieces. Even this phone call seems random.

“Hey, Jennifer. Yes, of course, I remember you. It’s nice to hear from you.” Then, “What’s up?”

I listen as she tells me about mundane stuff and I do the same. But it doesn’t last long as she clears her throat.

“Listen, I have a reason for calling. Remember your pieces that I had on display?”

As if I can forget. My stomach clenches, braced for her to tell me that it’s time to recall them. I keep my tone the same, not about to treat her differently because of it.

“Yes? What about them?”

“Well, they all sold out.”

I blink, unsure if I’m hearing it right. When there’s no follow-up, I suck in a breath. “They sold out? But…there were a lot on display.”

She laughs. “Yes. And they all sold out. Naturally, since they were replicas, I promised the buyers that I would talk to you first before we seal the deal and ship them the original pieces. Assuming you’re still good with selling them, of course.”

“Yes. Of course, I am.”

This is insane.

“But that’s not all.” She hums on the line, and I can already tell there’s more news coming my way. I brace myself again. “I have some buyers who are sad that your pieces already sold out but are adamant about getting their own. So, I told them you commission art through your website and that they should contact you there if they wish to talk to you about it. But if you want help with that—I’m talking around six buyers here—I can set up the meeting for you and the buyers in my museum office to make it more formal.”

My mind…it’s reeling. I’ve had commissions, sure, but not at this scale, and never this many at once. Jennifer can probably sense my hesitation as she continues.

“Also, I already told them that you have a regular job, and they are open to longer time frames. But it would be best to discuss it with them, of course.”

It’s crazy. It’s too much, overwhelming me since she’s basically saying that she sold out all the finished work in my art room minus my sketches and personal pieces. And the buyers want more.

It’s an achievement, but how the hell am I going to manage to make more when I have work and Riley?

Just don’t give up on it. That’s all I’m saying, Liv. And when the time is right in your mind, then chase it with a smile and without worries.

Luke’s words come back to me. I don’t have to accommodate all the potential buyers, but I can listen to all of them and see if they’re okay with a longer timeframe. Either way, Luke is right.

This is an opportunity that I shouldn’t let pass by.

“Jennifer, would it work for you if I schedule them in your museum office? Maybe this weekend, so I can listen to what they have in mind and they’ll be more comfortable in the formal setting.”

That excites Jennifer, who immediately agrees and says she can also use the opportunity to get to know the buyers more for potential future deals. I relax at that, understanding that it balances things out between us, and I won’t be taking advantage of her kindness.

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