Page 61 of Finding Out

But I was furious. My parents’ love shouldn’t have come with strings. And discovering that it did had shaken me. Maybe I had overreacted. I didn’t know. But I was devastated.

At the sound of a knock on my door, I looked up, and when I discovered Erin standing at the threshold, I fought back a wince.

I licked my lips and garnered what little strength I’d held on to over the past couple of days. “Hi.”

“Can I come in?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

I nodded.

Her expression remained neutral as she settled into the chair across from me. “Want to talk about anything?”

I might not want to talk, but I needed to say a few things. “I feel like I should probably apologize.”

Her eyes narrowed and her brow crinkled in confusion. “For?”

“You warned me to be professional before I went to New York, and I failed you.”

“Ah.” Nodding, she folded her hands in her lap. “Do you feel like Tom Wilson got less than stellar service working with you?”

That gave me pause. “No. Of course not.” I might have crossed lines, but I’d done a damn good job acquiring that piece.

“I haven’t heard anything to counter that either.” She frowned. “Obviously, your involvement with Tom means I shouldn’t ask for his opinion, but Kline said you handled Tom’s piss-poor attitude without missing a beat. He said you didn’t panic when Tom locked himself out of the room and you remained discreet about your travels and the art throughout the trip.”

That was all true.

“The staff at the MET raved about you. Your skill, your attention to detail, your professionalism. You reported in the night before with a storm update plan and adjusted flights when you needed to. Then you made it home and ran an auction the next day without missing a beat. All of that for a trip that was forced on you last minute with a client you had never worked with.”

My heart fluttered, but I wasn’t sure whether it was in appreciation or dread.

“I’ve been telling Tom for a good two years that the two of you were perfect for each other.”

Shock hit me like an electric current. What? I assumed that, from the outside, most people would see us as completely incompatible. Maybe because that’s what I’d thought for years. Even Tom didn’t see it as easily as Erin apparently had.

“I’m not upset that you’re dating.” She sighed. “I’m a bit bummed that you won’t be working for me forever, but working together in a different capacity will be fun.”

I pursed my lips. “What?”

“You’ll have the job you’ve always wanted when you work forTom. I’d love to help you facilitate his art purchases and come to your events as a colleague and a friend.” She smiled. “But you won’t be here much longer because you’re going to curate and run what will become one of the biggest galleries in Boston.”

Spurred on by a wave of pride, I sat a bit straighter in my seat. “You really have that much faith in me?”

“I’m good at spotting talent, Wren. And I saw it in you years ago.” She reached across the desk and patted my hand.

“Thanks.”

“So,” she said, pulling back. “I’m not offering you Pat’s job.”

I frowned. It was disappointing, but even if she had offered it, I couldn’t have taken it. Not if Tom really wanted to open a gallery in the next two years. “I assumed.”

“But it’s only because you have a foot in the door of a bigger adventure. It’s an opportunity I want you to take.”

I nodded.

“And Wren.” She stood, smoothing her skirt. “The rest will get easier, I promise. He’s worth the headache.”

I couldn’t help but give her a small smile. “That, I’m sure of.”

But five days later, nothing had gotten easier.

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