Page 101 of From You to Me

“This is Evelyn. She’ll be joining us today.”

“Of course, sir.” She plastered on a fake smile. “Miss Katy had already picked out a few pieces from our video call this week, so I’ve arranged them all for you. It’s this way if you’ll follow me.”

I guess I was invisible.

“Jay, I think I should’ve become an artist instead of trying to be a writer.”

“Why?” His brows furrowed.

I pointed at the painting I’d been staring at for the past five minutes, wondering why it was a quarter of a million.Repelled emotion, it was called, but it was just a plain white canvas smothered with a thick brushstroke of crimson across the middle with a few drips down the underside. Almost as if the painted swipe was crying tears of blood.

“I could do that, Jay. I don’t understand why it costs an arm. Maybe if I switched professions, I could’ve been a millionaire by now.”

His chuckle filled the quiet of the gallery as he pulled me closer. “God, Evy.”

Allie, the art curator, side-eyed me while he still chuckled. I had the irresistible urge to poke my tongue out at her, but I must maintain my decorum at this prestigious art gallery.

After an hour, we decided on five pieces that actually looked good enough to cost that monumental amount. Allie informed us that it would be safely delivered while she held Jay’s hand for a good minute under the pretense of saying goodbye while I got a condescending chin lift.

I rolled my eyes as we slid into the car. “Are they always like that?”

Jay powered his Porsche 911 down the road. “It comes with the job.” He shrugged.

“It was like I didn’t even exist.” I waved my hands around. “I wanted to scream, hello, there’s a full-blown woman standing next to your rock god.”

He laughed, pulling one of my hands and brushing his soft lips over the back of it. Just like he used to. Fuck, what was he doing? My heart was already head over heels for him. He needed to stop before we combusted, only this time into nothing.

“How about lunch?” he inquired.

“Where?”

“I know a place, and we’re all dressed up. Why let it go to waste?”

I tsked. “Whatever you say, Mr. Jameson.”

A laugh broke out of him once again filling the speeding car.

We drove a bit outside the city until we turned down a twisted driveway that ended in a huge black gate. Inside were acres and acres of land with a sprawling mansion in the center.

Several expensive cars lined the cobbled pathway.

Jay opened my car door and held my hand as he pulled me outside.

“Sir.” A member of the staff nodded at Jay.

Even as I climbed up the two steps on the entryway, I could sense the expensiveness in the air.

“This is Evelyn, my guest,” Jay said to the man stationed in the doorway.

“Of course, sir.” He nodded as he scribbled something on the iPad that he was holding.

“Thank you,” Jay mumbled as we stepped inside the foyer.

It was all Italian marble, dark wood, and crystal chandeliers.

Men and women were dressed in utmost luxury.

Thank God I was wearing something that Jay got me instead of my usual attire.

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