Page 13 of Personal Foul

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Anytime. Have you done anything fun in St. Louis?”

Romilly flashed through his mind, but he wasn’t ready toput any kind of label on them. He decided not to say anything until he was confident in their relationship.

“Had this butter cake that’s amazing. Apparently, it’s a regional dessert. And tonight, I’m going to an art exhibit with a friend.”

“It’s good to get out, just make sure you don’t drink. The last thing you need is more bad press.”

“Yeah. I know.”

“Keep me posted about Monday?”

“Of course. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

He disconnected the call then jumped on social media. Sure enough, there were pictures of him and Romilly at dinner and at the farmers market. The snapshots painted a picture of very intimate moments. In the comments, people were speculating if the woman he was with prompted his move to St. Louis, just like Pace had hoped. As usual, there were more than a few rude comments, but it seemed more people were interested in his date rather than the stupid arrest video.

Perhaps having Romilly as his shield just might work.

A text message came through from Pace:Good job.

Now, all he had to do was not fuck up and his life and career would be back on track.

Chapter Six

Romilly glanced at her watch again. One minute later than the last time she’d checked. She had texted the address of the gallery to Kaiden and now she waited for him to show up. She debated whether she should act cool and go inside, or stay out here and wait, hoping he showed up.

What if he doesn’t come?

What if I never see him again?

Well, she reckoned, if that happened, she had two fun dates with him. Which was one date more than she usually had. She’d never been good at mingling.

“Hey there, Beautiful.”

His deep voice behind jolted her and she gave a little yelp. Kaiden grabbed her arm to prevent her from falling on her butt.

“Sorry,” he said with a smile. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

“No worries. I was in my own head. Ready to go in?”

He held out his elbow and she slipped her hand through it. Kaiden looked handsome in his tailored slacks and button-down, with his dark hair slicked back and freshly shaven jaw. They entered the brightly lit gallery, mingling with the rest of crowd. The walls and partitions held spotlights over each painting. Romilly glanced around, trying to see everything at once, and decided to move further in to avoid most of the people.

“The style is mainly Art Nouveau,” she murmured in a low tone. “You can tell by the organic forms and flowing lines. The intricate patterns are inspired by natural elements. The artist throws in a touch of realism every now and then, which I appreciate.”

“Is this your style?”

“No, I’m more of an Impressionist. I like using unblended colors to capture outdoor scenes.”

“Do you have pictures of yours so I can understand the difference?”

She pulled out her phone and brought up some of her artwork. “These are some of my latest ones. I like going to the botanical gardens to get inspiration.”

Kaiden took her phone and scrolled through her photos. “These are really good, Babe.”

His praise, as well as the term of endearment, sent a flood of warmth through her. “Thank you. I have a few artists that inspire me. Pissarro and of course Monet. I think I’d have been a stalker if I lived back then.”

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