Page 56 of Isabella and the Slipper

Isabella bit back the words threating to come out and just smiled at Elenore. “Thank you.”

Elenore left, and Isabella blew out a breath. If she had to sit there one more minute and listen to that woman open her pie hole—

Leilani burst into the office, her hand over her mouth. She shut the door, and laughter bubbled from her. “You have to come see your stepsister’s art.” She held her hand over her stomach. “I’m standing there and Elenore is proudly showing me these pieces, and I’m biting my lip trying not to bust up.”

Isabella followed Leilani to the back room. Paco was standing there shaking his head. Canvases of varying sizes were on the floor, propped up against the walls. Smears of bright, primary-colored paint graced the canvases. She peered at them. One was obviously a hand smeared with paint and then slapped on the surface.

But the larger ones looked like she had rolled around in the paint and ... Isabella pointed. “Is that what I think it is?”

Leilani nodded, pinching her lips together. “Body art.”

Isabella flipped through the art, sometimes making out an elbow or a foot. Other times, she didn’t want to know what body part Delilah had used to create the painting. She snorted. “I see.”

Leilani giggled. “This is what her years of training has given the world.”

Isabella struggled for words. “Stunning.”

Paco guffawed and waved his hand. “I’m out of here.”

“Aren’t you going to help us move the artwork around?” Leilani asked.

“Madam Dragon doesn’t want me to. She said to leave it to Isabella.” He looked at her apologetically. “Sorry.”

“That’s okay.” She was used to it. She knew she was being punished for leaving the football game with Chase, even though it was Delilah’s prank that made him follow her.

Leilani ran the front while Isabella pulled down art and made room for Delilah’s masterpieces. She didn’t care if the place looked like a mess today—there was no way she was going to wait until after the gallery closed to move things around again. That was Elenore’s sick way of controlling her, and everyone knew it.

She looked at Delilah’s “art” and shook her head. Elenore had brought in some weird things before, but never anything so stupid. She hoped it wouldn’t ruin the gallery’s reputation.

After lunch, the front door chimed and Chase came walking in. Leilani greeted him before Isabella had a chance to shove him in the back room.

“Is Isabella here?” he asked.

Leilani glanced at her, a half smile on her face. “She’s right over there.”

Isabella grabbed his arm and pulled him into the office. “What are you doing here?” she hissed.

His gaze traveled over her, and his dimple showed as he smiled. He hooked his thumbs in his pockets. “I just wanted to say hi.”

She nervously pushed her glasses up her nose. “My stepmother could show up at any moment. She gave me more paintings to hang.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh. Sorry. Didn’t mean to put you in a bad position.”

“That’s okay.” She rubbed her hands together. “If she comes in, I could tell her you’re here to drop off notes for class or something.”

“So I can stay?”

He looked so hopeful, she felt bad making him leave. “All right. But if you see Elenore, you have to leave quickly.”

He held out his hand. “Deal.”

A current of electricity ran over her as she shook his hand.

Wow, did he feel that?

She could barely breathe when he was around her. She let go and stepped back.

“Come on. I’ll show you the new art.”

---