Page 75 of Painted Dreams
They talked a few more minutes, but Kat was talked out. Worn out. “I think I’m ready to call it a day,” she told him. “I need some sleep. And I still have to show up for work tomorrow.”
“’Night, sweetheart. Go to sleep with these two words in your head. ‘You’re amazing.’”
She returned the kiss he blew then closed the computer. But she lingered a moment as a vague sense of uneasiness stole over her. He wanted to be here, but… She wanted to bethere, but… Were they each too busy, too committed to their careers for a relationship? Did they separately have too many meetings and too much ambition? Were they on track to be the world’s most boring couple? Always sticking to a plan? Always following a calendar? Never doing anything spontaneous?
ChapterEighteen
Kat did her job and did it well all week. But she left the museum at five o’clock each day.
By mid-week, the exhibit was ready to unveil to the public. And it was fantastic. On Friday, she made a last visit to the display for a final video without workers, boxes, or clutter. She smoothed a hand over a small table and wished the public could touch and feel all the pieces. Sadly, not possible. The pieces would be roped off and out of reach.
“Oh my gosh, Kat this absolutely rocks.”
Kat turned at Cassie’s voice and moved toward her for a congratulatory hug. “It does,” Kat agreed.
Cassie pulled back but hung onto Kat’s arm and held her gaze. “And everyone at the top knows. It really sucks that you didn’t get the promotion, but you’re on the radar, I promise. I just hope Blake is good to work with.”
“Me, too.” The announcement naming Blake from Boston as the new associate curator had come only a day after Kat was notified she wasn’t the winning candidate. Old news. She was tired of rehashing it. “How are things going for you?” she asked. “A smooth transition?”
“Lots to learn, but I have a great team. Everyone seems to get along and pull their weight.” She nudged Kat’s arm. “I miss you, though.”
“I miss you, too.”
“Hey, let’s get a selfie. “Our last project and the coolest exhibit ever to open in such a short amount of time.”
They stood in front of the row of live bamboo and snapped several.
“Okay, now let me get some with just you,” Cassie said.
Kat moved around the room and posed, then took photos of Cassie doing the same.
“And that’s a wrap,” Cassie said. “It’s happy hour. Want to go have a drink to celebrate?”
“Absolutely. First, I want to get some video and need to run back up to my desk.”
“Okay, let’s meet in twenty minutes at Chrysanthemum.”
“See you there.” It was a favorite wine bar close to the museum. But Kat wouldn’t stay long. She was anxious to take a final look at the digital flyer she’d designed to post on her website about the Loft show and the email she’d send soon. She wanted Nick to take a last look with a fresh set of eyes, too. Matt had suggested sending it two weeks out, and it was almost time. She couldn’t wait to hit send.
Thankfully, it seemed the details of organizing the show had been turned over to Matt, and Kat hadn’t been forced to see or talk to Pete. Maybe he’d finally gotten thestrictly businessmessage. She hoped he wouldn’t say or do anything awkward in front of Nick or her dad at the opening reception.
After a quick happy hour with Cassie, Kat settled in front of her computer with an iced tea and opened the promo documents. She studied them closely, making sure all the text was clear and legible, every comma was in the right place, and every border was the exact same width. Then, she took a deep breath and emailed the drafts to Nick along with a photo of her at the bamboo exhibit. She sent a quick text to let him know to check email. The man could be lost in his shop and not answer those for hours.
* * *
Nick felt his phone buzz but was determined to finish the bookkeeping in front of him. He’d been interrupted by Sherra from HBTV probably five times today. The good part of that was she seemed excited about how his segments were coming together. The bad part was he had other things to do.
Ten minutes later, he pulled the phone from his pocket and found a text from Kat. Okay, for this, the other numbers could wait. He read the message then opened his email.Wow. His pulse jumped as he stared at Kat’s rough draft of the promo piece for her show. It was dramatic. It was professional. And whimsical all at the same time. Her signature combination of colors, light, and movement made an impressive statement.
She’d added a hint of color to her eyes, cheeks, and lips on the black and white photo he’d taken. The photo was already stunning, but the subtle tinting took it to another realm. It had a mystical quality. And it popped against the bold orange-red floral design bordering it.
His first thought was to pick up the phone and call, but she wanted him to proof it first. Tearing his eyes away from Kat’s photo, Nick forced himself to examine the layout and every single word. She’d obviously spent some time studying graphic design, too. Heart pounding, he pressed her number on his cell phone.
A moment later, her soft voice came on the line. “Hey.”
“Wow, Kat. This is awesome.”
“Really?”
