Page 126 of The Pack Next Door
Chapter 61
Briar
“Oh, darling.” Mum was looking a million times better and was now walking around the church with no cane, Jacinta by her side. “This is just beautiful. You are so clever!”
“Clever? Not sure about that, but happy?” My face muscles hurt because I couldn’t stop smiling. This is why we did launches. I’m not sure if I’d ever done a serious cost/benefit analysis, but the emotional satisfaction of pulling off an event meant I’d do one every time. “Yeah, I think we did good.”
My eyes scanned the church, seeing so many customers milling around, peering at the pieces. Some had wanted refunds rather than repaired pieces, but demand for Jace’s and Tom’s collab was so great we could’ve sold the rest three times over.
Tom had threatened to start breaking pieces up on purpose to triple their value.
“But you’re looking good.” I looked my mother up and down. “How’s the nurse I found treating you?”
“Such a busy body.”
Mum dismissed the woman with a wave.
“Angela is amazing,” Jacinta corrected. “She’s got the both of us down the pool doing some water aerobics. Feeling young and spry enough to chase some of those hot young alphas around the gallery.”
She waggled her eyebrows at Jace who just looked mildly alarmed as he walked past.
“You won’t be doing that anytime soon.” Mum looked like that cat that got the cream. “Not when they’re wearing mating marks.” Her eyes rolled my way. “So, things did work out in the end.”
“Some things are still a work in progress.” I looked across the church to where Candy was telling Gideon a wild story if her gesticulating was anything to go by. “But yeah, I’d say this is going to culminate in a happy ending.”
Jacinta choked on a mouthful of wine, catching my innuendo. Mum thumped her on the back.
“What? What, Jacinta?”
“I’ll leave you to explain it to her,” I said, pressing a kiss to my mother’s cheek. “So you’re on for brunch tomorrow?”
“We’ll be there with bells on!” Jacinta said. “Now, a happy ending…”
“Well, this has been a smashing success.” Gretchen sidled up, cradling a wine glass in her hands. “That’s a sea of red dots there.” Stickers were used to indicate which pieces had been bought. “I even got my husband to agree to purchase some of the larger pieces.”
“As an investment.” Richard was a little stuffy, but he loved his wife to distraction. “Not sure why broken pots are worth more than whole ones, but what do I know?”
“About art?” She turned his face her way and placed a kiss on his lips. “Nothing, darling, but that’s why you married me.” Her focus swung back my way. “Now, Briar, we need to set up a meeting this week. I’m thinking a little collab in the future?”
I blinked. Gretchen was a major power broker in creative circles and that could mean a huge boost in profile. Fighting to keep my cool, I nodded and said, “I’d love that. I’ll give Colette a call.”
The two of them went back to discussing pottery and its market value as I wound my way through the crowds. Gideon was looking more and more alarmed as the seconds passed and I needed to rescue him.
“Hey, what up, bitch?” A few people turned around at Candy’s cry, including Riley, who just shook her head. “This looks amazeballs, as per usual, but what the fuck is with the broken pottery thing? Is this some kind of arty farty bullshit I’ll never understand? If I knew you could make this kind of money breaking plates and putting them back together, I’d have smashed every one in my house rather than posting feet pics up on the internet.”
“What?”
Riley and I said that at the same time. Candy grinned, making clear she was either lying or glorying in the fact she was still able to shock us.
“Tell me you are not doing that,” Riley said. “Troll doll?—”
“Calm your tits, Fanta Pants,” Candy shot back. “Or don’t. I’m thinking you, me, smiley Riley here, and that bar down by the university once the dust settles here. You can drink shots out of the navels of twenty something boys again.”
“There will be only one set of twenty something navels Briar goes near.” Strong hands pulled me back towards Gideon, and I may have let out a little sigh. He always managed to make me feel small and safe when he did this. “But thank you for inviting my mate out.”
“Ooh…” Candy made a childish sound. “Someone’s all growly and protective.”
“Embarrassingly so.” I glanced up at Gideon only to see him smiling down at me. “Don’t be the kind of guy that stops a girl from hanging out with her friends.”
