I showered quickly, wishing to have plenty of time to dry my hair. I neglected it most of the weekend, and I thought it was due a little attention. When I was out of the shower, I coated it with a palm-full of leave-in conditioner and let it sit while I drank more of my coffee and picked out my attire for the day. It didn’t take me long to decide on my high-waisted, floral print pencil skirt paired with a sleeveless white top and teal heels. I got dressed in all but my shoes, then returned to the bathroom to fulfill my appointment with my diffuser.
I lasted all of twenty minutes in front of the mirror before I gave up. In all honesty, that was remarkably close to my record. I never could last more than thirty minutes wrestling with my hair. In any case, the top half was dry and wavy, and I was content to let the rest dry on its own. I dedicated another ten minutes to my makeup—which wasn’t much more than eye liner, mascara, and a hint of concealer—then decided I was as ready as I’d ever be. I returned to my room for my shoes, grabbed my purse and my phone, and was out the door.
My ’98, red, hatchback Civic was hot when I climbed into it—and it was only eight-thirty. I rolled the windows down, all the while hoping I’d be able to get them back up upon reaching my destination. I inherited the vehicle from my parents after I graduated from high school, and it had definitely seen better days. Even so, I refused to give up on her. I’d made some good memories in that car. Not to mention the fact that I couldn’t afford another. I needed her to hold on at least another year or so.
It took me ten minutes to drive to work. After I found a parking spot and walked the distance to our front entrance, it was five minutes to the top of the hour. The doors were still locked, so I was forced to knock and hope that either Andrew or Geoffrey would hear me. Since Andrew took me on full-time earlier that summer, he’d been promising to make me a key. Needless to say, he hadn’t gotten around to it yet. Most days, it wasn’t a huge inconvenience, so I didn’t badger him about it. I was so incredibly thankful he gave me the job, I almost hated to ask him for anything at all.
My early friendship with Geoffrey made it possible for me to convince him and his cousin to take me on as an intern the spring semester of my junior year. I worked for free those first few months, and then Andrew promoted me into a paid internship position the following summer. Both men were always so good to me, and I hoped and prayed I wouldn’t have to say goodbye to them after graduation. As luck—or prosperity—would have it, Mountain Time Art’s two-year anniversary was right around the corner, and they had done really well for themselves. In light of their success, they could afford to keep me around.
Though, I’m pretty convinced they would have made it work regardless.
When I saw Andrew on his way to the door, I didn’t mask my happiness at the sight of him. He returned the expression, but with a knowing glint in his hazel-green eyes. Unlike Geoffrey, he had a slim, lean build and a head full of dark brown hair. He was also a few inches shorter—but their differences never pitted them against each other in any way. They were partners, not competitors.
“Morning, Teddy,” he greeted as he held open the door for me.
“Good morning. How are you?”
“Recovered.” He winked at me as we stood just beyond the threshold of the gallery’s entrance. “You?”
“I’m good,” I replied with a chuckle. “And Mr. Fink?”
The glint I noticed a moment ago seemed to brighten as his smile turned into a grin. “Cameron just got here with the new shipment.”
“Ah.” I laughed, suddenly understanding the significance behind his announcement. “He’s being bossy, isn’t he?”
“You could say that.”
Andrew signaled with a nod, and we both walked further into the gallery. We hadn’t gone far when I heard Geoffrey as he doled out orders. I grimaced a little when he demanded Cameron to move the piece he was hanging a quarter of an inch to the right—then again to the left.
“Don’t worry,” Andrew assured me. “Cam knows about the breakup. He’s taking it all in stride.”
“Good,” I murmured, relieved.
“I have a few phone calls to make and some paperwork to look over, so I’ll let you get settled.” I offered him a nod of polite acceptance, and he started toward his office. Before he got too far, he turned to me once more and added, “I have an appointment with a new artist later this morning. I was thinking of taking Geoff with me, if you think you can manage?”
“I’ll be fine. Please, take him. I think he needs it.”
“I would guess we’d be back around lunch,” he informed me with a glance at his watch.
“Sounds good.” Smiling encouragingly, I shooed him away with a wave of my fingers as I insisted, “Go do your boss thing. I’ve got the floor.”
“Thanks, Teddy.”
As he hurried toward his office, I made my way behind the reception desk to stow my purse and check the main line for messages. While I got myself settled, I heard Geoffrey tell Cameron the piece he’d hung was perfect. I then made a mental note to venture around the corner a little later to check out the new collection. It was always an exciting day when a fresh art shipment was newly hung.
The gallery was pretty quiet through the morning. Even still, I found enough to occupy myself, which caused the early hours of the workday to slip away from me. Andrew was great about leaving me with a to-do list when I was at the gallery alone for any stretch of time. I loved it when customers came in and gave me an excuse to talk about the art on display, but I also appreciated the trust Andrew put in me as I learned more about the business side of the gallery.
My concentration was interrupted when I received a text from Geoffrey. As I picked up my phone, I realized it was already after noon. Upon spotting his request for my lunch order, I didn’t bother trying to convince him I would get my own. I knew he wouldn’t listen, anyway. I rattled off my desired choice of salad, well aware I could use the nutrients after the weekend we had, then decided to wander around the gallery for a while.
I never tired of admiring our ever-changing collection. Even when some canvases hung for months at a time, I still liked to make my rounds in order to pay homage to the heart and talent that went into each and every piece. There was beauty to be found even in the displays I didn’t particularly like. I was convinced.
I’d forgotten about that morning’s arrival until I was standing in front of it. Even though it was tucked into a corner of the gallery out of view of my desk, I couldn’t help but to take a long moment to appreciate the gorgeous canvas. I got so lost in it, I didn’t hear it when someone’s footsteps echoed against the hardwood floor.
I was transfixed.
“Excuse me, can I help you?”
It was Geoffrey’s voice that alerted me to the customers in the gallery. I jumped, startled from my reverie, and turned away from the art at which I had been gazing. I almost choked on my breath when I was confronted not by a mere customer—but the most gorgeous man I had ever seen in my entire life.
It’s actually quite unfair, I thought as I stared. No one should be allotted that much of an advantage. It’s practically a weapon. It might even be borderline illegal. I mean—it has to be.