“Glad you like it. Listen,” he spoke to Rebecca. “Take your time with those samples. Call me if you have any questions, and I’ll look forward to meeting with you and Susie.”
“Yes.” She shook his outstretched hand and then, to his surprise, she spoke to her daughter. “Katherine, would you see Mr. Summers out, please?”
Must be his lucky day. He gathered his things and headed down the hallway with Kat.
“Good luck with the project,” she said when they arrived at the door. “If you’re ever in New York, I hope you’ll look me up.”
He nearly choked. Was she serious or was this simply polite upper-crust talk? A safe thing to say because she figured it’d never happen? In a split second, he decided to take a chance. “As a matter of fact, I’ll be in New York next week.”
Her eyes widened. “You will?”
The surprised expression turned to a frown. “I…Oh, I thought…” Her brows pulled together, and she and put a hand on her hip. “You hate the city.”
Nick hitched his shoulders and couldn’t help a laugh. “That’s true. Still, sometimes you have to go with the flow. I’m interviewing for a spot on a HomeBuilders TV design segment.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Are you really?”
“Yeah. It’s a long shot, but the exposure would be incredible.”
“Oh, for sure.” She let go of the doorknob and grabbed his arm. “You’ve got to mention this to Mom. She doesn’t have a lot of design sense, so she depends on other people who she thinks are experts. Being on HomeBuilders would make you not only an expert to her, but a total star. Mom would spread this far and wide. Of course, if you got that gig, you certainly wouldn’t need the publicity of the Denver Symphony Homes Tour. Youwouldbe a star.”
Nick grinned. Stardom might be overstating it some, but her enthusiasm touched him. It seemed genuine. Maybe he was a fool, but he decided to give her the benefit of a doubt. “So…” He lowered his voice. “Does the assistant to an assistant curator have a business card by any chance?”
“Yeah, it’s one of my big perks.” She gave a light snort. “Unfortunately, I don’t have one on me.”
With a nod, he pulled out his cell phone. “Could I talk you into giving a guy your number?”
A smile lit her face, and she reached for the phone. “Sure.”
Blood pounded in his ears while he waited for her to fill out the contact information. He shifted and chided himself for the over-reaction. She probably only intended to give him tips on navigating the city or restaurant recommendations. When she returned the phone, and her fingers grazed his, heat crawled up his spine. His eyes met hers, and a rush of adrenaline like he’d never felt before blasted through him.
“Text me your schedule,” Kat told him. “Maybe we could meet up.”
* * *
A few hours later, a message from an unknown number popped up on Kat’s phone. Holding her breath, she took a chance and opened it—Nick Summers.
—Hello again. Hey, I already have my travel plans and a hotel, but I don’t know NYC very well. Why don’t you pick out a restaurant for us? Anything you like is great with me. I’ll be in town Jan. fifth. Let me know if that would work for you. Or we could go to a show, whatever you’d like to do. Looking forward to seeing you again.—
Kat re-read the last line several times. It surprised her how much she was looking forward to seeinghimagain. She responded immediately, knowing it wasn’t necessary to check her calendar. Her nights were open.
—Hi! That sounds great. I’ll think about restaurants. And let’s skip the show. I’d rather be able to talk, if that’s okay with you.—
A response came right away and sent her heart thumping.
—Skipping a show is very much okay with me. See you soon.—
Goosebumps erupted on Kat’s skin. A hot guy was coming to see her in New York. What a strange and unexpected outcome from a Christmas at home. She had to smile as she recalled one of Nana’s favorite sayings. It’s the unexpected that keeps life interesting…
ChapterFive
Kat scurried into the bakery to meet Mia. For once,shewas the one with some spicy news.
“Looks like you survived Christmas with your folks. I don’t see bruises or scars,” Mia commented as soon as they were settled at their table. The two of them had a standing weekend date at their favorite bakery near the studio space they shared with several other artists.
Kat laughed. “Survived is right.” Still, it wasn’t all bad. She practically bounced in her seat, ready to burst with the news of Nick, but Mia would read too much into it if Kat spilled the beans first thing. She took a sip of her tea.
“How’s Nana doing?”
