Oh, right. His actual purpose for going to New York. He cleared his throat. “Yeah. I think it went well. Hoping to hear something at the end of the week. In the meantime, it’s business as usual.”
“All right, then,” Trena said. “I’ve got a few new pieces to inventory and find a place for.” She started past him, then turned back. “Do you want me to send consigner forms to the New York artist?”
Heat rose on the back of Nick’s neck. “No, I’ll take care of it. She hasn’t committed yet.”
With a nod and a wave, Trena headed to the back room.
And Nick strode to his office.Business as usual?What a laugh. He’d barely given any thought to his own work since, oh, about sometime Friday. Today, he needed to get a couple of estimates written up, including a revision and potential contract for Rebecca Andrews. He was due at her place on Wednesday with final drawings and numbers. Kat was right. It’d be harder to work with her mother knowing that she didn’t support Kat and her career choices. How could the woman not see what a talented artist her own daughter was? And didn’t she realize how prestigious it was to land a job at the Museum of Modern Art? Just as well he didn’t know all the details of their relationship, or, as Kat put it, the dirty laundry.
Thirty minutes later, Nick shut his laptop and turned the place over to Trena. He spent the rest of the day in the studio, his glance occasionally straying to his cell phone. He didn’t yet have a good handle on Kat’s schedule and had no idea how long she stayed at her studio on Sundays or what time she normally went to bed. He wanted to call but didn’t want to interrupt her. And he had to work around the two-hour time difference. By the time he was ready to start winding down in the evening, she might be ready to call it a night.
He skimmed through the estimates a final time before hitting “send” then placed the proposed contract for Kat’s mother into his briefcase. His phone buzzed, and he opened a text message from his mother.
—Dinner tonight? Lasagna in the oven.—
An offer he couldn’t refuse. He figured his parents were eager to hear about the interview as well. Too bad he didn’t have anything concrete to report yet. And he didn’t dare mention Kat to his mother. Her hinting was bad enough already. But if she knew he was actually interested in someone, it could become relentless. Nick loved his mother dearly but didn’t want to fuel her anticipation that someday he’d get married and start producing grandkids.
—Be there in 10—
He decided to shoot a quick text to Kat first.
—Do you have time for a call tonight?—
He tucked the phone into his pocket as he walked across the yard to his parents’ house.
As soon as he stepped inside, his mother wrapped him in a tight hug. “Hi, honey. Haven’t seen much of you lately.”
“Well, you know, jet-setting around the country and all.”
She squeezed his arm. “Right. That sounds so like you.” Her voice conveyed a smile and sarcasm at the same time. “How are you?”
“I’m good.” He glanced around the living area. “Where’s Dad?”
“Oh, it’s just us. I forgot it’s Dad’s pickleball night, so he’ll have to eat later.”
“Ah.” His father was an avid hiker but found plenty of other ways to stay active and in shape during the winter months. Nick preferred tennis or basketball. He pulled open the fridge and helped himself to a beer.
“Tell me how it went in New York,” his mother said as she began tossing lettuce into a bowl.
“I think it went well. As far as I know, I’m still in the running.”
“Were you nervous?”
“Not too much. It was pretty low-key.”
“Good. Did they say anything positive?”
Nick smiled. “Well, now that you mention it, they were impressed that they couldn’t tell whether I was nervous or not.”
“Oh, that’s funny. It’s so exciting. I can’t wait to find out.” She handed him the salad bowl. “Want to put this on the table?”
Nick managed to keep the conversation on ordinary topics throughout dinner, practically giving his mother a virtual tour of new items in the shop. Then he changed the subject from himself to his sister. “Any news from Essie?” His younger sister, Vanessa, had graduated last May with a master’s degree in Public Administration then promptly joined the Peace Corps. She currently served in Uganda. Nick knew his mother missed her but also spent plenty of time worrying about her.
His mother took a sip of wine, then shook her head as she stood and began clearing the table. “She seems to be doing fine and loving it. I got a couple of photos from her yesterday.”
Nick followed her into the kitchen with his plate. “That’s cool. Nice to get that proof of life, right?”
His mother grimaced. “Thank you for not leaving the country. I feel like I’ve aged ten years in the last six months.”
