“Sure.”
“See you tomorrow.”
“Night.” That was weird. A working lunch? Just the two of them? Please let it simply be a friendly break with no drama, Kat silently implored. She stepped into the elevator as alarm bells rang through her head. Unusual was always suspect.
She boarded the train and flopped into a seat a couple of rows away from other passengers, then pulled out her phone to catch up on events of the day. No earbuds or distracting music while riding at night—Nick was sure danger lurked around every corner of the city. It was sweet that he worried about her.
Tomorrow she’d have to find a few minutes to slip out and mail the Valentine gifts she’d picked up for him—some high-end Fair-Trade coffee with an arty label and the ever-popular iconic I “heart” New York T-shirt she’d found at a touristy shop not far from the museum. It was too soon to do anything overly romantic and serious. Of course, she’d painted a special card for him.
Since he’d left on Sunday, they’d talked every night after she got home, which made for a few late nights. But the calls also gave her something to look forward to after a long day at the museum. While questions of when they would be together next and whether they had any future as a couple hung over them, by mutual avoidance it seemed they’d decided to let things go for now.
That was fine with Kat. Best to let nature take its course.
Here it was, Thursday night, and so far, he’d heard nothing from HomeBuilders about a travel schedule. She sent him a preliminary text.
—Hi! I’m on the subway. Talk soon?—
—I’ll be waiting.—
She read the words with a soft smile and held the phone to her chest. It was almost like having someone to come home to.
Winslow also was waiting for her when she opened the door to her apartment. “Hey, baby,” Kat crooned as the tabby wrapped around her legs. After feeding the cat, she kicked off her shoes and brewed a cup of tea then curled up on the sofa and opened her video chat.
Seconds later, Nick’s face filled the screen. His easy smile triggered a somersault in her heart.
“Hey, babe. How was your day?”
“Good. I got a lot done. I think I’ll be able to cut back on the overtime next week.”
“That’s great. I got a message from Charles this afternoon. He’s scheduling a conference call with a producer and writer next week, so we’re getting started.”
“Oh, my gosh. That’s awesome. But a conference call is so lame. No in-person meetings?”
Nick chuckled. “Believe me, I’m working on it. But it’s probably best to save that for when you’ve got more free time, anyway. You ever been to Fairfield, Connecticut?”
“As a matter of fact, I haven’t. But it’s right at the top of my places to visit.” If she could sell a couple of paintings at the Loft show, she could justify spending a little fun money. “Do they allow visitors on the set?”
“Not that far along yet, but that doesn’t mean we couldn’t work in a few extra days.”
“I’d love it.”
“We’ve got some time to figure it out. How’s your tomorrow looking?”
“There’s been an interesting development.” She launched into the unexpected lunch invitation from Cassie.
“But no idea what it’s about?”
“No, and that makes me nervous. But I know we’re making great progress on the exhibit, so unless there’s another directive from above, I don’t think it’s a problem with that. I’d like to think it’s good news, like I’m being considered for a raise or a promotion.”
“It’s possible, right?”
“Sure. We’ve heard whisperings of changes and people moving around lately, but our team has been too busy to get much intel.” Her heart beat a little faster. A raise or promotion would be the next best news to landing the gallery show—another step toward self-sufficiency. And would—she swallowed hard—entrench her even more solidly in a future in New York City. Would Nick be happy for her if that happened? He knew more than most people how significant moving up at the museum could be.
“Well, you’ll know soon enough.”
Kat glanced at the time. True. She’d be back there before she knew it.
“At least you might get a free lunch out of the deal. Remember, I’ll be hanging out with your mom tomorrow. Actually, I’m hoping to hang out at her house but on my own so I can concentrate on the project. What should I say if she asks if I’ve been to New York again or got the HomeBuilders spot?”
