With a groan, Kat rolled her neck. “I don’t know, Nick. Just try to stick to business if you can. There’s no reason for her to suspect we’ve been together again.”
“But do I lie if she asks? I’m not comfortable with that. Besides, she’ll see us together at your show.”
Kat pressed her lips together. Lying wouldn’t help the situation, for sure. Couldn’t she get one tiny break? “Focus on HomeBuilders and your schedule. Mom obviously didn’t understand last time and didn’t pick up on that.”
“Will do. Text me and let me know how your lunch goes when you get a chance.”
“I will.”
“We’re still on for cyber date night, right?”
“I hope so. Cassie doesn’t seem to like working late on Fridays. We should be able watch a movie.” Wouldn’t be the same as snuggling next to him on the sofa, but they’d be together in spirit and could chat and laugh at the same lines. Better than nothing.
“Sounds good. Sweet dreams.”
She blew a kiss and touched the screen. “Night.” He ended every late-night call that way, and so far, she’d fallen asleep imagining herself wrapped in his arms. And it was a nice place to be. With a sigh, she set down the phone, and her glance strayed to their “masterpiece” in the corner.
Looking at the painting, she could almost feel his presence.Almost.She soaked in the good vibes, happy to have them but also acknowledging a longing for the man himself.
* * *
For about the tenth time Friday morning, Kat checked her cell phone. She had zero concentration. Her thoughts kept veering to either Nick’s encounter at her parents’ house or her own upcoming lunch. So far, she’d finished only two of the information blurbs for the exhibit. And had about six to go. She’d done her research. Had all the information. She just needed the right words and mood to bring it all together. That Cassie had delegated a portion of the task to Kat was a huge vote of confidence.
At noon, she saved the document and blew out her breath in a long sigh. If necessary, she could finish them up from her apartment over the weekend. A few minutes later, she gathered her purse and headed for the cafe.
When Cassie breezed in, she gave Kat a quick hug. “Hi! Gosh, I haven’t eaten a real lunch all week.”
After they got food, they spent a few minutes on updates. Kat tried to ignore the nerves fluttering in her stomach. She took small bites of her roasted beet salad just in case Cassie dropped some news.
“Hey, I want to give you a heads-up about something.” Cassie leaned forward.
“What’s that?”
“This is strictly confidential.”
“Absolutely,” Kat agreed.
“I’ve applied for Milton’s open position and have had one interview. And honestly, if I don’t get it, I’m probably going to send my résumé to other places.”
“Oh, okay. Wow. They’d be crazy to let you get away. Fingers crossed for you.” Milton was an older curator who’d taken another position at the museum in a semi-retirement move.
“Thanks. And I’d love to see you move up and take my place.”
Cassie pressed her lips together, and Kat sensed a “but” coming. She sucked in a deep breath and hoped she looked calmer than she felt.
“The thing is, I’ve mentioned this to Amy a couple of times. She always smiles and compliments your work and says what a great asset you are to the team.” She hesitated and met Kat’s eyes. “But she keeps talking about some hot-shot guy named Blake from Boston. I think he might be the son or nephew of a friend. I’m afraid she’s looking for a place for him.”
Kat’s stomach dropped. “Oh.”
“I know you’re busting your butt putting in extra hours to make this bamboo exhibit something special. And I’m doing everything I can to make sure Amy knows of your contributions, but I wanted you to be aware of what’s going on.”
Kat took a long drink of her iced tea to gather her thoughts before reacting. “I appreciate that. Do you have any idea on timing?”
“Not specifically, but I’d be surprised if it didn’t happen in the next couple of weeks. My advice is to keep doing what you’re doing and be as visible to Amy as possible. Don’t overdo it of course because I don’t want her to think I tipped you off.”
“Got it. No problem.” Kat swallowed her disappointment and reached for her glass again, willing herself to play it cool. Whining wouldn’t help.
“I know you don’t like to toot your own horn, but we have a staff meeting next week. Might be a good time to mention your gallery show.”
