“No,” I shake my head as tears cloud my eyes. “This isn’t real.”
He reaches to cup my hand in his. “This is as real as it gets. I’ve already told Bridget. She’s on board for giving you the time off you’ll need to come to Boston for the set-up. She’ll be there too for the unveiling.”
“I can’t believe this is happening.” I cover my face with my hands trying to fight back the rush of pure emotion I’m feeling. “How can I thank you for this?”
“Never stop drawing. This is just the beginning of your career, Piper. The art world has no idea what they’ve been missing.”
***
“You’re Piper, aren’t you?”
I look at the man standing in the doorway of Griffin’s apartment. He’s dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt. He has black hair, blue eyes and is definitely not the person I expected to see standing in front of me.
I convinced the doorman to let me surprise Griffin. He was wary at first, but when I told him that I was Griffin’s girlfriend and that I had a special gift for him, he agreed to let me come up.
The deliveryman standing behind me holding my framed sketch might have helped my case
.
“I’m Piper.”
“I’m Sebastian.”
“You’re the homicide detective.” I arch a brow.
He smiles. “You’re the artist.”
I turn to look back at the man standing behind me. “Griffin bought this today at the gallery where I work. I wanted to surprise him by delivering it myself.”
He moves to the side and waves his hand. “Griffin’s out for the evening, but please come in.”
I heave a sigh as I cross the threshold into Griffin’s home for the first time. I never imagined this would be how I’d see the place that he lives. I wanted that to be with him, so I could see his expression as he watched me taking everything in for the first time.
I do just that. I scan the room. It’s beautiful and spacious. The furniture is dark leather and weathered wood. The kitchen is open with an island that overlooks the main living space. It’s gorgeous and refined, just like the man who lives here.
The deliveryman places the frame on the floor so it’s leaning against the wall nearest the door. “We’ll take off,” I say to Sebastian while he studies the sketch. “Will you tell Griffin I was here?”
He shakes his head. “Stay a minute, Piper.”
I look over at the deliveryman. I never bothered to ask his name when he came to the gallery to pick the sketch and me up after my dinner with Beck. I was too caught up in my own thoughts to offer even the simplest courtesy to the man. I reach into my purse to pull out some cash before I shove it into his hand. “Thank you again. I appreciate you helping me with this.”
He smiles before he turns and walks out the door, leaving me standing in my boyfriend’s apartment wondering where he is.
Chapter 46
Piper
“How long have you known Griffin?” I ask Sebastian as soon as we’re alone.
“Forever,” he replies quickly. “We’ve been friends a very long time.”
I like knowing that. He’s a glimpse into a part of Griffin’s life I don’t know much about. “Do you know if he’ll be home soon?”
“He wasn’t here when I got back.” He rakes his hand through his hair. “I don’t live here. I bunked in the guest room last night and stopped in after work to pick up a few of my things.”
I nod. I’m uncomfortable. That has nothing to do with Sebastian. He puts me at ease for some reason.
It feels wrong to be here without Griffin.