10
Laiken
The bellover the door jingled just as I hit the bottom step from my apartment into the gallery. It was almost ten, but I’d slept as late as I could after tossing and turning last night. Thoughts of Lisbeth and a million different memories played in my head on repeat. Once I finally slipped off, the hazel eyes of a man who’d brought me lunch circled in my subconscious.
I moved into the space. “Morning, Addie. Thanks for manning the ship today.”
“Of course.”
As she stepped into the shop, Hadley moved in behind her. Hadley strode across the floor and pulled me into a hug. “I’m so sorry about Lisbeth.”
I awkwardly returned the embrace. “Thanks.” I didn’t know what else to say. Didn’t want to go there when I already had to face the realities of grief today.
Pulling back, I shuffled my feet. “Not on duty this morning?”
Hadley’s eyes narrowed a fraction. “Don’t want to talk about it?”
“Not at the moment.”
Addie bumped my shoulder with hers. “We all deal with things the best way we can in the moment.”
I leaned into her. “Thanks.”
“Well, if you don’t want to go there, how about you tell us what happened when a certain movie star came to The Gallery?”
Addie whirled on me. “What? You never said anything.”
My cheeks heated, and I glared at Hadley. “Prepare for payback.”
She laughed. “Worth it.”
“Tell us what happened,” Addie urged.
I shrugged. “He bought a photograph.”
“And then he came back,” Hadley said, waggling her eyebrows.
I let out a little growl. “Do you have cameras in here or something?”
“I had dinner with Hayes and Everly last night.”
“Boden’s wrong. Hayesisa gossip.”
“Boden?” Addie squeaked. “You say his name like you’re best friends.”
“What else should I call him?”
“I don’t know, Mr. Cavanaugh?”
“He’s just a normal human. I’ll call him by his normal name. Just like I do with you.”
Hadley shook her head. “I don’t know that winning Oscars and Golden Globes is all thatnormal.”
“Or being the third highest-paid actor in Hollywood.” Addie gave a sheepish shrug. “I Googled him.”
I sighed. “He’s trying to keep a low profile. Maybe don’t share with people that he’s in town?” I rubbed a spot on my chest. I couldn’t imagine grieving when the whole world was trying to take your picture.
Hadley made a motion of locking her lips and throwing away the key. “I told Shiloh, but you know she doesn’t talk to anyone.”