“Why? I am.” He softens his voice. “You okay, sweetheart?”
“Yes. I am. Really okay, actually. And ready to go upstairs.”
He slides his arm around my shoulder and we start walking through what looks like an empty banquet room. Thankfully we make it to the elevator without being stopped, and we wait on a car. The doors open quickly and Josh steps out. “Faith. Holy hell. I’ve been looking for you. You rocked it tonight.”
“You’re fired,” I say.
He blanches. “What?”
“You told Macom about our conversation. We’re done. I won’t change my mind.”
Nick catches the door as it tries to shut, and I step around Josh. Nick and I enter the car and when we face forward, Josh has turned and is staring into the car. Nick punches in the code to our floor and the doors shut us inside. “That was unexpected,” Nick says.
“But necessary. I’ll deal with a new agent hunt next week.”
I rotate to face the window, the stars and city lights flickering in the night sky. Nick steps behind me, holding me close. “I thought you didn’t like heights.”
“I changed my mind,” I say. “I’m not going to be afraid of anything.”
And as Nick murmurs, “Congratulations, Faith,” I feel as if the past is now behind me, and a new beginning, before me. Everything that was once wrong is now right.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Faith
The morning of the show, I’m nervous. By afternoon, I’m so high, I’m flying. Macom and Josh stay away from us and the interest in my work, and invitations to events, overflow. And Nick and I have so much fun together. Sometime around lunch we hear that the apartment is ours, and Nick takes me to an incredible restaurant to celebrate it all. On Sunday morning, we have breakfast in our room and I gift my flowers to the maid. Nick refuses to give up the chocolates and we proceed to eat most of them on the plane home.
Come Monday morning, Nick is scheduled to begin the negotiations on a merger that he warns me will make for an intense few weeks. He leaves the house wearing one of his sharpest suits, and a dark, cutting edge that says he’s already in battle mode. I am feeling rather fancy today and since a dress doesn’t make much sense for a pre-opening at the gallery, I trade in my jeans for dress pants, boots, and a soft, pink V-neck sweater that pairs with the classical flagship Chanel purse that had been in the items Nick bought me over the weekend.
I arrive at Allure with a smile on my face and a stack of cards in my pocket. I settle behind my desk to find a random list of things Sara needs to accomplish before the gallery opening, and a formal offer of employment.
Oh yes, I think. Life is good.
Sara appears in the doorway, looking adorable in jeans and Keds. “Well?” she asks, claiming the visitor’s chair in front of my desk. “How was the show?”
“Amazing. The Forum picks one up-and-comer to watch every year and they chose me.”
“Oh my God. Woohoo! I’m so excited for you. You said nothing of this when you sent me photos this weekend.”
“It just didn’t feel real,” I say. “It’s a big surreal.”
“Of course it is. Are you still riding the high?”
“In a big way and even after I fired my agent.”
“You fired your agent?”
“Yes. And it was past due. He’s my ex’s agent and it just got sticky.” I set the stack of cards on my desk. “And I have all these people wanting to buy work or book me for events. I’m going to start a hunt today.”
“Let Chris help.”
“No. No, I don’t want to intrude or seem like I’m using you, or him, for my own benefit.”
“I’ll call my agent,” Chris says, appearing in the doorway in a brown Harley shirt, after clearly hearing our conversation. “If he can’t take you on, he’ll help you find the right match.”
“You don’t have to do that,” I say quickly.
“Why the hell not?” he asks. “You wouldn’t be here if we didn’t believe in you.”