Easy. She admired my work. She liked art. I could take her to the Met. Of course, an art lover like her had probably been there numerous times. I could take her to one of my showings. Or I could take her to my private studio and show her what I was currently working on. Afterward, we could have some wine and cheese at a small tavern.

I held back a scoff. To do any of this, I’d have to ask her.

That was the part I sucked at.

Sure, it was fine to talk to a stranger in the lobby about one of my paintings.

But a woman I was interested in?

That didn’t come easy to me.

Not that any of this mattered.

It couldn’t happen for one important reason.

My own mind prevented me from getting involved with anyone seriously. I was a mess, for I held a secret darker and more hidden than anything my painting showed to the most noted art connoisseur. A secret trapped in my subconscious.

And the key she’d been looking for?

It didn’t exist.

3

Charlie

I forced myself to type rapidly into my phone. If only I’d brought my tablet today. Lacey said the company would supply one but I hadn’t gotten it yet. My skin was icy and my pulse in overdrive just from the nearness of Roy Wolfe.

No. Must concentrate.

Failing to document even a few seconds of this important discussion wouldn’t bode well for my first day on the job.

I typed furiously, capturing every detail. The information went in and out of my head so quickly I barely knew what I was typing. I stayed quiet. My job here was to be the conduit of information.

“Charlie?”

I nearly typed “Charlie” before I realized Lacey was addressing me.

I looked up. “Yeah?”

“Could you go down to the lobby? Our lunch is on the way, but they won’t come up here.”

Not even for the Wolfes? Surprising. “Yeah. Sure.” Lunchtime already? We’d started at ten. Had I truly been taking notes for two hours? I rose.

“I’ll go with her.” Jarrod stood. “She may need help carrying everything.”

“Good idea,” Rock said. “Thanks, Jarrod.”

“No problem.”

“Crap,” Rock continued. “Wait. I need you for something else. Terrence, can you go?”

Roy stood then. “I’ll go.”

My body erupted in quivers. I tamped them down as well as I could.

“Okay, that’ll work,” Reid said. “We’re officially on our lunchbreak. No business until Roy and Charlie get back.”

“You mean no business until after lunch,” Rock said. “You’re not dragging me into your ‘I’m too busy to take time off to eat’ thing.”

“That’s why we order in, Rock,” Reid said. “So we can continue working.”

“Well, fuck that.” Rock loosened his tie. “We’ll go out, then.”