Oliver winced. “Hell, kid, I’m sorry.” He looped an arm around her shoulders, tugged her close.
Vectra accepted the refuge of the embrace. “At least it ended before we made total fools of ourselves.” She closed her eyes and tried to dismiss the fact that she may have done so for a chance with Qasim Wilder.
Chapter 7
Giving a struggling artist cause to celebrate made Vectra feel like celebrating, as well. A good thing, too, given her frame of mind lately. The artist, Yancey Croachman, created pieces that, to the naked eye, looked like mere splotches of paint dashed against the canvas in no discernible design.
A closer look, however, proved that there was, in fact, some method to the young British-Canadian’s madness. Hidden in the wild splatters of paint were intricately designed portraits that, once spotted, took the observer’s attention completely away from the more eye-catching explosions of color.
Vectra had been extremely optimistic about the showing after having enjoyed the hours she’d spent studying the artist’s work. She’d been surprised each time she honed in on one of the hidden drawings.
Yancey and her agent brimmed with excitement. The young artist had not yet gained a huge following in the States.
“A showing of scale is what my client needs,” Yancey’s agent, Cooper Perkins, said to Vectra. “My client on a respected stage like yours,” he spread his hands. “She’ll be the new darling of the art world.”
Yancey caught Vectra’s eyes amidst the man’s rambling. Her expression told Vectra that she didn’t buy into all that “new darling” stuff but that she was definitely over the moon about her first big showing at Vectra’s well-known and respected Gallery V.
“Well, my staff and I like to give our artists the virtual run of the gallery.” Vectra recrossed her legs at the booth table and leaned in a bit. “Short of knocking down walls and giving the place a new paint job, we’d like the spot to reflect more of who you are. Furniture, lighting, even music we leave to you. We’ll set up time for you to discuss those things with our floor managers and see what you guys come up with.”
Yancey’s excitement went into overdrive and the petite redhead seemed to be on the verge of bursting.
Vectra laughed, taking both her hands. “Breathe. You’ve still got another showing at the Miami gallery after this one.”
Yancey nodded firmly as though she were giving herself a silent pep talk. “I still can’t believe this is happening.”
“Believe it.” Vectra gave her hands another shake. “I tell you what’ll help is for you to go back to the hotel, relax and then get dolled up for a night on the town. Once you get deep into preparing for this show, you’ll barely have time to brush your teeth—let alone go out for dinner.”
Yancey laughed while Cooper Perkins voiced his agreement.
“We came here straight from the airport. We could use a few minutes of downtime,” he said, reaching over to shake hands with Vectra. “Thank you, Ms. Bauer.”
Yancey stood and rounded the table to hug Vectra. Soon after, agent and client left the dining room of the Italian grill where they’d met for lunch.
“Looks like you’ve made two people very happy.”
Vectra turned, smiling even as a curious frown brought her brows close. She latched on to the name that floated highest in her memory. “Will?” She tapped a finger to her jaw and searched for the rest. “Lloyd?”
Will laughed. “You’re good. Most people give me Smith instead of Lloyd.”
Vectra laughed and shook hands with the man she knew to be part of Qasim’s staff. “How are you? Are you here on the clock or just to enjoy the food?”
Will shrugged. “Bit of both.” He nodded toward the front of the dining room. “Looks like you were handling some happy business.”
“Yeah, the showing.” Vectra smiled toward the restaurant’s entrance. “Fun part’s giving the artist the news that the event is a go, and then all the real work begins. That part isn’t so much fun.”
“Guess it takes a lot to put those things together?”
Vectra shrugged, slapping her hands to the amber-colored toga dress that accentuated her caramel-toned legs. “I have a very good staff, so my workload is surprisingly light. You’d be surprised how fast they can put together a phenomenal show.”
“Ms. Bauer? Will there be anything else?” her waiter asked.
“Join me for a drink?” Will asked before Vectra could reply. “There’s something I’d like to run by you.”
Intrigued, she smiled. “Sure.” She gave the waiter a smile. “Royce, could you bring me another white wine?”