Before You (Before You #1)(43)
“Incoming! Let the games begin,” Michael yelled animatedly, rubbing his palms together as he watched the first wave of guests approach the gallery.
Before Sara could walk away, Bre grabbed her arm. “Thanks for arranging to have my art displayed. I would have never taken a step like this by myself.”
Sara smiled. “Don’t thank me. Thank Jax,” Sara leaned in and whispered. “Besides, what’s the fun in owning your own gallery if you can’t display your own art?”
Nearly an hour and a half later, the gallery was packed, and a fifty-something couple had Bre boxed in the corner, evaluating whether the colors of a large piece would clash with their pillows. Laughter rippled through the gallery as sixty or so fashionable people floated from one painting to the next while waiters navigated the crowd serving drinks and appetizers. Bre had already sold two of her own paintings and three paintings of one of her favorite local artists. She hoped to close the deal on this one because it was one of the most expensive pieces they had on the gallery floor. Then, she and Michael could deem the night an unqualified success.
“Art should call to you. If you fell in love with this painting the moment you saw it, you should buy it. Art is a long-term investment, and whether or not your pillows are the exact shade of something in the painting won’t matter five years from now,” Bre commented to the couple.
“You’re right, dear,” the wife said. “I can always change the room to coordinate with this painting. This is the right piece. I feel it.”
Bre smiled hearing the woman’s husband groan and mumble under his breath about wasting more money redecorating, but in the end, he handed his credit card to her and she made her way toward her office.
Just as she turned the corner, she heard a familiar high-pitched voice calling her name. Whirling around, her stomach twisted. “Mia, I didn’t expect to see you here. I didn’t realize you were in the market for some artwork.”
“I’m not. I heard about the gallery grand opening, and I thought I’d pop by and see how you were managing after last night.”
“Excuse me?” Bre questioned, arching her eyebrows. She hoped Mia didn’t know she and Cam broke up.
“I saw you and Jax get in a taxi last night, and I wanted to check and see if Jax got you home in one piece. You looked as though you’d had a lot to drink.”
At the mention of Jax’s name, Bre immediately went on high alert, and her heart started beating erratically in her chest. Mia bloomed at the mere hint of scandalous gossip. She created it, fostered it, and sharpened it to be used like a bludgeon against anyone she didn’t like, and Bre undoubtedly fit into that category.
She particularly detested Bre because Mia had dated Cam briefly before Cam and Bre confessed to each other that they both wanted to be more than friends. Not a week later, Cam made a big production of asking her to prom. Mia never let go of her infatuation for Cam or her jealous loathing of Bre. He even mentioned that Mia occasionally showed up at some of his shows in LA. Bre knew without a doubt that Mia would launch a vicious campaign against Bre if she ever discovered what happened with Jax. That reality added even more stress to her already frazzled mind.
She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and smiled at Mia. “Thanks for asking. As you can see, I’m fine.”
“You and Jax seemed extremely cozy last night. First, he rushed to your side for your grandmother’s funeral, then the gallery opening. If I didn’t know any better, I would think you dumped Cam and you moved on to Jax.”
“Well, you can sleep soundly tonight knowing that Cam and I are… fine. Is that why you came here—to confirm my relationship status? It’s the same as it has been for the last seven years.” The moment the words were out of her mouth, she paled, thinking what a phony liar her one night with Jax was quickly turning her into. She might have ended things with Cam, but Mia would never hear it from her. Hiding the tears burning the corner of her eyes, she turned to walk toward her office, only to be stopped in her tracks by Mia’s parting remark.
“I’m curious whether Cam knows how friendly you and Jax have become. I think someone should tell him.”
“Cam knows we’re friends,” she said softly, in contradiction to every emotion rushing through her body. She wanted to turn around and scream at Mia, but she couldn’t allow herself to do that for several reasons. First, she spent last night making a mockery of her relationship with Cam, so in a round about way, Mia was right about her and Jax. Second, Mia was always trying to come between her and Cam and she was merely fishing for information. If she knew anything of substance, she would be on the first plane to find Cam rather than in the gallery taunting Bre. And finally, she wouldn’t ruin what was shaping up to be a successful grand opening by engaging Mia in a verbal confrontation.
Just as she finished entering the couple’s information for the painting purchase, Sara entered her office.
“You look pale… are you feeling okay?” Sara questioned in a hushed tone.
“I’m great. We exceeded our sales goal for the event, and there’s still one hour remaining.”
Sara studied Bre’s face. “No, that’s not what I’m talking about. I heard what Mia said.” Pausing for a second, Sara pushed the hair out of her eyes. “You didn’t say anything about Jax being in town. Why didn’t he stop by the gallery tonight?”