I reached into my purse and drew out my phone, flipping it over and swiping across it to open it up. I scrolled over to my favorites, pulling up Portia's number. I held the phone up to my ear as I waited for her to answer, hoping that I wouldn't just get the machine.
After four rings, she picked up. "Hey Becks, what's going on? Any word on the sale going through?"
"Nothing," I answered, and although I tried to keep my voice flat, a little hiccup of anxiety burst in my voice halfway through that word.
"Oh, no." Of course, Portia didn't miss that little breaking sound. "What happened?"
No point in holding it in, I supposed. "I went to talk to Barry, to try and convince him to be reasonable. It didn't work."
"Well, of course not. He's not reasonable - he's an ass." Portia sounded about to launch into a whole tirade about Barry, but perhaps sensing that it wouldn't do me much good, she held it back. "What happened?"
"Well, even though I told him that I didn't have the money, he said that he still expected it, that he'd even consider pressing charges against me to get it if I couldn't pay him." I sniffed, feeling the tears threatening to come rushing back. "Portia, he threatened to go after my parents if I couldn't pay up!"
"Bastard," she spat out with feeling. "Listen, Becca, how much are you short? I don't have ten thousand, but maybe I can help-"
"No, really, don't," I cut her off. My heart was touched, knowing that she would be willing to sacrifice her financial safety net to help me, but I couldn't bear to think of taking her money. "I could never live with myself if you had to bail me out. It would ruin our friendship from this point forward, because I'd always feel too indebted to you."
"Come on, really, it's better than getting sued," she said, not willing to let it go. "Becca, you're my best friend, and I've been with you for every step of this divorce. I'm not going to abandon you now, just when the ending is in sight!"
My eyes once again filled with tears; apparently they'd managed to recharge their reservoirs in the last few minutes. "Portia, really, I can't," I sniffled. "Come on, you know that it would make things too awkward between us, even if I paid you back."
She sighed, but thankfully didn't push the issue any further. "Do you want me to use the money instead to hire a hit on Barry? I dated this Italian guy once who, although he'd never tell me for sure, might have been in the Mafia. I do know that he owned a lot of guns, and he'd probably shoot anyone I wanted if it got him another night with me."
"Ew, no no, not necessary," I said quickly, although a half-crazy little smile flicked across my face at her sincerity. This was why Portia was my best friend; even at times like this, she knew how to pull me up from the worst of my depression.
"Well, just let me know if there's any way that I can help, anything at all," she said. "Well, wait - I'm not going to sleep with Barry. A girl's got to have a limit somewhere."
"Hell, I think even if I offered to sleep with him, it wouldn't be enough to make him forgive the money," I replied. "His office looks a bit more rundown than I remembered. I think he's got some money problems."
"Normally, I'd be glad to hear that, but not if he's going to risk suing your parents in order to get the money from you," Portia said. "Look, Becks, I've got to go, there's a client meeting in two minutes and I need to get there - but really, if I can help at all-"
"I know, I'll tell you," I said, sighing. "Get back to work, Portia."
"Be strong," she urged me before hanging up.
I lowered my phone back down to my lap and took a deep breath, feeling only slightly better after that conversation. I really couldn't bear to think of taking money from Portia, even if it would help me out in the short term. Maybe, if I took money from her and sold all of my belongings except for Salem's food and water bowls, I could get enough to pay back Barry - but then what? Live on the street, or in the back of the Halesford Gallery, have to deal with the shame I felt every time I saw Portia because I'd know how much money I owed her?
I couldn't do it.
I looked down at my phone on my lap, scrolling over to the number for my parents' house. I needed to call them and tell them what might happen, explain things to them. I knew that they'd be disappointed in me, but they'd still immediately start looking into how they could pay Barry back for my debt. That trust they still held in me burned like an open flame pressed against my skin, even though I knew that they felt that way out of love.
I started to move my thumb towards the call button, but just couldn't do it. I turned the screen off and dropped my phone back down into my lap, sighing and leaning my forehead against the steering wheel.
And then, down between my thighs, my phone started buzzing again. Someone else was calling me!
I jerked upright, nearly smacking my head on the top of the steering wheel, as my hand fumbled down for the vibrating piece of metal and glass. Finally getting my fingers around the device, I picked it up and flipped it around so that I could see who was calling me on the screen.
I frowned. The number was listed as private. I answered, swiping across the phone. At the same time, I briefly turned the truck back on, just long enough for me to roll down a window and get some fresh air. The interior of the cabin already felt a little warm and stuffy from the sun beating down on the truck's roof.
"Hello?" I said as I answered the phone.
"Hi, Becca." I immediately recognized the voice at the other end of the line, and fought unsuccessfully against my heart as it sped up in my chest.
"Hi, Carter," I replied; even though my heart still felt heavy, my lips quirked up a little at just the sound of his voice. If only he was willing to lend a girl ten grand... "What's up? Why are you calling from a private line?"
He laughed. "It's private because I'm calling you from Robert Albrecht's house. After hearing about him showing some interest in the statue, I came out here - and it turns out that he's ready to go ahead and make the purchase!"
My heart, already fluttering uncertainly, shot up into my throat. "Really??" I gasped.
"Yep. And what's more, I know that sometimes these sorts of deals can take a while to get settled, so I figured that I could advance you the commission that you'll make from this, so that you can pay off Barry. How's that sound?"
It sounded unreal. This couldn't be happening. I tried pinching myself on the arm, seeing if this was some sort of dream. Maybe after walking out of Barry's office, I'd tripped and hit my head, and this was all some sort of fevered hallucination as I bled out in front of Melissa's uncaring gaze-
"You still there?" Carter asked, and I forced myself to focus.
It was tough to talk with my smile spread so wide that I started worrying that the top of my head might fall off, but I managed. "No way. Carter, you don't have to-"
"But I want to," he interjected smoothly. "Now, listen, I'll talk with Albrecht about swinging by the gallery in the next day or so to sign the final paperwork. But I'll see you back at the gallery this afternoon?"
"Sure, yeah," I said, still grinning and probably looking like a total dope to anyone who saw me sitting in my truck.
Carter disconnected, and I lowered the phone from my ear, just staring at it as I tried to adjust to this sudden twist in my fortunes. Just when everything seemed darkest, it had all turned around.
I'd just sold a six figure piece of artwork. I was going to get the commission, have enough to cover all my debts, be finally free of all this stress that had been clinging to me constantly for the last few months.
It was really going to work out!
I yanked the door to the truck open and hopped out, my purse bouncing as I pulled it over my shoulder mid-stride. I dashed back into Barry's office, not even slowing down this time as I passed an open-mouthed Melissa.
"Hey, Barry!" I called out, sticking my head into his office. He'd gone back to his sandwich after I left, but I didn't even give him the time to finish chewing the bite in his mouth. "Good news - I'll have the money after all! You'll have your check by
the end of the week!"
Barry hurriedly started trying to chew faster, perhaps trying to clear his mouth so that he could respond, but I didn't wait for him. Still beaming like a crazy person, I ran out of the dental office, back to my truck, and headed back to the gallery.
Chapter Twenty-Three
*
Back at the gallery, I was just finishing off my own lunch when Carter came strolling in through the front entrance, looking as satisfied as the cat that had swallowed the canary.
He didn't make it more than half a dozen steps, however, before he grunted as I hit him, my arms flying around him in a hug. "Whoa, whoa!" he burst out, taking a couple steps backwards as he caught me. "You're going to knock me over, and we'll probably break a million dollars in artwork!"
"Oh, shut up," I told him, and then before he could say anything else, I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him strongly, pushing myself up against him.
"Well, that's the kind of thanks that I can really appreciate," he managed when we broke apart, although he looked slightly cross-eyed.
I smirked. "Keep making smart aleck comments, and I'll just keep on kissing you to shut you up."
"There are worse fates." Still, he gave me one last squeeze and then released me. "So, did you give Barry the good news yet?"
"Shouted it at him before running out of his office!" My grin grew a little softer, as a wave of emotion suddenly hit me. "Carter, you really didn't have to-"
He shook his head halfway through my sentence, and reached out to gently put a finger against my lips to silence me. "Really, it's not a lot of trouble," he insisted. "And besides, I think that I like seeing you sitting in the role of managing this art gallery. I'd hate for you to have to give up the job so soon after accepting it, just because you needed to find another way to pay back your ex-husband."
Looking up at him, I felt my own eyes growing misty. "Still. I really owe you."
"This is true. How about you let me buy you dinner to balance it out?"
I frowned a little. "I owe you, so I should let you buy me dinner? Is that really paying you back? I feel like I ought to be the one buying, at least - since I'm the one who's apparently coming into a windfall." My frown grew a little deeper. "Of course, since you're fronting the commission to me, that would mean that I'm thanking you by taking you out to dinner with the very money that you just gave to me..."
Carter laughed, interrupting my musings. "Just say yes, and that I can pick you up at seven tonight outside your apartment, so that I can get off to work," he asked.
I pushed aside my head full of thoughts with an effort. "Okay," I answered him. "Seven tonight. I'll see you there."
"Great." He bent down and kissed me once again, a deep kiss that made my toes curl, my body rise up slightly to press against him, and my mind wish that I could fast-forward through the rest of the day to make it seven o'clock already. "Oh, and one more thing?"
"What?"
This time, his smile was anything but innocent. "Wear something sexy," he suggested.
My mouth dropped open, but Carter had released me and was out the door before I could ask him what he meant, exactly - or even decide whether I should grin or slap him!
I expected the rest of the afternoon to creep by as I kept on looking forward to my date that evening (oh my goodness, I really had a date! With possible sexy times at the end, even! I ought to call Portia, ask for advice!), but instead, the hours flew by. I had to go back and look through Preston's files to find an example of how to file a billing statement for a big-ticket item sale like this. Annoyingly, it seemed like my uncle had changed the file format every time he made another sale, adding and subtracting new categories and boxes of information, so I eventually gave up and just made my best attempt at creating a billing statement.
"Not bad," I said when I finished, looking at the printed off page. I'd send a copy off to Albrecht, and I'd also need to get one to Onyx as a receipt-
That's right! I hadn't yet told Onyx that his statue had sold! I flipped through the little Rolodex on Preston's desk until I found Onyx's number, and placed the call. The phone rang at least twenty times before he picked up.
"Yes?" he said, not bothering to introduce himself, but I knew his voice.
"Hi Onyx, it's Becca. Listen, I've got some great news!"
"You've decided to come help pose for my sculpture some more, after all." The words sent a delicious little wave of warmth down my spine, but I ignored it. Think about the date with Carter, I reminded myself.
"No, not that. But I do have a buyer for your big, um, sculpture! Albrecht agreed that he wanted to go ahead and make the purchase!" I waited a moment, but Onyx didn't seem to have anything to say about this one way or the other. "So listen, I've got a receipt for you to come pick up, and I'll need to figure out how to get the statue delivered, I guess-"
"He bought it?" Onyx cut in smoothly, sounding a little surprised.
"Well, yeah. Carter gave me the good news this morning, and right in the nick of time, too." I sat back in my seat for a moment, tapping a pen on the desk. "Why's that so strange?"
"Not important." Onyx brushed the question aside, and although this only further added to my curiosity, I decided not to push the issue.
"So, can I swing by after work this afternoon with the forms for you to sign?" I needed to keep this conversation on track.
"Sure. I'll be here."
"Great," I said, and hung up before he could try and tempt me with any more offers to pose for him, either with or without clothes.
As soon as I'd hung up from this call, I dialed another number, this one on my personal cell phone.
"I did it!" I squealed, as soon as the phone connected.
"Becca? You did what? You killed Barry to get rid of him? Oh my god, you finally slept with one of two hot guys? Which one?"
"No, Portia, not that," I said, rolling my eyes. "I got the sale after all! Albrecht agreed to buy the statue, and that means that I'm not going to have to move back in with my parents or tell them about how they were almost sued! I'm going to be able to make the payment that I owe to Barry after all!"
"Oh, that's great too!" Portia exclaimed. "We need to celebrate!"
I paused. "We might need to wait until tomorrow to celebrate. The rest of my evening's schedule is pretty full."
"With what? Drinking yourself into a stupor of relief and happiness? Because if so, girl, I want to be a part of that!"
"No, not drinking - at least, not at first," I replied. "I first need to go stop by at Onyx's studio and get him to sign the paperwork for selling the sculpture-"
"Ooh, and you could also celebrate with him, maybe by letting him rub-"
"And then, after that," I pressed on quickly before Portia could finish that sentence, "I have a dinner date with Carter."
For a second, she didn't say anything, and I wondered if I'd managed to accidentally give her a heart attack from the shock. "Really? An actual date?" she managed at length, sounding amazed.
I beamed down at the desk in front of me. "That's right! He's the one who apparently talked to Albrecht and convinced the man that he wanted the sculpture. So I think that having dinner with him is the least that I can do!"
"Oh, right, dinner," Portia said. "Look, I don't know how you managed to get both of these guys so interested in you, Becca, but you had better make a choice and get some enjoyment from at least one of them. And if Carter is willing to do all this for you, and take you out on a date even on top of all that, the least you can do is offer him a nightcap!"
Tapping my fingers on the desk, I sighed. "Well, I'm not taking that option entirely off the table..."
I had to hold the phone a couple inches away from my ear as Portia squealed. "Finally!" she announced triumphantly. "One night stand, here we come! Do you want me to forward you some articles? I know that you're probably out of practice, and Barry couldn't have been up to date on the latest techniques anyway-"
"No, no, that's alright," I said
hastily, not even wanting to imagine what sort of tips Portia might imagine that I needed. How hard could sex really be, in the end? Take off clothes, kiss, hug, and, well, come together until someone finishes. Had any of that really changed much in the last thousand years?
"Well, even if you don't want to try anything to new and exciting right away, I'm still happy for you, Becks," Portia said. "Hopefully, you'll have a lot less stress now that you're getting this payment off your back!"
"Me too," I agreed, and said my goodbyes. Portia insisted that, at the very least, we had to get together tomorrow so that I could tell her about my "adventures." I hoped that I wouldn't end up having anything stressful enough to count as an adventure, but her enthusiasm was infectious, and I couldn't keep a smile off my face after hanging up the phone.
At five o'clock on the dot, I closed down the gallery and, papers in hand, made the short walk over to Onyx's studio. This time, I was able to find the right building after only two false starts, and I found the door unlocked when I tried the handle. From the other side of the door, I heard loud clinking noises, the sound of metal impacting with stone
"Hello? Onyx?" I called out, stepping inside.
He emerged from the studio side of his cavernous warehouse, dusting off his hands and pushing a pair of goggles up on his forehead, displacing that black hair. "Hi Rebecca," he greeted me, that smooth, chocolate voice sending a little tingle through me as always.
"So, aren't you thrilled?" I asked, bouncing up and down a little in my flats. "Your biggest piece has sold! You're going to make a ton from this!"
He just shrugged. "Money's not important to me," he said softly, wiping one hand on his jeans before he accepted the purchase forms that I handed to him.
"Well, it still matters to me, and I'm thrilled," I told him. I fished my phone out of my purse and checked the time, and then winced. Almost five-thirty already! I needed to get going, get home so that I could prepare for my date with Carter.
Fixer: A Bad Boy Romance Page 31