Emma’s coronary heart leapt into her throat. If Patrick got here all the way down to escort her upstairs, which he most likely would given his chivalrous nature, he’d see the portray case and have questions on it. Her plans could be ruined.

It was too late, although. The doorman had already dialed a quantity and was now holding an old style corded telephone to his ear.

“Sure, Mr. Daniels, I’ve one…” He tilted his head at her and Emma rapidly provided her pretend final identify. “A Miss Reynolds is right here to see you.” There was a pause. “Sure. Thanks.” The doorman hung up and turned to Emma. “He’ll be down to choose you up in only a second.”

“Oh. Nice.” Emma’s thoughts raced by means of choices for what she might do. “Might you please direct me to a rest room?” She placed on what she hoped was a pleasant smile. “It is a date, and I need to clean up. It’s windy at the moment and my hair is a large number.” Emma gestured to her hair, which she hoped was cooperating. Oh, who was she kidding? It was all the time messy.

“In fact.” The doorman smiled once more, though this time he appeared barely amused. “Simply to your left.”

“Thanks!” Emma virtually jogged to the toilet. She needed to get there earlier than Patrick got here down and noticed her with the case. Thank goodness, she reached the toilet rapidly and slid in earlier than there was any signal of Patrick.

The lavatory was abandoned and Emma entered the primary stall, then appeared round for a spot to cover the portray. To her aid, the ceiling had the identical sq. panels that Emma had seen in a number of earlier workplaces. She climbed on the closed lid of the bathroom and punctiliously slid apart the panel immediately overhead. There was sufficient house to slip the portray by means of the hole in order that it rested simply out of sight. Happy, Emma changed the panel.

Now, she simply wanted an excuse to come back again all the way down to the foyer rest room and retrieve the portray case someday throughout the night. Nice. However the different was strolling upstairs with Patrick and the portray, which might be a lot worse.

Emma made a rapid try to tame her hair in entrance of the toilet mirror, then returned to the foyer simply as Patrick emerged from the elevator financial institution.

“Emma.”

One thing about the way in which he mentioned her identify made her coronary heart flutter.

“Hello.” She crossed the foyer to Patrick, who held out his arm to direct her to the elevators.

“Thanks, Carl!” Patrick known as as he stepped right into a ready elevator. The doorman, presumably Carl, raised his arm in acknowledgment.

“I hope it wasn’t any hassle to seek out the place,” Patrick mentioned because the elevator whirred into movement.

“It wasn’t laborious in any respect.”

“I’m glad.”

There was a second of quiet, aside from the sound of the elevator whirring. They have been climbing very excessive into the constructing.

“I’m actually wanting ahead to seeing your assortment,” Emma mentioned. “Thanks for inviting me.”

“I’m wanting ahead to exhibiting you.” The elevator got here to a sluggish cease on the thirty-eighth flooring, they usually stepped out. Emma anticipated a hallway lined with doorways, however the elevator’s doorways opened proper into the entryway of what have to be Patrick’s rental. Her eyes widened barely. It was an excellent factor she hadn’t gone by means of together with her unique plan of hiding the portray case within the hallway on Patrick’s flooring.

“Is that this all yours?” she requested. As quickly because the phrases have been out, she realized it was a foolish query. In fact, this was all Patrick’s. Identical to with the helicopter journey and the portray bid, Emma was once more struck by how rich Patrick was.

“Sure,” he mentioned merely. “Please, observe me. I believed we might begin with a fast tour of the gathering earlier than dinner, when you aren’t too hungry.”

“ I all the time desire artwork to meals.” Emma shrugged off her winter jacket, which Patrick took from her to hold on a peg close to the door, then adopted him into the subsequent room. It was a front room. The type was very masculine, all modern traces and darkish colours and uncovered metallic and brick. But essentially the most placing factor wasn’t the décor however the portray hanging immediately throughout from Emma. The lady, the ocean, the sky, the ships: it was all as acquainted because the again of Emma’s paint-smeared hand.

“Wow,” she breathed. Patrick turned and smiled.

“Oh, sure. My essential assortment is in one other room, however I selected a selected favourite to showcase right here. It’s known as Aurora.”

I do know, Emma thought. I do know all about it.

“It’s lovely,” she mentioned as an alternative.

“I believed you’d prefer it.” Patrick grinned.

“Oh, I do.” Emma stepped shut on the pretense of admiring the portray, although she was actually in search of security measures. She had researched portray safety earlier than this job and was looking out for movement sensors, cameras, or perhaps a sturdy case or lock. However there was nothing. Both Patrick didn’t care about this portray or he was so assured that nobody might enter his dwelling and take it that he didn’t trouble with safety. Emma suspected the latter.

“That is truly a very particular portray for me.” Patrick stepped beside Emma and confirmed her worries. “I advised you I got here to Chicago with some buddies in my final yr of faculty and that we checked out just a few galleries. Whereas we have been right here, I noticed Aurora for the primary time. My artwork main buddy advised me it wasn’t all that particular, however I used to be blown away. One thing concerning the colours, the type… I’m undecided. It simply spoke to me like no different portray.”

Patrick’s echo, nearly word-for-word, of Emma’s personal ideas on the portray struck her. As did the message that this portray was particular.

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