She gave him a weary smile.“Yes.I’m sorry about that whole scene earlier.”
He held up a hand and walked to stand in front of her desk.“I shouldn’t have said what I said.I just ...don’t like to see you so upset.”
“I’m fine now.”She handed him a couple of messages.“Did you enjoy your sushi?”
He didn’t answer right away as he skimmed through the notes.
“I didn’t eat.”
When she went to ask why, her phone rang, and she answered it.Past the paint and the masterpieces, art was a business and to a gallery owner it became all about funding, backing, and having the very prominent attend.Without critics praising it, modern art would just be a market for sidewalk sales.
“Is that all you ate?”
She glanced up as she disconnected the call.Max leaned in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest, and she followed his nod to the cracker packets.
“Uh, yeah.”
“Go ahead and order Thai to be delivered.I’m hungry, too.”
Quinn ordered their usual and had their lunch delivered.They took a break to enjoy the food, sitting on the floor with their backs propped against the couch.Between them sat several assorted cartons of rice, noodles and appetizers.
She used her chopsticks to scoop a large shrimp into her mouth.“Mm.Thanks for buying.”
He leaned over and looked in her box, using his own chopsticks to grab a mushroom.“No more crackers.‘K?”
She grimaced.“I’m never letting a man get in between me and lunch again.By the way, why did you miss lunch?”
“Had an errand to run.By the time I got done it was time to come back.”
She could tell right away he lied.Although he’d crafted an excellent poker face, for some reason she always saw through it.The question however was, why?What was going on downstairs?Something wasn’t adding up and she didn’t know what to think.She’d been working with Max for a year, and she thought she knew him.Thought she knew everything about his business and the gallery, but apparently there were secrets he wanted to keep.Secrets reminded her of Bryan, and it struck her that she still needed to get her shit out of his place.
“What is it?”Max asked, breaking into her thoughts.
“I just remembered I have stuff over at asshole’s place.”She looked down at the empty Thai box in her hand, not remembering having taken the last bite.She threw it in the wastebasket.“Damn it.”
“I’ll go with you if you want me to,” he offered quietly.
She blew out a sigh.“Nah, I’ll take care of it.He can be a bit of a hothead.”
Max tensed.“What does that mean?”
“What?”
“You said he’s a hothead.What does that mean?”
“It means he can yell a lot.”
“Does he hit a lot, as well?”
“No,” she replied immediately.
He raised an eyebrow.
“I promise,” she said soothingly.“Hitting isn’t his modus operandi.”
“What exactlyishis M.O.?”
She sighed.“What is this, Max?”
