“You know what?” I told Vera. “We do need alcohol in the lobby because I need a fucking drink.”
59
Beck
Dammit. I had fucked up. I never should have given that painting away.
“Are we going out to dinner?” Enola asked as she and Annie skipped into the living room. “Is Tess changing?”
What was I going to say to them?
“She…” I searched for an excuse. “She had another meeting she had to attend. But we can go grab something to eat.”
The girls were chatty as they relayed the scandal that had been snuffed out that day.
I felt guilty. I could have just used the contract Greg had wanted to draw up. But who knew if Alistair would have even signed it? Not to mention the negotiations could have dragged on. This was the cleaner, more certain path. I had to do it for my sisters. There wasn’t any line I wouldn’t cross for them.
Tess had said that one of the things she liked about me was that I put my sisters first. I couldn’t do anything less.
But I loved being around Tess.
Surely, she would come back.
I’ll buy her something nice. I’ll find a replacement painting, or hell, I’ll have someone recreate it.It had probably been a cheap print anyway. I scrolled through my text messages. Tess had previously sent me a photo of the living room with the painting in a prominent position as a joke.
I forwarded it to my brother Archer. He collected high-end art pieces, and his girlfriend was an artist.
Beck:Do you think you can find me a painting that looks like this?
Archer:Dude, where did you get this?
Beck:I think Tess’s mom bought it at a thrift store or something.
Beck:It’s probably one of those fake prints you can find at a craft store that you buy for cheap motels.
Archer:You are embarrassingly ignorant.
Archer:I’d have to see this in person, but it’s either a very good fake or its one of Phillip Atwell’s long-lost paintings.
Beck:…I’m guessing he’s not still alive and could make us another?
Archer:He died forty years ago. If this painting is what I think it is, then it’s worth about five million dollars.
Beck:…Shit.
Archer:I can come by with some art appraisers and take a look tomorrow.
Beck:I might not have it anymore.
Archer:Bro, if you destroyed that painting…
Beck:I gave it away.
Beck:It was an emergency.
Archer:Dude.
I probably wasn’t going to be able to just go on eBay and buy something similar.
