Siobhan glared at her. “I can’t believe you’re taking his side on this.”
“I’m not ‘taking his side.’ I just…I don’t know. There are worse things for a boyfriend to do than buy extravagant gifts for his girlfriend.”
“It’s not the cost that bothers me. Derick should know by now that I want to succeed on my own. I thought he learned from his mistake when I moved out here. But he doesn’t get it, and he never will.” Siobhan could hear the irritation in her voice, but she didn’t try to hide it. “I don’t want his help,” she said, releasing an exasperated breath. “I don’t need it.”
“Sorry,” Jacob interjected. “I wasn’t trying to listen to your conversation, but I couldn’t help but overhear. Derick bought you a gallery?” he asked. He looked almost…excited.
“Yeah. Please don’t tell me that you’re going to defend him, too.”
Jacob pushed up his shirtsleeves and put a hand in his pocket. “No, I’m not going to defend him. This isn’t really about Derick. It’s about you.”
“Well, yeah, I know it’s about me.” Siobhan was confused.
“Look, it took me almost ten years of trying to open this boutique before it finally happened. And it didn’t just happen. I had to apprentice for a grumpy hard-ass for three years. I basically did everything for him except wipe his ass.”
“Why didn’t you quit? You’re talented. You shouldn’t have had to put up with that.”
Jacob shrugged. “I learned pretty quickly that talent wasn’t enough. The guy had connections that I didn’t have. And even though he was a complete dick most of the time, he knew what he was doing. I learned a lot from him. When it came down to it, he believed in me. He helped me get the boutique up and running.”
“I never even knew you apprenticed,” Siobhan said.
“I probably never mentioned it because by the time you moved here, I was already in the process of opening the store. That’s huge that you have a gallery in New York. That’s a pretty great accomplishment for an artist.”
Siobhan sighed heavily. “Yeah, but I didn’t open it. Someone opened it for me.”
“Look,” Jacob continued. “I get where you’re coming from with the whole wanting to do it on your own stuff. There’s definitely a certain amount of pride that comes with making it by yourself, especially in the art field because so many people don’t view it as a career.”
“Exactly,” Siobhan agreed.
“But…no one gets anywhere without help from someone,” Jacob added. “Family members, friends, teachers, whoever. No one succeeds completely on their own.” Jacob laughed softly and ran a hand along the carefully groomed scruff on his face. “I mean, most people don’t get a New York City gallery given to them, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take it.”
He paused to pop a grape into his mouth. “You have to put your ego aside and do what’s best for you and your career. If you want to make a living off your art, you need to take every opportunity that’s given to you.”
Lilah finished chewing the bread she had in her mouth before she spoke. “That’s exactly what I was trying to tell her.”
Siobhan glared at her humorlessly. “You didn’t say any of that.”
“Whatever,” Lilah replied. “Semantics.”
Jacob shrugged. “Even if you decide to run the gallery, there’s no guarantee it’ll succeed. If you don’t have enough talent to sustain a painting career, you’ll fail anyway.”
“Well, that’s comforting,” Siobhan said.
He chuckled quietly before his expression grew more serious. “Take the gallery.”
Chapter 5
Uncle Derick,” Logan yelled as he ran to the front door at lightning speed. “Dad said you flew a helicopter here. Can I sit in it?”
Derick shook his head and rolled his eyes at his brother, who was standing in the foyer laughing quietly.
“I don’t have a helicopter, Logan. Your dad’s being silly.”
“Oh,” Logan replied, looking slightly disappointed. “You should get one then.”
Derick smiled at his nephew and gave the five-year-old a few playful punches to his stomach. “I’ll think about it, okay?”
“’Kay,” Logan replied. “You should get a green one.” Then he took off toward the kitchen as quickly as he’d come in.
Derick looked at Cole and chuckled. “You’d lie to your own kid to mess with me? You’re an asshole, you know that?”
Cole smiled. “I do.”
“Hi, Derick.” Melissa glided gracefully toward him. He wrapped his arms around his sister-in-law and gave her a kiss. Her red hair had gotten considerably longer since he’d seen her last. “You look great. I can’t believe you’re gonna have a baby in a few months. You’re not even that big,” he said, pulling back to look at her.
Cole winced at his brother’s words, as if he knew what was coming.
“Not that big?” Melissa asked, smacking his chest. “What does that mean?”
Shit. “I just meant that…I thought you’d be like, really huge. But you’re not. You’re…” Unsure of how to finish his sentence, he stared awkwardly at her.
Melissa shook her head at him. “I’ll be in the kitchen. Dinner will probably be ready in a half hour or so. Try not to get into too much trouble before then.”
“We’re not making any promises,” Cole said as she walked off. Then he turned back toward Derick. “You’re such an idiot.”
Derick laughed as he took off his jacket and tossed it on the railing. “So I’ve been told.”
Cole opened the basement door. “Come downstairs. I gotta show you what I did to it. It’s a man cave on steroids,” he said as he trotted down the steps.
Derick followed him downstairs. “This is pretty sweet,” he said, admiring the masculine space. He ran a hand along the granite bar. “You think this is gonna get any use? You have a five-year-old and you’ll have a newborn soon.”
Cole turned to stare at him like Derick was a moron. “That’s exactly why it’ll be used. I need an escape from whatever…that is up there,” Cole said, pointing toward the ceiling. “It sounds like the running of the bulls.” His face grew serious. “That’s one kid, Derick. I’m gonna have two soon.” He ran a panicked hand through his dark hair. “What the hell was I thinking?”
“It’ll be fine,” Derick assured him.
“Says the man with no wife or children.” Cole grabbed two beers out of the small fridge and handed one to his brother.
Derick laughed. “We have time for a game, right?” he asked, pointing at the pool table.
Cole grabbed Derick’s arm. “I have time for nothing. I can’t even take a shit without Logan banging on the door because he wants to show me some video about the respiratory system or something.” He grabbed a cue and lined up to break. “Seriously. What kid looks at medical videos for fun? I’m tellin’ you,” he said, pointing his stick at Derick. “Something’s not right with him. He’s like…”
“Smart?” Derick said.
“I was thinking more like nerdy. Wait until he gets to first grade. That’s when kids really start noticing when their classmates are weird. It’s only a matter of time before they rub his face in the dirt or dangle him out the window of the bus.”
Derick rolled his eyes. “He’s going to elementary school, not rushing a frat. They’re not gonna torture him. You’re being dramatic.”
“No way,” Cole said. “Kids are cruel. And soon I’m gonna have a daughter. I know nothing about girls, Derick. Nothing!”
“Well, you definitely know more than me because you managed to get one to marry you.” Derick sank the six ball in the corner pocket and moved to the side of the table to line up his next shot.
“I know,” Cole said. “And she’s hot. I’m still not sure why she said yes.”
“Clearly she’s a glutton for punishment,” Derick joked.
“I guess Siobhan is, too,” Cole shot back with a smile. But it quickly disappeared when he seemed to notice
Derick’s jovial expression fade. “Jesus. What’d you do now?”
Derick chalked up his stick, not wanting to make eye contact with Cole. “Does it matter?”
“Well, I have to know what you did if I’m gonna help you fix it.”
From the moment when the call with Siobhan had ended, Derick knew it was over for good. But this time it wasn’t because Siobhan wouldn’t take him back. This time he was done. Done chasing her, done apologizing to her, done trying to convince her that he meant well. “It’s over, Cole. I don’t want to fix it.”
Chapter 6
Siobhan plopped the last box onto the creaky wooden floor.
“You don’t have that much stuff,” Dom commented as he scanned the tiny space that she’d moved into.
“Yeah. I sold a lot before I left Detroit. I knew there wouldn’t be much room here,” she said. “This place is cute, though. And it’s awesome that it’s right in the city. I lived in Brooklyn last time.”
“Oh, yeah?” Dom asked. “I didn’t know you’d lived in New York before. All Blaine told me was that she had a friend who was moving here and needed a place. I haven’t had a roommate in a few months, so I’m definitely happy to be splitting the rent again.” Dom motioned for her to follow him. “Let me show you around.”
“You couldn’t find anyone who wanted to rent it?” Siobhan asked as she walked behind him.
“I haven’t really looked. I didn’t want to rent it to some random person. The guy who lived here before you was strange as shit. I barely heard him speak in the six months he lived here. He’d sleep naked on the couch and stuff.”
Siobhan laughed. “I definitely won’t be sleeping on the couch nude,” she assured him.
Dom pointed to the small fridge and oven. “Not much to the kitchen, but everything works.”
She nodded.
“And for the record,” Dom said, “the sleeping naked thing definitely wouldn’t be as creepy to me if you did it.”
Siobhan knew a comment like that from a stranger should make her uncomfortable, but for some reason it had her laughing.
Dom took her to the basement where the laundry room was and then gave her a key to the apartment. “So how do you know Blaine?” he asked as he took a seat on the small sofa.
“We worked at the Stone Room together. What about you?”
“We went to high school together,” Dom said.
“Oh, wow. I didn’t realize you’ve known each other that long,” Siobhan said.
“Yeah, like fifteen years, I guess it’s been. I don’t see her much anymore, but we keep in touch through Facebook and stuff. I’m in finance, so I’m basically married to work during the week and off on the weekends. Our schedules don’t really match up.”
“Gotcha,” Siobhan said. “Is it weird that neither of us asked anything about the other before we agreed to live together?”
“Probably.” Dom laughed. “So what made you move back to New York?”
“I’m a painter,” she said confidently. “And I moved back to run a gallery.”
Chapter 7
Siobhan unwound the scarf from around her neck as she entered the Stone Room. A flood of memories tried to surface, causing a prickling behind her eyes that she thankfully hadn’t felt since moving back to New York. At least not often. The place triggered memories of all the Dericks Siobhan had encountered: the chivalrous one, the stubborn one, the sweet one, the possessive one. The one she still loved a little, but hated a little bit, too.
Basically, being back in the club made her uneasy, and Siobhan wanted to collect the girls and get the hell out of there.
The plan was to go to an after-hours bar Blaine had worked some kind of bartender magic to get them invited to. It was supposedly as exclusive as the Stone Room, while also being more inclusive. Anyone could go as long as you were on the list that Blaine had said was guarded by enormous bouncers and a velvet rope. Siobhan was pretty damn excited.
“You can’t be in here unless you’re working. And I’m pretty sure I fired you months ago.”
Oh, for Christ’s sake. Siobhan plastered a smile on her face and turned slowly. “Hi, Saul. Long time no see. And you didn’t fire me. I finally came to my senses and quit this dive,” she said. But then she analyzed the look on Saul’s face and realized it was warm and kind.
He stepped closer and leaned in to peck Siobhan on the cheek. He seemed genuinely pleased to see her and Siobhan wondered if the man had undergone a lobotomy since she’d seen him last. “Howya doin’, kid? I heard you were back in town.”
“Yup, I’m back.” The response was lame, but Siobhan wasn’t really sure what else to say.
“Well, it’s good to see you.” His smile suddenly dropped. “You’re not here looking for a job, are you? Because I finally managed to rebuild our crystal stemware collection.”
Siobhan bit back a smile. “You’re really funny tonight. Spending some quality time in the liquor closet again?”
Saul let out a hearty laugh.
“I’m just waiting for the girls,” Siobhan explained.
Saul looked around the club. “They should be about done. I’ll let them know you’re here.”
“Thanks, Saul.”
He started to walk away, but turned back toward her after he’d taken a few steps. “And I was just teasing you. It really is great to see you here.”
He left before she could reply, which was a good thing because his words had choked her up a bit. She really was becoming a basket case.
Siobhan waited at the front for a little while longer before she heard her friends in all their rowdy glory making their way toward her.
“I don’t get why you care how I got us in. Just be thankful I was able to,” Siobhan heard Blaine saying.
“No, there’s something fishy going on. And if I have to get you drunk to find out what it is, so be it,” Marnel replied.
“You’re going to take advantage of a drunk girl? Where’s your sense of sisterhood?” Blaine argued.
“Don’t have any.”
Blaine and Cory burst into laughter as they walked up to Siobhan and hugged her.
“So I’m assuming we’re picking on Blaine tonight?” Siobhan asked.
Marnel barreled through the other girls and hugged Siobhan quickly before pulling her toward the door. “Yes. Blaine is totally sleeping her way into fancy bars, and I want to know all about it.”
Siobhan regarded Marnel with a smirk. “Kind of like we wanted to know about Nate?”
Marnel released Siobhan’s arm like she’d suddenly realized it was riddled with gangrene and stormed ahead. “Nope. It’s nothing like that at all.”
“I’ll bet,” Siobhan murmured.
They hailed a cab and piled in. Blaine gave the driver the address before the man pulled into traffic without so much as a backward glance. “What’s the name of this place?” Siobhan asked.
“The Black Opal,” Blaine replied as she pulled a lighted mirror out of her bag and applied a lip balm and bright-red lipstick, and then topped it all off with some type of gloss.
The girls looked at one another skeptically.
“Marnel’s right. Who is he?” Siobhan asked.
Blaine looked around, and realizing the question was directed at her, quickly turned off the mirror and threw it in her purse. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, because you look stunning, but I highly doubt you’re making your lips look that good for us. So who is he?”
“Can’t a girl wear a little makeup?”
“A little, yes,” Cory answered. “But you basically painted a giant KISS ME sign on your face.”
Blaine slumped back in her seat. “You’re all ridiculous.”
“I’m just getting started,” Marnel muttered.
“What was that?” Blaine snapped.
“Oh, nothing.”
“I thought we were celebrating Siobhan’s gallery opening. Not playing Twenty Questions about my sex life.”
“I will head-butt you, so help me God.”
“No blood in the cab,” the driver yelled.
The girls’ heads all snapped in the direction of the driver before they broke out into hysterical laughter that lasted all the way to the bar. They let Blaine lead them up to the entrance, which was indeed guarded by giant bouncers and a velvet rope. She gave her name, and the men nearly tripped over themselves to move the rope for her.
There was definitely a really good story there.
The bar was down a flight of steps into a space that was open and sparsely lit. The female employees were all dressed in various black cabaret costumes while the men wore tight white T-shirts and black fitted pants with suspenders. A jazz band provided the sound track to a place that seemed to have leaped right out of the 1940s. Siobhan’s eyes roamed all around as she took in the purple and black striped walls with gold adornments that should have been gaudy but somehow…worked.
This was without a doubt one of the coolest places Siobhan had ever been.
A hostess led them over to a table that already had a bottle of champagne chilling on it. “Bottle service is being provided for you all evening. Please let us know if you require anything else,” she said before leaving them slack-jawed at the table.
Marnel slowly panned toward Blaine and just stared at her.
“What?” Blaine finally snapped.
Marnel shook her head. “Do me one favor.”
Blaine widened her eyes in annoyance and waited for Marnel to continue.
“Whatever you’re doing. Or whoever. Keep doing it.”
Blaine rolled her eyes before reaching for the bottle of champagne and filling their glasses. When she’d replaced the bottle, she lifted her glass. “Let’s toast. To Siobhan. For coming home, and for her exciting new venture.”
The girls all clinked glasses and drank the bubbly liquid that went down smoothly.
“So how has it been? Honestly,” Cory asked.
Siobhan was confused. “How has what been?”
Exquisite Page 2
