Page 165 of The Girlfriend Clause
Liam turned to me, a slight knit in his brow. “You do?”
God, could this get more awkward?Bonnie stuck her hand into the informal circle. “Bonnie Marchand.” Her smile was efficient and bright. “I work with Liam. I didn’t realize you knew Andrea.”
Sebastian barely looked at her. “Sebastian Wetherall,” he said absently, before turning back to me. “I saw your piece again recently, Andrea. At the Chelsea Harbour auction event, Cranley House.”
So hehadbeen there. Thank God Eliza and I had managed to avoid him.
Bonnie cleared her throat. “Her piece?”
Sebastian seemed not to have heard her. He glanced at Liam. “Andrea has a very particular eye,” he said. “You don’t see it often.”
It took a second longer than usual to work out what to do with my face.
“I’m afraid we’re about to steal Andrea,” Bonnie said, laughing as she reached for my elbow. “We’ve got people looking for her.”
“You’ve seen her work, then?” Liam asked, as if Bonnie wasn’t there.
Sebastian nodded.
“Of course. At London Met, originally, when she was a student.” His eyes didn’t leave my face. “And again, at the auction. Hugo was there, wasn’t he? Andrea won one of the portrait prizes—the Montclair. Well, of course, you’d know that.”
Hugo blinked.
From the corner of my eye, I could see Bonnie’s eyebrows drawing closer together. Her gaze darted to Hugo, then back to me.
“It was an ambitious piece.” Sebastian smiled. “Unfashionable, even.”
Yes, Sebastian. I remember what youwrote.
“But that was part of the appeal,” he said. “It paid attention to who the subject was when she wasn’t posing.”
Liam glanced at me.
“I said at the time it was naive,” Sebastian added. “But only in the sense that it was raw and honest. It hadn’t learned to protect itself yet.”
I tightened my grip on the glass.
“That’s usually where the interesting work starts,” he continued. “Before people start doing what they think’s expected of them.”
Liam nodded, as though this confirmed something rather than surprised him.
“I remember being quite struck by it,” added Sebastian. “I’ve always been curious which way you’d go.”
“She notices things most people miss,” said Liam. “It’s one of the reasons I like her.”
“Yes,” Sebastian said. “That kind of attention is rare.”
From behind, someone called his name, and Sebastian turned and lifted a hand in acknowledgment, before looking back at me.
“Oh, well. It’s been good to see you again, Andrea.” He pressed a card into my hand. “Let’s stay in touch, shall we? I’d be interested to hear what direction you’re heading in now.” He was already being drawn away as he spoke.
“Of course,” I said.
“Well,” Bonnie said lightly after he’d gone. “Lovely that you’re catching up with old friends here, Andrea.”
It didn’t sound like she thought it was lovely.
Miranda met my eyes and held them a fraction longer than necessary, then the corner of her mouth twitched, and she raised her glass and glanced away.
