Page 23 of Secrets Hidden In The Glass

He nodded. “Pretty much. We draw straws to see who gets to pull the night shift on my not-so-comfortable couch, but I usually do it. Everyone else has a family waiting for them at home.”

“You’re a good boss.”

“It’s the right thing to do.” He stood straight again, hoping to swing the conversation around to learning more about Callie before they said their good-nights. She didn’t seem to be one who liked to talk about herself. “Are you ready to go?”

“Sure.”

They went back down the hall, and he waited for her to step outside, then locked up. He took her hand and they started down the sidewalk under the bright glow of the streetlamp. “So what should we—”

“Excuse me.” A man and woman rushed up to them. City folks, Nate could tell immediately.

“Are you Callie Davis?” the woman asked Callie.

Callie blinked, clearly surprised.

“We kind of followed you after we saw you on the Ferris wheel,” the woman said, not bothering to wait for Callie’s response. “We were mostly certain it was you.” The woman held out a piece of paper—a receipt of some kind—and a pen. “Can you sign this for me?”

It was Nate’s turn to blink, trying to figure out what was going on.

“Oh. Uh, sure.” Callie took the paper and pen.

“We only have this ferry receipt,” the woman continued, grinning at Callie. “You can just use the back. My name’s Tricia.”

Callie went to work, using a pane of window glass on the building by their side to write To Tricia, then Callie Davis in her pretty looping handwriting.

“We just walked through your terminal at JFK last week,” the man said.

“Amazing,” Tricia chimed in as the man nodded.

“I’m so glad you like it.” Callie glanced at Nate as she handed back the paper.

Tricia looked at it and beamed. “Wow, this is great. When’s your next exhibition?”

“Um, I’m not sure.”

“We’re just such big fans. We’ve been following your career for some time now. Are you planning to work with Tatiana Livingston or Josh Moore again?”

“Ah, no. I don’t think so.”

Nate studied Callie more closely, watching her growing tenser as Tricia mentioned two of the biggest names in Hollywood, and the conversation dragged on. He settled his arm around her shoulders. “Thanks, guys. We’re going to get back to our evening.”

“Yeah, of course. Okay. Bye,” Tricia said, stepping back with a quick wave.

Callie sent them a small smile. “Bye.”

Nate walked off with her, making certain they moved in the opposite direction of the overly enthusiastic couple. “What was that?”

Callie said nothing, blowing out a long, quiet breath as she picked up her pace.

“Whoa.” He snagged her arm as they approached the next streetlight. “Let’s just stop right here and clear the air, because something’s making you unhappy.”

She swallowed and looked down.

“Hey,” he said quietly, taking her hands in his and squeezing. “What was that?” he asked again gently.

She met his gaze—her eyes miserable. “I’m just—I’m taking a break from work.”

He thought of the renter’s application and the Marion West Gallery she’d written down as her place of employment. “Which is?”