Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 122946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 615(@200wpm)___ 492(@250wpm)___ 410(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 615(@200wpm)___ 492(@250wpm)___ 410(@300wpm)
“Wow, you have even more?” he questioned, looking back at Theseus who just nodded.
“Thank you, Mr. de Apollo. You must understand our discretion,” Simone said, handing him back the sticky note, and at this point, I was just lost.
“Of course,” he replied, taking the note back.
“Are these the paintings you have come to retrieve?” Dr. Lovell questioned, placing his papers down on the desk and turning his frantic hand over to the canvas being covered with the white sheet. His curiosity got the best of him.
“Yes,” Theseus said, stepping into Dr. Lovell’s path. The difference between them was like David and Goliath. He towered over Dr. Lovell. “The painting is of a personal nature, and my family member does not wish to display it. It seems I was not in my right frame of mind as I shipped it. But you all are, per the contract, free to display and restore anything else as you see fit.”
“Oh, this is marvelous,” he said excitedly as he moved toward his desk, shuffling papers across it. “I have so many questions. Did your family keep records of purchases? Artist names perhaps or even dates or locations will do.”
“I will do the best I can, though I am not sure if there were records kept about them,” he lied once more, and I noticed, only then the strange look Simone gave him as if she were trying to figure out a puzzle displaced on his face but couldn’t. He must have noticed, but he ignored her and instead walked over to where Dr. Lovell stood, looking over the man’s shoulders to see his work.
“Simone?” I whispered, getting her attention, and her gaze snapped to me like she came out of a trance. “Are you all right?”
However, she didn’t answer. She just gave me the same long look she had given him.
“Simone?”
“What?” she snapped, her face somewhat paler, her pink lips in a thin line as she nearly scowled at me.
“I asked if you were all right,” I said, trying not to sound as harsh as she had.
“I’m fine,” she stated defensively, pausing to check her phone. “It’s getting late, oh and, you never congratulated me on my promotion.”
I bit my tongue, clamping my mouth shut, but she waited, lifting her head.
“Well?”
“Congratulations, though how you got it after the last botched job is completely beyond me.”
“Daniel.” She lifted her ring finger, showing me her massive princess cut, pink-diamond ring for the ten-million time in the last week since it had been on her long, boney finger. “He and the director are golfing buddies. I went with them yesterday, and he really liked some of the ideas we talked about for the gallery.”
The ideas? She freaking meant my ideas! Breathe, Druella, breathe.
“How…” Say something nice, Druella, or at the very least don’t let her know you’re pissed. “Damn shameless you are, Simone.”
She kept that fake, cheerleader smile on her face. “Why would I be ashamed, Druella? It’s not my fault you didn’t say anything. Besides, I’ve been here longer, so it’s fitting, anyway.”
What would be fitting would be me holding your head underwater. “Sure, I’ll just wait for karma.”
“You do that,” she said, ending our whispered fight and turning to Theseus. “Mr. de Apollo.”
It was only then that he glanced up from Dr. Lovell to me, but his face was emotionless, hard, almost as tense as hers, and I was sure he’d heard our whole conversation. “Yes, Ms. Ward?
“I’ll see to it that someone has the painting you wished returned to wherever you’d like. If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to call.” She offered him her card that I noticed had her new position already printed on them.
“Thank you, Ms. Ward. I shall do so,” Theseus replied as he took it with his two fingers. From the way he held it, it seemed as if he were just waiting for the chance to toss it into the trash.
With that, Simone turned and walked up the stairs and toward the elevator. She walked slower than normally. I heard her heart rate quicken, though she remained calm on the outside. All of her was more tense; she didn’t look back and only kept her head down until she got inside the elevators. It was only as the silver doors began to slide closed that she looked up again. Her gaze never left Theseus’s face until the doors closed.
What in the—
“Dr. Lovell,” Theseus spoke, and the normal light-heartedness he’d been speaking in before vanished as he peered into Dr. Lovell’s eyes. “You are tired and want to go home to rest because the paintings can wait.”
Dr. Lovell stared up and then blinked and looked around, stretching out his arms as he turned to me. “You know what, Druella, I’m a bit tired and want to go home and rest. These can wait. I’ll see you in the morning.”