About Tomorrow - Abbi Glines Page 0,43

helping me. I had become a ball of emotion.

When I was done, I felt lighter. The anger was gone but the sadness was still there. It just had less power to control me. I’d let it out and I felt stronger.

I sat for a few more moments and did some breathing exercises I learned in counseling then wiped my face dry. I was going to be okay. Griff and I were going to be okay. This was a rough patch but it was life and we would get through it. I didn’t think Griff was sitting around crying. He had too much studying for that. It was just me who was struggling. I was the one who needed to toughen up and get through it.

Standing back up, I made my way to the stairs to take another shower. It felt like I needed it to wash away the rest of the sorrow. Tonight, I would have a wonderful time doing what I loved to do. Nothing else was going to bring me down.

seventeen

A better choice in shoes would have been the only thing I would’ve changed about tonight. Smiling into my flute of champagne, I took a small taste and let Albert handle the questions for a moment. The museum was full of men dressed in tuxedos and women adorned with diamonds. The guests didn’t intimidate me, although Ambre had seemed concerned earlier today that they would. Neither Ambre nor Albert knew who my father was, and even if I told them, I didn’t think they’d be impressed. Neither of them appeared to be fans of country music.

I liked that about my job too. At work, I was myself, Sailor Copeland. Not Denver Copeland’s daughter. In Nashville, I wasn’t afforded that privacy. I had to deal with cameras going off in my face if I went out on a date and cameras going off that I didn’t see when I did something as simple as swimming. Griff had been great about our first date being on the cover of a gossip magazine.

My eyes caught a couple standing over by the Custode Segreto, a painting of a young girl hidden partially behind a door. It left one wondering what it was she saw, what it was she was hiding from, or who it was she was hiding from. I loved the depth of darkness the artist had taken to bring you into the moment. Worried for the child. You didn’t want her to get caught.

I set my flute on an empty tray and made my way over to the couple. The woman noticed me approaching first and her smile was genuine, unlike many I had encountered this evening. Not that it mattered. “Can I answer any questions you may have about The Custode Segreto?” I asked.

“What year was this painted? I don’t recall seeing it when we visited this exhibit in Rome,” the man replied.

“This was first displayed in eighteen thirty-six. It has only been with this exhibit for the past two years. Before then it belonged to a Mr. Chanade Nieler in his private museum within his home in Italy.”

They seemed pleased with my answer.

“I’m going to get another drink,” his wife informed him and excused herself.

When he seemed to have no more questions for me, I made my way over to stand away from the guests again. I didn’t want to crowd them and the art was meant to be enjoyed. No need to stand in their way. I’d been lucky enough to help unpack almost every piece.

Ambre was beaming with pleasure as she walked toward me. The silver stiletto heels she was wearing tonight almost put her at eye level with me. If I hadn’t been wearing heels they would have. “Excellent job tonight. I’ve heard only good things tonight about you. They seem to be pleased with you as does Albert. I can’t think of the last time this place has ran so smoothly.”

I didn’t see how I helped that any but I smiled feeling pleased. “It’s been a great event.”

She nodded. “Yes, it has and the donations we’ve received have been more than enough to cover the cost of this exhibit. They’re all about to start slowly heading out. Go on and leave. No need for you to stand around until they’re gone. Have a long weekend and we will see you Monday. Oh, and send me the photos you took of the exhibit and set up. I’d like to send them to the paper.”

I started