“He’s a collector. It’s a professional opportunity.”
“She hates him.”
“Important foryou.”
I’d wanted to argue, to say it was too soon to push Hiromi for favors, but my ultimate target wasn’t her. It was Lyon.
When she arrived, Hiromi found me leaning against the iron gate of the stoop beside Mixed, holding myself loosely, like Sebastian at a party. His world-watching pose, Faraday called it.
“You look like yourself,” she said.
“These are my real clothes.”
“We approve.” She was wearing a white summer dress covered with flecks of blue—halfway between sleek Hiromi and her workshop grunge.
“Did you paint it yourself?” I asked.
“Accidentally, at first.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“It’s not done yet.”
We started at the bar, with bright citrus and coconut drinks. I was mirroring Hiromi’s nonalcoholic ways tonight, intrigued to seduce someone without the buzz of alcohol.
We were surrounded by stylish, beautiful, important people shouting in each other’s ears. Hiromi knew half of them—I’d never been hugged by so many ordinaries. Sebastian would’ve been in his element.
“Is it always like this?”
“Crowded? Loud? Yes, but more than usual. It’s the restaurant’s last night.”
Samantha Chan, the head chef, had won culinary awards but was mostly famous for being on TV. Mixed had been a huge success, but now the lease was running out—the landlord was tripling her rent.
“How do you know Chef Sam?” I asked, which is what they called her on TV.
“Friend of the family. Before my starving artist period.”
“We won’t starve tonight. Garrett gave me the gallery’s Amex.”
“You really are his favorite.” She leaned closer, her lips brushing my ear. “How is it, working for him?”
“It would be easier if he weren’t innumerate.”
“Is that unusual for a Morton?”
“Yes. Are you close to your family?”
Hiromi took a slow breath, then spoke in a rush.
“My parents died when I was fifteen. They’d cut all ties when they left Japan—never told me why—and I was an only child. All of a sudden, I was completely alone.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, wondering why Garrett hadn’t told me any of this.
“That must be unimaginable to you.”
I shook my head. “My cousin Sebastian had no family, before we adopted him.”
“The Mortons adopt?”