“Emily?” Blair called out, glancing over her shoulder as though to make sure Theo was still there.
The tall brunette bustled into the room, her hands clutching a tablet in front of her. Emily’s eyes widened when she saw Theo behind Blair, sagging with relief. Theo cocked a brow at her but said nothing as she hurried over to them.
Geez, Blair hadn’t been kidding about the panic attack.
“Oh, thank God you found him, Blair,” Emily said hastily, turning to Theo. “I need your opinion on the backdrop I chose for the Gutter series.”
“It...honestly doesn’t matter to me,” Theo began, shutting up when Blair shot a glare at him over Emily’s shoulder.
Emily’s eyes widened. “But it does matter. It has to fit the theme you were going for. And while I simply adore your work, utterly adore, it has to fit your vision. Otherwise, the whole thing will be an utter mess.”
She spoke so rapidly, and so earnestly in her despair, Theo could only nod as though he pretended to agree with her. Blair winked at him before walking off, heels clacking on the wood floor as she left them to it.
Theo was all but dragged over to another full partition, where three of his paintings had already been hung. Emily had absolutely insisted that they choose a color palette or wallpaper for each section of the collection that was hung up according to theme. He wasn’t quite sure how she managed it, but apparently, the woman had a whole host of temporary sheets that could be applied to the smooth walls to give them the appearance of being painted or adorned with wallpaper.
Emily pulled the tablet up and opened it, displaying various colors and patterns. “I had thought to go with charcoal gray, as it fits the somber backgrounds and despairing quality, but I couldn’t help but wonder if something softer would do it more justice.”
“Softer?” Theo asked.
“Yes, an eggshell blue perhaps, or lavender. I had considered canary yellow, but that seemed too great a contrast. But I thought perhaps something a little lighter would draw more attention to the dark tones you used.”
Theo blinked. “I can see what you’re aiming at, that’s a good idea.”
She beamed as though he’d just presented her with a long lost family heirloom she’d searched her whole life for. Theo watched as she tapped away, showing a few selections of colors and babbling the entire time. He quickly realized she didn’t want him to pick anything, so much as agree with her for peace of her own mind.
That one partition was not the end. It turned out there were even more sections she wanted his opinion on, pulling up the paintings in question. Theo had to begrudgingly give the woman credit, she was definitely dedicated and driven. Yet as she drew him to yet another possible display setup, he couldn’t help but think she was a little too driven.
By the time it was done, he was left standing in the middle of the room, dazed, and wishing he could have a drink. Emily had practically skipped away from him after checking, double-checking, and then triple-checking to make sure everything would be perfect.
Blair strode back into view, stepping around a partition. “Have fun?”
Theo scowled at her. “That was more work than creating all these damn things combined.”
Blair chuckled. “She’s very good at what she does. That’s precisely why I picked her for this.”
Theo rolled his eyes. “You picked her because you knew Miss High Society Gallery Director would make a big fuss.”
“And look at all the attention and money you’ll end up with.”
“I have attention and money.”
Which was true. Okay, maybe he didn’t have a lot of money, but he had more than enough to sustain his lifestyle for the most part. He’d been on his own when he walked away from his family, and he’d had a couple of years of practice living on his own, so he was doing well for himself.
Blair looked at him knowingly. “And you’re saying you couldn’t do with more of either?”
True, attention led to money, and money meant his expenses would be an easier weight to bear. It didn’t change the fact that he hated every minute of having to deal with the public when it came to his work. If they wanted a commission or to buy a print, by all means, he had a system set up that worked just fine.
“I’m saying I hate pimping myself out like a whore,” Theo grumbled.
“Ah, yes, but unless you want to suffer in obscurity and really aim for the whole starving artist trope, then perhaps you should suck it up and deal with it.”
Theo eyed her suspiciously. “And just what do you get out of this?”
Blair frowned. “What, helping my favorite cousin, isn’t enough?”
“Yeah, I’m going to go back to my nickname for your director friend. We both know that word of this is going to get back to the family,” Theo said.
“And?”
“And we both know that you absolutely delight in sticking it to them in the best ways.”
Theo had to give Blair credit, the look of innocence on her face was believable. The only thing that gave her away was the slightest jerk of her eyes to the left. Only those who knew Blair would have caught the little tell.
“Uh-huh,” Theo grunted.
“Oh, it’ll be fine,” Blair said, waving him off.
“Uh-huh.”
Blair’s nostrils flared. “And so what if they do hear? Would that be so bad?”
“You’re the one who has to deal with the fallout, not me. I fucked off from the family for a reason,” Theo grumbled.
“Well, I’m banking on them hearing. And I chose Emily out of everyone I could have because I knew she’d give the best presentation of your work. Which your work deserves, I might add. And I hope the news spreads through every circle, and your mother gets to hear every word of it. And I hope every bit of praise and commendation sticks right in her craw.”
Theo cocked his head, staring at her. “Where did that come from?”
Blair’s features schooled into a pleasant smile. “The same place as when I told your mother that cutting you out of the family was the most foolish thing she could have done.”
“You...told her that?” Theo asked slowly.
“There were a few other statements thrown in there, but that was the summation of what I said, yes.”
“Uh,” Theo began, not sure how to continue.
He and Blair had always been close, even from a young age. There was only a year between them, and since their mothers were close, Blair and he had seen a lot of each other growing up. Despite the fact that Blair took to the lessons of their family, right down to the rules of propriety and dignity, she had been the only one in their family who had never given him shit for what he did.
When he’d had his first tattoo, at the rather tender age of sixteen, a black hole sucking in a whirling mass of various colors, she’d proclaimed it fascinating and well done. His mother had called it an atrocity to his fair skin and demanded to know the artist. Probably to run him out of town and leave him penniless. When he’d had three rings in his ear at eighteen, Blair had called it chic and teased him, wondering why he hadn’t covered his whole ear. His mother, however, had refused to speak to him every time she saw the piercings.
Those were only two moments out of dozens, where Blair had supported him without doubt or hesitation. Yet they had been private moments. Never once, not in Theo’s sight anyway, had he ever seen her say a word against someone in the family when it came to him. Then again, he had to remember that she had never been in as strong a position in the family as she was now.