The surprise was still evident in the man’s face but he hurried immediately to the wall to take down the painting that had first caught Ash’s attention. It was framed. Not well, and he’d definitely replace the frame with something more worthy of her talent. But first he had to buy up all her work and let the man know that anything else that Josie brought in was his.
After a few minutes, the man had taken down the last painting and started toward the desk in front of the gallery. Then he paused and turned, a thoughtful look on his face.
“I have one more. In the back. She just brought it in two days ago. I didn’t have the space to hang it, but I didn’t have the heart to tell her no. Not when I’d already told her I wouldn’t be able to take anything else until I sold something.”
“I want it too,” Ash clipped out.
“Sight unseen?”
Ash nodded. “If she did it, I want it. I want every piece of hers you have.”
The man’s expression brightened. “Well, then. Perfect. She’ll be thrilled! I can’t wait to tell her.”
Ash held up his hand, halting the man before he went to the back to retrieve the painting.
“You tell her whatever you want, but you do not give her my name or any information about me. I want complete anonymity or the deal is off. Understand? Furthermore, I’m going to leave you my card. If she brings in anything else, you call me. I want whatever she brings in. I’ll pay you double for everything you currently have as long as you make sure she gets her cut. And I will find out if you stiffed her, so don’t even think about it. But that extra money also ensures I get first option on whatever else she brings you—and I will buy whatever she brings—so it would be in your best interest to let her bring in whatever the hell she wants.”
“O-of c-course,” the man stammered out. “I’ll arrange it however you like. She won’t know anything other than someone took a liking to her work and wanted everything I had. She’ll be thrilled. I, of course, will tell her she is free to bring in anything else she has.”
Ash nodded. “Good. Then we understand one another.”
“Absolutely. Let me just get the painting in the back and bring it out. Would you like to take them all today or have me deliver them?”
“I’ll take the one with me,” Ash murmured, gesturing toward the first painting he’d seen on the wall. “The others you can have delivered to my apartment.”
The man nodded and then hurried to the back, returning a moment later with an unframed painting wrapped in a protective covering.
A moment later, Ash handed the dealer his credit card and watched as the purchases were totaled. He wasn’t sure what the breakdown on the commission was, but with what he paid, Josie should have enough to solve any money issues for the short term.
The long term? He wasn’t that worried about the long term, because while Josie had no clue of Ash’s intentions—yet—he very much intended that the long term would include him.
chapter three
At ten minutes past eight, Ash walked into the private box where Gabe and Jace were already sitting, enjoying a drink. They looked up when he entered and Jace waved a greeting.
“What’s your poison tonight? Your usual?” Jace asked when Ash took a seat next to him.
A woman appeared wearing a sexy smile and propped her arm on Gabe’s shoulder.
“So sorry to hear you’re off the market,” she said in a flirty voice.
Gabe looked pointedly at her arm and when he didn’t say anything, she swiftly took it away and then turned to Ash.
“What can I get you?”
He wasn’t in a drinking mood, but he didn’t want to be a damper on his friend’s evening. And it was in fact their last evening as bachelors. Well, it wasn’t as if Jace and Ash were married, but Jace would be. It was the last evening with the three of them still single, and it signaled an end to nearly twenty years of living free and playing hard.
His friends would argue that they weren’t free or playing hard. He was sure they were doing both just fine. Mia and Bethany weren’t any hardship for the men, and they certainly had no hesitations about embracing a permanent relationship.
“Scotch,” Ash finally said.