I Think We Missed Our Turn - L.A. Witt Page 0,2

several expensive pieces on the walls and pedestals of the lobby. I was absolutely not explaining to one of these artists that their painting was ruined or their sculpture destroyed because my dad had excitedly lobbed his Android through it.

“We did it!” he cried. “We finally did it! We’re getting a Zoe Neelan collection!”

My jaw fell open, and I nearly forgot about the phone’s potential to turn into an art-destroying missile. “Zoe Neelan? Seriously?”

“Yes!” He laughed and put his hand to his chest. “I just got off the phone with her. I didn’t think she’d ever agree to it.”

“That’s amazing!” I said. Cass and Marques were grinning too. Zoe Neelan was an incredible sculptor, and while she made her living as an artist, she detested the commercialization of art. In her eyes, art galleries were nothing more than used car showrooms for art. Dad had been trying for five years to persuade her to put a few pieces into the gallery. Today, his persistence had paid off.

“Where do you want to put it?” Marques gestured past the lobby. “Depending on the dimensions, we might have to do some serious shuffling around, so the—”

“We’ll worry about that when it gets here,” Dad said. “First things first?” He gestured at me, then Marques with his phone. “I need you boys to go pick up the collection.”

“Pick it up?” I asked. “So we’re taking the pieces from another gallery?” Oh, that would create some awkwardness. The other gallery had probably been as thrilled as we were about acquiring some of her work, and to have it yanked by a competitor? That had to sting.

“No, not another gallery.” Dad shook his head. “These are brand new, never before seen pieces. I’ll need you boys to drive up to her studio and get them.”

Marques and I glanced at each other, eyes wide.

“Drive up—” I blinked. “Isn’t her studio in middle-of-nowhere Maine?”

Dad nodded, and he grimaced apologetically. “I wouldn’t ask either of you to do this, but she refuses to trust any of the shipping companies. And she said some of the pieces require two people to move them.” He looked at both of us, his excitement dipping in favor of pleading. “You know I would never ask something like this, but…it’s Zoe Neelan.”

Aw, fuck me. I couldn’t say no to my dad for much of anything, but this? No way. There were some other employees I could suggest, but it was pointless. Garrett was such a terrible driver, no one even sent him on lunch runs anymore. Deion was a minor, so it probably wasn’t even legal to send him on a multi-day, multi-state road trip, and his parents definitely wouldn’t go for it. Katie was still on probation, so I was pretty sure she couldn’t leave the state.

Dad couldn’t go on the road himself because of some health issues, and my mom wouldn’t leave him for days on end for the same reason. Cass kept all the administrative plates spinning, so losing her for a few days while the gallery was getting ready for a big show would be a disaster.

That left Marques. And me.

What was I going to do? Say no?

I sighed. “All right. All right. Just, um… Just let me know where we need to go and when she’s expecting us.”

Dad’s excitement came back to life, and he hugged me fiercely. “You’re the best!” He let me go and gave Marques’s shoulder a firm smack. “Both of you!”

Marques smiled. “Don’t mention it, boss.”

“I’ll go get all the information.” Dad flung open the Employees Only door again and hurried into the back, throwing over his shoulder, “The sooner you boys can hit the road, the better.”

Marques and I both watched the door, then turned to each other, and his expression mirrored my uneasiness.

He recovered quickly, though, and cleared his throat. “Okay. Well.” He smiled tightly. “I guess we should start planning our trip.”

“Right. Yeah.” I glanced at the unopened boxes of flyers. “Guess you won’t have to worry about putting addresses on those.”

He looked in the direction I’d indicated, and his face lit up. “Oh yeah! Sweet. I’m off the hook.” When our eyes met, the smile faltered a little. “You, um… You cool with this? Riding with me to—”

“Yeah, definitely!” I forced a smile. “I could do without the short notice, but I’m not going to say no to him when he’s got Zoe Neelan on the hook.”

Marques laughed. “No, definitely not.” He gestured in the direction Dad had gone. “I’ve got