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furniture created, the smaller ones almost overwhelmed by the
ornate carving. When he peered closer, however, he discovered
they weren t typical portraits of the period. She d captured people
from bygone eras in the middle of their work a woman hunched
over a sewing machine in the middle of a sweatshop, a farmer
holding down a calf as it got branded. They were nearly photo-
realistic, but the thick ridges of dried oil paint proved they d been
created from nothing, brought to life in painstaking detail.
His jaw literally dropped as he moved around the room,
peering into each one as he sought out the specifics that made them
so real. He forgot about Fess and his anxiety over the date. He
even forgot about the gorgeous console that had attracted him upon
arrival.
Told you she was good, Fess murmured.
These are better than good. These are astounding. He tilted
his head as if that would give him a better angle to see into the
weary eyes of a coal miner that hung over a fake mantel. His face
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was mostly hidden, and what little Joe could see of his jaw was
smeared in coal dust that looked so real, his fingertips felt grimy.
These can t be straight from her head. She must ve used pictures
or something to paint from.
Models, actually. A lot of us posed for her.
Us? Joe swiveled to stare at Fess. Are you in one of these?
Fess grinned and jerked his chin toward the miner he d been
fascinated by. You re looking at me.
Joe didn t believe it. Nothing about the miner even hinted it
could be Fess, though the baggy overalls could ve hidden the trim
body. The figure in the painting looked too worn and exhausted to
be the vibrant man at his side.
You must be an amazing actor, he said. I don t see you in
there at all.
Thanks, but hold onto those compliments until you ve actually
seen me in something, okay? I mean, this isn t even really me. I m
just the placeholder for Natalie s imagination.
Don t believe him for a second. The warm alto came from
behind them. Joe turned to see a heavyset blonde smiling at them.
She was as elegantly dressed as Fess was, in a black pencil skirt
and matching shawl-collar sweater, but he could ve sworn he saw
a swathe of purple paint disappear beneath the sleeve. No actor
should be that modest.
Joe stifled his laugh when he saw she was being serious. I take
it you ve seen some of his work, then.
This is Natalie, Fess said. He edged closer to Joe s side.
Natalie, this is Joe Salinas.
When they shook hands, her smile deepened. The DJ, right?
Technically, he said, though he wondered just how much
Fess had told his friends about him. It pays the bills while I finish
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WHAT THE HEART THINKS
up my doctorate.
In what?
Bioethics.
Her eyes widened until she more closely resembled an anime
character than the artist professional she presented herself as.
That s some heavy-duty shooting there. What re you going to do
with that when you re done?
Probably continue DJ-ing. When she laughed, rich and
throaty, he realized he wasn t nervous with her at all. It felt safe to
add, Your work is phenomenal, by the way. If you don t sell
every single piece tonight, something is wrong with this world.
Thank you. She leaned closer to Fess. Keep this one. I like
the way he thinks.
Fess pitched his tone lower to match hers. You like everybody
who compliments your work.
Don t we all? When someone called her name from deeper in
the gallery, she winced. Damn it, I gotta go. Save me a couch so
we can catch up later, all right?
We can sit on the couches? Joe asked, surprised.
What s the point of having them if not to sit on?
She was gone as swiftly as she d descended, leaving Joe
slightly bewildered about what had just happened.
You heard the woman. Fess slipped his hand into Joe s and
tugged him toward the nearest sofa. Let s sit.
Joe obliged. He even let Fess keep their fingers intertwined
once they were settled. You told her about me.
Sure, Fess said. Why wouldn t I?
Fess was far too good at making statements that cheated Joe
from refuting them. Because in that moment, as relaxed as he was,
as unbothered as he was by Fess s outward affection, as delighted
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WHAT THE HEART THINKS
as he was with the people Fess called friends, he could only
summon one thought.
Why wouldn t he, indeed?
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WHAT THE HEART THINKS
CHAPTER 5
The gallery was a third full when Fess sought out Natalie to
make his goodbyes. He found her away from the rest of the guests,
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