“Dad? No. Just eternally unimpressed.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.”
She shrugged. “He’s a political animal and I don’t have any power, and he must have decided you were too young and harmless to merit his charm. You’re not one of the silverbacks.”
“Wow.”
She winced. “Sorry. That was kind of a mood killer. I’m used to him, but I’m sorry if you felt snubbed. Let’s get back to the art.”
He followed her back to the wall of photos. “And your mom? Are they divorced?”
“My mom died when I was little.”
“I’m sorry,” Gabe said, feeling as though he finally got her shyness. With a dad like that and no mom around...?
“It was a long time ago,” Veronica said. “She had cancer most of my life, but I still remember all the time I spent with her. We used to watch movies in her bed. She was sick, but she never let me see her down. She used to bake cookies every Friday, and they’d still be warm when I got home from school.”
“She sounds amazing.”
“She was. That’s where New York started for me. With her. She’d been once with my father and she’d been enchanted. The skyscrapers, the taxis, the street performers, Times Square and Broadway. She wanted to take me to see Cats when I was old enough. But she got sick again. And that was that.”
“Shit, Veronica.”
“It’s okay. I got my fill of New York later. It all worked out.”
He didn’t know what to say to that. It had clearly not worked out.
She smiled. “Do you feel sorry for me now? I hope so, because I’m going to try to talk you into coming over later and I’ll use every advantage I have.”
He nudged her with his elbow. “And you say I’m the worst?”
“I know, right? What are your parents like?”
Compared to her dad, they were saints. “My dad runs his own business. He’s always busy, always going, big personality. My mom is kick-ass. She mostly stayed home with us, but she ran our household like the commander of an army. She doesn’t take crap from anyone, including my dad.”
“They sound awesome. How many brothers and sisters do you have?”
They strolled around the corner, heading toward the front room of the gallery. “Two sisters. They’re both older.”
“Ha! I should have known you were the baby. You’re so charming and cute.”
“Cute, huh? I think I’ve been downgraded.”
“Unfortunately, you’re all those things. Gorgeous, cute, sweet, sexy. Leave something for the other guys, Gabe.”
He shook his head. “Is this another tactic to get into my pants? Blatant flattery?”
“It is if it’s working,” she said with a grin. The grin snapped to a flat line and her eyes narrowed suddenly. Gabe followed her gaze to a man who was approaching them through the wide corridor that connected the two rooms.
“Roni!” the guy called. “It’s been a long time.”
“Hi, Dillon,” she said. “It’s Veronica now.” Gabe was shocked at how low her voice had gone. Not shy, really, but...cool.
“Right. Veronica. I can’t believe I haven’t seen you since you got back to town. You look great. Really different.”
Gabe watched as her cheeks went red. She looked away, her fingers tightening around the stem of the glass. “Thanks,” she muttered.
“I read your column. Amazing stuff. New York was really good for you.”