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Nia
After spending the whole of yesterday buried deep in my newly acquired storage unit, my muscles are aching this morning. I’m in the back room, trying to sort out my stock, when I hear the bell in the main room jangle, telling me someone has entered the store.
When I pop my head around the door, I see a familiar face.
Harry Fenwick.
“Harry! It’s good to see you.”
He comes to me and enfolds me in his arms. Harry is a big guy, so it’s easy to get lost in his grasp. He’s also one of my oldest friends.
When he pulls back, his gaze goes around the store. He whistles. “Damn, Nee, this place looks amazing.”
I beam with pride. I can’t help it. I worked hard to get this place looking as good as it does.
“You’re looking pretty good yourself. Have you been hitting the gym?”
He snorts, but I’m not lying. He does look good. His dark hair flecked with gray is a little longer than last time I saw him and it’s given him a much softer appearance than his usual shorter cut. The crow’s feet at the edge of his eyes are a little deeper, though—a reminder that time has ticked on while I was wrapped up in my personal drama. A reminder I should have done better to keep the people important to me in my life, despite what Thomas demanded.
“Unless you count lifting pie to my mouth or walking to the fridge as going to the gym.”
I grin. He always could make me laugh, even when things were bad. “So, you like my store?”
“I think it’s magical, darling.” He stops turning in a circle to take everything in and studies me. “You’ve come a long way from the girl hanging around the auctions, looking for a bargain.”
“Thanks to you, I have. You taught me everything I needed to know.” And more. His patience knew no bounds.
“It’s not often I have someone so intent on learning how things work.” He picks up an old bookend and examines it. “Can I say I’m proud of you? Because I’m so proud right now, I might burst, Nia.”
Something lodges in my throat.
“Okay, you can’t say things like that to me, Harry. I’ll cry.”
As it is, I feel tears welling in my eyes. I swipe at them before they can fall.
“I know things haven’t been easy for you, and the way you picked yourself back up. Well, I think you’ve done so well, girl.”
“I had a good teacher.”
The best. Harry is the closest thing I had to a father figure after the death of my own dad. He taught me everything I know about antiques—at least, everything I couldn’t learn from picking up a book.
“You were a quick student. You learned everything so fast.”
I glance down at my feet to hide my pleasure at his praise.
“Thank you.”
“So, you said something about a portrait on the phone.”
“Yes. I found it in the back of a storage unit I bought. I was wondering if we can find out some details about it. I don’t really know where to start.”
“Did it have any documentation with it? Provenance, history even?”
“Nothing. It was stuffed in the back of the storage unit like it’s not even important.” I sigh. “Anything you can find out would be great, but I’m not holding my breath much will come back from it. It’s just such an interesting piece.”
“May I see it?”
“Yeah, of course. Come with me.”
