Page 43 of Over Her Dead Body

“She’s in the preview room,” Celeste says. “Try not to look recently international.”

“I’ll do my best to appear domestic.”

“We’ll discuss Vienna later.”

Owen nods. “Looking forward to several versions of that.”

Celeste holds up one finger.

“Not several,” she says. “One will do.”

Then she is gone.

Owen waits until her footsteps fade. He motions toward the preview room. “Genevieve is already rearranging the plinths.”

“She does love a surface.”

“She loves agreement more.” He lowers his voice. “Careful in there. If you agree with her twice, she starts calling it intimacy.”

I pick up my phone before leaving my office.

The preview room smells like flowers, furniture wax, and old money. Genevieve stands in the center of it wearing black trousers, a white blouse, sunglasses pushed into her hair, and the expression of a woman disappointed by architecture.

Everything about her looks chosen, including the irritation.

“Emma,” she says, as if I have personally been keeping her waiting for years.

“Genevieve.”

“What happened to your collector?”

“Something came up,” Genevieve says. “Last minute. He sends his apologies.”

“When can we reschedule?”

“When I know, you’ll know.”

She lifts a printed page between two fingers. “In the meantime, who wrote charming?”

I glance at the catalog note.

The intern is going to need a drink by noon.

“I can soften it.”

“I don’t want it softened. I want it corrected. Charming is what people say when they lack the vocabulary for important.”

“Important,” I say, taking the page. “We can do important.”

Genevieve smiles. “This is why I like you.”

Owen’s eyes cut to mine. Do not agree twice.

Genevieve moves to the silver coffee pot on the far table. “And this poor thing. Has anyone decided whether it’s coming tonight?”

“Tonight?” I ask.

Celeste enters behind us at exactly the wrong moment, which is one of her gifts.