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“No way!” she exclaims. “I am going to handle the press and TV coverage. As for the influencers, I was thinking of someone closer their age.” She glances at me, making me chuckle. Nodding at her, I give her the go-ahead to go through with her plan. “Cedy,” she says, “that’s a task for you.”

“What?” he blinks. “But I am a nobody.”

“You are not a nobody. You are the personal assistant of the gallery owner. You’re the perfect person for this,” she argues. “You are young, pretty, and you smile like you shit rainbows.”

He pouts.

“I mean that in the best sense,” she says. “Aden and I don’t shit rainbows.”

We really don’t.

“But Mr. Randall is the pro,” he stutters.

“You just heard Aden,” she says. She never addresses me by my last name, and I don’t push it on her, not even in official situations. We are more friends than boss and employee anyway. “He doesn’t want to deal with social media. He never does. That’s why we have you handle our social media accounts. Just be your usual cute and bubbly self, and the audience on social media will love you.”

“Really?” His head perks up. Apparently, he forgets to be anxious and instead is excited to prove himself.

I nod at him. “I think you are the perfect person for this.”

He beams. “Then I will give it my all! Are they here already?”

“Yes, they came through the press-only entrance.”

“I will head to them immediately,” he says, already dashing off.

“He always bounces back so quickly. One minute he is anxious, the next he is”—she gestures at him, disappearing through the door leading to the press area—“like that.”

“It’s definitely his strong point,” I say.

“I am amazed you can work together with him.”

“Why?” I chuckle. “Because I don’tshit rainbows?”

“You aren’t exactly patient,” she says dryly.

I shrug. “The guy just has a way with people and takes his work seriously. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

“And he doesn’t mind that you are a workaholic,” she adds.

“That’s rich coming from you.”

“Well, no matter how bad I am, you are worse.” She playfully pats my shoulder before turning towards the same door Cedric disappeared through. “I am going to prepare for the press interviews,” she says. “You okay here?”

“Of course, go ahead.”

Silence engulfs me when she is gone. It’s a unique feeling to stand in these huge halls alone with no one around yet. Thereis excitement lingering in the air from the crowd waiting, but also from the artists. Their hopes and dreams are gathered in these rooms, and the noise reaching me from outside, from the waiting crowd, sounds like the buzzing of bees.

My phone buzzes too, mixing with the sound from outside. Taking it out of my pocket, I see that Oliver sent me a message with a pic attached.Boys’ night out. Wish you could be here.

The pic shows him with two of my other brothers.

I put the phone aside. Something in my heart feels heavy, but I can’t deal with that right now. I have to focus on the night ahead.

two

*ADEN*

The night went as planned. Lynn and I have developed a routine by now and know how to handle these evenings. I know she will eventually need her own assistant to help her with her work; it’s something we have been discussing recently. I do have the funds to hire another employee, so it’s definitely on my priority list.