“I never went to college.” Nathan finally met Matt’s eyes. “I own a laundromat.”
“A laundromat?” Matt’s smile faltered. “You mean like a chain?”
“Nope. Just the one.”
“Oh. Well, good for you.”
“We were talking to Lyric about the gala,” Rachel said. “I’m looking forward to working with Circe as our artist. She has an impressive body of work.”
Sofia tensed. “Actually, Circe won’t be featured this year. It seems our efforts to fund art programs for at-risk children aren’t authentic enough for her public relations team.” Sofia’s tone was somber, like a eulogy, because she’d probably already ordered a hit on the woman’s career. “Unfortunately, that leaves us without a big name to bring in donations.”
Rachel looked stunned. “What does that mean for the gala?”
Lyric pushed her hair back over her shoulder. She had angled away from Sofia, which was probably a mistake. His mother was known for stabbing people in the back. “Don’t worry. I’ll find a replacement before I leave. We might be able to use one of the other artists we’ve already recruited,” she said. “They’re not flashy names, but there isn’t much time to commission anything else. And we need an artist of color to showcase.”
Joe looked up from his phone. “Wait, you need an artist? Nate can do it.”
“I can do what?” Nathan tried to catch his brother’s gaze, but Joe was staring at his phone again.
“His username is FireBird84.” Joe showed his screen to the group. “He’s got a ton of fans.”
Lyric eyed Nathan with an odd expression. “You’re FireBird?”
“Uh, yeah. I’m sorry, who are you?”
“Lyric Patterson,” she said, extending a hand. “I’m an independent curator. And also one of your biggest fans.”
“Cool. Thanks.” She didn’t look like the type who was into fandom, but he’d learned not to make assumptions about those things. One of Nathan’s oldest followers was a seventy-year-old retired teacher who had her art printed and framed in her living room.
“My friends will never believe this,” Lyric said. She was holding his hand in a firm grip. “I work with a group of niche gallery owners and art collectors across the country. We discuss your work all the time. We all read the books growing up, but your take is so fresh and subversive. You’re like our fan art Banksy.”
“Wait,” Matt said. “I thought he owned a laundromat.” That mocking smile from earlier was gone. Now Matt was staring at Nathan like a threat instead of a child who’d done a cute trick. Nathan suddenly realized Matt was that guy. The insecure D-lister who sulked without a captive audience to feed their ego.
“He does both,” Rachel said. “His work is inspired by the Phoenix Prophecies, a young adult book series, but he draws the main characters as people of color in modern-day settings that…” She paused and looked at Nathan. His insides had levitated as she spoke. It probably showed on his face because she blinked and looked away. “Faith showed them to me. They’re very good.”
“Do you have other pieces?” Lyric was staring at him the way Joe leered at a steak when he thought no one was looking. “Not that your Phoenix Prophecies art isn’t impressive, but I’ve always wondered.”
Nathan’s first instinct was denial. But he could feel Rachel’s eyes on him, and he didn’t want to lie to her again. “A few,” he admitted. “Not ready for public eyes, though.”
Lyric smiled at Rachel and said, “You’re thinking what I’m thinking, aren’t you?” She turned to Nathan without waiting for confirmation. “I know I’m being pushy, but you have to be the featured artist for the gala.” She splayed her hands to mimic a headline. “FireBird Revealed: The Long-Lost Vasquez Son Returns. Think of the publicity we could generate with a few family profiles. This event will go viral.”
It sounded ridiculous. He couldn’t imagine anyone paying thousands of dollars for a night of kid lit art and nepotism. Nathan watched his mother mulling over a tactful way to tell the woman that this was a terrible idea. “Lyric,” Sofia said calmly. “We didn’t lose Nathaniel. He moved into a studio on Park Street. And while my son is talented—” She looked at Nathan. “So talented. I’m not sure he’s ready for an event like this. We’re six weeks away from the foundation’s biggest fundraiser. That’s a lot of pressure for someone who’s inexperienced.”