“Hello, Xavier,” I said, unable to return the lie. “How was the auction for you?” I figured we might as well go out with transparency, and given the way Boone smiled next to me, I knew I’d made the right move.
“Not great,” Xavier said. “But I got a couple of items for my client. She’ll be pleased.”
I knew my ex well enough to know that he only shared his client’s pronoun because he wanted us to ask about them. I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction, however, and apparently, Boone agreed.
Beattie shot me a wink and said, “We had a good night as well. Picked up just what we were looking for.”
Boone nodded. “Poe and Beattie are some of our best buyers.” He paused. “But we’re always looking for more.” The statement was clear and direct, but Xavier missed the invitation entirely.
“You
