whole roll of copper pipe stolen out of his building.”
“Well, I guess it sucks to be Curt, doesn’t it?” was Jake’s glib reply.
Darla nodded. “Maybe, but he was nice enough to point out that they’re stealing stuff from occupied buildings, too. He was concerned because of those antique brass fixtures I bought from the Plinskis’ store last week.” A bit defensively, she added, “And it’s not just Curt taking the hit. It’s Barry, too.”
Jake’s expression brightened. “Yeah, what’s up with you and geeky Mr. Chrome Dome? He seems like a nice enough guy, even though his partner is a jerk. You two hooking up yet?”
“Jake!” Darla protested in embarrassment, glancing around to make sure Robert wasn’t suddenly in earshot. Lowering her voice, she went on, “Really, I hardly know the man. But I can tell you he’s not a geek. He and Curt both were jocks in high school . . . Curt was a running back on the varsity team, and Barry ran track and pitched two years for their school’s baseball team. And he’s not bald; he simply has a receding hairline.”
When her friend grinned knowingly at her instinctive defense of the man, Darla blushed and conceded, “All right, I admit it, I like him, but—”
“Like?” her friend cut her short with a shake of her curly head. “What, are you two in junior high? Next thing, you’ll be asking me to call him up and ask him if he likes you, too. Quit playing coy, kid. If he won’t make the first move, you do it. Ask him out on a date already. You’ve got his phone number, don’t you?”
“Well, no. He hasn’t offered it, and I’d feel kind of weird asking for it.” Of course, she did happen to have Curt’s number, since he was the one who usually picked up their special orders from the store.
Jake, meanwhile, was giving her a pitying look. “You could tell him you’re updating the bookstore mailing list and you want his contact info. Or you could just say you’re thinking of asking him out and need a way to get hold of him.”
“How about I compromise and offer to spring for lunch at the deli the next time he stops by, instead?”
“Perfect. And then spill the gory details to me afterward.”
“Only if you promise to spill about Hilda’s case.”
Which would never happen. No way would Jake breach client confidentiality, not even for the prospect of good gossip. Darla allowed herself a smug grin, knowing she’d won this particular skirmish.
Jake must have agreed, for she gave Darla a rueful smile in return.
“Fair point. But I warn you, don’t run back asking me for advice when you’ve got old Barry on the line and can’t close the deal,” she declared, mixing metaphors in a manner that would have given James fits. “When it comes to your love life, you’re on your own, kid.”
SIX
“TELL CURT I’M SORRY IT TOOK ANOTHER WEEK FOR HIS book to finally show up,” Darla said with an apologetic smile, handing over the long-awaited book on historically accurate woodwork and trim. “I swear, I sometimes think they send those special orders by mule train.”
“No problem. This book is worth the wait.”
Brown eyes alight, Barry Eisen flipped through the pages and then stabbed an enthusiastic finger at one of the full-color photos. A faint cloud of plaster dust wafted from the sleeve of his gray hooded sweatshirt and onto the page. “Take a look. We’re not talking about your basic home improvement store wainscoting here.”
Darla smiled but took a prudent step back to avoid a similar dusting. Apparently, Barry had worn this garment on the job site recently. The flannel shirt in shades of black and yellow under it, however, appeared freshly laundered, and his jeans were crisp enough that they probably had come starched from the dry cleaner’s the day before. Obviously he hadn’t been by the brownstone yet that morning.
“This is pretty close to what Curt and I had in mind for the first floor,” he went on, “and it’s authentic to the brownstone’s original décor. Sure, the wood itself might be oak, but you’ve got your classic hand-carved egg-and-dart panel moldings, and those inlays are mahogany. I’m not sure I like the wreath design for the inlays, though. Maybe a nice rosette motif instead.”
Then he flipped back a few pages to another photo. “But this works, too. See, the raised panels are simple, but that’s okay. The denticulated chair rail along the top really classes it