It really complements the charm of the home, especially when coupled with the fireplace. I can only imagine how it will look when fully furnished.
“Once again, I stand corrected.” I flash her a smile as I wipe sweat from my brow. “I’m officially never going to question your design choices again, because you’re batting a thousand.”
“Picture it with some vintage pieces,” she adds excitedly, brushing a bit of dust off her white, sweat-dampened t-shirt. “I found a chaise lounge from the early 1900s at an estate sale the other day, and it will look perfect in this room.”
She reaches into her back pocket, retrieving her cell, and pulls up a photo, stepping beside me. I do my best to focus on her phone and not her proximity as she scrolls through the images she’s taken of the chaise in what I assume to be her workshop.
Several other pieces of furniture in various stages of restoration are stacked against the walls, a workbench in the center of the space. Another glimpse into who Londyn truly is. Yes, it’s just a workshop, but to me, it allows me to learn more about this woman who’s consumed my thoughts since our first meeting.
“It doesn’t look like much right now.”
“Not sure what anyone would see other than something that’s destined for the junkyard.” I nod at the image. The legs are barely attached, the velvet upholstery torn and faded.
“It just needs a little love.” She clicks off her screen, shoving her phone into the back pocket of her shorts. “Just like this house. And look what a little love did for it.”
She spins around, admiring the work we sweated over all day. It’s no wonder people choose to paint instead. Putting up wallpaper and lining up the pattern so it’s seamless is damn tedious. But she promised it would be worth it, and it most certainly is.
“I understand this isn’t what you signed up for.” I wave my hand around. “You probably would’ve much rather spent your time on the actual design work and supervising my crew to make sure they didn’t fuck it up, not get roped into doing the grunt work yourself. So I really appreciate you being here. Doing this with me.”
“Honestly, there’s no place I’d rather be.” She flashes me a sweet smile, a vulnerability about her. “I’m not sure what I’ll do with myself when we finish this house.” With a shallow sigh, she cranes her head back, admiring the original coffered ceiling she was able to salvage. Then she brings her eyes to mine. “I’ll miss this.”
“I’ll miss this, too,” I admit, stepping toward her.
The mood shifts, everything going still. Cicadas no longer buzz in the distance. The breeze blowing through the fields calms down. The birds fall silent. All I can focus on is Londyn. This carefree, mysterious, charming woman who’s invaded my every waking thought these past few months.
As much as I’ve imagined what it would be like to wrap her in my arms, to press my mouth to hers, to taste her lips, I haven’t, sensing a hesitation and reluctance on her part. At first, I assumed it was simply because I’m her client. But over the weeks, she’s become more than a designer to me. Just like I’ve become more than a client to her. Still, there’s something keeping her closed off. I feel it in my soul.
But today, she doesn’t retreat as she’s prone to do. Instead, she keeps her gaze focused on me, her lips parting slightly. With slow steps, I advance, silently pleading with her to stay in this moment with me, to allow herself to feel this insane connection that’s only grown deeper the more time we spend with each other. She moistens her lips, causing the ache that’s taken up permanent residency in my body to grow stronger. I reach for her cheek—
“It’s so pretty!”
Londyn and I jump away from each other, tearing our eyes to the doorway as Imogene walks in, oblivious to the tension vibrating between us. Or at least the tension that was vibrating between us.
“Much better than the boring white walls from before.” She continues into the room, spinning a slow circle.
“Imogene, be careful.” Julia rushes in behind her, out of breath, obviously having chased her into the house. Then she stops, taking in all our hard work. “Wow. She’s right. This is gorgeous.” She glances at Londyn. “You two work well together. First, the amazing work on the two upstairs bathrooms, now this?”