by Lisa Bilbrey
“We understand,” Callum said. “Which is why we think Elle is the right person for you. She’s … Well, she’s amazing.”
Elle felt her cheeks warm as everyone turned their attention to her. She tightened her grip on her cane as she walked to the far end of the table, where her presentation boards had been set up.
“As I told you when we met a couple weeks back, I believe that a person’s home is an extension of themselves, a reflection of who they are or want to be, at least. With that in mind, this is what I propose for you.”
Elle turned and flipped the boards around, before picking up her pointer and pressing the tip against the first board. “In order to optimize the land you’ve already selected, and still give you everything you want, I suggest that we create a multi-story building. On the first floor, you’d have your living room, dining room, and kitchen. By opting for an open-area concept, each room flows into the next with ease. This gives you the space to enjoy each other, without being cramped by walls. Also, as you start adding onto your family, it will make it easier to keep your eyes on your little ones. Now, I’ve added a small nook off the kitchen that will serve as your laundry room. With built-in storage, you should be able to really utilize the space well. There is also a half-bath attached to the laundry room. A set of French doors will give you access to a beautiful patio and fenced in yard so your little ones will be able to play in the back. When the time comes, you’d have plenty room to add a trampoline or a pool, if you want.
“Moving upstairs, you’ll find all four bedrooms and two additional bathrooms. The master bath will have his and her closets, a Jacuzzi tub, and walk-in shower, as well as two sinks. The other bathroom, which will be located across from the other three bedrooms, will have a large tub, which can easily be converted into a shower if needed.
“Now, the three bedrooms are all a bit smaller than you wanted, but in order to keep in line with the zoning requirements for the size of your land, I needed to make the adjustments here,” Elle explained.
Pausing, she turned her attention back to Wes and Amanda. “Because I know you hope to have a big family one day, I’ve added something special for you. An additional third floor.” Reaching over, she turned the third board. “Think of this space as a bonus room: a playroom for the kids, an office for the two of you. Anything you want, really. With lots of windows, you’ll be able to take advantage the natural sunlight, but not worry about people being able to see inside. We’ll include an intercom system and cameras over the front and back doors, to add a bit of safety.”
Elle shifted her attention between the two, waiting for them to say something, but when they just sat there, she said, “If this isn’t what you were looking for, I can figure something else out. I just wanted to give you as much space as I could. We could do a basement instead of the third floor, for example. And we can add some built-in shelving to help with storage —”
“It’s perfect,” Amanda murmured, leaning forward and bringing her hand up to her mouth. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be so emotional, but it’s … Well, it’s perfect. Exactly what we were looking for.”
“Really?” Elle asked with a smile.
“Absolutely,” she said, standing up and walking around the table to where she was standing. “I love the layout on the first floor. What were you thinking about for flooring?”
“Oh, well, Sadie has been working on some ideas for the décor,” Elle said, gesturing to Sadie, who stood up and walked over to them.
“With the natural lighting we’ll have due to the design plans, I think we should consider a nice stone flooring throughout the first floor. Easy clean-up, and if we go a somewhat neutral color, like grey or beige, we can integrate your furniture. I would suggest a light beige on the walls with a slate texture. For the kitchen, you can’t go wrong with stainless steel. Easy to clean and looks amazing in an open area like this.
“For the second floor, I suggest using carpet in all the bedrooms, but use the same stone flooring in the bathrooms and the hallway. For the master bedroom, I would do a rich brown on the walls, and add some accent colors in the bedding and curtains.
“Now, for the bonus room, I would suggest stain resistant carpeting, because with children, there will be lots of spills, but I don’t think you want the stone flooring in there. You want something soft and comfortable. This will be your family space, a private getaway. I would like to add some built-in storage, like Elle suggested, along the north wall so you can put some baskets inside. It will keep the kids toys from collecting everywhere. We can also hang a television on the east wall; put a sectional couch around it. On the South wall, I would suggest we build a nice small desk that can be closed when you’re not on it.”
“Wow,” Wes chuckled as he joined them. “You’ve thought of everything.”
“Well, that’s my job,” Sadie told him with a smile. “Colors are subject to change, of course, but Elle and I have run the numbers and believe we can get this done well-under budget. We’ve contacted the Asciari Brothers, who said they’ll have a team available as soon as we get the plans submitted and approved.”
“How long do you think it will take once construction starts?” Wes asked, his forehead furrowing.
“Once the city has signed off on everything, the Asciari Brothers gave me a time frame of three to six months, barring any unforeseeable circumstances, of course,” Elle said.
“And these Asciari Brothers are good?” Amanda asked. “They’re trustworthy? I don’t want to sound like a negative nelly, but we’re putting everything we have into this house.”
“They’ve never let me down before,” Elle told them. “They’re who I would use if I were building a house for myself.”
“Well, that’s good enough for us,” Amanda said, softly. “Where do we sign?”
“You don’t want to think about this?” Elle asked.
“No,” Wes said, answering for his wife. “Amanda and I are tired of renting. We’re tired of putting our future on hold while waiting for the perfect house to be built. We agreed that when we came in here today that if we didn’t love what you proposed, we’d give up the dream of building and just buy one of a million houses we’ve looked at over the last few years. But we love what you’ve done for us. So, we’ll sign off on the plans today.”
Once Wes and Amanda had signed all the paperwork, Elle led them to the elevator. “I’ll get these submitted immediately. Thank you again for this opportunity.”
“You’re welcome, I guess. Though, after the work you did for Gabriel Alvarez, we were anxious to see what you’d do for our account,” Wes said.
“You know Mr. Alvarez?” Elle asked, confused.
Wes smiled sheepishly. “Back when I was in college, he gave me my first job. In fact, he backed my company financially when I branched out on my own. He was the person who recommended this firm when we decided to build our house.”
“He was?” Samuel asked, sounding as shocked as Elle was to hear that little tidbit. Gabriel had been a difficult man to work with, and she knew he’d pulled more than one project from Samuel over the years.
Wes nodded. “Though, we were starting to wonder if he was right.” He shifted his eyes to Callum and Derek. “It’s not that your work wasn’t great, just not what we wanted.”
“Of course.” Callum waved him off. “We understand. But why’d you stay with us for so long?”
Wes grinned wider. “We didn’t want to start the process over. We’d already invested so much time with you. Going with someone else felt like we were cheating on you, I guess. Anyway, a few months ago, I was talking with Gabriel, just catching up, and was telling him about our situation. He recommended that we ask Elle to design our house. Said she had an uncanny ability to look past the structure and find the home. Didn’t really understand what he meant until today.”
“Oh, wow, um, thank you,” Elle mumbled, feeling her cheeks warm.
“Well, we need to get going, but we look forward to hearing from you soon,
” Amanda said, placing her hand on Wes’s arm and tilting her head toward the elevator. “Thanks again, Elle.”
“You’re welcome.”
She waited until the couple had stepped into the elevator and the doors had closed before she turned to Greta, who had been watching and listening to their conversation with a smile. “Lucia still scanning invoices?”
“Yes. Though, she’s gotten a lot done; all of yours and half of Samuel’s. She’s a hard worker. I think she’ll be a good asset to this place.”
“Good, glad to hear it.” When Elle turned and looked at Derek, Callum, Sadie, and Samuel, she found them smirking at her. “What?”
“Nothing,” they said together before turning and heading to their offices.
Elle rolled her eyes as she walked down to the file room, where she found Lucia halfway through a box of Samuel’s invoices. “Having fun?”
“A blast,” she scoffed, but she had a grin on her face. “It’s not too bad. A bit boring, but I can handle it.”
“Glad to hear it. Feel like trying your hand at something new?” Elle asked.
“I guess,” she replied, timidly.
“It’s not hard.” Elle held out the manila folder that contained the paperwork for the Anderson’s new house. “I need you to scan these into my account and then email copies to Michael Warren from the legal department, John Garrett from accounting, and Samuel. You can find their email addresses in my contact list. CC me in the email, that way I can make sure it goes through, and they can’t claim it was never sent. Then file them under pending permits.”
“Um, okay,” she murmured, taking the folder from Elle. “Sounds easy enough.”
“When you’re done with that, go see Greta. She’ll get you set up with everything you need to be a full-time employee.”
“You’re seriously giving me a job here?” Lucia asked, her eyes wide.
“Of course we are. You heard Samuel; we need all the help we can get.” Elle pushed off the doorjamb. “Don’t overthink it, hon; this isn’t charity, it’s just a second chance.”
“I’ll try not to. Thanks for, you know, everything. I know you’re only doing this because of Derek, but —”
“Whoa, hold on a sec. I love Derek, Lucia. I love him more than I can even express, but I’m not doing any of this for him. I’m helping you because I love you, too. You’re family, and I take care of my family. Got it?”
Lucia’s lips trembled as she nodded.
“Good. Now get back to work.”
—FA—
Just before six, Elle pulled her car up in front of Gold Rush and looked at the girl sitting in the passenger seat. Sadie’s back was still sore from running to alert them to Carlos and Felicia’s arrival at their office, so Callum had driven her car, leaving Derek to drive his truck. And since Elle had brought her car in with Lucia that morning, the two of them drove to the restaurant together.
Lucia had been quiet ever since they left the office to meet her parents for dinner — at Felicia’s insistence, of course. Elle understood that she was worried about her daughter, but she was pushing too hard. Lucia was trying. Why wasn’t that enough?
“Well,” Elle said, ending the silence and causing Lucia to look over at her. “You ready?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “Are you?”
Elle shifted her eyes to the front door. “Not sure.”
“We could leave,” Lucia suggested. “Make a run for the border.”
Elle laughed. “As tempting as that sounds, I can’t leave them, Lucia. Not even when I’m terrified.”
“What made you decide to start a relationship with my brother, Callum, and Sadie?”
“Oh, um …” Elle paused, surprised by the sudden change in topic. “I don’t know. I mean, Sadie and I had been together for a long time, and I knew I loved her, but when we met Derek and Callum, there was just something about them. Something different than most guys. I was scared, because I hadn’t let anyone love me in so long, not since my ex, but it was like no matter how hard I fought against the attraction I felt for them, the harder it came to say no.”
“I envy you,” Lucia admitted, almost sounding ashamed.
“Why?” Elle wondered.
“Because you love them and refuse to let them go, even though people give you shit for it. Like you’re doing something horrible by loving them. I don’t know. I guess, I just wonder what it’s like to be loved so much that they can’t breathe without you.”
“It’s …” Elle trailed off, unsure how to articulate her words. “I don’t know how to explain it, to be honest. It’s intense and amazing and … just right.”
“Don’t hurt him,” Lucia whispered, causing Elle to look at her. “I know you love Derek so much, but don’t hurt him. Please?”
“I won’t,” she said. “Hurting him would kill me.”
Lucia nodded, but didn’t say anything else as she climbed out of the car. Elle wasn’t sure why she felt the need to protect her brother from being hurt. Was she afraid that Elle would take off and leave them behind? Had she given everyone that impression?
With a sigh, Elle followed Lucia inside the restaurant, smiling at the man perched up behind the counter with a goofy grin on his face. She’d met Thomas Warner at a party he and his wife, Leigh, threw last summer. He’d been a college friend of Callum and Derek’s. After one of their guest tried to demand Elle dance with them, she had a minor panic attack. That was the night she told Derek and Callum about Leo.
Elle had been terrified that they’d push her away, but like always, they’d surprised her and reassured her that she was worth loving. That night, everything in their relationship changed. They went from being four people testing the waters of the unconventional, and became lovers. That was the night Elle fell in love with them, and, boy, did she fall hard.
“Hey, you,” Thomas laughed as he rushed around the corner and wrapped her in a tight hug. He pressed his lips against the side of her head before whispering, “We’ve been worried about you.”
“I know,” she murmured, holding onto his arm as she took a step backward. “But I’m okay.”
“If you say so,” he scoffed, shifting his eyes to where Carlos and Felicia were embracing Lucia. “Derek’s family?”
Elle nodded. “His parents and his little sister.”
“And are they good people? Or should I be prepared for another scene?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow as he looked down at her.
“If you’re referring to the wonderful experience we had with my parents, then no. They know how to behave in public,” Elle snickered. “Well, most of the time, anyway.” She shifted her eyes up to Thomas. “How’s everything with Leigh and Tyson?”
Thomas pressed his lips together, but the pink that flooded his cheeks told her everything. Elle had been surprised to learn that Thomas wasn’t the straight-laced boy she thought he was. One night while they were at a club, Thomas ran into his ex-boyfriend, Tyson. The fact that he was married to Leigh, who also dated Tyson once, threw Elle and Sadie for a loop, but they explained how their unique relationship, and in the end, decided they wanted to see where their little threesome would take them. Now, almost eight months later, they were happy.
“Oh, look at you,” she teased, reaching up to pinch his cheeks. “That good, huh?”
“Better than I ever expected,” he admitted. “They should be here soon, actually.”
“I’m glad.” Elle shifted her attention back to her family. “Guess I’ve stalled long enough.”
Thomas laughed as she walked over to everyone, sliding into the chair between Derek and Callum, wincing as she settled in her seat. Her leg had ached all day, which wasn’t unusual, but today the muscle throbbed more than normal. She tried to be discreet as she dug her bottle of pain reliever out of her purse and popped a couple into her mouth, swallowing them without any water. When she looked up, she saw Carlos watching her with a frown.
“So, um, how are things in Arizona?” she asked, trying to g
et the attention off her.
“Good,” Carlos replied. “Busy, of course, and hot.”
“You like the heat, though, Pop,” Derek pointed out, draping his arm on the back of Elle’s chair.
“I did,” he said, quietly.
The doors to the restaurant opened and everyone looked over as Tyson and Leigh rushed in, their arms filled with grocery bags. Thomas hurried to them, taking the bags from Leigh before leaning down to kiss her. Elle shifted her attention to Carlos as Thomas leaned over and kissed Tyson, wanting to gauge his reaction to the two men. He smiled before looking back at the table, catching Elle’s eye. He winked, almost like his subtle way of reminding her that all he wanted was for his children to be happy.
Why couldn’t all fathers be so understanding? she wondered.
“Elle! Sadie!” Leigh giggled, rushed over to them, nearly yanked them out of their chairs, and wrapped her arms around them. “I haven’t seen you in forever!”
“It was just last week,” Elle scoffed, but when Leigh raised an eyebrow, she said, “What?”
“We haven’t had lunch in at least two months,” Leigh argued.
“Hmm, really?” Elle asked, frowning.
“Yeah,” she said, softly. “You look great, though. How are you feeling?”
“Oh, you know.” She waved her hand around. “I’m managing.”
Then, turning to her future in-laws, she smiled. “Leigh, this is Felicia and Carlos Flores, Derek’s parents, and Lucia, his sister. Everyone, this is Leigh. She runs this place with Thomas and Tyson.”
“It’s nice to meet all of you,” Leigh said, pleasantly.
“You, too,” Felicia said, smiling. “Tell me, Leigh, what do you recommend off the menu?”
“Oh, that’s a hard one, since I think everything is great, but the fajita chicken salad is my favorite,” she replied, before leaning toward Carlos and saying, “Though, the steak burger is to die for.”
Carlos laughed. “Sounds good to me!”