Although she was dressed casually, Kylie was still in full hair and makeup, making her look like she was about to perform a burlesque show.
Unbidden, my thoughts flashed back to Serena, whose natural beauty, petite stature, and long chestnut hair were about as far from Kylie’s look as you could get. There was no comparison. And, I found myself wishing it was Serena standing in front of me instead.
“Is there something I can help you with? I have work to do,” I said patiently, cognizant of the camera, when what I really wanted to do was tell her to fuck off.
“I just wanted to stop by and tell you what a great job you’re doing, and to see if you wanted to have a drink at the wrap party.”
She fluttered her eyes at me, which were so gooped up with mascara, I was surprised they didn’t stick together.
“Sorry, I have plans,” I said, my blood heating at the thought of being alone with Serena again, especially after last night in my shop.
Hoping Kylie’d get the hint, I muttered, “Thanks, though,” then turned my back on her and got back to work.
By the time Jose was back from his meeting, the shelves were done and I was pushing them in to make sure the dimensions were right and everything fit like it should. When they slid in and formed a wall, I stepped back with a grin and put my hands on my hips.
“Looks great,” Jose said as he stepped up next to me.
“Cool idea,” I told him, even though I’d probably said so already. It was just that cool.
“Thanks.”
“What’s next?” I asked, enjoying myself immensely.
“I think everyone’s pretty much done in here. Sadie and her team are about to come in and work their magic, so we’re going to head out to the garage to pimp that out, then all we have left is the barn.”
“Perfect,” I said, although I was a little sad for it all to end. The experience had been better than I’d imagined when I signed on, and I couldn’t wait to see how it all played out and what the Camus thought about their new home.
I was about to head outside when I saw Sadie’s red hair and paused, waiting to see if the rest of her crew was with her … namely, Serena.
And, then, there she was. Beautiful in a pair of jeans and a simple, blue T-shirt, her hair pulled back in a ponytail, with just a light smattering of makeup on her face. She was like a breath of fresh air to me, and my entire mind and body felt happy, just looking at her.
She must have felt my stare, because she looked up and over, then smiled brightly at me.
“Hi,” Serena said, her voice breathless, and her cheeks slightly pink. I knew she was thinking of last night, my hands and mouth on her, and I wished like hell we were alone.
“Hey,” I replied gruffly, my hand reaching for her, needing to touch. “How’s your day?”
“Good, I’m excited to see how it all comes together,” she said, leaning into my touch the way she always did.
I fucking loved it.
“Me, too,” I agreed, then I stepped closer, lowered my voice, and brought my lips to her ear. “But even more than that, I’m looking forward to tomorrow, to being alone with you again.”
Serena trembled slightly beneath my touch, and nodded in agreement, then I let her go so we could both get to work, before I gave into the urge to show her exactly what I wanted.
Chapter Twenty-One
Serena
I stood there for a moment, trying to compose myself, even though all Jed had done was whisper in my ear.
The man was potent.
“Damn, girl,” Sadie said as she walked over toward me with a grin. “That man smolders so well he could peel wallpaper with just a look. Tell me you guys got something going on, or I’m moving in.”
I grinned at Sadie, who’d I’d really grown to like over the last week, which was a big deal for me. I’d never been one to make friends quickly, especially not with women, but there was something about Sadie that was so friendly and welcoming. She made it easy.
“Actually,” I whispered, looking around to make sure no one was around, specifically, the cameramen. “I went by his place last night, and we’re going on a date tomorrow, after the wrap party.”
“Glory Halleluiah,” Sadie joked, then leaned in and asked, “Anything good happen at his place?”
I nodded, wanting to share, but unwilling to give details, but Sadie didn’t care, she clapped her hands together gleefully and said, “Yes! That’ll show that wench, Kylie.”
At Kylie’s name, my blood froze.
I hadn’t said anything to Sadie about my past with Kylie, and luckily I’d had little interaction with her since that first day.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“She’s been panting around after Jed since he walked on set, and, since she’s basically a nightmare, it gives me jollies when she doesn’t get what she wants. I know, that probably makes me a bad person, but I’ve worked with her for years, and she just keeps getting worse. Plus, I like you, Rena, and I’m excited for you.”
Huh, I thought, processing this new information. I had no idea Kylie was interested in Jed, although, obviously I could see the appeal. What I wondered, was what Jed thought of Kylie.
Old insecurities surfaced, and I wondered if he thought she was pretty … if he believed the façade she put on.
“Thanks,” I said, not wanting to say anything against Kylie, even though Sadie had pretty much said she didn’t like her. They were still coworkers, and I was still a temporary worker on this show.
“You’re welcome,” Sadie said, then held out her hands and asked, “Now, are you ready to make this house stunning?”
I grinned at her enthusiasm and nodded. “Absolutely.”
I set to work on the kitchen, which would take the most amount of time, as it had the most stuff to place.
Since this was a farm, with barn and all, we’d gone with a country theme in the kitchen. Rustic. There was wood shelving over the sink, with pots overflowing with fresh green herbs, as well as racks hanging throughout. Some for pots and pans, others for coffee cups and wine glasses.
The cabinets were dark, and the flooring and countertops were marble.
There were jars, pitchers, and metal containers around the space, decorative yet functional at the same time. The large gas stovetop was on the counter, while the double oven was built into the wall.
It was a kitchen for the home cook, with enough bells and whistles to satisfy a chef.
It took a few hours, but eventually it was complete, and I walked through the house to see what else was done.
In the master bath, I paused, taking it all in slowly. I knew this had been Jed’s project, his baby, if you will. We’d texted about our progress over the week, and he’d told me what a bitch the backsplash had been.
Now, I smoothed my hand over it with a small smile. The bathroom was gorgeous, something I would totally cherish in my own home. I couldn’t believe the amazing work Jed had done. He was really talented, and I couldn’t stop my mind from wandering. Dreaming. Spinning ideas of the things Jed and I could do in our own house, if we ever had one.
If we made it that far.
And, if I was honest with myself, I was beginning to think along those lines. Of a future … with Jed.
I looked around one last time, then left the master bath in search of Sadie and another project. She wasn’t upstairs, so I wandered back down, and found her in the spare bedroom that had been converted into an office.
They’d built in a desk on each wall, with a large shelving unit lining the large back wall, connecting the two. There was plenty of space for both of the Camus to be in the office without cramping each other, and the wall unit was perfect for books, knickknacks, and even a few of Mr. Camu’s trophies from high school.
Sadie was finishing the shelves, while the IT guy connected the computers.
“Hey, the kitchen is finished,” I said as I entered.
“Outstanding,” Sadie replied, stepping back to survey her work. On
ce she was satisfied, she turned to me and said, “I think all that’s left inside is the finishing touches on the living room, then we’ll head out to the barn and decorate the office and tack room there, make sure the name plates and such are put up, and we’ll be ready for the big reveal tomorrow.”
“Wow, I can’t believe it’s over already,” I said as we headed out of the office. “It must be so rewarding for you to be able to see projects through, from start to finish, like this, and also see the reaction of the homeowners.”
“It can be,” Sadie agreed. “It can also be exhausting. And, we were pretty lucky on this project.” She paused, knocked on the closest wood door, then kept walking. “Sometimes we have issues like, things breaking down, wrong measurements, pipes bursting, that kind of thing. But, the worst is when the client comes in for the big reveal and hates it.”
“Oh no, has that happened a lot?” I asked.
“Only a couple times, but those are the ones that really stick with you.”
As we headed into the living room, I prayed the Camus loved what we’d done to their home as much as we did.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Jed
My body ached, but it was the good kind of ache. The kind that happened when you spent a week doing demo and then rebuilding. The kind from manual labor, working side by side with good men, and seeing your project come to fruition.
Tomorrow would be the big reveal and final taping of Fix it Up, followed by the wrap party. I would be sad for the project to be over, because it had been a great experience, but, luckily, some of the guys were coming back in a few weeks for the viewing party.
So at least we’d get the chance to see each other again and knock back a couple of beers while we watched our episode air.
I’d come home after working twelve hours, showered, then gathered up the present I’d bought and walked around the block to Reardon’s place. He’d brought Chloe and the baby home from the hospital a couple days ago, and he’d said I could stop by that night to drop off my gift and see the little guy.
I’d never been around kids much, but I liked them, although at this stage they were usually kind of freaky looking, with their wrinkled skin and hairless bodies.
I told myself I’d say the kid was cute, no matter what it actually looked like. I didn’t want to piss Rear off or hurt Chloe’s feelings.
I walked up to their door, knocked, and waited, enjoying the slightly cool weather and darkening sky.
“Hey, Jed, good to see you,” Reardon said with a grin when he opened the door, then he looked down at the oversized bag I was carrying and asked, “What’d you do, buy out the store?”
I shrugged and held the bag out to him.
“I wasn’t sure what to get, so I got a bit of everything.”
Reardon chuckled and said, “You didn’t have to do that, a card would’ve worked. Come on in, they’re in the living room.”
I followed him into the house. When we got to the living room, it looked like they’d basically moved downstairs. There was a basinet, baskets of clothes, and the couch was folded out to a bed. Although, right then, the bed was made and Chloe was bending over it, changing the baby, who was laying on top of a blanket.
“Who smells good now?” she was asking in a sing-song voice. “No more poopy whoopys for Benjy Wenjy.”
The look on Reardon’s face was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. He was practically beaming, his gaze on his soon-to-be wife and new son proud, and so full of love, I almost felt like I should look away. Like it was a private moment I shouldn’t witness.
Not even knowing the moment existed, Chloe looked over at me and laughed good-naturedly, lifting her son up to cradle him in her arms, completely at ease and confident her second time around as a mom.
“Hey, Jed, sorry for the chaos and clutter, this little guy’s been keeping us pretty busy,” Chloe said with a smile as she crossed to me so I could see her son.
“Please, don’t worry about it,” I said with a wave of my hand, not caring in the least, then told her with a laugh, “When I was younger, I roomed with three guys in a one-bedroom apartment. Nothing about your beautiful home compares to that.”
“Sounds gross,” she chuckled, holding out her arms.
I’d held babies before and knew that’s what Chloe was offering. Since it felt rude to say no thanks, I took the baby in my arms and held him close to my chest.
“It was,” I admitted, then steeled myself and worked on controlling my expression as I looked down for my first look at the new baby.
To my surprise, he didn’t look like a hairless rat. He was actually pretty cute, with a tuft of blonde hair, lightly golden skin, and wide, unblinking blue eyes, which were looking up at me like he could see into my soul.
“Hey, Ben,” I said softly, a feeling of contentment coming over me.
I walked to their loveseat and sat down so that I could hold him comfortably.
“Here, babe, Jed brought you a bunch of stuff,” Reardon was saying. I looked up to see him hand the bag to Chloe, which she set promptly set on the floor and starting digging in.
“Oh, Jed, this is too much,” she protested, but she sounded happy and excited, and I knew I’d done well.
I was mesmerized by Ben’s blue eyes, but listened while Chloe pulled stuff out, laying it on the floor while she shouted out what the item was to Reardon, as if they were taking in inventory. And, maybe they were, what did I know about it?
“Baby handprint kit, Honest Company bath set, amber teething necklace, baby wrap sling, swaddle blankets, bottle warmer and sterilizer, and, oh my gosh, Reardon, look at this R2D2 knit hat and onesie that says Storm Pooper.”
“Wait, what?” Reardon asked, rushing over to pick up the last two items she’d taken out of the bag.
He grabbed them, then clutched them to his chest dramatically and said, “Thanks, man, these are too cool.”
I chuckled and said, “You’re welcome.”
“Really, Jed, thanks for everything, you didn’t have to do all this,” Chloe said, coming over and giving me a kiss on the cheek.
I half shrugged, embarrassed that they were making such a fuss.
“How would you like to stay for dinner?” Reardon asked. “We’re going fancy tonight, pizza and salad. I’ll even throw in a beer.”
“Sounds perfect,” I said. And even though I was exhausted, hanging out with my friends enjoying beer and pizza did sound just about perfect. The only thing that would have made it better would have been if a certain pixie-sized bombshell with beautiful eyes and sweet-tasting skin were here to join us.
Unfortunately, I knew Serena was putting in a long night finishing up the final touches on the Camu house. Luckily, the next night we’d be going out for our first official, out in public, date, and I absolutely could not wait.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Serena
I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open, but as I looked around the Camu house I felt a sense of pride. A sense of accomplishment.
I’d never decorated anyone’s home but my own, although I had been in charge of decorating the gallery. I hadn’t expected it to be so exciting … so fulfilling. To see my ideas play out before my eyes was unbelievably satisfying, and I couldn’t wait to see the family’s reaction to their renovated home.
Of course, after my conversation with Sadie, I now worried about the possibility of them hating it.
I’d come in early this morning to help Sadie and the team put the finishing touches on the home. I hadn’t had a chance to go to the gallery at all in the last two days, and I was averaging about four hours asleep. But, even though I was exhausted, I was also oddly energized.
I briefly thought about cancelling on Jed for dinner that night, needing to catch up on work, and on sleep, but when I caught sight of him at the Camu house that morning, I knew no matter how much I had to do, or how badly I needed rest, I wanted to see him more.
He looked so handsome in his jeans and a ni
ce button-down shirt. His hair was styled, and although he was camera ready, his scruff was still there, and I realized I’d be disappointed if it wasn’t. The rugged look suited him to a T, and I wouldn’t change a thing.
“Something catch your eye?”
I braced and turned my head to see Kylie standing next to me, her gaze also on Jed.
“Bet I could get him in the sack before you could even get his number,” Kylie said haughtily.
She was ready for the camera, in full hair and makeup, with a pretty, feminine dress on. The sweet, demure look was so completely different from her actual personality that it would have been funny, if she didn’t seem to have the whole country fooled.
Sadie and myself excluded, of course.
Knowing better than to engage in her petty bullshit, I ignored her and turned my attention back to the crew, who were standing joking around while they waited for filming to start.
“Oh, what’s wrong, Ice Princess, afraid he’d take one look at your frozen mug and run in fear of his dick freezing off?” Kylie asked with a laugh.
That laugh … that fucking laugh had followed me around the halls of high school like a bad case of acne.
I never knew what had made Kylie hate me on sight, but from the day I moved to town, until the day I’d left, she’d made it her mission to make my life a living hell. She and her doppelgangers had embarrassed me, tortured me, and spread rumors about me. They were the reason I’d had no friends, why I’d closed myself off and hid from everyone but my family. In a way, they also helped me find my love of art, which had given me the outlet I needed to get through my formative years.
Kylie huffed, frustrated that I wasn’t rising to her bait. She hated to be ignored, always had, and once I’d realized it was my best defense against her, I’d used it often.
“Kylie, we’re ready for you,” the producers called, and her entire demeanor changed as she smiled and left me standing there.
Too Enchanting Page 8