By Design

by J. A. Armstrong

  Jameson smiled. The truth was that Jameson had not had an opportunity to work on any historical projects in a long time. Her time and efforts had been consumed with building her firm. She had deliberately taken on larger projects for the last few years, designing corporate buildings and industrial complexes. Her success allowed her to bring on four additional architects and a robust support staff. Now, she was ready to take a small step back and return to her roots. This project had come about at the perfect time.

  “Well, it’s true; the last seven years have been full of larger projects. And, those are always challenging, but not nearly as exciting as something like this,” Jameson said. She noted the curious glint in the senator’s eye. “I have a secret passion for American History,” she explained. “My mother was a teacher. My father worked in construction. I guess the two were destined to meet in me,” she shrugged. “As far as design; I don’t know how you dismiss one from the other. A home is the sum of all its parts. It’s what makes projects like this so much more interesting than designing office buildings. There is history; memories. The buildings I design have yet to tell their story.”

  “A soft spot for history, I see.”

  “Like I said, it was destined,” Jameson answered. “I spent years with my father traveling to jobs. I loved to watch him work. Every house he worked on, he would remind me that it was someone’s treasure; their home; never a structure, always a story,” Jameson explained. “Crazy?”

  “Hardly,” Candace said before shifting gears. “What do you think about it? The house, I mean,” Candace clarified as she placed a steaming cup of coffee in front of Jameson. “Is it doable?”

  “Doable? Anything is doable, Senator,” Jameson quipped.

  Candace nearly spit out her coffee. Jameson had a dry humor and a quick wit. “You sure you aren’t a politician?”

  “Nope. No politics here. Safer that way,” Jameson answered. She was surprised to see Candace’s cheerful expression dim slightly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.” Candace smiled. “To answer your question; I think the house could be restored very closely to its original look. And, yes; I am confident we can design an addition off of this room that will appear seamless. Of course, with all the modern conveniences. We’ll look to blend the old and the new eloquently. Assuming that is what you are hoping for.”

  “It is. What about cost?”

  Jameson took a sip of her coffee. “That depends a great deal on materials, and on what might be discovered underneath all the layers. I can get you a ballpark figure on the exterior and the addition. Interior costs will depend on what you choose for materials. I’ll send you some samples and ideas. I have the photos you sent; any photos you have through the years will be helpful. I’ll try to find similar options wherever possible. You see what strikes you. We can go from there. That is, assuming you think my proposal is doable?”

  Candace narrowed her gaze at the architect. “Why don’t you get me that information and I will make my assessment of its ‘doability,' shall we say?”

  “Is that a political term?” Jameson asked. Candace’s reply was a simple wink. “This could be very interesting,” Jameson thought silently. “Very.”

  Chapter Three: Demons Past

  “You left a few details out,” Senator Fletcher pointed to her press secretary.

  “Mwah?” Dana feigned her innocence. Candace arched a fair eyebrow at her friend. “What did you think of J.D.?” Dana asked, barely concealing a sly smirk.

  “Intelligent, charming, witty,” Candace said a bit whimsically.

  “And?” Dana urged knowingly.

  “Oh no, you don’t! I know where this is heading.”

  “Come on now, Senator; admit it. She’s not hard to look at,” Dana said.

  “She’s young enough to be my daughter,” Candace said flatly.

  “She’s thirty-five, Candy.”

  “Are you trying to help me remodel my home or are you trying to reconstruct my love life?” Candace asked.

  “Well, they are both a bit dusty, so they could both use a little attention; if you ask me.”

  “I didn’t ask you,” Candace replied a bit harshly.

  Dana sighed and shook her head. “Are you going to hire her?”

  Candace sipped her coffee and took a seat across from her friend. “Yes….to work on the house; not to remodel my love life.”

  “Mm-hm.”

  “Dana,” Candace called in her best warning tone.

  “Why not; because she’s younger than you? Come on, don’t tell me you don’t find her attractive.”

  Candace kneaded her temples. She had been thinking about Jameson more frequently than she ever planned to admit to her friend. It wasn’t J.D.’s looks that had engaged Candace the most; not that she hadn’t noticed how attractive the architect was. J.D. Reid possessed a quality that Candace did not often find in others. She carried herself with a quiet confidence that enhanced her natural good looks. That was the only way Candace could think to describe the younger woman; natural. Jameson had long, chestnut hair that fell in natural waves just below her shoulders. If the architect had been wearing any makeup, it had not been readily detectable. The feature that captured Candace’s attention the most were Jameson Reid’s eyes. They were a soft brown that Candace had noticed seemed to lighten to a faint golden tone when Jameson was amused or intrigued; something that seemed to occur quite often in their short time together. Candace had enjoyed Jameson’s company. Their conversation had wound its way into late evening. Jameson had shared a bit about her family and reluctantly admitted that she knew very little about baseball. Candace had even found herself opening up about her life far more than was customary to a virtual stranger.

  Dana tried not to laugh at the expression on the senator’s face. She’d met Candace Fletcher when she was interning for another senator during college, and immediately decided that someday she would work for Senator Fletcher. She admired the older woman. Dana valued the senator both as a friend and as a mentor. Those who were closest to Candace Fletcher understood that her life had become lonely in the last few years. A year after Candace’s divorce, the senator had become involved with Jessica Stearns; a prominent New York lawyer. The relationship had lasted seven years. In that time, Dana had seen Candace happier than ever before. The ending of the relationship, however, proved painful and bitter. Jessica had been caught in an affair with another lawyer in her firm. It had been splashed across the news media, made its way onto nearly every magazine cover and tainted Candace’s political clout for nearly a year. Worse, it had devastated the senator personally. Trust was a precious commodity in political life. The senator had risked a great deal to follow her heart. Her political career had been tested with her decision to come out as a lesbian at all. The announcement of her relationship with the attorney and the ensuing personal appearances as a couple drew a bevy of critics with harsh and hurtful words. Candace’s children had struggled with the demise of their parents’ marriage, and then with their mother’s new reality. Jessica’s betrayal was heartbreaking for Candace. She poured herself into her work after that. And, she kept her distance from potential romantic entanglements. It had been more than a few years since Dana had witnessed the sparkle in Candace’s eye that just mentioning Jameson prompted.

  “Senator?” Candace heard Dana calling to her and suddenly realized that she had drifted off in thought. “Is that it?”

  “What?” Candace asked.

  “The age difference. Is that what bothers you about J.D.?”

  Candace sighed heavily. “Dana, I barely know her. And, I have no interest in a relationship with anyone. You know that.”

  “If you say so.”

  “I do say so, so let’s just change the subject,” Candace replied abruptly.

  “When are you seeing her again?” Dana persisted.

  “What?”

  “Well, you said you were hiring her. I would assume that means you will be seeing her again,” Dana poi
nted out.

  “I don’t know,” Candace said. “We’ve exchanged a few emails. Pearl will take care of whatever she needs while I am away,” Candace attempted to end the conversation. “Now, what is on today’s agenda?”

  Dana sighed inwardly and proceeded to hand the senator the day’s press schedule. Candace continually kneaded at her temples as she reviewed it and played with the glasses resting on the bridge of her nose. Dana was certain that the senator’s behavior was driven by something other than the day’s schedule. It might not have been obvious to most people; Dana was sure that J.D. Reid had piqued Candace Fletcher’s curiosity. “I wonder what J.D. thought of you,” she mused silently.

  ***

  “No, Melanie. I am headed back upstate today,” Jameson said.

  “The project with the senator, or are you just heading toward home?” Melanie McKenna asked.

  “Both,” Jameson replied without looking up from her desk.

  “So, what’s she like?” Melanie asked her boss. Jameson was focused on the sketches Melanie had brought in for her to review and did not respond to the question. “Hello! Earth to J.D.!” she called again.

  “What?”

  “I asked what she is like.”

  “Who?” Jameson asked as he studied the papers before her.

  “Senator Fletcher; what’s she like?”

  Jameson pushed the plans aside and looked up at her friend. “She’s nice enough.”

  “She’s nice enough? Oh, come on, J.D.! Is she a dragon lady or is she all prim and proper?”

  “What is your fascination with Candace?”

  “Candace? Hum, that’s pretty informal. What happened to Senator Fletcher?”

  Jameson rolled her eyes. “Since when are you so interested in a politician?”

  “Candace Fletcher is not just a politician, J.D. She’s one of the most respected women in Washington.”

  Jameson chuckled. “Do you have a crush on my client?” Melanie shrugged. “You do! You have a crush on Candace Fletcher!” Jameson laughed.

  “So what if I do?”

  “Mel, might I remind you that you and the good senator bat for different teams,” Jameson said.

  “Well, I can be flexible.”

  Jameson shook her head in amusement. Melanie was the newest and youngest architect in Jameson’s firm. She was bright, energetic, and talented. Jameson had to admit that the main reason she brought Melanie on, however, was her humor. “Uh-huh,” Jameson raised an eyebrow. “Older women and younger men, huh?”

  “Whatever works. Besides, Candace Fletcher is gorgeous,” Melanie commented. Jameson looked back at the papers on her desk and gave a slight nod. “She is; isn’t she? Huh? Come on, J.D.! Is it all camera tricks or is she as stunning in person?”

  “She’s attractive,” Jameson said quietly.

  Melanie grinned slyly. “She’s single; you know?”

  “Mm-hm.”

  “And, she is a lesbian.”

  “Yes, I think I might have heard that,” Jameson replied.

  “So, maybe you….”

  “Enough matchmaking. She’s a client, Mel. But, if you are interested….”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Melanie laughed.

  Jameson smiled. “Plans look good,” she complimented the younger woman’s work. “Be ready to present it next week,” she instructed as she made her way to retrieve her jacket. “Bryan will lead the meeting.”

  “You’re not going to be here?” Melanie asked in disbelief. “J.D. this is a huge account.”

  “Yes, I know. You’ve done a fantastic job. Branmore will be thrilled with your proposal. Bryan will keep you steady.”

  “Where are you going to be?”

  Jameson winked. “I have my own client to take care of; remember?”

  Melanie narrowed her gaze at her boss as Jameson strutted out of the office. “Oh, you think you’re fooling me, huh?” she whispered as Jameson walked out the door. “Not fooling me. You like the senator. Hah! I knew it!”

  ***

  Pearl opened the door and greeted Jameson with a warm smile. “Well, I guess she didn’t scare you away,” she winked.

  “Oh, it would take more than an ornery old senator to scare me away from all this,” Jameson gestured to the home.

  “Well, that’s good to know, Ms. Reid. Cause between you and me? My little Candy can be a handful.”

  Jameson returned the older woman’s smile. “Known the senator a long time, I take it?”

  “You could say that,” Pearl replied as she led Jameson through the house. “Her granddad hired me in nineteen sixty-eight. Candy was eight,” the woman explained. Jameson tried to picture an eight-year-old Candace. She snickered. Pearl led Jameson through the house into the kitchen and directed her to take a seat. “Hard to imagine her that way; I know.”

  Jameson smiled. “Not really,” she said.

  Pearl nodded. She had kept quiet with the senator about her suspicions. After Jameson Reid’s first visit she had noticed a lift in Candace’s spirits, and a measurable bounce in the senator’s step. At first, Pearl had chalked up the change to Candace’s excitement over finally remodeling the house. It was a project she had talked about for years. This house, Pearl understood, meant a great deal to Candace Fletcher. As a child, Candace found any excuse she could to visit her grandparents. When her father inherited the house, he had immediately passed it on to her brother David. Candace’s disappointment had been evident. As soon as David expressed an interest in selling the home, Candace swept in.

  It was also evident to the older woman that there was more to Candace’s sudden shift in moods. Candace was like a daughter to Pearl. It had always been impossible for Candace to hide the truth from the older woman about anything. Pearl began to suspect that the young woman now seated in front of her might be the cause of Candace’s vitalized spirit. Pearl had entered the kitchen the morning after Jameson’s first visit to find the senator engrossed in her computer. That was not unusual. What struck the older woman as strange was the grin that kept edging its way onto Candace’s expression. She watched curiously as Candace would shake her head, type furiously, and then chuckle. She finally asked what had the senator so amused at six-thirty on a chilly November morning.

  “One second,” Candace had replied. “No parakeets in the living room,” Candace muttered. Pearl wrinkled her nose in confusion as Candace hit the enter button on her keyboard dramatically. “What did you ask me?” Candace turned her attention briefly to the older woman.

  “I asked what has you so amused this early in the morning,” Pearl repeated her question.

  Candace started to answer and then looked at the computer screen. “Orinthophobe! Ha! She probably thinks I need to look that up.”

  Pearl shook her head. “You dealing with another health care bill?” Pearl guessed.

  “What?” Candace asked. “Oh, no,” she said as she typed. “Smart ass. No, no, Pearl, I am dealing with a snarky architect.”

  “Is there a cure?” Pearl asked cheekily.

  Candace was gloating over something she had written. “A cure for the snarky or for the architect?” Candace quipped. Pearl turned away to conceal her smirk. She heard Candace let forth a caustic chuckle. “Yeah, I know. I know what a hip roof is. No, I don’t think they had them at Woodstock, you lunatic! And, no I wasn’t there. I was nine.”

  Pearl listened for the next twenty minutes while the senator typed away, making comments as she went, occasionally groaning, only to start laughing in another instant. “You know, you’re going to miss your flight if you don’t get moving,” Pearl reminded the senator.

  “Oh, shit!” Candace chastised herself. “Crap! It’s almost seven. Why didn’t you say something?”

  “You seemed intent on solving your snarky artifact problem,” Pearl said.

  Candace finished typing something and closed her computer. “Architect, Pearl. It’s a snarky architect; a snarky, expensive architect.”

  “Well, I’m sure you’ll fi
nd a remedy,” Pearl responded.

  “I always do,” Candace said with a kiss to the older woman’s cheek. “I will see you next Tuesday.”

  “I’ll be here.”

  Pearl pulled herself from her musings and noted that Jameson was watching her attentively. “So, what does my Candy have in store for you?” she asked the architect.

  Jameson laughed. “Something tells me that I should be the one asking you that question,” Jameson replied.

  “You’ll do just fine,” Pearl said. “You want some coffee, Ms. Reid?”

  Jameson looked around the large kitchen. “J.D.” Pearl gave the architect an odd look. “My name is J.D. or Jameson, whichever. And, coffee would be great.”

  “So, Jameson,” Pearl began. “What are your plans for this old place?”

  Jameson pulled out her laptop. “Would you like to see some of them?” she asked excitedly. Pearl nodded and took a seat beside the young woman. “It all really depends on Candace,” Jameson said earnestly as she booted up her computer. She pointed to the screen. “I’ve discovered she has a bird aversion.”

  “A bird aversion?”

  “Yeah,” Jameson said pointing to the screen again. “In the eighteenth century wall coverings were block printed. See, here? I suggested parakeets. She didn’t like that concept,” Jameson smiled.

  Pearl tried not to laugh as she gained a new understanding of the senator’s musings earlier in the week. “I see.”

  “Um. So, I suggested pigeons,” Jameson showed the older woman a different design.

  “Pigeons?”

  “Um. She didn’t like that either. Bird aversion.”

  Pearl laughed heartily. “You’re not too far off there,” she said.

  “Really? Candace is afraid of birds?” Jameson asked. “Oh shit,” she whispered. “I’ve been sending her bird designs all week,” she said.

  Pearl watched the color drain from Jameson’s face and chuckled. She put a comforting hand on the architect’s shoulder. “No, no. She’s not afraid of them,” she said. Jameson looked up hopefully. “She had a pet canary when she was small. Her older brother let it out of the cage one day and,” Pearl stopped.