by B J Phillips
Chapter Nine
“ELISE, GOOD TO HEAR from you. What do you think about leaving off the cabinet doors on the end cabinets?” Kelly asked when Elise called her the next day. She put down the sanding block and wiped her hand on her shorts, then across her sweating face.
“I love your ideas, Kelly. I’ve been giving it some thought. I even sat at my desk and tried to envision the wall full of bookcases as you originally designed them with cabinets all the way across the bottom two shelves and as the alternate design with cabinet doors only on the middle three. I’ve decided I like your idea of having open shelves all the way down on the end bookcases. Every time I look over there, it seems like an even better idea. Let’s change the plans to show the new design.”
“I’m glad you still like the idea after thinking about it further. I’ll redraw the plans so you can sign off on them, order the supplies, and get going as soon as I can. How about I bring over the final plans this afternoon? Is that okay?”
“That’s fine. Wait. Even better, how about you come over for lunch. Andrea and I’d love your company and you can do two things at once.”
“Very nice of you, I accept.”
“Is twelve thirty good for you or would you prefer closer to one?”
“Twelve thirty is perfect. That’ll give me enough time to redraw the plans and get cleaned up. Thanks for the invite. See you then.”
Kelly ended the call and thirty minutes later, she had finished the changes to the drawings she made for the bookcases. She hurriedly got cleaned up and changed her clothes. She still had time to take the plans to get an extra copy made for Elise to keep.
Driving through the gate at Palm Harbour Isles was now beginning to feel familiar. She smiled and greeted the security guard as he gave her another dated placard for the Durango’s window. As she drove toward Gulf Breeze Way, she realized how comfortable she was feeling around Elise. And Andi, too, for that matter. Maybe I’m a little too comfortable. Elise and Andi are from a completely different background, socially if nothing else. Plus, Elise is my customer. I should be more business-like, but still friendly. The instant Elise came to the door and greeted her with a hug, that thought went out the window.
“Kelly! I’m so glad you could come for lunch,” Elise said releasing her. “We’ll look at your drawings right after we eat, if that’s all right.” Without waiting for Kelly’s response, Elise turned and over her shoulder said, “Andrea’s just now finished putting out lunch. Let’s not make her wait.”
“Sounds good to me. Always a good idea to keep the cook happy.”
They stepped into the kitchen as Andi finished laying out the food for everyone to make their own sandwiches–along with turkey, there was sourdough bread, two kinds of cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo and mustard, and several kinds of chips, along with pickles and olives.
“Ah, buffet style. Fun,” Kelly said. “No one can complain that she didn’t get her sandwich exactly as she wants it.”
Andi smiled. “That’s the idea. Thanks for coming for lunch. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s filling.”
“This all looks very tasty,” Kelly said. “Thanks for inviting me.”
They made their sandwiches, filling their plates with chips, pickles, and olives. They moved outside to eat on the lanai, where a pitcher of iced tea and a bucket of ice awaited them.
“It’s so pleasant to eat out here,” Elise said as soon as they were all seated. “When I designed this house, I wanted a large outdoor-feeling but indoor space where I could sit or entertain. What you see here is what I came up with and I’ve loved it from the first day.”
“Elise, you continue to amaze me. You designed your own house?” Kelly asked, reaching for the iced tea pitcher.
“Well, I told the architect what I wanted and drew up the basic design myself. I knew how I wanted the house oriented on the lot and where I wanted each room to look out. I’ve added things here and there since then, but it’s pretty much the same house as it was built.”
Elise and Andi both held their glasses for Kelly to pour tea. “All I can say is, you did a wonderful job. It looks perfect.” Kelly picked up her sandwich and took a bite. “Great turkey, too.”
“Glad you like it.” Andi grinned, looking directly into Kelly’s eyes. “Sorry there’s no pie to go with it, though.”
Kelly felt her stomach do a little flutter. She mentally picked herself up off the floor and grinned back, trying to ignore what she felt. “I don’t know about you, but I doubt I’ll miss having some dessert after this very filling lunch. The next time you want pie, let me know and I’ll be happy to go with you.”
Kelly noticed Elise paying attention to their conversation, a little grin playing across her face as she watched them.
“Hey, I like pie, too,” Elise said.
“Okay, Elise, next time we go out for dessert, you’re invited along. How’s that? I’m sure Andi doesn’t mind at all.”
Elise looked back and forth at the two of them. “Oh, so it’s Andi, now, is it?” She chuckled. “Good. That means you at least like each other.”
Andi looked pointedly at her aunt. “You know you’re about the only one who calls me Andrea.”
“I’m giving you a hard time, sweetie. I’m glad you two are becoming friends.”
After finishing her sandwich and iced tea, Elise took a deep breath and pushed her chair away from the table. “All right, ladies, all done with lunch? Kelly and I need to talk business now.”
“Sure. Do you want to see the final drawings out here? I laid them on the entry table.”
Andi jumped up. “I’ll go get them. You two sit right there.”
Elise and Kelly looked at each other, Elise a bit wide-eyed with surprise. “Why, thank you, Andrea.” Once Andi was out of earshot, Elise asked, “I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you, but she sure seems a lot happier since she got to know you. Just friends, right?”
“Of course. We’ve barely gotten to know each other. I do like her, though. She’s fun to be around.”
Andi returned to the lanai with the rolled-up drawings in her hand. “I did take a quick look at these. I like them.” She grinned at Kelly. “That’s strictly my opinion, and of course hers is the opinion that actually counts.” She nodded toward Elise.
After Andi removed the luncheon items and dried the table, Elise and Kelly rolled out the plans for the bookcases. Elise ran her fingers over the drawings, seeming to feel them as Andi had done. Interesting. Kelly waited, giving Elise time to look at them in detail.
“Is there anything you’d like to ask me about them?”
“Tell you what, let’s take them into my office for one more comparison. I want to be completely sure.”
They rolled the plans back up and walked inside, through the living room and down the hall to Elise’s office. Elise sat at her desk and held the drawing up, obviously imagining the view from her chair.
“I really like this. You’ve got a great eye and a wonderful design sense. I love the middle one being larger and deeper than the other four, giving the whole thing a design I hadn’t thought of. The molding at the top and bottom of the pieces sets them off well and I also like the design on each shelf edge and the ends. They’ll fit in here perfectly.”
Kelly grinned. “I’m glad you like them.”
“How soon do you think you’ll start installing them?”
“I should be able to order the supplies this afternoon and start work on them in a few days. I plan to do the dirty work elsewhere and partially assemble them there. I should be ready to start putting them up in a couple of weeks. How does that sound?”
“Great. Now as to a down payment…” Elise sat down at her desk and pulled a checkbook from the drawer and began writing. “I’m really looking forward to seeing the finished product,” she said as she tore off a check and handed it to Kelly. “Is this enough for a down payment?”
Kelly glanced at the check. It was for half the agreed-upon amount. “That’
s definitely enough, thank you.” Kelly folded the check and put it in her pocket. “Before I do the final finish on them, I’ll bring you a sample of how it will look so you can tell me if it’s okay. I’d rather change what I’m doing before I start the finish than have to change it afterward. That’s a lot of bookcases.”
“I like that idea, too. Let me know once the sample is ready, or drop it off here if I’m not home. I’ll be happy to get back to you right away.”
Kelly studied the wall for a few seconds. “I just had another idea standing here looking at that wall. That’s a very nice painting and it goes well with your office. Do you want to leave a space in that bookcase for it to stay there?”
“No, but thanks for noticing. I have another spot in mind for that piece of artwork. I’m looking forward to looking up and seeing all my books here, along with some of my other items that will look great on those shelves.”
“Okay, we’re good to go. I’d like you to sign off on them and I’ll get to work. Oh, by the way, I do have an extra set of these drawings for you. I assumed you’d want them, since they’ll be part of the house.”
“Thank you, Kelly. I would like them.” Elise signed and dated the bottom of the diagram. She tilted her head slightly and looked up at Kelly. “Do you have a minute to sit down for a chat?”
“Sure.” Kelly rolled up the plans and settled into one of the armchairs across from Elise’s desk. “What would you like to talk about?”
“It’s Andrea.” Elise leaned forward a bit and crossed her arms loosely with her elbows on her desk. “I know I sort of threw the two of you together a little, hoping she’d make a friend. I worried she was holed up here at the house or spending more time alone than she had to. Even the times she went out, she went alone.”
Kelly smiled. “And we have made friends. I like Andi. She’s fun to talk to.”
Elise nodded. “Yes, she’s sweet. I’m sure you understand she’s vulnerable right now. I know you wouldn’t take advantage of that vulnerability, but I had to say it.”
“Elise, Andi and I are friends. I’d never take advantage of a friend for any reason at all.”
“I didn’t think you would, but again, I had to say it. Please be careful with her. I don’t want her to jump into anything with anyone for a while. I can see you two like each other, but if anything, else came of your friendship right now, it’d simply be her on the rebound. I don’t want either of you hurt, especially Andrea. She’s been through enough. Does this make sense to you?”
“Makes all the sense in the world. Look, you have nothing to worry about. Andi and I are friends, that’s all. She doesn’t even live here, so we probably won’t really become close friends before she’s ready to go back home. I’m happy to keep her company, though, while she’s here.” Kelly looked closely at Elise. “Don’t worry, nothing will happen. I’ve simply offered her someone to have pie and coffee or a drink with once in a while. I might invite her to come along to a friend’s house for supper, how’s that?”
“That sounds nice. I like you, Kelly. I don’t think it would work out for the two of you to get very close, at least for the time being. I know she’s a grownup now and she doesn’t need me to take care of her, but she got burned badly the last time. She needs to heal first.”
“No problem. I get it.” Kelly stood up. “I should get going. I need to order the materials for your bookcases and I don’t want to wait very late in the day to do it.”
“I’m glad you understand. As you can see, I’m quite protective of Andrea.” They stood up and Elise came around the desk. She placed her hand lightly on Kelly’s arm. “I know I didn’t really need to have this conversation, but I did it for my own peace of mind. Thanks for coming to lunch. And thanks just for being you. I know you understand.”
“It’s okay. I do understand, believe me. She’s lucky to have someone care that much for her. Thanks for having me over for lunch. I’m glad you like the plans and I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other again soon. I’ll let you know as soon as I’m ready to start installing the bookcases.”
Kelly took a step toward the door, then turned back to Elise. “Oh, by the way, you’ll want to take down that painting before we install your new bookcases and make sure the wall is in good shape. You don’t want to have to patch the spot where the hanger was and paint it after they’re in.”
“Good idea. I’m glad you thought of that. I’ll have someone take care of it tomorrow. Who knows, I might even decide to change the color of that wall.”
Kelly turned again and strode toward the door. She stopped in the doorway and looked over her shoulder at Elise. “Don’t worry about Andi. She’s going to be fine.”
“I know.” Elise smiled.
Chapter Ten
“WHAT DID AUNT ELISE bend your ear about? I’m not paranoid or anything, but I had a feeling she was talking about me while she held you captive in her office.”
Kelly laughed. “Captive, huh? Actually, it was mostly about the bookcases. But…she did mention that she was glad to see you coming out of your shell.” Kelly moved her phone to her other ear.
“Really…interesting. That’s so sweet. I know she worries about me.”
“She obviously cares about you very much. I got the impression she’s been concerned that you were holed up in the house too much, but I also got the feeling she understood why you might do that.”
“What she didn’t tell you is that she went through something like this years ago.”
“She did?”
“Yeah. I know. Hard to believe. It was awful. She had her heart broken big time and went through a very crappy spell because of it.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. It’s hard to believe someone would want to hurt her. That could explain why she understands what’s happening with you. Seriously, I can’t imagine anyone wanting to hurt Elise. She’s such a wonderful woman.”
“Well, she…I guess I shouldn’t say much more except that she probably worries more about me because of that. Whatever she says about me, it’s good to hear it in that light. She’s being very protective—maybe overprotective—but that’s her.”
“Thanks for the heads-up,” Kelly said. “You know, everyone has a story. I think my friend Shawn said it perfectly. 'When you look at someone, you’re only seeing the cover of their book. The real story is inside.'”
“I think that sounds very true. So, Kelly, what’s your story?”
“Me? I don’t really have a story. I’m the exception. I’m pretty sure I’m very boring.”
“I doubt that. I can’t imagine you being boring. Come on, tell me something about yourself. I know you like to make things out of wood, but you don’t just hang around waiting for someone to need bookcases built, right?”
“No, I don’t, but…”
“So, what do you do when you aren’t building bookcases?” Andi pressed her.
“I buy houses, renovate them, and then sell them. I usually live in one of the ones I’m working on.”
“That sounds interesting. How can you call yourself boring?”
“Well, it’s not very glamorous, that’s for sure. I work on them by myself, only contracting out the things I can’t do or don’t have the official credentials for. It takes time, but I get to make them look like I think they should and I don’t have to deal with a crew…or a boss, either, for that matter.”
“I knew you were talented. The drawing you did for Aunt Elise showed that you have quite an eye for detail. I’d even call you an artist of sorts. I think that drawing could almost be framed.”
“That’s kind of you. I’m not an artist, though. I just like making things.”
“Come on, artists make things, too, you know. I’d love to see what you’re working on some time.”
“I’ll try to arrange that for some time while you’re still here. The staircase is kind of messed up right now since I had to take out the bannister and redo it. But if you’re still around when I get the bannister back up, you can co
me over and see what I’m doing on this house.”
“I think I’ll probably still be around. I rather like it here.”
“That’s nice. I’m sure Elise likes having you here, too.”
“She does. I’m lucky that she’s used to having me under foot and I know I’m never intruding.”
“From what she said to me, it sounds like she’s planning to move here year-round soon.”
“We’ll see. She’s talked about retiring before, but it didn’t happen. Still, you never know. Well, I guess I’d better let you go, unless you have a yen for some more pie and coffee later.”
“I doubt if that’ll happen tonight, but it could happen tomorrow night. In fact, a pie craving can happen any time.” Kelly chuckled. “Maybe I should keep some pie here on hand just in case.”
“What? And have no reason to call up a friend to go out for coffee and dessert?” Andi was laughing.
“True. Very true. Besides, we promised Elise we’d invite her along on the next pie run. Don’t forget about that. I bet she won’t.”
“You can take that bet. She doesn’t forget anything. Besides, she’s fun to be with.”
“Yes, she is. She can come along any time as far as I’m concerned,” Kelly said.
“Could we set it up for tomorrow night for dessert and coffee again? That way we could tell Aunt Elise ahead of time and she’ll have something fun to look forward to, as well…I hope I’m not being presumptuous. I enjoyed the other night very much.”
“No, no, you’re not being pushy. I didn’t have anything else planned for tomorrow night. See if Elise’s good with that, then text me, okay? Let her know I’m fine with whatever time she’d like to meet there.”
“Sounds good. Enjoy your evening.” Andi’s voice sounded husky.