Quadruple Duty

“Sand it?” asked Kyle.

“Prime it?” Dakota chimed in.

Jesus Christ! Were they kidding?

I looked to the left, where a set of dirty rollers were stacked on a paint-splattered drop cloth. Next to that were a few greasy pizza boxers and a roll of blue painter’s tape… unopened.

“Please tell me this is the only room you did,” I seethed.

“Yeah…” Kyle admitted hesitantly. “Well, our bedrooms too.”

“And you hired painters? Or butchers?”

He looked sheepish. “We kinda figured we could do this part ourselves.”

“We can do it ourselves,” Ryan declared, crossing his arms. “Paint is paint. Walls are walls. What’s the difference?”

I dropped my face into my hands. Shook my head.

The difference? The DIFFERENCE?

“This place is history!” I cried. “Just look at it! The hand-carved crown mouldings you guys are painting over. The gas-powered light fixtures!” I spun and pointed. “The sash windows! The original furniture! Even the oaken parquet floors—”

“We were gonna put carpet over those,” Dakota interjected happily. “Something soft, with a little more—”

“CARPET?!”

I wanted to beat on his beautiful chest. Grab his chiseled, angular face and make him see! Instead I only wrung my hands. It was the most beautiful, wonderful house I’d ever seen, much less stood in, much less possibly be given the opportunity to restore, to renovate, to decorate…

“See?” said Ryan all of a sudden. “I was right about her.”

I turned and blinked. All three of them were staring at me.

“Right about what?”

“Right about you being here just for the house,” Ryan said. “And not for us.”

Anger rushed through me. My body felt flushed, like the whole thing was on fire. I stopped myself for a moment and focused on control.

“Oh really?” I cocked my head. “Is that what you think?”

“Yeah,” Ryan smirked back confidently. “That’s exactly what I think.”

Now that we were out of the Hummer, I could take full stock of him. Ryan was tall, but not too tall. He had the most beautiful olive skin and a jet black goatee that was just starting to see tiny flecks of grey. But it was his eyes that caught my attention His e

yes were dark and deep. There was wisdom in them, and intelligence. But also challenge.

“So you invite me here…” I said, standing between them. “Knowing full well about my interior design business. My experience with restoration, my passion for history. And then you show me this—” I waved my arm around the parlor. “This magnificent piece of architecture…”

I began walking in a slow circle. They were all watching me. Waiting for me.

“And you have the balls to act all surprised when I’m actually excited about it?”

Kyle was speechless. Dakota snickered softly. Ryan however, hadn’t taken his eyes from me. His two brown orbs were locked tightly on mine, perhaps sizing me up, perhaps hating me even more than it seemed he already did.

I walked toward him, crossing one long leg in front of the other. I was actually his height. Maybe it intimidated him a little.

“So… what?” I asked. “You don’t think I’m serious about your ‘offer’?” I bit my bottom lip with my top, wetting it. “You don’t think I haven’t spent every waking minute of the last few days wondering what it would be like?”