Off the Grid

“Good. Jesus. Have you told anyone else?”

“No. I want to get the story out there first and figure out the right way to break the news to my dad.”

“It’s a good thing he lives out there. It’ll keep Daddy Fehr from killing him.”

“Oh stop. You’re awful.”

“I’m serious as a heart attack. When does this article come out?” Cece asked.

“Another month or so.”

“How did tall, weird, and bearded win your heart over?” Cece asked.

“He doesn’t have the beard anymore.”

“Oh, that explains so much.”

“Shut up, I’m not that shallow. Under his gruff exterior he is still very much that boy from high school. He’s sweet, strong, and funny. We had so much common ground it was a natural progression for it to develop into more. Plus, the attraction is insane.”

“And the sex?” Cece asked, leaning in.

“Mind blowing.”

“Damn, sounds like a keeper, Lilac.”

“I really think he is.”

“Only you could go off the grid and find love.”

“Am I crazy, Cece?”

“No more than the rest of us. We all just want to find that someone who makes the insanity of the world make sense, and our flaws seem like pluses. If he does that for you, I’m happy. I can’t give my blessing until I see the two of you together, but you know I support you no matter what.”

“I do know that. It’s one of the many reasons why I love you. Enough about me. What did I miss while I was gone?” she asked.

“I got the bid on the hotel remodeling job.”

“Oh, Cece, that is fantastic! Congratulations.” As an interior designer, a franchise contract meant big bucks, and freedom to splurge because of the budget. It was a designer’s dream come true. The sparkle in her friend’s eyes was nearly blinding.

“Thank you. I can’t wait to get started. There’s a new investor interested in bringing a little tourism into town. I think it’d be a great move for us. He seems to really like the rustic, authentic feel we have going, so I’m hopeful he won’t try to change us too much. You know I’d never take the gig If he was trying to pull a corporate takeover.” She sneered.

“I can’t wait to see what you work up for samples.”

“He wants to do a country chic take, so you know I’m in heaven, right?” Cece placed a hand over her heart.

“When do you start?”

“I’ll begin mock ups next week. It’s a whole new ballgame looking at things now. Don’t get me wrong, I love decorating people’s homes, but this is insane. There are so many different things to choose from with higher price points, and much more is expected in terms of execution and choosing what the client is looking for.”

“You’ve always been excellent at reading people, so I have no doubt you’ll knock this out the box.”

“Thank you, love. Have you begun working on your big article?”

“You know me, I have my main points written out on note cards. I learned so much it was hard to condense.”

“You look incredible. You weren’t kidding when you said it did your body good to get out there and put in some manual labor.”

“You should try it some time.”