The screen saidtyping. She waited, ignoring the dramatic music on the TV.
One word from you and I’ll tell Troy it didn’t work out
Which word? ‘Halt’ and ‘desist’ are both good ones
Although adding ‘good sir’ would feel more final, you know?
Goodnight E
Goodnight T
ChapterFourteen
Emma walked upto the steps of the property, taken aback by the chaos that greeted her. Men in hard hats swarmed the exterior of the house, and the front door hung open for workers to come and go. The property was a beautiful testament to history, with its high ceilings, intricate crown moulding, and ornate chandeliers.
Troy had been adamant about preserving the architectural integrity of the place, ensuring that every renovation honoured and enhanced its original character.He’d said, there’s no point in leaving an old building standing if you aren’t going to pay homage to its roots. May as well knock it down otherwise.Emma respected that.
She walked through the front sitting room, but barely had time to glance up the dust-and-drop-sheet-covered stairwell before Lindsey popped into the hall. “Welcome to our humble abode!”
Emma grinned. “You got here early.”
Lindsey motioned for Emma to follow her into the kitchen. The cabinets were installed and the tiling was done, though still a mess. Dust motes danced in the morning light through the kitchen window, and the smell of freshly cut wood filled the air as a saw whined from upstairs.
“That light, though,” Emma murmured. She touched an original stained glass panel inset in the wall between the kitchen and the sitting room.
“Oh, I know.” Lindsey tossed her a damp rag. Vaughn was already hunched over the countertops, scrubbing away at grout with religious fervour.
They’d been forced into a half day since the sink had been unexpectedly installed early that morning. They couldn’t shoot, but could prep for a dessert shoot the next morning.
Emma dropped her purse onto a stool and settled into the rhythm of scrubbing. Once they’d removed the first layer of silt, they switched to microfiber and polishing cloths. By two o’clock, the tiles were gleaming and Lindsey already had one light mounted.
“I’ll go get the stuff from my car.” She rinsed her rags and laid them on the edge of the sink to dry. When she walked back into the sitting room, her heart skipped a beat. When had Tyler arrived? He'd set up a makeshift office with his laptop and seemed lost in thought as his fingers clacked on the keys. He glanced up, then back at his screen. "How are things?”
Emma shrugged nonchalantly, avoiding eye contact. “Fine.” She continued walking out the door, down the steps, then pulled the boxes from her car. When Tyler saw her coming, he left his standing desk and took two boxes from the top of her pile.
“You don’t need to do that.”
He lowered his voice. “What are fake boyfriends for?”
Emma’s mouth lifted as they walked into the kitchen. “Where do you want these filters?”
Lindsey pointed to a stack of boxes already in the corner by the broom closet.
“The tile looks great in here,” Tyler commented.
Vaughn looked between him and Emma. “Of course it does.”
Tyler grinned, amused, and Emma waved him back out into the sitting area.
“The pastry chef will bring in desserts first thing tomorrow morning. She’s making them fresh, but there will be sweating in the transfer, I’m sure.” Emma opened the fridge to make sure they weren’t there already.
“I thought I’d shoot that window if we have time after setup.” Lindsey grabbed a polishing cloth and ran it over the mottled glass.
Emma narrowed her eyes. Now that she knew he was there, she could see Tyler in the other room, his head shifting in front of his computer screen.How would I distract you?
She turned away and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Sounds like a plan.”
They all worked together to finish setting up equipment and used the cupboards to lay out lenses and filters for the next morning. By the time Emma grabbed her purse and headed toward the front door, Tyler was already gone.
