I stood to shake his hand. “And you’re Beau. Nice to meet you.”
His grip was firm but warm, his eyes friendly. “You ready to make some magic?”
“I guess so,” I said, unable to stop the small smile that tugged at my lips. His energy immediately put me at ease. “But I’m feeling out of my depth here.”
“I felt that way the first time I was on camera,” Beau said. “But after a bit, it becomes second nature.” He gave me a quick wink before joining us at the table. “This is my second go at it, so hopefully I can help make it as smooth as possible.”
“You’ve done this before?” I asked.
“Pretty close,” Beau said. “I was one of the contractors on a design contest show last year. We had a blast.”
“And this is our featured homeowner,” Carol said, nodding at Vance.
Vance stood and the men shook hands. I watched Vance’s jaw tighten slightly, his eyes cool and assessing as he took Beau’s measure.
“This is an amazing house,” Beau said. “What a view.”
“Thanks. It’s been in my family for three generations,” Vance said.
“We’ll take good care of her,” Beau said.
Carol tapped her pen on the table. “Let’s get on with things now that Beau’s here.”
She went on to describe the filming process. “We’re following a three-day teaser format. Think Will and Janna, but with a fresh angle—designer, contractor, homeowner. Day one is walk-through footage. You two—” she nodded to Vance and me “—will walk the house together, talk about what works, what doesn’t. We’ll film interviews, get your impressions, your memories, what the space means to you.”
She flipped to a schedule grid. “Day two is light demo. Nothing major, just enough to show transformation in progress. Beau, your crew will be handling that.”
Beau gave a two-finger salute. “Demo without dust. Got it.”
“Day three is story-building and wrap-up. Design direction, progress updates, a few on-camera confessionals.”
“What about me?” Vance asked.
Carol didn’t even blink. “You’re the narrative thread. You’ll talk on camera about the house, your family, the history. We need vulnerability, charm, humor—whatever makes the audience invest in you. You’re the reason they tune in.”
“Sounds like a lot of pressure.” Vance grinned, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“It is,” Carol said. “But you’re charming. The camera will like you. Just don’t freeze.”
Kenzie added, “You’re basically the heart of the house. Lila’s the brain. Beau’s the biceps.”
Beau flexed his hands. “Happy to be the muscle.”
Kenzie pulled out her phone, scrolling through something. “Oh, and Lila? The network’s already setting up your social media presence. They love your aesthetic. Very authentic.” She looked up, her smile sharp. “Very family-focused.” She turned the phone toward me.
It was an Instagram post I’d made three weeks ago. Mia and me at the beach. My private account.
“How did you get this?”
“Oh, you know. Research.” Kenzie waved it off. “We like to know who we’re working with. Make sure everything aligns with the show’s values.”
My stomach twisted. That account was private. I was certain of it.
Carol shot Kenzie a look. “We can discuss social strategy later. Let’s stay on schedule.”
“Great, let’s get on with it,” Carol said, closing her folder. “Hair and makeup will be here in twenty minutes. Then we start shooting.”
Today? My stomach dropped.
