“What about your style?” I asked, acutely aware of the camera hovering six feet away. “What aesthetic speaks to you?”
“French countryside. But not fussy. Warm, lived-in, collected over time. Natural materials. Lots of light.”
I nodded, my mind already spinning with ideas. “I can see that. Soft greens and creamy whites. Natural wood. Brass fixtures. Zellige tile behind the range.”
His eyes lit up. “Exactly.”
For a moment, we both forgot about the cameras. It was just us, talking about creating something beautiful together.
Then Kenzie’s voice: “Cut. That was perfect. Great chemistry, you two.”
Chemistry.
I caught Vance’s eye. He looked like he was trying not to laugh.
Beau appeared beside me, plans in hand. “Lila, want to walk through the structural stuff? I can show you what we’re working with.”
“Sure,” I said.
As Beau led me toward the back of the house, explaining load-bearing walls and foundation issues, I felt Vance’s eyes on us. When I glanced back, his expression was carefully neutral—but his hands were fisted in his pockets.
Two hours later, after countless takes, walk-throughs, and stagednaturalconversations, Carol finally called wrap.
“Great first day,” Carol said. “Lila, we’ll need your design proposal by Thursday. We’ll film some scenes in your studio. Vance, we’ll want confessionals with you later this week. Really dig into the emotion—what this house means, what having your daughter come home means.”
He nodded, but I could see the tension in his shoulders.
“Great!” Kenzie bounced on her toes. “This is going to be amazing.”
The crew started packing up equipment. Beau gave me a friendly wave and headed out to his truck. The producers disappeared into the kitchen, reviewing footage on a laptop.
And suddenly it was just me and Vance, standing in his living room.
“So,” he said quietly, “I feel like an idiot. How did we not figure this out?”
“They told us not to tell anyone,” I said.
“Right. But seriously, we’re not too smart.”
I laughed. “I guess we’re not. You said you inherited your mother’s house—I just didn’t put it together.”
“To be fair, we’ve been a little distracted.”
“That’s one way to put it.” I looked back toward the kitchen, where Carol and Kenzie were still huddled. “Are you okay with this? With me designing your house? Because if it’s too weird, I can?—”
“No.” He stepped closer. “I want it to be you. I trust you. And think about it. You’re going to make this into a place I can bring Margot. That’s very special. Maybe meant to be?”
“I’ll make it perfect for you guys. I promise.”
His hand found mine, brief but warm. “And I get to be around you even more, which is pretty lucky.”
“With cameras following us around.”
“There’s that.” He grimaced. “And apparently you’re supposed to have chemistry with Beau.”
“That’s just for the show.”
“Is it?”
