“No. My home is in DC.”
“Then why spend money on the house?” Andy asked.
“The hospitality business isn’t the same as real estate, but I know that you can get more out of something when the presentation is right. I could market the same room and get different amounts of money out of it depending on howaesthetically pleasing it is. It’s not about the square footage, it’s about how the space makes a person feel,” Samira explained.
“That makes sense,” Andy said before stopping to pick up an old copper pitcher. “What about this?”
Samira looked at the item and clapped her hands in excitement. She could already picture the fresh flowers she would fill it with. The pitcher would work as a vase on either the counter-top or on the table. She would figure out which one once she brought it home.
“That’s perfect! Exactly what I was hoping to find. How did you know?”
“Good guess,” Andy responded.
Samira let Andy hold the pitcher as they continued to look around. She found a few metal signs that she could hang up in the living room. They wouldn’t fit in her basket, so she tucked them under her arm and continued to shop. She came across a few oil lamps and some vintage tablecloths that she had to have and placed them in her shopping basket. She would have continued shopping, but she had run out of arms.
Andy gave her the keys to his truck so she could place her items inside while he waited for someone to bring his mother’s table out. She tried to ignore how normal it felt to be shopping with Andy or to take his keys, so she could go into his truck without him. They were dangerously close to falling into a routine of doing things together.
“Your mother has good taste,” Samira commented after Andy and one of the employees placed the table in the back of his truck.
“Just looks like an old table to me,” Andy replied with a smirk.
“If it wasn’t an old table, I don’t think it would be at the antique mall…”
“Touché,” Andy said before closing the tailgate to the truck and making his way into the driver’s seat.
“Where we headed now?” Samira asked.
“Didn’t you say you needed some furniture for your deck? I know a place.”
They drove a few short miles until they came to a large, gray, modern-style pole barn. There was a paved parking lot out front but no sign. Samira looked at Andy who just smiled at her before focusing his attention on parking.
“You look worried. Don’t you trust me?” Andy commented as he took her hand and led her to the door at the side of the building.
“I’m not worried, I’m curious. And for some reason, I do trust you.”
“Uh huh,” was all he said before pulling open the side door.
It looked even bigger on the inside. To her right was a large work area with a few sawhorses set up, a table with a saw, several work benches, and various sized toolboxes. To her left, the side closest to the garage door, appeared to be some form of a show room. Wooden benches, tables, chairs, porch swings, and picnic tables were all neatly on display. As she took it all in, a man walked over from the far end of the workshop.
“Oh, hey, Andy. I didn’t expect to see you before tomorrow,” he said before pausing to look at Samira. “You brought company.”
“You remember Samira Wylder? She went to school with us,” Andy introduced.
“Oh! I thought you looked familiar. Andy’s girl,” he said as he reached out a hand. “Josh White.”
Samira looked at Andy and waited for an explanation. It was clear they were not in a regular furniture store. There was no sign of anyone else in the building.
“See anything you like?” Andy asked, gesturing toward the display area.
“Are you going to fill me in? What is this?” Samira finally asked.
“You said you needed some furniture for your deck, right?”
“Yes,” Samira answered with exaggerated patience.
“Well, welcome to my shop,” Andy said with his lopsided grin.
“Our shop,” Josh, clearly entertained by the exchange, corrected.
