I’m actually kind of excited about this. I’ve always wanted a house of my own to fill with funky furniture and pretty things. When Mercury was in college and dorm life would get overwhelming, she’d come over, and we’d watch HGTV and bitch about the shitty decisions couples would make.
Now at least I can pretend for a little while.
We’re nearly to the showroom when a woman stops us. “Are you Presley and Hollis Creed?”
Hollis’s face goes pale. We’ve never discussed last names. Now I’m wondering if we should. “Um…” I hesitate, realizing my short-sleeve shirt has already given me away. My Creed tattoo is staring her right in the face. “Yes.”
“Oh my god, I knew it! I saw you onCeleb News, and I just have to say I love how you stood up for Presley! So romantic. It’s no wonder ‘Hero Hollis’ is trending.”
“Hero Hollis?” I try to keep a straight face.
“You didn’t know?”
“Personally, I think it should be ‘Hollis the Hero,’ but I was an English major! Anyway, you’re a big hit with BookTok.”
“Book what?” Hollis’s brow shoots up.
I choke out a laugh, patting him on the shoulder. “I’ll explain to him later. Thanks for letting him know.”
Her cheeks go red, and then she blurts out. “Do you mind if I get a pic? My book club will die when they see!”
I look over at my incredibly embarrassed husband. He shrugs. “Sure.”
This place is huge.
It’s like Disneyland for home design. Everything you could possibly want—from Spanish tile to bamboo floors and designer light fixtures—it’s all here.
“I like this one,” I say, pointing to the black quartz sample on the left.
“Then why do your eyes keep going over there?” Hollis asks with a smirk on his lips.
“You can’t bring me to a place like this and not expect me to shop for myself,” I inform him as I longingly stare at a stunning veined marble that would probably make my eyes water if I saw the price. “That counter would be gorgeous with oak cabinets and brushed gold hardware.”
“Planning your dream kitchen?” he muses.
“Just getting distracted,” I tell him, refocusing on the task in front of us. “Now, what’s next?”
We’ve mainly been choosing finishes for the club’s restrooms. Since they want to preserve as many historical features of the hotel as possible, the rest of the remodel hasfocused heavily on restoring what already exists, rather than replacing it.
The restrooms, however, have been a complete gut job. Not only because they needed to meet code, but also to be expanded to accommodate the number of people using the club on a nightly basis.
After reviewing the designers’ choices, I appreciate how carefully she stayed true to the hotel’s original design and the overall vision Jonas and Hollis have for the club.
I can’t wait to see it all come together. It’s such a big project, and Hollis and Jonas have worked so hard. There’s been some pushback from the city on zoning, and permits have been tricky, but Vine will officially be opening early next spring.
Jonas is already talking about opening a third in Chicago. Hollis told him he’ll have to hire a project manager for that one because he’s not going anywhere.
Fucking right, you’re not.
Hollis taps out a message on his phone and looks up. “Actually, I think we’re all done.”
“Does that mean you’re going to tell me where we’re going after this?” He’s been keeping this extra stop he added a secret all day. It’s driving me crazy.
He smiles. “Nope.”
We thank the staff and head out. “That was surprisingly easy,” I tell him, as we make our way to the Jeep. “I’m pretty sure your designer just wanted to give you the illusion of a choice because most of those samples were nearly identical.”
He chuckles, taking my hand in his. “I think you might be right. But I did enjoy spending the day with you.”
