Walking over to the table, I sat across from Miles, trying to put some room between us at the wide wooden table. He stole a few glances before standing to take a platter from his mother. When she was seated, she said a quick prayer and started passing around the food.
“So, your mom says you’d like to redo some of the rooms here. Maybe add some furniture. Once I get an idea of what you’d like, your preferred style, then we can talk about the party and what we can get in time,” I said between bites, trying to end the weird vibe in the room.
When the table started vibrating, I leaned over and saw Miles’ leg jiggling under it. Angelica gave him a wide-eyed look, and the jiggling stopped.
“Ah, well, I’m really not sure. For now, I was thinking of changing some of the paint colors and getting some more furniture in the living room in time for the party,” he said. “I confirmed with the staff for two Saturdays from now,” he answered, not making eye contact.
This was going to be interesting.
When Angelica called last night, I was surprised to hear from her. She told me that Miles and MJ had moved back to the San Diego area, which stirred up strange feelings inside me. Unsure how long I’d actually behere for this job, the thought of seeing him more often was both terrifying and exciting.
I was still in my first week at Elena’s firm and navigating mounds of paperwork. When I told her assistant, Anna, that I might have my first client, she said she’d let Elena know. This afternoon, I received a kind email from Elena herself. She was working on a beautiful mansion in the LA area, so I had yet to meet her. She wanted me to report to Anna in the morning after meeting with Miles. I may have done a little jig while reading it and possibly printed it out to save. Possibly.
“Great, well, MJ and Angelica have the color wheel for the paint. As far as furniture, what style did you have in mind?” I asked again.
Miles put down his fork and scratched the back of his neck.
“Honestly, I have no idea. I don’t know the first thing about styles. MJ and I just want our house to be a home. Comfortable, clean.” He made eye contact with me for a moment before looking away. “Can’t help you much. Sorry.”
I reached for his forearm but pulled my hand back quickly, forgetting myself. I was a tactile person, but Miles looked at my hand like I had yanked the pin out of a hand grenade.
“That’s actually alright. After spending some time in the house tonight, and talking with MJ and Angelica, I’ve got some ideas to put together for you.” Waving my hands around the spacious room, I continued, “My thoughts are finding a way to make your furnishings match the architectural style of the house, but also make it your own. I’ll pass my ideas on to my boss and come up with a few choices for you.”
Miles smiled and nodded in agreement before going back to eating. There was a weird tension in the room, and every time I looked up at Angelica, she had that ever-present smirk on her face, like she had a secret.
That was about the time I realized something I hadn’t known about this gorgeous man. When he smiled, even though it was only for a moment, there was a hint of a dimple.
Seriously? Does he have to be so perfect?
A girl needs a warning before flashing that dimple! Was he trying to kill me?
Shaking my head to knock loose that image, I turned to his mother. “Angelica, this chicken is delicious. My mom’s is amazing, but this is in the running for first place,” I said, a happy hum on my lips.
Miles stopped eating and closed his eyes with a deep inhale. I gave him a side-eye but said nothing.
What was that all about?
“Are you practicing for our next dance-off, Vicky?” MJ said, pushing her empty plate away from her.
They ate their dinner much faster than I did, and I found myself eating faster, too. Being Italian meant having a more leisurely meal, but apparently not in American culture. That was something I’d have to get used to.
“Dance-off? And you should call herMs.Vicky, kiddo,” Miles said warmly.
“Oh, sorry, that’s my fault. I told her she could call me that,” I answered sheepishly.
He looked up at me, his eyes scanning my face. “That’s okay, then.”
I relaxed and turned to MJ when she answered him. “Yes, Daddy. We had a dance competition in my room earlier. Vicky asked me a bunch of questions about what I wanted my room to look like, and we ended up dancing to my Spotify playlist. She loves music as much as we do, and she’s an amazing dancer.”
Miles cleared his throat and said, “Is she, now?”
His nervousness seemed to have evaporated with that statement, taking me by surprise. It was almost flirtatious, and I was grateful I had just swallowed my last bite of food.
“She is! She knows Latin dances and some hip-hop,” MJ answered enthusiastically, making my cheeks blush again.
“Miles is a wonderful dancer, too,” Angelica said with a warm smile, standing up to bring her and MJ’s plates to the sink.
I stood quickly to help, grabbing my and Miles’ plates.
