“You want the room to feel… new, right? More you, less history,” Zaha offers nonchalantly, a hand flicking in the air.
Mia’s mouth drops open and shut a few times before words find her. “I—I didn’t… I swear. It’s your room, you decide what?—”
Zaha swoops in to save her while I watch her squirm. “I misspoke.” She places a gentle hand on Mia’s knee, though it does nothing to settle her. “That’s correct. Mia briefed me on the layout and dimensions.” She turns to me. “Callie called last night to… well, let’s just say I can’t quote her directly, but she filled me in on your life’s latest developments. She also made it clear that if I didn’t clear space for this project, I wouldn’t live to regret it.”
My best friend issued her a death threat, and she’s laughing about it. What an odd woman. “I’m here to give you a fresh start at home. This is my favorite kind of project, so let’s get going.”
“Well, minus the homicide promise, that’s… pretty accurate.” I rub the back of my neck. “To be fair, she probably saved us both some time. If you’ve worked with Callie before, you know her brand of crazy comes gift-wrapped with good intentions.”
“Absolutely,” Zaha says with flair. “You’ve got good people inyour corner.”
“I do.”
My eyes find Mia before I can stop them.
The kind of good you don't see coming—until it's already saving you.
Zaha hands over the three-room concepts, and right off the bat, I’m floored. The first one’s stunning. Earthy tones. Forest wallpaper. Heavy curtains. Solid wood pieces. I like it.
“What do you think?” I ask Mia.
She hesitates. “This is about you.”
“I didn’t ask what it’s about,” I say softly. “I asked what you think.”
Her gaze lifts to mine, then drops to the papers. “I love the tone. It feels alive. Not too formal. Not boring either.”
I nod and turn to Zaha, handing the papers back. “The green, then.”
There’s a pause as she taps something on her tablet. Mia keeps her hands folded in her lap until we both reach for the same brushed brass sample.
Our fingers touch. Her breath hitches. Mine catches.
We don’t say a word. But something shifts.
“Well, that was easy,” Zaha chuckles. “You don’t want to mix all three? Drive me nuts? Build a Frankenstein?”
“No. I know what I want.” I’m not looking at Zaha anymore, and Mia blushes the deepest red. I’m tempted to change my mind and ask for curtains in that exact shade.
Zaha checks something on her tablet. “I can get everything delivered within forty-eight hours. If you can vacate your room for a night?—”
“I think I can scavenge for an extra bed somewhere in the house.” I glance at Mia again.
Her eyes go so wide they might pop out of their sockets. “Stop it,” she mouths, and the best I can do, rather than laugh out loud, is grin like a fool. She’s been torturing me all day, so let’s call this payback.
“Perfect. Then we can strip your room tomorrow, polish the floors, prime the walls, let everything dry and set. We’ll install the furniture and decor the next day. Sounds good?”
“Very. My daughter’s at school from eight to six. Can you work around that so it doesn’t disrupt her routine?”
“Of course. I’ve heard you did a number on your bathroom, so that might take an extra day or two. My team will access it, and we’ll do our best to stick to that window.”
I stand, not wanting to be rude, but desperate for some alone time with my nanny. “Zaha, you’ve been a dream. If Lily's on board, we might redo the whole house. And I promise, no death threats next time.”
She throws her head back and laughs—a loud and unexpected sound that startles both me and Mia.
“My job here is done. I’ll go check the upstairs bathroom before I head out. Need to call suppliers and go on a shopping spree next. My favorite part.”
“Sure. I’ll show you the way.”
