Page 7 of If You Like It, I Love It

I need to see those cabinets installed so I can make a final decision on the island and the paint color and wallpaper. If they start doing things out of order, this project is never going to get done.

Enzo answers on the first ring, and the moment I hear his voice, I feel uneasy about calling him after hours like this. He sounds too relaxed . . . too friendly for the verbal assault I had planned.

“Hey,” I say. “Sorry to call when you’re off the clock, but I’m confused about what went on here today.”

His laughter is laced with an enticing tone that makes my inner flirt square up and prepare to spar. This is not the vibe for a homeowner who wants her contractor to take her seriously.

Fortunately, his taunt relents, and he begins to speak. Unfortunately, his voice carries the same damn tone. “Wasn’t aware I was working by the hour.”

“What?”

“You said I was off the clock. As if I’d clocked out for the day.”

“Well, you don’t owe me your time twenty-four hours a day.”

“True. But I can deal with a six o’clock phone call. What’s going on?”

“My kitchen has no floor and no cabinets.”

These boxes are trip hazards. I pop the flaps open on one to be sure they’ve got the right tiles inside. At least they got that right.

“Remember when I said it would look worse before it started to look better?”

“Yeah, but why’d they pull up the old flooring before they installed the cabinets? It doesn’t make sense to put the new floor down before the cabinets.”

“It’s the right way to do it. Especially since you are planning to use an antique piece for your island. And I don’t know if it’s going to have legs or not since, last I heard, you hadn’t purchased it yet. If it has legs, the new flooring has to go down first because it will show underneath the island.”

“Oh. I guess that’s true. But I never said for sure I was going to use an antique piece. I may still decide to order new, matching cabinets instead.”

“What do you mean you haven’t decided yet? Are you having trouble finding what you want? Or have you not looked?”

“I need to see the other cabinets installed first, so I can decide which way I want to go.”

“You realize materials are generally chosen upfront, right? Kitchen remodels aren’t normally multi-phase projects.”

“I told you I want this remodel to honor the period of the house wherever possible, but I also want products that will last. Sometimes, that will mean using an antique piece, but sometimes, something new that’s made in a retro style will be the better choice.”

“I’m pretty sure I told you that last part, but we can agree to disagree about who said it first. What matters is that you have to make a choice so the project doesn’t stall. You said you couldn’t choose lighting until you chose the island. Do you see where I’m going here?”

“Yes. But I’m just not sure what I want yet.”

“Trust your instincts, Joni. You hated the island configurations that match the new cabinets. Go antique shopping. Soon. Please. You’ll feel so much better once you get that decision out of the way.”

“I know. You put the new floor in, and I’ll have a piece for the island by the end of the week.”

“You know today’s Wednesday, right?”

“Okay, by the end of next week?”

“How about the middle of next week?”

“Fine. One week from today, I will have the island.”

“Have fun shopping.”

“Thanks.”

This man has clearly never shopped for a specific item on a deadline. There isn’t going to be anything fun about it.