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It was spending money before I’d earned it, but I couldn’t show up in Chicago with absolutely nothing. Of course, I still didn’t know when I would fit clothes shopping in. But if Lukas really was as wealthy as he sounded and I stood any chance of impressing him, I couldn’t turn up in the shabby clothes I was wearing now.
Especially with the tea and paint currently staining them.
The client was due home in an hour and would want me gone by then, so I quickly cleaned myself as best I could and figured out what else could be done while the paint dried. My friends tidied up all the painting equipment, washing out the rollers and brushes and removing the evidence they were even there.
By the time the client arrived, I was as ready to move the furniture back in and uncover the pieces too large to remove as I could be. The floor was also uncovered again. They came straight to me, as they usually did, and gasped.
“Oh my, you have made progress today…This is wonderful.” The woman turned in a circle in the center of the room and then came and gave me a hug. “Thank you.”
“I’ve still got a fair bit to do tomorrow to get the room sorted and everything in, and then I’ll need a few hours on Wednesday to make sure it’s all completed. The help I had today got us back on schedule.” I tried not to sound too bitter that it had been so difficult to get it all done and how much easier it would have been if the client had been flexible, but I knew this was their home, and at least they liked it.
It took me another twenty minutes to extricate myself from the house, the client wanting to know the details of what was left to finish it off and how the final payment worked. One upside of having my friends help me paint was that it was costing me less, even when I had tried to give my rescuers some of the money I budgeted for the painter. They refused to take any payment, so now it would at least help pay for the clothing before I went.
As I thought about the job again, I sighed. Was I a fool for being so excited about it and wanting to impress a man far richer than I was? Or did I have a chance at my own fairy tale?
All I knew for sure was that I had to get on the plane and do my best at the job. Nothing would work without me being professional about that.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
There was always something about landing, going through passport control, and then collecting my baggage that made me anxious. I didn’t think that was going to change, no matter how many times I flew, but I felt better when Sarai herself met me at the airport.
“I was going to get one of our drivers to come and get you, but I had some time, and I wanted to show you around myself. I find it so much fun. Everything is a few days behind, as these things often are, but I didn’t want to delay your journey. I hope that’s okay.”
I smiled and nodded, even though I didn’t really have time to get everything done before the flight. Another day would have helped a lot. In the end, I had been forced to try to grab a few clothes while going to buy some more cushions.
None of them were very flattering, but they weren’t splattered in paint, and they fitted better than some of my other stuff. Given how well Sarai was dressed in a blouse and form-hugging black trousers, heels, and sunglasses finishing off the look, I already felt underdressed in my jeans and T-shirt, but I wasn’t going to draw attention to it.
No matter how I looked, Sarai was kind to me, and I found a small care package in the car waiting for me. Water and snacks, as well as a cute little bottle of hand lotion. It all sat in an adorable little wicker basket with a ribbon on the handle.
“Richard thought of it. He’s so adorable sometimes. I get so lost in the excitement of a project that I forget to eat, drink, and take care of myself. Richard got me one of those last week, and we both thought you’d appreciate the same when you got here after such a long flight.”
“It’s perfect, thank you.” I grinned, feeling like I could get used to being taken care of like this. It was so thoughtful of them.
Although I had been feeling pretty drained from the flight, being in the car with Sarai as she drove helped me wake up a little. The welcome basket did the rest, getting me in the mood to see a few sights.
We didn’t have a lot of time before Sarai took us to a restaurant near the site we would be working on.
“About a week into the project, I discovered this great little bar that serves food, and now I must be eating here at least twice a week. I hope you love it, too.” Sarai was super enthusiastic again, and it made me wonder if she was ever anything but. Of course, I was also new to her, and she was probably trying to make me feel welcome.
To my surprise, there were already others from the project in the restaurant, and they greeted me and Sarai as soon as we walked in. Richard was the first to get up and hug me as if we were old friends. It was yet another factor making me feel right at home.
“Let’s get you a menu, a drink, and get you properly settled in here.” Richard was quick to do exactly as he said while I sat between two others working on the project. A woman named Grace was responsible for the project management of certainelements, and the head builder, Tom, was on the other side of me.
Both of them were friendly enough and began telling me about the project and where it was at. It sounded like it was more than a few days delayed, but I knew I could begin working either way. A lot of the early part of interior design was browsing stores to get an idea of what was possible.
In my area, where I normally worked, I already knew what was available, and occasionally I bought the odd small item of furniture or a few accessories, knowing that they were in fashion and could be used on a design at some point. Here, I had to start from scratch and decide where to go, who did the best deals, and how quickly I could get what I needed.
Once the pair had finished telling me where everything was at, food had arrived. I’d been sipping on one of the bar’s own cocktails for long enough that I felt totally at ease again. I didn’t drink often, which meant just a little helped calm the anxiety and get me on track.
I launched into questions of my own as soon as I thought I could get onto the topic, asking where the furniture stores were, all the markets, and even antique shops. I got the feeling that the budget I had for this would be way above what I was used to, but I didn’t ask about that directly.
Thankfully, Sarai leaned closer, having heard my questions. “I put together an information pack. It’s already waiting for you in your room. Has the budget we’ve got set aside, the contacts we have who do us bulk discounts, and a brief on what we want again, just in case you wanted it in writing. I know we’ve discussed a lot, and you had some brilliant ideas, but I wanted to make sure you could get started with any part when you were ready.”
I blinked, shocked that it was all so efficient. Was this what it was like to work for professionals?
With that side of business squared away, I had very few questions left to ask. Grace had a few recommendations for little markets and stores that Sarai hadn’t included, all of which I wrote down, but that satisfied me on every element I needed to begin.
After talking to them all, I was also extremely excited, but I knew I would have to temper that excitement a little. Sarai wanted to take me out to explore more of Chicago the following day, and it sounded like the rest of the evening was planned—if I had the energy for it.
