After my chat with Aidan the day before about doing up hiscottage, I’ve started looking critically at my own place. I can’t do anythingdrastic colour-wise to a rented property. But I’m certain the landlord wouldn’tmind me giving the kitchen a fresh coat of white paint.
I’m heading for the home decoration section, when who shouldbe standing there, a sample paint pot in each hand, but Aidan. So I creep upbehind him and put my hand on his shoulder. ‘I’d go for the bright purple, if Iwere you. It would go brilliantly with the green.’
‘What?’ He spins around in confusion, sees it’s me andstarts to laugh.
‘Nothing so exotic, I’m afraid. I’m taking your advice andgoing for pastel. So it’s a choice between ‘bone china’ and ‘misty horizon’,although for the life of me, I can’t see the difference. My head is actually spinning.’He holds up the two pots with a grin. ‘What do you think?’
I peer at them. Then I glance at the display. ‘Blue andwhite.’ I pick up a sample called powder blue. ‘That’s the kind of colourscheme I’d go for in a kitchen. Lovely and fresh.’
He puts the other two back and takes the small tin, nodding.
I smile at him. ‘You should just ignore me. It’s best if youchoose your own colours, really. You’re the one who’ll have to live with them.’
‘No, but I’m clueless when it comes to this kind of thing. Ineed all the help I can get.’ He holds up the sample. ‘Powder blue, it is. Thekitchen units I’ve chosen are white.’
I nod. ‘Sounds lovely. I like the mosaic tile effect on akitchen floor. I did that in my old house when I first moved in and I wasripping carpets up and changing everything around.’
‘Your old house? So where did you live before?’ He frowns.‘I got the impression you’d lived in Sunnybrook for quite a while.’
‘Oh... no.’ I swallow. ‘I...well, I’m just renting in Sunnybrook.’
‘Did you sell your old house, then?’
‘Um... no. When I moved here, I rented itout.’
He’s looking at me curiously, clearly expecting more of anexplanation. So I shrug and say casually, ‘I had to move quickly. For the job.And it seemed easier than going through the rigmarole of putting it on themarket...’ I turn away, faking a sudden interest in ‘foghorngrey’, bracing myself for him to ask where exactly my old house is. If I tellhim now that it’s in Torminster, he’ll think it’s weird I didn’t mention itbefore – especially as he’s just bought a cottage there himself!
Thankfully, though, he starts talking about his plans forthe bedrooms in the cottage, and whether to buy paint brushes or rollers, andthe subject of my past is dropped.
‘Rollers. Definitely.’ I steer him over to the appropriatesection. ‘I know this store like the back of my hand from doing my owndecorating.’
‘You must be quite an expert.’
I laugh. ‘I wouldn’t say that exactly. But I’ve painted afew feature walls in my time. If you need a hand with anything, just let meknow.’
He smiles at me. ‘You might regret saying that.’
‘No, I’m serious.’ I shrug. ‘Buy a couple of rollers. I’d behappy to help.’
‘Really?’
‘Absolutely. You provide the... um...refreshments, and we’ll have the cottage done in no time.’
‘A sort of painting party? Is that wise?’
I laugh. ‘Oh, we wouldn’t break out the alcohol until wewere finished for the day. Don’t want you falling off the ladder and landingface first in your paint tray.’
He nods solemnly. ‘Sounds sensible. Erm, what’s a paint trayexactly?’
I look at him askance.
‘That was a joke.’ He grins. ‘Don’t worry. I’m notentirelyclueless. So... what do you think of grey for the bedrooms?’
I nod. ‘As long as it’s a pale grey. It’s just mypreference, obviously, but I always think pastel colours are more relaxing.Darker colours can make a room look smaller.’
He nods. ‘Good tip.’
I help him choose a shade for the bedrooms, and we line upat the check-out together.
