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Chapter Ten
Tessa
Lunch with Dylan was great, but I really need to start focusing on why I’m here in the first place. Getting hired as Somerville’s architect has basically been a dream come true and I can’t let a boy distract me from getting my work done. I need this job, and this last one I’ve been hired to take on is the biggest of them all. Screwing it up now would be the death of my career.
Originally, I was hired to create an addition to Jack and Lauren’s little cottage, but before we could even begin that project, I was asked to assist in the remodeling of a few outbuildings to make more space for their growing businesses. And now here we are, finally on track with the main project.
Jack and Lauren have moved in with Tommy and Penny, who also live on the property, for the time being. They had planned to live in the small cottage next door that wasn’t really used for much other than guests, but when the plans for their current house grew more than expected, we knew we were going to need the land it occupied.
Today the crew is starting construction and I’m going over the final plans with Jack and Lauren in just a little bit. But to start my day, I was here early for the demolition of the cottage, which I guess held some special meaning for Ellen and Will. The two of them showed up early too to bid it farewell with Ellen shedding a few tears before they both headed off to work.
I made sure to get a few good shots of it before the tear-down started and I plan on framing them to give to Will and Ellen as a gift. And now I’m heading over to Lauren’s office to sit down with her and Jack and make sure there are no changes to our approved plans. I’m guessing there won’t be, but you never know.
Jack and Lauren have been so incredibly easy to work for, so laid back and easy going about the whole thing, and given she’s pregnant and needs this house done, I’m planning to keep everything on track as best as I can.
I knock on the door to Lauren’s office. I can hear Jack’s voice, muffled a bit by the closed door and Lauren calls out for me to come in.
When I walk in, Jack is on his knees and Lauren is leaning back against her desk, her arms crossed over her chest as Jack appears to be talking to her belly.
“Okay, mate,” he says, “We call it arvo, not afternoon and the Outback is not some crappy restaurant but the middle of Australia.”
“He does this daily,” Lauren says, letting out a huff and rolling her eyes. “He’s worried the baby is going to sound too much like an American.”
“No, no, that’s not it,” Jack says, standing up and kissing Lauren’s forehead. “Of course the baby is going to be an American, we live here, but I need the baby to know that the way you talk here is all wrong.”
“Whatever it is, it’s weird,” Lauren replies, but I can tell by the smile on her face that she loves the attention he’s giving her and the baby already.
“I think it’s really sweet,” I say and Jack nods, hitting Lauren with a look that says he’s winning.
“See, the ladies love me,” he jokes with Lauren swatting at him.
“The ladies think you’re weird and you’re going to scare away the best architect ever, and then who will finish our house?”
“Are you ready to look everything over and make sure there are no changes?” I ask, returning the conversation to why I’m here, even though I would love to sit around and chat with Jack and Lauren all about their adorable life together.
Every single couple here is literally relationship goals and if Dylan and I are really going to do this whole dating thing, he’s going to have to step up his game to compete with the likes of Will, Jack, and Tommy. Actually, he’s already going out of his way to make me see that he is in this for the long haul. It’s me who is having trouble accepting it and rightfully so given his past.
“Let’s do this,” Lauren says, clearing a spot off on her desk.
I unroll the plans, starting with the first floor, and even though we haven’t added a ton of square footage to it, there are still some things to review with them.
“Alright, so the only thing that has changed here is the addition of the larger mudroom and the extension of the screened in porch on the back.” I point out the changes and Jack and Lauren both look them over carefully, agreeing to the changes so we can move forward.
“How was Ellen today with the demo of the old cottage?” Lauren now asks, her voice a little quiet and I can tell she feels a little badly about it.
“She was okay. I took a few pictures and I’m going to frame them for her.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet. I saw her this morning and I almost told her we could keep it. Will stayed in the cottage when he came with Ellen to meet our parents for the first time. She says it’s when she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. Holds some sentimental value for her, but she still said it was okay to tear it down,” Lauren says, shrugging.
“We’ll make it amazing and I have a few ideas up my sleeve to incorporate things from the old cottage into your new house.”
“I’m sure it will be perfect. Everything you’ve done so far has been,” Lauren replies, and Jack echoes her sentiments.
We continue going over the plans, okaying all the changes to the second floor, including the added bedroom, which Jack says is necessary since he told Lauren they’re having lots of babies. The look on her face says otherwise. I find it hard to believe she won’t be pregnant all the time since Jack can’t seem to keep his hands off her.
“All looks good, right, babe?” Jack says, asking Lauren and then giving me an okay before he heads off to take care of some things over at Apple Jacks.
“I’m so excited to see how this all turns out. I never wanted to move off the property like Ellen did, and this gives me the best of both worlds,” Lauren tells me.
