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Even worse, once he moved things around, it was obvious the carpeting was worn out. He sighed. This job was getting more complicated by the minute.
And then there was Sara. She didn’t say anything to him, but from time to time she would step up to the doorway, cross her arms, and frown at him. She was the one person on this island who he didn’t get along with. He didn’t think that would ever change.
He was surprised to see her working all weekend. He had a feeling she was picking up extra shifts because his sister/her boss was out of town.
“How’s it going?” Sara took a step into the room.
He rested against a display case that he had been slowly moving across the room. “It’s going.”
Her gaze surveyed the room. “You’re going to put everything back where you found it, aren’t you?”
“That’s going to be difficult.”
She arched a brow. “Why?”
“Because Josie ordered new furniture that isn’t the same size or the same quantity as the current pieces.”
Sara stared down at the carpet. “It won’t work. The carpet is a wreck.”
She was right. He had a feeling his sister didn’t have any clue how worn the carpet was, or she would have insisted on replacing it too.
“I don’t know what to tell you.” He stared at the carpet, noticing the worn marks from people walking in between the display cases and the stains that had been covered by the furniture.
“Put the old furniture back. We have the Carrington wedding coming up. We can’t have the lobby looking like this.”
He rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to come up with a remedy that didn’t involve replacing the carpeting. “Maybe we could put down some throw rugs.”
Sara frowned at him. “We need the furniture back.” She looked around. “Where is it?”
“Gone.”
She gaped at him. “What do you mean gone?”
“I gave the pieces away. Some kids came and took them.”
“Well, call them. Tell them you need them back.”
He shook his head. “I can’t.”
“Yes, you can.”
“No, seriously I can’t. I don’t have any way to reach them.”
Her mouth opened, but no words came out. She pressed her lips together. They formed a distinct frown.
He didn’t like that she frowned at him so much. He’d much prefer one of her sunny smiles that she shared so freely with others. She’d never liked him. She always held the breakup with her sister against him.
He couldn’t help but wonder if she would feel differently about him if she knew the truth. He was so tempted to tell her, but it wasn’t his truth to tell. And so he remained silent.
“What are we going to do about this?” Sara looked expectantly at him.
He knew what the answer was going to be, but he didn’t want to admit it to her or even himself. Replacing the carpeting was going to be far more involved than a fresh coat of paint and the new configuration of the furniture.
“What do you think we should do?” he countered.
“We? This is your problem. Not mine.”
“Yes, but you’re the one with the pressing timeline. So, you might have to help out.”
