Page 42 of Surrender

“That was the plan.” I turned to him and asked, “Do you totally hate this layout?”

“No. It’s just…”

“What?”

“It’s going to be beautiful. But all open like this, it’s just… not very cozy.”

“If you were designing it, what would you change?”

He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.”

It did, though. I really wanted Tracy to be comfortable here. “Please tell me.”

He glanced at me before gesturing to the right. “If it was me, I’d separate the kitchen from the main living area with a half-wall, topped with a bar to give you a place to sit and have breakfast.” I followed him to the other end of the apartment as he continued, “I’d also wall off the bedroom, and I’d find a spot to add a reading nook—a little corner with shelves and a comfortable chair, where you could curl up with a book and a cup of coffee.”

“That sounds great. What do you think about colors? I was going to paint the walls white.”

“Shades of blue are nice. They’re pretty, and calming. But you’re the one who has to like it.”

“The apartment has almost been an afterthought, though,” I admitted. “I’ve put all my energy into planning and designing the fitness center, and I haven’t given this the attention it deserves. My only concern was having a place to eat and sleep. Other than that, I’ve barely thought about what it’ll be like to actually live here, so your input is really valuable. You’re talking about making it feel like a home, instead of treating it like little more than a hotel room.”

He offered me a shy smile. “I’m glad I could help.”

I started to get distracted by how cute he was, but then I made myself focus. “Let’s go look through the boxes with my wardrobe. They’re in the loading dock.”

“That wasn’t on the tour.”

“I didn’t include it because it’s not much to look at, and I haven’t decided how to utilize it long-term. It’s from when this building was a department store, and it’s been pretty handy during the remodel. It connects to a back alley and a small parking lot, which the construction crew has been using.”

Tracy followed me back downstairs. The loading dock was a fairly large space with a cement floor and a truck-sized rolling door at the back. It was full of boxes, furniture, and construction materials. Fortunately, I’d hired professional movers to pack my things, so they were well-organized.

I folded back the lid of one of the tall wardrobe boxes, revealing several suits and shirts hanging from a metal bar. As I began flipping through them, I asked, “How upscale is the restaurant where you’re meeting your dad?”

“Very. My father is in town for a friend’s retirement party. This guy comes from a wealthy family, so they put up their out-of-town guests in an expensive hotel. We’re meeting at the hotel’s restaurant. I looked it up online, and it’s definitely the kind of place that expects you to dress up.”

I pulled a suit from the box and asked, “What do you think about this one?”

Tracy tried not to frown, but didn’t quite succeed. “Maybe not purple.”

“It’s not purple, exactly. More like a dusty plum.”

“Which is a fancy way of saying purple.”

I traded it for a dark red one. “How about this?”

He was starting to look alarmed. “What about the black one?”

“That’s a tuxedo.” I pulled out a royal blue suit and told him, “This is probably the most normal color I own. I like suits with some flair.”

“So I see. I’ve counted five suits in various floral prints.”

“I love those, but I know they’re not your style.” I handed him the blue suit and selected a white dress shirt.

Once he’d traded his jeans and sweatshirt for the new outfit, he asked, “How do I look?”

“You look hot.” He really did.

“The suit fits better than I thought it would.”

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