Page 108 of Designs on You

“I hope so, too.”

Hazel came over and put her hand on Lisa’s shoulder. “Okay, enough monopolizing Lisa’s time. And I need the kitchen for dinner.”

Lisa grinned at Hazel. “What can I do to help?”

“Me, too,” Natalie said.

“Nothing. You can both go into the living room while I finish up dinner. I already preprepped everything and salmon takes no time at all to cook. So get out. Lisa, go visit with your sons.”

“Is she always this bossy?” Lisa asked.

“It used to be me being the bossy one,” Natalie said as they stood. She gave Hazel a look over her shoulder. “But lately, she’s grown into her bossiness. I’m very proud of her.”

Hazel tossed her a dazzling smile. “Why, thanks, sis.”

They made their way into the living room, where a fierce argument amongst the brothers was currently taking place. Lisa seemed nonplussed about the raised voices, so Natalie took her seat and sipped her wine, while the guys voiced very strong opinions about…paint color?

“Everybody knows flat is the way to go,” Warren said. “It blends easily into the walls and gives an old world look.”

“You’re totally off base, Warren,” Linc said. “Semigloss is easier to clean. It’s the only thing I put on my walls.”

“You’re both wrong,” Eugene said. “Eggshell finish is more durable and looks great on the walls.”

Linc shook his head. “No, you and Warren are wrong, and I’m the expert, so my vote is the only one that counts.”

Natalie looked over at Lisa. “Was it always like this?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“What about you, Joe?” Natalie asked. “Are you weighing in on this?”

Joe looked up from his phone. “Me? I try never to get involved in their skirmishes. Besides, I’m watching baseball.” He lifted his phone to show her the game.

She laughed. “Probably a wise choice.”

“You’re the designer, Natalie,” Eugene said. “You agree with me about eggshell, right?”

“Actually, I think it depends on the area of the house. High traffic areas that get a lot of moisture can get messy, and can benefit from semigloss or satin. Your lesser used rooms would be fine for eggshell. And the only place I’d paint with flat is ceilings.”

They all stared at her, and she was sure she’d angered all of them.

Then Warren laughed. “She’s smarter than all of us, including you, Linc. You should hire her.”

“Hey, she’s doing the design on Eugene’s house,” Linc said. “She’s just not painting it.”

“Thankfully,” Natalie said.

“Speaking of,” Linc said. “I told Eugene to come by and look at the house. It’s almost finished, so you two should walk through together. I figured you might want to finalize your design ideas.”

“Sure. We’ll put our calendars together and figure out a date.”

“I’d love to see some of your work, Natalie,” Lisa said.

“Well, some of it’s right here,” Hazel said as she entered the living room. “Natalie did the design for our house, and we just love it. In the meantime, dinner is ready, so let’s gather in the dining room.”

“With Hazel’s permission, I guess you can give me a tour after dinner,” Lisa said.

Natalie looped her arm in Lisa’s. “I’d love to.”

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