Page 20 of Audra: The Prequel

“Are you asking me for decorating tips?”

“A little. I don’t know anything about decorating. I thought about hiring someone to help me, but I figured I could do okay on my own. I’m kinda frugal. We didn’t have much when I was growing up, and I know I won’t play ball forever. Hell, I could get injured this year, and my career could end, so I’m really careful with my money.”

“Which means you want me to help you for free?”

“Yes,” he confirmed.

She laughed—and once again, he was smitten by her beauty when she did. The tightness in his chest—an unfamiliar stirring—suggested he felt more than attraction, but he didn’t want to delve too deeply into his innermost thoughts at the moment.

“Your place isn’t bad, but you definitely need more color and different textures. Everything is hard and white.”

“I was going for a clean, finished look.”

“You can still achieve that with a few changes. What you have now could be the baseline, and then you layer in the changes.” She spoke with her hands as she explained. “That’s my opinion.”

“Okay,” Damon said, nodding.

“I’ll text you some suggestions and examples of pillows and furnishings you can add. They’ll be nice pieces that aren’t expensive. Nothing drastic—if you’re really open to change.”

“I am, and that would be great. Thanks.” He saw this as a good sign that she was interested in communicating with him in the future, and if her voice was any indication, she seemed excited about pulling together items for him.

They approached the restaurant again, and Damon felt disappointment trickle through him. They came to a stop nearthe door. “If you like, I can drop you at home instead of you having to call another car,” he suggested.

She gazed up at him. “I don’t want to inconvenience you. I live far from here, south of the city.”

“I don’t mind at all. Besides, it’ll give us a chance to talk some more about how you can improve the decor in my condo. Now there’s a word I never thought I’d hear myself say—decor.”

One of her pretty smiles lit up her face. “If you don’t mind, I don’t mind.”

“Right this way.” He extended his arm, and she took it.

He escorted her to his SUV and helped her climb into the passenger side. He went around to the driver’s side, removed his hat and sunglasses, and placed them in the back.

On the ride to her house, they talked more about their work lives. He told her about baseball, though it was obvious she knew very little. She told him about the work she did at her stepfather’s company as an administrative assistant. She mentioned wanting to move up in the company, but he suspected her heart wasn’t in it. She didn’t become animated the way she did when she talked about changing the decor of his place.

She also talked more about her family and her daughter. She never once mentioned her daughter’s father, though. Was he in the picture, and how much of a problem would he be if he was?

They both fell silent as he took the long, tree-lined driveway toward the impressive mansion she called home. Her parents’ money was obviously long.

He parked in front of the stairs leading to the double front doors. “Home sweet home,” he announced.

After he helped her down from the SUV, they slowly climbed the stairs.

Audra took a deep breath. “Well, I had a really nice time tonight. Thank you for a delicious dinner.”

“And great conversation,” Damon added.

She laughed briefly. She seemed nervous all of a sudden, which he thought was adorable. She was like a breath of fresh air, with no agenda.

“I enjoyed the conversation too,” she admitted.

Damon looked around the property. “This place is huge. I feel like you’re out of my league.”

“Believe me, I’m not. This all belongs to my parents, and I just live here for the time being. My father built this place to accommodate all of us.” She cleared her throat. “So, I?—”

“Audra, I want to see you again.” He looked into her eyes so she’d know he was serious.

“As friends?” she asked in a teasing tone.

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