Page 6 of After the Red Carpet
Finn took her hand and led her upstairs. As they approached the closed double doors, he said, “This is the room I had in mind for your office. It’s empty now, but my decorator is coming by tomorrow afternoon so you two can plan and scheme. When you see it, just remember: we’ll redo it from top to bottom, flooring to light fixtures.”
“Oh my God,” she gasped as he opened the doors to a massive room featuring sky-high ceilings and windows to match. “It’s big enough to be a ballroom!”
He smiled. “You spend your life writing about the big topics, the big questions, and I hoped this big space might be inspiring.” She silently let her eyes follow the crown molding around the entire ceiling as she tried to catch her breath. He took her hand and continued showing her around. “There’s a full bathroom over here, and in this corner there’s a walk-in closet. We could install some built-in cabinets and shelves. But just wait—I think you’ll really love this bit,” he said, leading her to a pair of doors. They stepped outside onto a large, furnished veranda with an outdoor fireplace, overlooking the entire back of the property. He rubbed her fingers and asked, “Do you think this will work for your office, sweetheart?”
“Do I think this will work?” she whispered incredulously, her voice shaking. She turned to him with tears in her eyes. “Finn, this is the nicest room in the house.”
“I think so too,” he said.
“No, I mean . . .”
“What, baby?”
“It’s just lovely beyond words that you would save this for me.”
He kissed her softly. “I’ve been picturing you here for so long, waiting to see how you would make this space your own.”
“I can’t even imagine what I’ll write here.”
“Something brilliant that pushes the bounds, no doubt. And I’ll be the first in line to read it.” She gazed into his eyes and pressed her forehead to his. After a quiet, intimate moment, he pulled back and asked, “Should we grab a quick workout and then something to eat?”
AN HOUR LATER, FRESHLY SHOWEREDand dressed, they meandered into the kitchen.
“I’m starving,” Finn said.
“Good. I’m going to make us a special brunch,” Ella replied. “What do you feel like eating?”
“Anything. I’m easy. How can I help?”
“Maybe you could make your coffee and my tea. I’ll take care of everything else.”
“Okay, baby,” he replied, grazing her hand as he passed.
“Wow, you’ve got everything in here,” Ella remarked, peering inside the enormous stainless-steel refrigerator. “Ooh, there’s crabmeat. Do you think your cook is saving that for something in particular?”
“No, baby. Everything in the house is for us. You can use anything you like.”
“This will be fun,” she said, piling food in her arms. “After you make the drinks, go relax in the dining room. I want to surprise you.”
“Can I help you find anything?”
“I’m going to have to figure out where things are anyway. No time to learn like the present. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” she assured him, opening and shutting several cabinets before retrieving a glass bowl.
Finn was relaxing in the dining room as instructed when Ella appeared with two mouthwatering plates, the food impeccably arranged like art.
“Wow!” Finn exclaimed. “This looks and smells amazing.”
“Crab crepes with a mushroom cream sauce and a kale and avocado salad. I usually try to eat a little cleaner than this, but today is special. Think of it as Paris comes to LA,” she explained, taking her seat.
“Thank you. It looks phenomenal.”
“My pleasure.”
Ella took a bite while Finn just sat, positively beaming at her.
She finished chewing and asked, “Aren’t you going to try it?”
“I’m sorry, I got distracted. I’m just elated that you’re here. I’ve imagined what this would be like every day since . . . Anyway, it’s a dream come true.” She rubbed his hand, and then he picked up his utensils and took a big bite of the crepe. “Wow, that’s incredible.”
