Page 17 of Mayhem
“Is there a particular set you want on the bed?”he questioned.
“Purple set, black comforter,”Erin responded.
Cruz found the items and returned to the bedroom. He made the bed while Paetyn placed the lamps on the bedside tables.
Once done, he leaned against the wall, watching Erin as she leaned down to place clothes into her bottom drawer. When she stood up, she turned to look at the bed before looking at him.
“Thank you,”she smiled at him.
“No need for that. You want the rest of the linen in the closet in the hallway, correct?”he asked.
When she nodded at him, Cruz left the bedroom, unpacked the boxes, and placed the items in the hall closet.
He took the empty boxes into the living room, putting them by the door with the others.
He didn’t want her to have to do anything more than necessary when he and Paetyn left later. Now that all the furniture was together and placed, the only things left to unpack were her clothes and decorations.
Cruz figured he could at least hang the pictures on the wall and put up a few of the other things. He didn’t mind moving them around for her if she didn’t like the way he placed them.
When he had all the art laid out, he looked at the different paintings, trying to envision what pieces would go into the living room. She’d already had them down and packed when they arrived and didn’t know where she had them originally. He chose the four that he would put up between the living room and dining room if it were his apartment.
He studied them but decided to get Paetyn’s opinion since he’d decorated their house. Cruz wouldn’t yell in someone else’s space, so he took out his phone and texted him. He didn’t have to wait long before Paetyn entered the living room.
“What do you think about these four pictures for the living room and dining room?”Cruz questioned, pointing.
He watched as Paetyn looked them over for a minute before looking at the different walls.
“I like these three for the living room, but I’d put the wall plant holder in the dining room,”Paetyn stated as he grabbed the item he was talking about. The middle of it said,Bloom in rain or shine,set against a pale yellow and purple background.
Cruz nodded, agreeing, remembering the fake plants he’d seen Erin take out of one of the boxes labeled kitchen.
He and Paetyn put up the pictures and the planter, placing the false plants in them. Since Cruz assumed that Erin was still putting her clothes away, and now that Paetyn was there, he decided they could put up some of the other decorations. They opened the boxes that said decor and placed things that fit well.
When they’d finished, Paetyn carried two pictures into the hallway, and they put them up diagonally. The hammering beside the bedroom door brought Erin out of it. She looked at the two pictures they had put up.
“I like those there. I had them in the living room at the other apartment.”
“We put up some other things in the living and dining room,”Cruz responded.
Erin nodded and went into the living room. They followed behind her, and Cruz watched as she looked over everything they’d done. She made her way over to the three pictures that were left and picked one up.
“I like this, but could you switch this picture and that painting?”she questioned, pointing. “That’s the first painting Alijah ever did for me, and I’ve always just kept it in my bedroom.”
Cruz took the painting down while Paetyn took the picture from Erin, and they switched them out.
“Everything else goes into your bedroom?”Paetyn questioned about the decorations left.
“My bedroom and bathroom, yes.”
Cruz grabbed the other two pictures while Paetyn grabbed the box they’d placed the decorations they hadn’t put up into, along with the hammer and nails, and followed Erin to her bedroom.
“Any particular place you want the pictures and painting?”Cruz questioned.
“The painting on this wall, please,”Erin said, pointing. “The two of you can choose the other one. You did a good job in the living room. I trust you,”she finished with a smile.
Cruz watched her momentarily as she went back to putting away clothes. She was now in front of the closet hanging clothing up, and Cruz noticed she was hanging them by color.
“Once you have those hung, I can handle the rest,”she told them.
