Page 25 of Idle

She kicks the floor.

Which makes me realize we haven’t discussed how we’re going to tackle them. “Now that’s settled, what about the floors?”

Her foot taps the subfloor, her mouth twisting to the side. “We have to use the same flooring throughout the entire space, from here through the kitchen and into the bedrooms. I want to give the appearance of an enormous space.”

As she talks, she comes into her element. More secure. More assertive. More energetic.Sexy. I tamp my thoughts down.

“What do you think of dark hardwoods? I know lighter woods can make the room feel airy, but dark is bold and makes a statement.”

I tilt my head. “I’ve never thought of them before. Don’t most apartments have lighter-colored wood?”

She walks in a full circle. “They do. But dark could anchor the place. Then we can do lighter paint on the ceilings and walls in contrast. Sort of like the view. During the day, it’s sunny and bright, but at night the water appears dark and moody.”

She clamps her mouth shut as if expecting me to mock her. No way. “Good points. Reflect our surroundings.” Because she looks like she needs it, I add, “Great job.”

Her bright smile rivals the sunlight outside. “For the patio, in addition to a grill, we should have plenty of seating so people can relax and enjoy the view. And tables. I hate it when I’m outside and the only place to put my stuff is on the ground.”

“I can make tables. What flooring out there do you think?”

She pauses for a moment. “Tile. Perfect in any weather. Obviously, we can put an indoor-outdoor rug over top of it to soften it up.”

“Tile could be great. Maybe the same as you choose for the kitchen backsplash, to add continuity?”

She bumps my shoulder. “Here I thought I was the designer of the team.”

With our final ideas in place, we begin working.

Before we know it, the week’s up and we’re standing in the middle of our completed living room and patio. Pride in our work zings throughout my body. While not avant-garde, it’s novel. My gaze steals over to the fireplace and our most innovative idea, the painting concealing the television.

Paige came through on this big time. After several tries, she executed an artistic rendering of the furniture layout for the living room. It looks fantastic. I’ve told her this several times, but each time she bites her lip and looks at the floor. She has nothing to be insecure about.

Me? My furniture is well built, and the chairs, which were a bitch to create, fit in with the curves we tried to add in to soften the room. However, as expected, the fireplace is the focal point. While it’s a thousand times better than it was before, it’s still a little dated in my opinion. We ended up covering it in shiplap, which looks nice and is a nod toward the twist part of our theme. Yet, it isn’t exactly cutting edge.

Quinn ushers in three people we’ve never met before, who are introduced as the industry experts who will be our judges throughout the show. She asks Paige to describe our living room and patio.

My partner straightens her shoulders and tucks her short hair behind her ear. Knowing she’s nervous, I want to reach out and comfort her. Or take over the presentation. But she was asked, so I remain silent, hoping my teammate steps up.

After a few stumbles and mumbles, she looks to me for . . . guidance? Support? I give her a slow blink and dip my chin.You’ve got this.My life depends on it.

As if reading my mind, Paige restarts her presentation. Using hand motions, she describes how we came up with the idea for the flooring and seating arrangement. She picks up the remote control.

One of the judges asks, “Where did you get this glorious piece of artwork? It mirrors your room.”

Paige lowers her hand holding the remote. “I, actually, well—”

Unable to hold back any longer, I jump in to rescue her. “Paige painted it herself. She wanted to reinforce the strategic layout of the pieces we brought into the room.”

Paige turns her head toward mine, then returns to focus on the judges when the one who asked the question replies, “You did a nice job.”

My heart sings. Her compliment has to count for something. I track the camera crew as they capture every moment.

Paige doesn’t dwell on the flattery, though. “I appreciate your kind words. But there’s a more strategic reason for the artwork. Watch.” She presses the button, and the painting rises, exposing the television.

The judges let out an audible gasp.

Score!

“You see, we wanted to have a TV in here to accommodate today’s lifestyle, but didn’t want to see a big, black box when it isn’t in use. So we designed this special track around the fireplace to conceal it when not in use.”

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