Page 20 of Idle

Having completed my mission, I return to the kitchen and pick up a plate next to Bo. “I thought I was going to have to send a search party out for you.” His dimple softens his words.

“I wanted to be sure my partner knew dinner was ready.”

“Very kind of you. I’m surprised your boyfriend didn’t ask you to bring his grub to him, so he could keep working.”

I pause in putting a large slice of the lasagna onto my plate. “Jesse? He’s many things, but my boyfriend isn’t one of them.”

A full-blown, toothy smile takes over Bo’s face. “This whole shebang just got a lot more interesting.”

7

Jesse

After a delicious dinner, we pile into the living room and turn on the television. Not surprisingly, the channels are limited to the umbrella of stations related to Renovation TV. Nancy chooses a cooking competition show, and we settle in to watch. Instead of focusing on the TV, my attention strays to my partner. She’s sitting on the floor, cross-legged, laughing with the rest of our competitors. Bo joins her on the floor.

She’s my little sister.Thanks, Theo.

Not interested in either show—on the television or the floor—I duck out of the room. In the bedroom, I grab a pair of pajama bottoms and turn on the hot water for a shower. As the water runs down my body, I replay the day. Excitement has morphed into annoyance at the chatterbox, and something akin to dislike for my bunkmate—who is hitting on my off-limits partner. At least she had an interesting idea for a ceiling treatment.Eyes on the prize.

Ten minutes later, I towel off my wet head and slip into the bunk. Perhaps tomorrow will be better.

It isn’t.

Neither is the rest of the week.

Paige and I discuss our plans for every room and submit our requests to Quinn on the form she provided. Our preliminary designs are solid, but not extraordinary. We need to up our game if we’re going to win this.

I’m sitting on the couch, whittling a car, when Paige plops down next to me. “Hey, so I’ve been meaning to ask you a question.”

With my blood pounding through my body, I put my still unformed block of wood onto the coffee table and flip my knife between my hands. Given her expression, I’m pretty sure I’m not going to like whatever she’s about to say. She better not want to quit. “What’s up?”

She tucks her short hair behind her ear. “So, filming starts on Monday, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, my cousins—they’re actually twins, Chloe and Gabrielle—graduated from college last weekend. Since their father, Uncle Ward, is involved with the whole VOW-cubed mess, the family wasn’t able to throw them a party like we’ve always done.”

“I understand.” Where is she going with this?

She rubs her arm. “I sort of invited my family over to 1626 for a little shindig to celebrate.”

My eyebrows raise. “There’s no furniture. No place for people to sit or anything.”

She shrugs. “I know. I told them that, so people will bring folding chairs. I checked, and the fridge is working for drinks and stuff. Plus, someone with a real phone can put their music on a speaker.”

She has thought of this from every angle. I can sympathize with wanting to celebrate her cousins’ graduation, especially since she was here, thanks to me, and not able to attend the ceremony. “How many people are we talking here?”

“Not that many. Nine kids are in the family, but my brothers Kiefer and Ryder can’t make it. When you add in Amelia and Madison, that’s only nine guests. Plus whoever the twins invite. Oh, and the whole cast ofNYC Views, of course.”

“Of course.” I repeat. Here I was thinking I’d be escaping them.

“What do you think?”

Isn’t she a little late to be asking? “Haven’t you already invited them?”

“Well, yeah. But I wanted to make sure I had your buy-in.”

What harm can a simple graduation party do to the wreck that is the dismal apartment? I tap her shoulder with my fist. “When you put it like that, you make me feel special.”

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