Page 68 of Too Enchanting

Jed

Iwas doing my best to give Serena the space she’d requested. I figured, since she’s the one who asked for it, she’d be the one to come to me when she was ready, except, she hadn’t contacted me yet.

I started a new construction job, and although it was a crew I’d worked with before, I was already missing my freedom a little bit.

It was a good build. We were working on the outskirts of town building the new community center, so although it wasn’t as exciting as working on my own stuff, it was a project that I knew would do good for the town as a whole and bring a lot of families joy.

Plus, the pay was really good, and I’d be able to sock some more cash away in my own business fund.

I worked long hours and came home tired, and although I caught myself looking at Serena’s place every few hours, for the most part the week was going by really fast and I wasn’t able to fixate on the fact that she hadn’t called, texted, or come by.

Now, it was time for the viewing party of our Fix it Up episode, and I was hopeful, and if I was honest, a bit nervous about seeing her there. I was nervous she wouldn’t come, and I was terrified that she would, and she’d tell me she’d decided I wasn’t worth the effort.

Just the thought made my heart hurt and I knew it would take me a long time to get over her if that happened, even though, in reality, we hadn’t been together that long.

I took care in the way I dressed, wanting to look my best when I saw her. I shaved the day’s stubble off and styled my hair, then worried that I looked like I put in too much effort. Feeling unsure of myself was unusual and I found it was a feeling that I did not like at all.

I walked into the banquet room that they’d reserved at the hotel, surprised to see the large-screen television they’d brought in, along with big comfortable chairs and couches, and tables overflowing with food.

They’d managed to make it look like someone’s living room, or a man cave, and I wondered how much money they’d dropped to make it happen.

“Jed, how’s it going, man? Good to see you again.”

I crossed the room to shake hands with Jose.

“Good, brother, how about you?”

“Can’t complain,” he replied. “We’ve been working on a house in Florida, with a little time to chill at the beach, so all in all, it’s been good.”

“Sounds like it. Have you seen this already?” I asked, nodding toward the TV.

“Nope, we wait to watch it with everyone else. Only the producers see it early.”

“Everyone, we’re about to get started. Feel free to grab a drink, fill up you plates, and get comfortable.”

“Get some chow, then come join us,” Jose said, and I agreed.

I looked around and saw Kylie, as well as Sadie, but no Serena. With a sigh, I went to the table to grab a beer and make a plate of nachos, then avoided Kylie like the plague as I took the long way around the room to get to where Jose was sitting.

As the lights turned down and the TV came on, I saw Serena slip in and take the seat next to Sadie.

I wanted to get up and go to her, but didn’t want to cause a scene, so I decided to wait until the viewing was over, then make my move. I wasn’t going to let her leave without talking to me.

I’d given her the time she’d requested, and now I needed her to listen.

The theme music for Fix it Up began and the room got silent as we all watched our episode. I cringed the first time I saw myself on camera, it was an awkward moment, but when Serena came on screen, she lit it up.

She looked beautiful as always, but even more so. She had a camera presence that made you stop and look.

I turned toward her to see her reaction. She was hiding behind her hands with a smile, while Sadie leaned in and whispered something to her. Serena shook her head, but when she lowered her hands, I could see she was pleased by whatever had been said.

It was cool to see how they cut it all together, and the final product was a good show packed with tips. Plus, it was fun to see the before and after play out on the screen.

When the credits began to roll and I saw the name for my business as well as the gallery, I grinned at Serena and was happy to see her smiling back at me. That was it, the big payoff for spending a week on the show, and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next for both of us.

Hopefully, I’d have a front row seat.

I was about to stand and go to her, when Sadie stood up and went to the front of the room. I wasn’t sure if there was a sequence of events, so I figured it was best to stay seated and see what was happening next.

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