Page 247 of Tormented Billionaire Romance Series

I started getting excited. “That’s exactly what I want. I want this big main, front area to be the shop floor. Maybe over along where the sink is can be the register counter. And the smaller area back where the bedrooms are can be storage and the craft corner.”

“Sure. We can do that. But if you want, we can turn the two bedrooms into a bigger craft corner, for your lessons, and have the smaller one for storage. We can connect it to the craft corner and the hallway with doors here and here.”

Tears sprang into my eyes. I was only looking at a crumpled piece of paper with scribbles all over it, but it was so perfect.

The contractor held his hanky out to me, monogrammed with the initial R.

I took it and wiped at my eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. You’re making your dream store. You’re allowed to get emotional.” He chuckled and patted my shoulder gently.

“Thank you.” I sniffled.

He patted me again. “Here’s what we’ll do from here. I’ll make out a modified blueprint of what the place will look like with the walls taken out and send it to you. Then we can focus on what will go where. You’re meeting with an interior designer, right?”

I checked the time on my phone, and was amazed even through my dismay. “In only a few minutes!”

“Mr. Bryant will set us up to have our own meetings. I’ll get everything in place according to your design needs and everything will go from there.” He stood up and reached down to help me. “There might be a lot of back and forth for a bit here, but that’s normal. It’s just to ensure we’re all on the same page.”

“I understand.” I handed him his hanky and shook his hand. “Thank you.”

“I’ll be in touch.”

I walked the contractor to the door. The interior designer was coming up to the door right at that very moment, so they swapped places.

Again, I sat on the floor with a professional. He was much taller than me, slim as a telephone pole and with huge oversized glasses that appeared to be trying to swallow his face.

He didn’t look like someone I could trust with designing my dream store, but Carter had hired him, so I decided to give him a chance.

The designer said, “So, a sewing store. Puh-lease tell me we’re going to do something more exciting than setting up shelves.”

I laughed and smiled. “I think we’re going to get along.”

He clasped his hands together and beamed. “I’m overjoyed. Tell me some of your ideas.”

“And you’ll let me know what’s possible?”

“Dear, everything is possible. I just want to do some brainstorming with you.”

Excitement bubbled inside me and I leaned forward, my hands on my knees. This was where I could really turn the house into the vision in my head. Only so much could be done to the overall structure of the house, but I could fill it with anything I wanted.

“I don’t want just rows of shelves. I don’t want this to be a boring place that looks like an old lady runs it. I want color and creativity. I want everything possible to look like it’s been crafted.”

“Ooh,” he said appreciatively.

I smiled more. “Maybe the register counter could look like a bin? Or a sewing box! I want flower windows and paper airplane models from the ceiling, and carpeting that looks like unrolled spools of thread. Knitted curtains. Button seats. Shelves that look like actual shelves, like hobby boxes or cubbies.”

“Hold on there,” the designer said, laughing. “I wasn’t expecting so much all at once. I have to find a pen and write all this down.”

I smiled, envisioning how my store would look when it was all done. It would be a long process full of lots of hard work, but it would be so worth it in the end.

CHAPTER33

CARTER

As soon as the hour hand on the clock nudged forward into place, I was up and out of my seat, grabbing my briefcase.

Brian looked up. “Got a hot date this weekend or something?”

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