Page 9 of The Hometown Dilemma
Austen arrived with our drinks before she had a chance to answer. He placed a vodka, lime, and soda in front of Jaime and yet another cocktail next to Cami – not that she needed any more to drink.
“Why don’t you join us?” offered Jaime, gesturing to the empty seats around the table.
“Thanks.”
I took the seat next to Jaime and Austen sat on the other side of her. If I angled myself correctly, I wasn’t able to see the spectacle of Cami trying to shove her tongue down the football player’s throat. Despite what Austen might have thought, there was absolutely no jealousy involved at all. I just didn’t want to see such a public display of affection.
“You were saying what it was you’d come back here to do?” I prompted.
Jaime took a large swig of her latest drink. “Interior design. I, um, want to apply to be on the next season ofInterior Nirvana.”
“Sorry, I have no idea what that is.” I raised my shoulders in a shrug and turned to Austen for clarification.
He nodded approvingly. “That sounds pretty good. I’ve never seen the show but know a bit about it from my colleagues.” His fingers drummed on the table. “Actually, you might be able to help me out with something.”
“Austen needs someone to help him sell a house,” I started. “You know, to make it look good when people go to look at it.”
“Oh, you mean staging?” Jaime shifted her attention away from me and towards my best friend.
“That’s right,” Austen agreed. “I have the fussiest client and she’s demanding as fuck. But I don’t know where to start. When I did an internet search for designers in the area, I came up with hundreds. How do I narrow it down?”
A shadow flickered across Jaime’s face, and I noticed she composed herself before answering. I cut in. “Wait, instead of asking Jaime to narrow it down for you, why don’t you ask her if she could do it?” I looked between the two of them, watching as the light bulb came on over my best friend’s head.
“Have you done staging before?” asked Austen.
“Not a huge amount, but I know what it involves. One of my colleagues did it more than me. I can always ask her for some tips if I need to.” Jaime smiled, her green eyes sparkling with excitement.
Her smile, much softer and more genuine than her sisters’, almost took my breath away. She seemed so grateful to me for the suggestion. I sat back in my chair, watching as the two of them started talking about houses and interiors, both subjects which didn’t interest me in the least. When Austen excused himself to go to the bathroom, I realized Cami and her football player had also disappeared. Jamie and I were alone.
“Thank you,” she said. “I appreciate you thinking of me. I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever get another job.” Her hand slid across the table and covered my knuckles. Soft, moisturized skin brushed over mine.
My heart almost skipped a beat. What was I thinking? This was my ex’s sister. I shouldn’t be having any sort of reaction to her. Trying to ignore my physical response, I brushed it off.
“No problem. And hey, if you need a job, you could always come back here to work.” I meant it as a joke. Suddenly, a chord struck in my memory of us working here together when we were in college, bantering, flirting, but never taking it further. Some of those nights hadn’t felt like work, more like hanging out with a good friend.
“Thank you, I might take you up on that.” Jaime smiled again.
Seriously, she could light up a room. But why was I suddenly thinking of my ex’s sister like that?
ChapterFive
Jaime
Why didI never have the right thing to wear? I stood in front of my closet, hands on hips, dressed in a matching lacy black bra and panties. After meeting Austen the other evening at Dempsey’s, we’d discussed the possibility of me working on staging for his client. And today was the day I was meeting her.
I wanted to make the best impression. If I got the job, it would be something else to add to my portfolio and another step towards being able to apply forInterior Nirvana.
Messing it up wasn’t an option.
But everything in my closet was wrong.
Too casual or too smart, I couldn’t seem to choose the correct outfit.
There wasn’t time to shop for anything before my appointment with Austen and subsequent visit to the client’s house. I could always raid Cami’s wardrobe but sensed there wouldn’t be anything suitable there either.
Pulling out a bodycon dress in a shade of dusky rose, I held it up against me. It was perfect for my coloring, contrasting well with my dark hair and green eyes. But was it too fancy for Abbott Ridge? Biting my lip, I found a fitted black blazer with tiny white stripes. That might tone it down.
My phone pinged from the center of my bed.
