Page 21 of In Love with Lewis Prescott
He blushes. “It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to work on an overhaul like this. I got kind of excited to dive in.”
I quietly take note of how adorable he is when he’s enthusiastic.
When we finish up finalizing the schedule, I show him out to the garage, where all the raw materials I purchased for the remodel are splayed out.
Lewis’s gaze lands on the multitiered brass chandelier sitting in the middle.
“Vlad said he reinforced the ceiling for the chandelier, but would you be willing to double-check it?” I asked. “After everything he messed up, I’m reluctant to take him at his word.”
“Understood. Yeah, I can do that.”
“I’d like to be able to hang crystals on the chandelier.” I point out the rectangular box of crystal accents sitting on a shelf along the wall.
“I was thinking I could start with the kitchen today,” he says. “Tighten up all those loose cabinet doors, then start pulling up the flooring in the living room tomorrow. I’m definitely gonna need your help for that. It’ll be tedious as hell, especially since you wanna reuse the hardwood.”
“I’ll be ready. Do you need me to help you with the cabinets?”
He shakes his head. “Nah, I got it.”
I head back inside while Lewis grabs my grandpa’s old toolbox from the garage. I get ready for the day in my bedroom, thinking about how in this way Grandpa Bernie’s tools get to be part of the renovation he dreamed of even though he’s not here. The sound of Lewis drilling in the kitchen echoes through the house.
I check the time to make sure I’m not late heading to the Glad You’re Here office to volunteer for a few hours. When I head back into the kitchen to let Lewis know I’m leaving, he twists around and flashes a grin at me.
“See you when you get back.”
I have to swallow back a gasp at how delicious he looks in this moment. White T-shirt spotty with his sweat, ripped jeans tight around his tree-trunk legs, the muscles in his shoulders and back swelling under that thin cotton fabric.
I blink and silently tell myself to get my shit together.
But of course I’m losing my shit around this guy. I’m used to seeing him on TV, not in my house all sweating and grunting, fixing it up for me.
I mumble a “sounds good” and flash a thumbs-up at Lewis before scurrying out to my car. Before I pull out of the driveway, Naomi texts me.
How did it go? Did you talk it out like adults like I suggested?
I call her and put her on speaker while I reverse out of the driveway onto the street. As soon as she answers, I give her an update.
“I did end up taking your advice. We talked it out, and once we got past the awkwardness, it actually wasn’t that bad. I think we’re good now.”
“Yay! How great!”
“Yeah. Great.”
“What’s up with you now?”
I scramble to think of an eloquent way to put this but fall short and decide to just go with the truth.
“He’s hot, Naomi. Like, ridiculously, obnoxiously hot.”
She barks out a laugh. “You’re just now realizing this?”
“Of course not, I just...” I shoot out a breath as I drive out of Half Moon Bay, taking the highway to the freeway. “I just don’t know if I can handle being around his hotness 24-7, you know? Like, it’s been ages since I’ve shared space with another human being, other than when you lived with me before moving in with Simon. And I’ve never lived with a guy before. I just don’t know how I’m going to handle myself for the next three months if I can barely keep my cool and we’re not even one day into this setup. I mean, I almost masturbated to the guy this morning...it’s not even been twenty-four hours.”
I can hear Naomi stifle a chuckle. I roll my eyes.
“Okay, valid point,” she says. “I’m sure I’d be freaking out too if I were living in the same house as a sexy celebrity.”
“It’s more than that, though. Right after we talked out the awkwardness of this morning, things felt fine. Comfortable, even. We went over the projects for the renovation, and it felt totally normal. And then I saw him. Standing in the kitchen, reaching up to tighten the hinges on the cupboard doors, and I swear, my eyes nearly popped out of my head. He was all muscle-y arms and sweat and grunting noises. It threw me off completely. I pretty much ran out of there so I wouldn’t—”
