Page 3 of The Life Daisy Devlin Designed
Laura gave her a hard look. “Here it comes.”
Daisy sat forward in her chair. “What do you mean by ‘Here it comes’?”
“I mean you shouldn’t get involved but no doubt you will.”
“How would I be getting involved?” Daisy’s voice had risen and she took a deep breath. “Transforming Granary House would be a dream job, Laura, you know that. And it would be the ideal project to submit to the contest!”
“I also know it’d be a terrible idea to work with him.” Laura’s voice softened. “Why would you risk it?”
“I’ll just leave you two to ...uh...” Fionn stood and slipped quickly out of the room.
After he left, Daisy got up, walked over to one of the sash windows that overlooked the street below, and peered out.
Discerning Designs occupied a divided first-floor room of a converted Georgian house, a stone’s throw from Dublin’s fashionable St Stephen’s Green. The two women had spent the last five years steadily growing it, but it had suffered a setback during the Covid pandemic and, after an initial upsurge when they reopened, things had quietened down. They couldn’t afford to ignore any potential business.
She turned to Laura. “I wouldn’t be risking anything. Matt and I haven’t seen each other in five years. We’ve both moved on. But this is a sign! This was meant to happen! If I don’t pitch for this job, I’ll always regret it.”
Laura looked like she was trying to choose the right words. “What if it’s a sign to run in the opposite direction? Have you forgotten what happened, Daisy? The guy just left. Five years together and he –”
“I remember what happened.” Daisy’s tone was sharp. “And, yes, I admit I was very hurt at the time.”
“You were devastated,” Laura said quietly.
Daisy shivered slightly and wrapped her arms more tightly around herself. “And then I met James and I moved on.”
Laura nodded. “I know, babes.”
Daisy blinked hard and turned back to stare out the window. “It might actually be good to see him. I could get ... closure.”
“Youcouldget closure,” Laura said. “Or you could just not go there. You could really mess things up with James. And what about you? This is a potential head-wrecker.”
“That wouldn’t happen.” Daisy huffed. “We’re grown-ups. And this is exactly the business opportunity I’ve been wanting for so long.”
Fionn came back into the room. “Too soon?” He looked at Daisy, who waved a hand in his direction.
“Sit down. I’ve decided. I’ll contact Matt and, with a bit of luck, we’ll get the chance to redesign Granary House.”
Fionn flicked Laura a quick look. Her lips were tightly pursed.
The silence stretched until Fionn broke it. “Sound.”
A flicker of worry passed across Laura’s face. Then she gave a one-shoulder shrug. “I wouldn’t touch him with a ten-foot barge pole, but it’s your choice.”
Daisy smiled to cover her annoyance. She was long used to Laura’s scepticism, but it stung that she had so little faith in her. It didn’t matter that the thought of seeing Matt again terrified and confused her in equal measure. Running her own business, pitching to clients and working with crews to deadlines, meant constantly pushing herself out of her comfort zone.
Except this iscompletely different, Daisy, this is personal. She pushed aside the fluttery feelings in her tummy and the annoying voice in her head. If Matt agreed to her proposal, theirworking relationship would be just that. And if it brought her closure, so much the better.
If shedidland the redesign, she wouldn’t bother mentioning it to James. There’d be no need – he didn’t share all the details of his work with her. These days, he hardly shared anything with her. Anyway, this would be just like any other job.
CHAPTER 2
Daisy’s phone was ringing just as she got home that evening. “Rosie? Just got home. I’m at the front door. Let me just get in ...” She was hit by a blast of music from the kitchen as she shouldered open the door. Hanging up her coat, she allowed herself a quick glance in the mirrored panels that fitted flush with the wall in the narrow hallway.
“Okay, I’m in.” She had to raise her voice so she could hear herself. “So did you and Séan enjoy the weekend? I’ll bet you didn’t even get out of bed,haha.”
Rosie tutted. “Stop being so childish, Daisy.”
Stop being so annoying, Rosie.Her sister was the most uptight thirty-five-year-old on the planet. Their mother was more chilled-out than her! Actually, their mother was more chilled-out than anyone. Maybe she could just hang up? Except Rosie would probably accuse her of being childish again.
