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Her eyes lit up as she accepted it. “I love these!”
“They taste like dirty bathwater.”
“Why’d you buy them, then?” She cracked the tab and took a sip, humming happily.
“They were on sale,” I lied, pouring myself a glass of wine. Leaning against the counter, I met her gaze across the kitchen.
She took another sip and asked, “Why did you invite me down here?”
“Haven’t seen you in a couple of days. I missed you.”
The microwave continued to hum, and Charlie took a seat at the table. She arched her brows at me. “Uh-huh.”
“The contractors started pulling up the carpet in the lobby this afternoon,” I said. “They found this.”
I opened up the photos I’d taken on my phone and handed the device over. Her eyes widened. I loved hearing that slight intake of breath, seeing the flush on her cheeks. Yes, I could’ve sent the photos through email. But maybe I was a glutton for punishment because I’d wanted to see her face when she got the news. I didn’t want to think about seeing her face when an excavator ripped it up, though. Not right now.
“This was hiding under that dingy old carpet the whole time?”
“Incredible, isn’t it?” I leaned one hand against the table, the other on the back of her chair, and looked over her shoulder.
When Vinnie had first pulled up a section of carpet, there wasn’t just a normal subfloor beneath the low-pile, worn-out, red-and-gold carpet. There was an intricate mosaic tile that extended from wall to wall. We’d managed to pull up most of the carpet to reveal the elaborate geometric border of white, black, and dark green, then the main space under the chandelier, which had its own design, like the petals of a flower opening just under the light fixture.
It was far more color than I typically liked, with green and red spreading out on a white background that was edged in black, but even I couldn’t deny the fine dramatic effect. I had to admit, it was gorgeous. So beautiful I hadn’t been able to help the shiver of delight that had coursed through me.
“Wow,” Charlie breathed.
The microwave beeped, and I winced when the hot plate burned my fingers. I grabbed a dish towel and dropped the noodles in front of her, then took my own plate to the machine. I set my food to warm and joined her at the table.
“Does Vinnie think he can restore it?”
“He was talking about cleaning and regrouting. There’s some damage near the lobby doors that will be hard to match to the original.”
“How does this affect the budget?”
I clutched my chest. “A woman after my own heart.”
She rolled her eyes, but I saw her lips twitch.
“We’ll save on the cost of the carpet, but it’ll likely be more expensive to restore the tiles.”
“We have to, though.”
“I was afraid you’d say that.”
“This must seem like a big waste of time and money to you,” she said, handing my phone back and picking up her chopsticks.
“I’ve accepted my fate,” I replied, “for now.”
She huffed and took a bite. I watched her for a moment, oddly satisfied, like it calmed some part of me to make sure this woman was fed and comfortable. Strange. I had to order some tests on the town’s water supply. I wasn’t thinking straight.
Pop, crack!
I jumped. What was that? It sounded like bang snaps on the ground.
Crack, pop!
There it was again. But this time it smelled like something was burning. I didn’t know if it was the combination of burnt wiring and musty house, or maybe just the days I’d spent in this town leading up to that moment, but in an instant, I was eleven years old again and my house was overrun with flames. My vision narrowed, and time seemed to slow down and speed up at the same time. I don’t know how long it took me to jump up from the table, or how loud I yelled when I said, “Call 9-1-1!”
