Read His By Design for Free Online

Now we’re back on an even playing field.” He slid the strap over his head and set the case next to her desk, willing to put off his presentation until coffee and sweet rolls softened her up. Playing fair was not in his game plan. Landing this job was his primary objective. He took a sip of hot coffee, then bit into a bear claw. Zoe followed suit and they ate in contented silence.
    Finished, he wiped his hands and reached for the case, unlatching the top, then sliding the contents out onto her desk. He used Zoe’s mug to anchor one corner of the blueprint for the upstairs apartment and the Thermos for the opposite one.
    “Here’s my plan for your digs, Zoe. I kept it simple, functional, and low-budget, although there are plenty of areas you can upgrade in the future, once the gallery takes off and you’re a wealthy woman.”
    He let her look it over for a few minutes without interruption and hid his anxiety behind gulps of his coffee.
    “The plan looks fine, Jeff. Do you have the materials estimate?”
    He sorted through his paperwork and placed a sheet on top. “Here you go. I’ve used all ready-made cabinetry. Nothing custom-built which would have increased the cost. The floor is laminate in the bedroom and your sitting area, tile in the bathroom, kitchen, and your studio. The appliances and fixtures are mid-grade. Nothing fancy except for the skylights in your studio area. I felt that was the one area worth splurging on. I’ll clean the brick on one wall of your bedroom and seal it as an accent wall, the rest will be painted drywall.”
    “This is a bit more than I expected.”
    Damn. He couldn’t imagine how he could lower the cost any more than he’d done already. He could put vinyl on the floors. That idea made him grimace. He could . . . he could . . .
    “I didn’t mean that exactly the way it must have sounded,” Zoe apologized. “I’m afraid everything is going to be a bit more than I anticipated. I’m hardly experienced at building renovation and some of my expectations may have been wishful thinking. Let’s see what you’ve got for the gallery space.”
    He unrolled that blueprint over hers and waited for Zoe’s criticisms. He’d spent a lot more money in this area, but mostly because it had to include movable interior walls, a floor refinishing that would tolerate heavy traffic, much more lighting, display cases, and pedestals. He’d brought a couple of sketches of the finished interior so she could get a better idea of his vision for the space. He separated them from the stack of papers and laid them next to the blueprint.
    She took her time examining the plan, nodding a couple of times, then turned her attention to his sketches. “Are you an artist too, Jeff? These drawings are very skillfully done. Or did you have someone do them for you?”
    Now was as good a time as any to lay the groundwork for his goal. “I’ve been drawing since I was a kid and took a few art classes in high school. I do some painting, and a bit of sculpting, too. I loved woodworking in shop and carpentry is my favorite part of any job.”
    He didn’t want to sound as though he’d wanted this job as a back-door entry to get his paintings shown when the gallery opened. She’d suspect he was scamming her and automatically cross him off the list for the reno.
    “I see.” She studied him for a few seconds. “And the materials estimate for this area?”
    He put that sheet on top and figuratively crossed his fingers.
    She sighed. “Yes, I see that I’ve been living in fantasy-land as far as costs are concerned.” She shook her head slowly and Jeff’s hopes died. “Let me look the figures over and get back to you, Jeff. I know you put a lot of work into this, so I won’t keep you in suspense. I’ll call you in twenty-four hours with my decision.”
    “If there’s anything in particular that you’re not happy with, Zoe, I’m sure we could work some—”
    “Jeff.” She held up a hand to cut short his