UNDER CONSTRUCTION, CHAPTER 9

 

        Charlie had spent her last night at her parents’ house. All the furniture and necessary items had been installed in her home over the last three days. That included the bulk of her clothes, but she’d held back what she planned to wear to complete getting everything ready for the housewarming. She was so grateful to her mamma for taking the lead on the party. Charlie didn’t know how she would have fit the party preparations into her workload.

Her mamma got her up early. No sleeping in this Saturday. “Now c’mon Charlotte, get that behind of yours outa that bed. I expect you to strip the bed and at least get the sheets into the washer before we leave here in about an hour. You don’t have to do any other cleaning because I’ll have Millie give your room an in-depth cleaning next week when she comes.”

Charlie stretched, moaned and replied, “Sheesh mamma, but you make it sound like I’m a kid again, hiding cheeseburgers under my bed and I only did that once. I think my bottom hurt for a couple of days after you found all that moldy food hidden away.”

“I’m not worried about moldy food being in your room these days. I just want Millie to give it a good clean. I’m thinking about redecorating and turning this into a true guest room.”

“Like you and daddy need another guest room in this big house. What you should do is sell it and move into something small, you know a pied-a-terre for when you are in town. If you and daddy keep travelling, it’s going to sit empty for weeks at a time unless you get someone to house-sit while you’re gone.”

“There’s an idea I hadn’t thought of. Maybe I’ll redecorate for the house-sitter. Now, c’mon scoot. We’ve got to get busy.”

In barely more than an hour, they reached Charlie’s new house. Shortly after, the caterers arrived and began to set up. There would be a small bar on the back porch, a larger one on the side porch accompanied by bins of ice filled with beer and soda. Food would be found on various trays of hor d’oeuvres placed around the house, both inside and out. Her kitchen would be used by the caterer for staging and replenishing the various food and drink. Charlie hadn’t wanted waiters moving among the guests with trays, her house was simply too small to allow for that. She wanted her housewarming to be simple and casual and her mamma had worked with the caterer to make it so. Charlie was so happy with the way everything looked as party time approached.

Her mamma had brought her dress and went to change in the spare bedroom. Charlie retired to what was her room, removed her shorts and tank-top and laid down in the middle of her big bed in her underwear. She absolutely loved this room and expected to be very happy there. She stretched and thought about Bradley staying over after the party. Charlie was sure she’d be more than ready for some great hot sex once the last invitee had left. Bradley hadn’t seen the inside of the house and she wondered what his reaction would be, especially to this, her very personal space.

Charlie looked around the room from her viewpoint on the bed. The various odd-shaped windows along the top of the outside wall were, in her opinion, adorable, as if someone had simply flung pieces of colored glass at the siding. The skylight over her bed was stained glass made with lightly colored and plain glass that during the day showed an abstract design but would allow her to moon and star-watch at night.

Her eyes flowed from wall to wall and appreciated the various black and white sketches she’d found at different antique stores. They were of women and men, done in the style of the early 20^th century. All were rendered as nudes with some of the bodies facing front, others reclining, others showing the backside of the figure. She’d had them framed according to their size in plain black wood. Some of the frames had no carving or ornamentation and others did, but in each case, the frame complimented the interior sketch. Charlie had looked up the various artists, and hadn’t found any mentioned online, but it was obvious they had been admirers of Picasso and Barrington.

A lover of bright colors, the wall behind Charlie’s bed was a deep emerald green. A small rug beside her bed carried the same color while her duvet cover and pillows were a riot of colorful flowers. The furniture, and there wasn’t much beyond a small rocker, a large dresser and small vanity as well as the headboard, was made of reclaimed wood, pained a glossy white. The cushion on the chair in front of the vanity matched the material on the bed. The various knick-knacks placed around were glass odds and ends she had found in the various antique stores she’d visited over her life or received as gifts. She knew where each and every item in the room came from. It was truly a woman’s room, truly Charlie’s room.

As in all the rooms in the house, there was a temporary sign on the wall that provided information about everything Charlie had used to create her bedroom. The signage mentioned the kind of wallboard, a magnesium oxide board that was not only noncombustible but was nutritional waste. This meant if her house was torn down, all the wallboards could be ground up and used as a soil nutrient. The sign also detailed the various suppliers of all the items in the room. Bamboo floors, sheep’s wool insulation, replenishable cotton in the fabrics, reclaimed glass, etc. There wasn’t a thing in her bedroom that could be considered newly manufactured.

Charlie got up and pulled the dress she planned to wear from the closet. It was very simple, a calm blue without decoration made of some kind of cotton with a bit of stretch to it. The bodice fit like a tank top and didn’t require a bra, then flowed down and over her hips to mid-thigh. Simple flip-flops completed her attire. And even though it was fairly hot, Charlie chose to let her hair hang down her back, pulling a blue ribbon through her hair to hold it away from her face. A bit of lip-gloss and she was ready to party.

Adam hadn’t decided just when he’d walk over to Charlie’s. He didn’t want to go too early and was actually hoping he’d be able to stay until the last guest had gone. Of course, that meant the man he’d seen Charlie with had to either not attend or leave as well. Adam fully intended to pursue some sort of relationship with Charlie beginning that very day.

It was going on six by the time Adam headed out. When he reached the edge of the woods, he stopped to admire Charlie’s house. It looked as though it had grown from the very earth, its rounded foundation, now planted with low-growing shrubs looked so natural he was amazed. She’d chosen a color for the foundation that matched the earth on which it rested. The siding had been painted a green, taken from the trees through which the house nestled. He thought that in certain light, it was possible the entire structure would disappear into the landscape.

The porch which went along the front and down one side was also painted the earth color. The furniture and porch swing were bright pops of coral and yellow and the various cushions also reflected those colors. It was the windows that really caught Adam’s eye. He’d been here after their installation, but he hadn’t really stopped to actually look and appreciate the beauty of the various sizes and shapes. He would have bet money not one window was the same as another. He was quite intrigued by the five small windows, placed high up the back side of the house. They were all odd shapes and appeared to contain colored glass. He really wanted to see those from the inside.

Adam stepped from the woods and approached the porch, now filled with people holding drinks and napkins. There was some kind of music in the background, but voices and words pretty much drowned it out. Charlie was standing just outside her front door, welcoming people, talking, encouraging everyone to wander around and see her new home. She greeted Adam with a hug and the faint gardenia smell that always seemed to cling to her filled his nose and caused every cell in his body to sit up and take notice. He gave her a more intimate hug than he’d intended and as he stepped back, she looked at him questioningly. He wanted to hug her again because the one he’d just had hadn’t been long enough. Before he could pull her back or she could say anything the man he'd seen Charlie with in the lake came up behind her from the interior of the house.

“Wow, Charlie, you really knocked the ball out of the park this time.” the man said, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing the side of her neck. “I cannot tell you how impressed I am with what you created here. One of these days, you’re going to build one hell of a family home.”

Adam’s heart sank just a bit at those words, but he chose to remain undaunted. Unless they were engaged or planning a future together, as far as he was concerned, Charlie was available. May as well find out now.

“Family home?” Adam said with a raised eyebrow. “Charlie is there some news you’ve forgotten to share. And, I’m Adam, Charlie’s next-door neighbor.” He added, holding out his hand for the man to shake.

As the two men shook, Charlie laughed. “Oh, sorry Adam, this is Bradley. And, no, no news to share Adam. I haven’t spent even one night here, so I won’t be planning a family home any time soon. I’ll leave you two to get acquainted. I need to do hostessing or my mamma’s gonna be after me with a switch.”

“So, you live next door?” Bradley asked. “You lived there long? I don’t think Charlie’s ever mentioned her neighbors.”

“I moved down here a few years ago and loved the peace and quiet which has finally returned. Charlie’s building just about drove me nuts. Have you known Charlie long?”

“Her mom introduced us a couple months ago. Ruth Ann knows my Aunt Isabelle and invited us both to dinner. We’ve been hanging since then, not as often as I’d like, but Charlie has priorities and I’m not always one of those.” Bradley laughed and added, “But, she’s definitely worth the wait. Now her house is finished, I plan to make sure we spend more time together.”

“Charlie definitely seems very interesting. I find just her career and the way she interacts with her crew fascinating. Of course, we’ve only had a few conversations so I don’t know all that much about her. Probably wouldn’t even be here tonight if I weren’t a neighbor.”

The two men talked about their work. Bradley was an investment banker and Adam managed to avoid giving an actual answer that would out him as an author of bodice rippers. He’d rather Bradley think he was independently wealthy. Eventually, Adam excused himself to find a drink and Bradley directed him toward the bar on the side deck.

Drink in hand, Adam went inside the house to wander from room to room, although there were really only five actual rooms. The master bedroom which held those odd-shaped glass windows and its adjoining bathroom. Another smaller bedroom with a bathroom that served that room and was accessible from the huge open space that comprised kitchen, dining and living. True, there was an additional room at the back that served as laundry and mud room. Adam was seriously intrigued by the staircase that wound up to the only second floor and which was covered by the cupola. Up there, he went from window to window and was amazed at everything he was able to see. Even his cabin was visible, but just barely. He also liked the way the tassel of ribbons brought color and movement into the room.

Throughout, Charlie had utilized earth colors ranging from deep green to a deep brown. They served as the backdrop for the colorful paintings and fabric weavings that adorned the walls. The furniture was rather modern with soft cushions and any framework that showed was a very dark wood. Eclectic pieces of glass and other knick-knacks, none of them recently manufactured, occupied tables, bookcases and other flat areas around the rooms. As she’d told him, each room held signage which explained the various products used to develop her home. Adam wondered where the camera man from the magazine was since he’d not seen anyone taking photos.

When he decided to freshen his drink, he again found Charlie at the door. “I absolutely love your house.” Adam told her, reaching out to touch her shoulder and feel the zing he knew he'd get. “You’ve done wonders, but I’m wondering where the magazine guy is. I expected he’d be here too.”

Charlie laughed and leaned into his hand because she liked the feel of it on her shoulder. Why couldn’t Bradley make all her hairs come to attention? “She, not he was here late yesterday afternoon and came back this morning before the festivities began. I invited her to return for the party, but she had to get back. I can’t wait to see how the article and photos turn out.”

“I particularly liked the signage. I learned a lot from reading the information and didn’t realize there were so many environmentally friendly choices to be had these days. If I ever decide to update my cabin, you’ll be the first person I call for advice.”

Charlie, emboldened by the wine she’d imbibed leaned toward Adam, her mouth so close to his he could feel her breath and told him, “Well Adam, you surely don’t have to wait until you’re ready for construction on your cabin. You can call me any time. For that matter, you can stop by here any old time. I know I’d be real happy to see you.”

Charlie sort of lost her balance and her lips came against Adam’s. It was all he could do to simply steady her as opposed to yanking her into his arms and kissing her senseless, providing he was capable of making her senseless, but he thought just maybe he, to use her words, surely was. “Oops, sorry, or to quote that peanut butter candy motto, Not Sorry. I think you might be a good kisser. I’d surely like to find out Adam.”

Adam hung around the party, talking to this person and that person, hoping to see Bradley lope off into the far distance, but finally, it was obvious Bradley wasn’t going anywhere. As the caterers began tidying up, Adam found Charlie, now laying on the porch swing propped up by pillows. She smiled as Adam approached.

“Charlie, I want to thank you for inviting me and tell you again what a wonderful creation you made in this space.”

She held out her hand and Adam took it in both of his. She stared into his eyes and whispered, “Feel that. Tell me you feel that Adam.”

He released her hand and didn’t respond other than to say good night, turn and walk off the porch and into the woods.

Charlie leaned back against the pillows disappointed Adam hadn’t told her he felt what she did. Then again, it was quite trampy of her to do something like that when she was dating Bradley. While she was ruminating over Adam and her reaction, Bradley sat down on the edge of the swing. “The caterers and everyone else had left. It’s just you and me now. How about you head for the bedroom. I’ll join you after I blow out all the candles and lock up. How does that sound.”

Charlie sighed and bit back the first word that popped into her wine-drowned head which was disappointing. Instead, she said, “That would be so good of you Bradley. I’ll do my best to stay awake until you get there. I may have had one too many glasses of wine.”

“I know babe,” he replied as he helped her stand up from the swing. “You need some help getting there or will you be fine now you’re upright?”

“I’ll be fine,” Charlie responded and moved to the door muttering to herself, “But not as fine as I’d surely be if you were Adam.”