Chapter Twenty-Six
Julien
My peace lasted exactly four days.
Four days of believing I had everything under control.
Four days of thinking my renovation spreadsheet was comprehensive enough to handle any contingency.
Four days of assuming that hiring the highest-rated construction company in New Haven would result in professional, efficient, no-nonsense contractors.
Four days before I realized the universe was still laughing at me.
“You must be Dr. Darcy,” the man said, extending his hand with a smile that could probably be seen from space. “I’m Mason. Owner of Flawless Construction.”
I shook his hand automatically, my brain struggling to process what I was seeing.
Mason was... objectively attractive. Not that I noticed these things. I was a surgeon. I assessed people clinically. Symmetrical features, good bone structure, clear skin, well-proportioned musculature—Stop it!
You’re not assessing him. You’re just... observing.
“These are my partners,” Mason continued, gesturing to the five men standing behind him. “Jasper, Clint, Bo, Chase, and Gavin.”
They all smiled.
In unison.
Like they’d practiced.
Oh no.
“We’re really excited about this project,” Jasper said. He had dark hair, green eyes, and a jawline that looked like it had been carved by Michelangelo. “Mason showed us your plans. Very detailed. Very impressive.”
“Thank you,” I said, trying to maintain professional composure.
“Very thorough,” Clint added. He was blond, blue-eyed, and had the kind of smile that probably caused traffic accidents. “We don’t usually get clients who color-code their renovation phases.”
“Organization is important.”
“It’s adorable,” Bo said.
I blinked.
“Adorable?”
“In a good way!” He had dark eyes, sun-kissed skin, and dimples that appeared when he smiled. Which he was doing. A lot. “We love working with detail-oriented clients.”
“Especially ones who care this much,” Chase added. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and had the kind of presence that suggested he could probably lift a house with his bare hands. “You can tell this project matters to you.”
“My wife is thirty-eight weeks pregnant with triplets,” I said. “We need this done in three weeks.”
“We know,” Gavin said. He was the youngest, with curly hair and an easy smile. “That’s why we cleared our schedule. We’re all yours for the next three weeks.”
All yours. Why does that sound vaguely threatening?
“That’s... good,” I said carefully. “I have a detailed timeline.”
“We saw,” Mason said. “Very comprehensive. We’ll stick to it.”
“And if there are any delays.”
“There won’t be,” Jasper assured me.
“But if there are.”
“We’ll handle it,” Clint said.
“I have contingency plans.”
“We saw those too,” Bo said, grinning. “All seventeen of them.”
“Eighteen,” I corrected. “I added one this morning.”
They all laughed. Not mocking laughter. Genuine, warm laughter that suggested they found me amusing rather than neurotic.
I don’t trust it.
“So,” Mason said, pulling out a tablet. “Should we do a walkthrough? Get a sense of the space?”
“Yes. I have a checklist.”
“Of course you do,” Gavin said, still smiling.
We walked through the house, me pointing out each renovation priority while they took notes, asked questions, and made suggestions that were—annoyingly—actually good.
“The kitchen layout is solid,” Jasper said, studying the space. “But if we move the island six inches to the left, you’ll have better traffic flow.”
“Six inches?”
“Trust me. With three kids, you’ll want the extra clearance.”
He was right.
Damn it!
“The nursery needs better lighting,” Clint observed, looking at the ceiling. “We can add recessed lights here, here, and here. Dimmable, so you can adjust for nighttime feedings.”
Also right.
Stop being right.
“This bathroom,” Bo said, examining the fixtures. “The shower’s too small. You’re going to want something bigger. Trust me, after three babies, your wife is going to want a spa-quality shower.”
“How do you know that?”
“My sister has twins. I helped renovate her house. The shower was the first thing she requested.”
Fine. They’re competent.
That doesn’t mean I have to like them.
We finished the walkthrough and returned to the living room, where I had established a temporary command center. Laptop, printer, filing system, and a large whiteboard with the renovation timeline mapped out in color-coded phases.
Just the usual things needed for a house remodel.
“Wow,” Chase said, staring at the whiteboard. “That’s... detailed.”
“Each color represents a different phase,” I explained. “Blue is demolition, green is structural work, yellow is electrical and plumbing, orange is installation, red is finishing work.”
“And purple?” Gavin asked, pointing to a small section in the corner.
“Contingency buffer time.”
“You have a color for contingency buffer time?”
“Of course.”
More laughter.
Why do they keep laughing?
“Dr. Darcy,” Mason said, his expression becoming more serious. “I want you to know, we’re going to get this done. On time, on budget, and exactly to your specifications. You have my word.”
Something in his tone made me believe him.
“Thank you,” I said.
“Now,” he continued, his smile returning. “When do we get to meet your wife?”
And that was when Athena arrived. I heard her before I saw her. The sound of her voice calling out, “Julien? Where are you?”
“Living room,” I shouted back.
She appeared in the doorway, one hand on her lower back, the other on her stomach, looking radiant despite being approximately the size of a Volkswagen Beetle.
And then she saw the contractors.
And stopped.
And stared.
“Oh,” she said.
Oh? What does ‘oh’ mean?
“Hi!” Mason said, walking over with that same space-visible smile. “You must be Athena. I’m Mason. We’re going to be renovating your house.”
“Hi,” she said, still staring.
Why is she staring?
“This is Jasper, Clint, Bo, Chase, and Gavin,” Mason continued, gesturing to each man in turn.
They all smiled.
Again.
In unison.
Stop smiling.
“It’s so nice to meet you,” Jasper said, stepping forward. “Congratulations on the triplets.”
“Thank you,” Athena said, her voice slightly higher than usual.
Why is her voice higher?
“If you need anything during the renovation,” Clint added, “anything at all, just let us know.”
“We’re here to make this as easy as possible for you,” Bo said.
“Especially since you’re so close to your due date,” Chase added.
“We want you to be comfortable,” Gavin finished.
Athena blinked.
Then smiled.
That smile. The one that meant she was delighted by something.
No.
No, no, no.
“You’re all so sweet,” she said.
Sweet? They’re contractors. They’re not sweet. They’re professional. And efficient. And...
... objectively very attractive.
“Julien,” Athena said, turning to me. “Did you know they were going to be this handsome?”
I stared at her.
“Handsome?”
“Very handsome,” she confirmed. “Like, movie-star handsome. Like, I-might-need-to-sit-down handsome.”
The contractors laughed.
Of course they laughed.
“You’re too kind,” Mason said.
“I’m just being honest,” Athena said. “The universe really outdid itself with you six.”
The universe. Of course the universe is involved.
“Athena,” I said carefully. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”
“Of course!” She walked over, still smiling.
I pulled her into the kitchen, out of earshot.
“What are you doing?” I hissed.
“What do you mean?”
“You just told them they’re handsome.”
“They are handsome.”
“That’s not the point.”
“What is the point?”
“The point is—” I stopped. “I don’t know. But you can’t just... say things like that.”
“Why not?”
“Because they’re contractors. They’re here to work. Not to be... complimented on their appearance.”
She studied me for a moment, her expression shifting from confused to amused.
“Julien.” She slowly grinned. “Are you jealous?”
“I’m not jealous.”
“You’re absolutely jealous.”
“I’m not.”
“Your left eye is twitching.”
I touched my face.
Damn it!
“I’m not jealous,” I said again. “I’m just... concerned about maintaining professional boundaries.”
“Professional boundaries?”
“Yes.”
“With the contractors?”
“Yes.”
“Who are here to renovate our house?”
“Yes.”
“And who you hired because they’re the best in New Haven?”
“Yes.”
“And who happen to be very attractive?”
“That’s irrelevant.”
“Is it?”
“Yes.”
She smiled, stood on her toes, and kissed my cheek. “You’re adorable when you’re jealous.”
“I’m not.”
“And I love you.”
“I love you too, but—”
“And those men are here to help us. That’s all. They could look like literal Greek gods and it wouldn’t matter because I’m married to you.”
“They do look like literal Greek gods,” I muttered.
She laughed. “Come on. Let’s go back. I want to hear about their timeline.”
We returned to the living room, where the contractors were studying my whiteboard with expressions of genuine interest. “This is impressive,” Jasper said, pointing to the electrical phase. “You’ve accounted for everything.”
“I try to be thorough.”
“Thorough is an understatement,” Clint said. “This is military-level planning.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“Absolutely.”
Athena settled onto the couch, the only piece of furniture we’d moved into the house so far, and the contractors immediately shifted their attention to her. “Are you comfortable?” Bo asked. “Do you need a pillow?”
“I’m fine, thank you.”
“Water?” Chase offered. “We brought some.”
“I’m okay.”
“If you need anything,” Gavin said, “just say the word.”
“You’re all very sweet,” Athena said again.
My eye twitched harder.
My sister Vivian arrived twenty minutes later. I called her because I needed someone to help me finalize some design decisions, and she had excellent taste. What I didn’t need was her reaction when she saw the contractors. “Holy shit,” she said, stopping in the doorway.
“Vivian,” I said warningly.
“No, seriously. Holy shit.” She was staring at Mason, who was measuring the kitchen doorway. “Are they real?”
“They’re contractors.”
“They’re models.”
“They’re contractors who happen to be—”
“Gorgeous?” she finished. “Because yes. Yes, they are.”
Mason looked up, smiled, and walked over. “You must be Vivian. Julien mentioned you’d be helping with design choices.”
“I... yes. That’s me. Vivian. Helping. With choices.” She was still staring.
Oh my God.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Mason said, shaking her hand.
“Nice,” she repeated. “Yes. Very nice. Extremely nice.”
I closed my eyes and groaned. “Vivian, can you focus?”
“I am focused.”
“On the renovations.”
“Right. Renovations. Because that’s why we’re here. Not because the universe decided to send six walking advertisements for genetic perfection to renovate your house.”
“VIVIAN!”
She laughed. “Sorry. I’m just... processing.”
“Process faster.”
Jasper walked over, carrying a tablet. “Vivian, we’d love your input on the kitchen backsplash. We have a few options.”
“Yes,” she said immediately.
“You haven’t seen the options yet.”
“Don’t care. Yes, to all of them.”
He laughed. “How about we look at them first?”
“Fine. But I’m going to need you to stop smiling like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like you know exactly how attractive you are.”
“Vivian,” I said, my voice rising.
“What? I’m just being honest.”
“You’re being inappropriate.”
“I’m being observant.”
“Same thing.”
Athena was laughing on the couch. “Julien, relax. She’s just having fun.”
“This isn’t fun. This is a professional renovation project with a strict timeline and—”
The front door opened and Winnie walked in, carrying a bag of what appeared to be baked goods. “I brought cookies!” she announced. “I figured everyone could use—”
She stopped.
Stared at the contractors, then gasped. “Oh my!”
Not Winnie, too.
“Hi,” Clint said, walking over. “I’m Clint. You must be Winnie. Julien mentioned you work with him.”
“I... yes. Work. With Julien. At the hospital. Where we... work.”
“Are those cookies?” Bo asked, appearing beside Clint.
“Yes, chocolate chip. I made them this morning.”
“They smell amazing,” Chase said, joining them.
“Can we try one?” Gavin asked.
“Of course!” Winnie opened the bag, and suddenly all six contractors were gathered around her, sampling cookies and offering compliments that made her blush.
I looked at Athena, who was grinning.
“This is a nightmare,” I said.
“This is hilarious,” she corrected.
“They’re supposed to be working.”
“They are working. They’re also being friendly.”
“They’re being too friendly.”
“There’s no such thing as too friendly.”
“There absolutely is.”
Vivian appeared beside me. “Julien, I need you to understand something.”
“What?”
“Those men are the most attractive humans I’ve ever seen in person.”
“That’s not relevant to the renovation.”
“It’s extremely relevant to my mental state.”
“Your mental state is not my concern.”
“It should be. Because I’m about to lose my mind.”
“Vivian.”
“And Athena agrees with me.”
I looked at Athena.
She nodded. “They’re very attractive.”
“You’re married to me.”
“I’m aware. Doesn’t mean I can’t observe objective reality.”
“Objective reality is that we have three weeks to complete a major renovation and everyone is distracted by—”
“By six gorgeous men who are also extremely competent and professional?” Vivian finished. “Yes. That’s exactly what’s happening.”
My left eye was twitching so hard I was surprised it hadn’t detached from my face.
The contractors started work the next day.
At exactly seven AM, as scheduled.
I was already there, having arrived at six-thirty to review the day’s checklist and ensure everything was prepared.
“Morning, Dr. Darcy,” Mason said, arriving with his team. They were all wearing work clothes: jeans, boots, and fitted T-shirts that showed off their annoyingly attractive assets.
Stop it.
“Morning,” I said. “I’ve prepared a detailed schedule for today’s demolition work.”
“We saw it,” Jasper said, holding up his phone. “You emailed it to us at five AM.”
“I wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page.”
“We’re on the same page,” Clint assured me. “We’re on the same word on the same page.”
“Good. Then let’s—”
“Dr. Darcy,” Bo interrupted gently. “We’ve got this. You don’t need to supervise.”
“I’m not supervising. I’m... observing.”
“You’re hovering,” Chase said, not unkindly.
“I’m ensuring quality control.”
“We understand,” Gavin said. “But we promise we know what we’re doing. And we’ll update you every step of the way.”
I wanted to argue. I wanted to insist that I needed to be there, watching, making sure everything went according to plan. But something in Mason’s expression, his calm, confident, genuinely reassuring expression, made me hesitate.
“You’ll call me if there are any issues?” I asked.
“Immediately.”
“And you’ll stick to the timeline?”
“Absolutely.”
“And if you need to make any changes.”
“We’ll consult you first,” Jasper promised.
I looked at my watch. I had surgery in two hours. I needed to leave soon anyway.
“Fine,” I said. “But I’ll be back this afternoon to check progress.”
“We’ll be here,” Mason said.
I left, feeling as though I was abandoning my post.
This is fine.
They’re professionals.
They know what they’re doing.
Everything will be fine.