Chapter 10
Austin
My office phone rings, pulling me away from my drawing table. I walk over to my desk and pick it up.
“This is Austin,” I say.
“Boss, your next appointment is here to see you,” my secretary, Liza, informs me.
“Give me five minutes to clean up my desk and then let them in.”
“You got it.”
I glance at my desk, which is covered in an array of papers and folders. This morning, I was frantically searching for a contract I had printed yesterday, resulting in the chaos before me. I quickly start organizing everything, stacking papers and folders into a neat pile in the corner.
The past few weeks have been exceptionally busy, but today marks the completion of a major project that has been consuming my time and energy. With this project finally out of the way, I can dedicate more attention to individual clients and their needs. I don't plan on taking on any more major projects for the rest of the year. That means I can focus on designing homes, my true passion. This is why I became an architect.
Yes, the big contracts designing cookie-cutter houses pay the bills, but what I really love is bringing someone's dream house to life. Today I have a few appointments for single family houses and I can’t wait to start.
I look around my office to make sure everything is in order before I start with my clients. I’m just sitting down when there’s a knock on my door. Liza opens it and says, “Mr. Caldwell, here is Miss Pearson.”
“Thanks, Liza,” I reply.
When Liza steps aside, a woman enters my office. I look up from my desk and I see her, the woman from the coffee shop, the woman I can’t stop thinking about. I smile so big that I probably look ridiculous, but I don’t care. This is a dream come true. I’ve seen her every morning at the coffee shop for the past month and I always go out of my way to say something to her. Most of the time, she’s very busy with customers, but every day she gives me her precious smile—the same smile I see on her face right now.
My breath catches in my throat. She’s wearing a dress for the first time since I’ve met her—a simple navy blue dress that hugs her curves in all the right places. The color brings out the warmness in her eyes and complements her light hair, which she’s left down in soft waves.
As she walks toward me, I can’t help but notice the way the dress accentuating her figure. Her smile is radiant, and she looks more beautiful than ever. I stand up to greet her, feeling slightly tongue-tied.
“Violet,” I say, trying to keep my excitement in check. “It’s nice to see you again.”
Her eyes widen in recognition. “Austin! I didn’t realize you were the architect that Noah recommended. Small world, huh?”
“Very small,” I chuckle, standing up to shake her hand. “Please, have a seat. What can I do for you today?”
As she sits down, I can’t help but feel a rush of excitement. This project just got a whole lot more interesting. I make a mental note to give Noah a present because he just made my day.
“Well, I bought land this week and I met with Noah on the property. He owns a construction company, and he told me that the first step for me to start the construction process is to actually have the house plans,” Violet says with a beautiful smile on her pretty face.
“Noah is one of the owners of the construction company. The other owner is Esteban. Both of them are my best friends. So, I guess they sent you to me because we’ve been working together for a long time,” I explain.
“Oh, so they are your besties. That’s great.”
“Yeah. We work perfectly together, and they are actually awesome at what they do. I design, and they turn my designs into reality.”
Violet nods, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. “That’s exactly what I need. I have so many ideas for the house, but I need someone who can help me bring them to life.”
“Perfect,” I say, leaning forward with genuine interest. “Why don’t you tell me more about what you’re envisioning for your dream home?”
She takes a deep breath, her excitement palpable. “I want a cozy living room with a fireplace, a spacious kitchen where I can go crazy cooking and baking, and a garden where I can plant flowers and have a little section for my vegetables. And a big backyard for my son to run around. I would also like my house to have four bedrooms and a minimum of two bathrooms,” Violet says with a big smile. “You know what, I also want to plan for a pool and an area where kids can play soccer. My son Adrian loves to play soccer, and I want him to be able to play with his friends.”
“I didn’t know you had a son. How old is Adrian?” I ask. This is news to me. My dream girl has a son. I don’t know how I feel knowing that she has a son. Now I have so many questions.
“Adrian is eleven, almost twelve years old. He’s a sixth grader,” Violet beams at the mention of her son.
“And it’s only you and your son? Do we need to wait for Mr. Pearson to arrive later, or was he not able to make it today?” I ask. It would be my luck that the first woman I am utterly smitten with is married.
“I’m divorced. So there is no Mr. Pearson in the picture,” Violet responds, keeping her pretty smile.
Thank God.
Violet starts laughing and blushing. Oh shit, did I say that out loud?
“I’m sorry. It’s just that sometimes working with men is harder than working with women. Usually, women know what they want. Men can’t get their opinions straight,” I say, trying to fix my mistake. What is she going to think about me?
Violet laughs a bit more and shakes her head. “It’s okay, Austin. I get it. And thank you for being honest. I appreciate that.”
“You're welcome. What you want sounds wonderful. We can definitely create something that fits all those needs. Do you have any specific styles in mind? Modern, rustic, traditional?”
“I’m leaning toward a blend of rustic and modern. I love the warmth and charm of rustic elements but also appreciate the clean lines and functionality of modern design,” Violet says while she grins at me.
“We can make that happen,” I say, feeling more confident than ever. “I’ll draft some preliminary designs, and we can go over them together to make sure everything is just the way you want it. Would you mind if we met over lunch?” I ask her. If she says yes, this can be the perfect excuse to get to know her. Since seeing her at the coffee shop is not working for me because she doesn’t have the time to talk to me, I can make these lunch dates the perfect excuse to get her to know me and probably start something more.
Violet looks thoughtful for a moment and then smiles. “Lunch sounds great. It’ll be nice to have a relaxed setting to discuss the plans.”
“Perfect,” I say, trying to keep my excitement in check. “How about Friday at noon? There’s a nice little bistro downtown that has great food and a quiet atmosphere.”
“That sounds wonderful,” she replies. “I’ll see you on Friday.”
“Great. I’ll have the preliminary designs ready by then, and we can tweak them to your liking.”
As Violet stands up to leave, anticipation builds within me. “Thanks again, Austin. I’m really looking forward to seeing what you come up with.”
“Me too, Violet,” I say, smiling. “This is going to be a lot of fun.”
Once she’s gone, I sit back in my chair, already planning out the designs in my head. This project is the perfect opportunity to not only create something beautiful but also to spend time with my future girl. She doesn’t know it yet, but she will be mine. Of that, I am completely certain. Grabbing my phone I open the text thread between my friends
Me: Noah, thanks for sending me a client. I'm always very grateful.
Noah: You're welcome.
Esteban: Who's he talking about?
Noah: The pretty girl at the coffee shop that you told me about.
Esteban: The one who lives with Josy?
Why am I not surprised these jackasses have seen my girl?
Noah: The one and only.
Me: Her name is Violet.
Esteban: What? No comment about how pretty she is?
Noah: That's a first, man.
Me: She is gorgeous.
Noah: Only gorgeous? I'm planning on asking her out. Did you know she has a kid?
What? Hell no. He's not asking my girl out. She’s mine, and I don't share.
Me: Yes, I know she has a kid.
Esteban: Awe, Austin is upset about you asking Violet out.
Noah: Yup, looks like it.
Esteban: So, the rumors are true. You’re the creeper who goes to the coffee shop every morning to stare at her.
Noah: I heard about that. Mrs. Mirtha said you never miss a day and the moment you see pretty Violet, you lose that scowl and your face turns all mushy and happy
Me: Enough! Yes, I go every morning to see her. And yes, she's gorgeous, and yes, she has a kid. But she’s not just some girl to ask out on a whim…
Me: She's special.
Noah: What do you mean by special? Are you saying what I think you are saying?
Esteban: I think our Austin is ready to fall in looooveee.
Noah: Shit? For real?
Me: I’m not falling in love
Me: I’m just saying that I like her and I’m only going to say this once.
Me: Violet is MINE. You fuckers need to understand that and leave her alone.
Esteban: Whoa, whoa, calm down. We were just teasing you.
Noah: Yeah, man. We had no idea you were that serious.
Me: I am. So back off, alright?
Noah: Alright, message received. We won’t step on your toes.
Esteban: Good luck, man. She’s a catch.
Me: Thanks. I’m gonna need it.