6. Olivia #2
That was obvious. Though it made me a bit sad thinking about the original tenants. They were probably bought out and replaced by people with money who wanted lavish vacation homes. I wagered a lakeside home for a young family with a bunch of children would be difficult to achieve here now.
Lucas was looking at some of the other properties across the lake. He pointed to one. “That's the Weller’s place. They have twin girls about Adrian’s age.” He pointed to another property. “That’s Ann and Carl Seiple. They were in their fifties when we were kids, but still live there on their own.”
He kept pointing to homes and naming residents as my brain wrapped around the fact that they were all the same people from his childhood.
“Wow. That’s incredible. So the community just collectively decided to improve their properties over the years?”
As I finished my question, Adrian joined us with a clap on Lucas’ back.
“Well, yeah,” he chirped. “With our help, of course.”
That got my attention. Their help?
“Oh? Did you renovate some of these places?”
Adrian looked at Lucas with a look of pure confusion while Lucas returned a tight, expressionless shake of his head.
“Sorry, bro. Thought that would have come up. ”
What would have come up? I was having trouble following the verbal conversation, but there also seemed to be a silent one happening between the brothers that was equally confusing. And intriguing.
The group we were loosely standing in was still discussing the movie and someone had just mentioned the trailer ad they’d seen. I recognized the moment the mention of the video site I used to post some of my content jogged the memory of the woman across from me.
“Oh! I can’t believe I didn't realize! You’re Olivia Dawson!”
I smiled and nodded politely.
“That’s me.”
She turned to her husband. “Honey, this is the YouTube designer I watch sometimes. She’s got a whole little channel.”
I tried to let the word “little” roll off my back and take the somewhat backhanded compliment while her husband gave me a polite smile.
“That’s cool. Are you able to just do that full time?”
I wasn’t a stranger to this type of reaction or these types of questions. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t affect me at all. Did I wish people took me more seriously? Sure. Did I also love my community and the freedom controlling all my content gave me? Absolutely.
So I kept a smile pasted on my face as I prepared to give my canned “yes, it’s a real job” speech. But I didn’t get time.
Lucas cut in before I could get a word out.
“Olivia has a successful studio. Our client hired her to work with us on one of our most high-profile projects this year. That’s why she’s here.”
The couple looked surprised.
“Oh! That’s fantastic! Congrats Olivia.”
More smiling. Smile, smile, smile.
“Thank you. I’m very excited.”
“Liv, have you seen the house yet? The lake is great and all, but aren’t interiors kind of your thing?” Adrian shot me an easy smile and one of his signature winks.
Meanwhile, Lucas was watching me with a blank expression, though I thought I saw some banked anger beneath the surface. As someone who wore every emotion and thought so plainly on my face, it was infuriating not being able to read him.
Adrian kept prodding. “Up for a tour?”
I smiled and gave a quick nod. “Of course! Interiors are my thing,” I repeated with a wink.
As we turned toward the house, Adrian placed his hand on my back to guide me. I couldn’t help but notice the lack of heat radiating through my body at the contact.
I offered Lucas a quick smile as we walked away and received a small dip of his head in response. I felt gunmetal eyes track my every movement until we reached the door and ducked inside.
As Adrian walked me through the absolutely gorgeous home, I spent half my energy listening to his tour guide banter and half trying to shake the feeling of Lucas’s eyes on me as I walked away.
For nearly an hour, Adrian guided me around his childhood home. After seeing Lucas, I felt distracted. Once I got my head in the game, though, I became fascinated by the story of their family home.
The choices this family had made together.
Each wall they’d taken down or erected. The way they chose spaces and finishes to honor the tastes of their mother. How Mr. Alessi kept it pristine, but homey.
The boys, along with their father, had renovated the entire place themselves when they were just barely adults.
I didn’t ask outright, but it sounded like this home may have been the springboard for their company.
Adrian explained he wasn’t yet a certified architect when they’d done the work, but he’d clearly contributed to the execution.
He also made sure I knew he’d put in his share of physical labor.
We walked through each room, Adrian giving me his professional input on the work that was done. They had each put their own touch on the renovation.
He truly was talented. It was obvious he loved what he did and took great pride in honoring the bones of a home with history.
I was enjoying learning about the property and hearing Adrian in architect mode so much that the time flew by quickly. So much so that I definitely needed a restroom because I’d finished my entire cup of sangria.
“Do you mind if I use the restroom quickly?”
“Of course not, Liv. It’s just down the hall there. I think I’ve talked your ear off plenty. I’ll leave you to it. Head back out when you’re all set and I’ll grab you another sangria.” He punctuated the offer with an eyebrow wiggle.
With a shake of my head and a chuckle, I headed toward the half bath that lived under the staircase to the second floor.
Adrian had pointed it out earlier on his tour and I was actually excited to use it. The tiny space was wrapped in a wallpaper that reminded me of the forties, but was still somehow fresh.
As I washed my hands, I took in all the details that thrilled me. The intricate molding, the custom door, the perfectly considered vanity.
This family really had a talent for home design.
I finished up in the quaint little bathroom and started toward the backyard when a collection of images pulled my attention. Along the hallway, faces that I now recognized stared back at me from framed family photos.
The boys playing various sports. What looked like previous Fourth of July picnics. Family vacations.
Then, one photo caught my eye.
It was a young woman, feet dangling off a stage, wearing a big, bright smile and heavy stage makeup. Judging by the other photos, this was their mother. There were stagehands milling around in the background. She was clearly on the set of some sort of production.
“You would have liked her.”
I gasped and turned at the new presence. I knew exactly who it was though, that deep, smooth voice rolling over me like water.
When I recovered, I offered Lucas a sad smile. No one had explicitly discussed Mrs. Alessi’s passing with me, but I’d put the pieces together.
The feeling of understanding at Tony’s when I’d mentioned my dad. How Adrian had invited me to ‘his father’s’ house. The way he’d spoken of her during the tour he just gave me.
Once you lose a parent, it becomes easy to spot other people that are part of the club.
“She was a dancer. That show was on Broadway.” Lucas explained, pointing to the photo I’d been looking at. “She was actually pregnant with me in that photo, but didn’t know it yet. She only did a few shows before the morning sickness got to be too much.”
“That’s amazing. What an experience, right? It’s obvious your family loved her very much.”
“She was the best. Passionate and fun, but solid and dependable at the same time. Just a great human being.”
As Lucas spoke about his mother, my gut reaction was to tense up. Thoughts of my own mother, and how different she acted, bubbled up. She was passionate too, but certainly not about motherhood. Solid and dependable were adjectives that didn’t live on the same continent as Linda Jones.
My father, on the other hand, had been a spectacular parent that loved me so deeply it had lasted me through the years, even after he was gone. So I understood the deep love of a lost parent that was written all over Lucas’s face.
“When did she pass?”
“Seven years ago.”
“It’s so difficult to lose a parent. I’m sorry.”
He gave me a nod and settled his gaze on the picture again. “She would have been an amazing performer.”
I didn’t have a response to that comment. It seemed so loaded with emotion. One I couldn’t necessarily define. So I kept quiet and continued admiring Lucas’s mother.
“I wish she had the opportunity to follow that dream.”
This was tricky territory. I didn’t know this man well, but my heart wanted to scream that she clearly lived a full and happy life. Anyone could see how much she loved her family. I could see it written plain as day on her face in photo after photo.
Before I could formulate an appropriate response, he cleared his throat. “Well. It looks like you’re in need of a drink and I doubt you’ve eaten yet. Adrian is a fool, but he’s somehow an amazing cook. We’ll have to get you set up with a plate.”
Deciding to let him off the hook for his clearly skewed perception of his mother’s life, I smiled and replied, “Lead the way.”
He gave me another one of his signature nods, this time toward the door to indicate I move ahead of him.
While I slid past him, I fought every emotion he just conjured.
I understood his sadness over losing his mother, but his attachment to her lost career was extra devastating.
I couldn’t claim to know his mother’s thoughts, but I was willing to bet she’d be crushed to know her son saw himself as a burden to her life rather than the reason for it.
I reminded myself he was just a man I worked with on one client project. I had no business or right to delve into his emotions about his dead mother. But as he followed me outside and directed me toward his entire extended family and friends, it didn’t feel like I was walking with a coworker .
It felt like I needed to remind myself why I was here and focus on my job.
I could easily get wrapped up in this man if I didn’t watch myself.
It was way too effortless sliding into this family.
The Alessis were obviously kind people and were just being polite by making it easy to join their celebration.
Sure, Lucas had me feeling all sorts of confusing emotions, but this was temporary and I needed to remember that.
Just because these brothers turned out to be friendly people didn’t mean they were my friends.
I tried to keep that in mind as I mingled through the party for the rest of the evening. Even as I felt the heat of a pair of eyes tracking me from across the lawn.