CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO LEXIE
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
Lexie
The new year has arrived and with it a promotion, which Max hinted at but I didn’t like to hold him to, as the job needed to be advertised externally too. I love the bijou size of the company, as it’s not so large that there are people in the same department to fight off for a promotion. Because I’ve proven myself in the job and finished my course with a predicted high grade, I am now listed on the company website as Interior Designer instead of Design Assistant. I cannot believe it. The feeling is incredible. When my new business cards were delivered, I couldn’t tear the packaging open fast enough and stared at them for ages. I wanted to message Chris and show him and, in part, thank him again for helping me get here, for kick-starting the possibilities and opportunities. But I didn’t.
I’ve managed to prove my worth since starting in my role and now, as our Dublin hotel plans ramp up, I’ve flown out for the week to get the lie of the land.
This hotel is in an old factory from the 1950s, and Max and I have been debating whether we should venture into the expected, design-wise, with exposed steel beams, or whether we warm it up. I have this urge to brighten the space with pinks and greens and give it a faded 1950s Palm Springs vibe. It’ll be different, cool, inviting.
‘Gone off the idea of going totally emerald then?’ Max teases. I give him an embarrassed look and he casts his gaze around the huge space. ‘Like a Slim Aarons photograph?’ he suggests after a pause.
‘Exactly that. It was the rooftop pool on the architect plans that gave me the idea,’ I tell him as we stand in the gloomy space, hard hats on and notepads in hand. Max is here on his honeymoon: a grand tour of Europe and – in between drinking as much Guinness as he can while he’s in Dublin – we’ve arranged to meet for a quick afternoon of work.
I’ll join Max and Michelle later for dinner, and then tomorrow they fly off to London before moving on to Paris. I’m offended they haven’t included Edinburgh or Glasgow in their travel plans, so that must mean I’m feeling some grounding and loyalty towards the place I now call home.
‘I’d throw in some golds to neutralise the look, but also add some glamour,’ I say to Max. My words echo around us in the cavernous space. ‘These downstairs rooms are all going to be huge, so it’ll need softening,’ I muse as I look around, taking pictures on my phone. ‘What about pillars? Even though we don’t need them structurally, it’s so big in this main lobby and restaurant that we could add some to break up what the eye sees, create different spaces around them.’
‘I love that. Draw up some ideas,’ he tells me and then his gaze softens. ‘Can I be patronising and tell you I’m proud of how far you’ve come?’
‘You can,’ I say, trying not to blush. ‘Thanks.’
Max squeezes my arm. ‘Right, that’s enough work for one day. Pub?’
‘Definitely.’