Love Thy Neighbor by Sophie Wintner Read Free Book Online Page A

painted that wall. See, now, I wouldn’t have thought to do that.”
    “Yeah, well.” Nikki shrugged. “That’s what I do.”
    “And that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. My place needs some serious help. I was wondering if you’d mind taking a look sometime.” He gestured across the way with a hitchhiker’s thumb. “It’s my studio but it’s also my home and, well”—he hung his head and gave his gorgeous hair a shake—“it’s—it’s really pretty scary over there.”
    Nikki laughed in spite of feeling so miserable about Matthew’s visit.
    “I’ve been wanting to do something with the space ever since I bought it. That was three years ago. I keep putting it off. But then I met you. I’m taking it as a sign. Will you tell me what it’ll take to turn the place into something like…” He looked around again. “Something like this.”
    Nikki wasn’t sure, but if she heard correctly, she’d been offered a job. Her heart pounded. This was exactly what she needed, at exactly the right time. “Do you want me to come look at it now?”
    “Can you? Do you have time?”
    Nikki’s face brightened up. “Absolutely. Let’s do it.”
    When Dallas opened the door to his place, Nikki’s jaw almost hit the floor. She found it hard to believe that this space was across the hall from hers. It had two long brick walls, another wall of windows, and a spiral staircase that led to a second level. The kitchen alone was the size of her entire apartment. There was a gorgeous woodburning fireplace and a massive marble hearth. Camera equipment, tripods, lights, and the tools of his trade were scattered everywhere.
    She spread her arms out and twirled. “How many square feet do you have here? Twenty-five hundred?”
    “Thirty-one,” he said. “Thirty-five if you count the deck.”
    “The deck?” She shot him a look of disbelief. “You have a deck?”
    “Off the master bedroom.”
    “How many bedrooms?”
    “Three. But I use one as an office.”
    “This place is huge. But if you don’t mind me saying, you’re not utilizing this space right at all.” She went over to one of the partitioned walls and gave it a thump. “Is there a stud in here?” she asked.
    “Not really sure.”
    “Hmmm…” She thumped it again. “We could move this wall back and it would open the space.”
    “You do that sort of thing?”
    “Oh, yeah, I’m also an architect. Technically, an architectural interior designer.”
    “Really.” He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “That’s impressive.”
    “What did you think, I just painted walls and threw pillows around?”
    He laughed. “Uh, actually, yes.”
    She gave him a playful slap on the shoulder.
    “Okay.” He raised his hands in surrender. “So what does an architectural designer do exactly?”
    “Well, I’m trained as an architect, so I can make structural changes. If we need to raise a ceiling, move walls, gut a kitchen or a bath. I work around all the compliance laws and secure the permits and I handle everything so my clients don’t have to work with another outside source. And I do schematics and all that stuff, too. Gives me an edge over the competition.”
    “That’s brilliant,” he said, nodding his approval.
    “I’d like to think so.”
    Dallas leaned against the kitchen island and drummed his thumb against the marble countertop. “So tell me honestly, is this place beyond all hope? Can you help me?”
    “Are you kidding me? Your place has great bones.”
    “Bones, huh? Is that what you people call it?”
    “We people.” she laughed. “Seriously though, this is a big job.”
    “I figured as much. Big space equals big job, right?”
    “Something like that.”
    “I know you’re busy and probably wouldn’t be able to get to this for a while but…”
    Was he kidding? If it were up to her she’d start that minute, but Nikki forced herself to play it cool. “This is an incredible space,” she said. “Do you have any idea what we could