Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 73665 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73665 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
“I do. It’s just old roll laminate, and it’s not doing well.”
Mika walks over and wraps an arm around Bellatrix’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, babe. We’ve got this. When all the colors are up, and the place looks like five billion dollars, we can go to the flooring store and pick something out.”
Bellatrix shakes her head. “I can’t let you pay for that.”
Mika shrugs. “You can. And you will.”
“Mika, I—”
“It’s all my dad’s money anyway. I have lots of it saved up. More than I’ll ever know what to do with. Let me spoil you. If you ever sell this place and make a profit because of the renovations, you can pay me back then. I’ll give you all the receipts.”
Bellatrix elbows Mika. “You know exactly what to say to make me agree.”
“That’s part of being your bestie. Mind reading powers and the sister soul-to-soul connection.” Mika pauses, and I can practically see it coming—the inappropriate ending she’s going to tag on. She cues me with a wink in my direction. “If you want one of those with my dad, I think that’d be awesome.”
Bellatrix sputters, coughing. “Sorry,” she rasps. “Lingering cough from the cold.”
“You’ve been over it for days.”
“It’s still lingering,” Bellatrix insists. “I’m going to go change.”
“I’ll start setting everything out where I think it will look best, and we’ll go from there. Is your ladder in the basement?”
“That’s right.” Bellatrix’s cheeks are pink. She ducks her face as she races past me and takes the stairs two at a time.
I give Mika my best stern dad look, but she sticks her tongue out at me and then says, “Be a darling and go down to the creepy unfinished basement of dungeon doom and get the ladder?”
I nod but walk over to the kitchen counter where Mika’s standing. “If this is going to happen, it has to happen naturally. No forcing it.”
“By that logic, you can’t force against it either then,” she insists.
It’s safer to get the ladder than to continue this conversation, so I do. The basement is fine and not scary at all. It’s pretty much empty but warm and dry, with a few boxes on a pallet in the corner and a pop-up table with a few toolboxes.
Bellatrix is back and helping Mika by the time I make my way up the stairs. The ladder is long and precarious, and I don’t want to punch holes in the drywall on the narrow staircase.
Bellatrix has changed into a pair of tight-fitting overalls that give her a wedgie. The attractive kind. She’s also got a short, fitting, cropped black tee on underneath that shows off the slightest scrap of creamy skin.
“Even Bellatrix has tattoos,” Mika drops as soon as I crest the landing and shut the door to the basement.
“Mika, hush!” Bellatrix hisses. “That has nothing to do with anything.”
“Take him for one. He’d end up liking it, and then he’d be covered. A tattooed zaddy.”
Bellatrix quickly picks up the wallpaper and unrolls it. She marches to the wall and holds it up. “This. I like this one!”
“You know…” Mika considers, slanting a hip out in her black dress. Her spider web tights got four different compliments at the home renovation stores we went to, and one girl told her that her platform boots were freaking awesome as balls. “I think you’re right.” She snaps her fingers. “With the emerald paint on the other walls in here, it would do nicely.”
“We should probably watch a video on how to install this stuff first. It says renter-friendly, but I have my doubts.”
“We’ll do that,” Mika agrees before motioning to me. “Dad can move the furniture around.”
“Ahh. Now I know why you really brought me,” I say.
“I brought you because I’m hoping you’ll ask Bellatrix out on a proper date.”
Bellatrix groans. I groan. But Mika just smiles her most innocent smile.
If she wanted to motivate me to tackle the furniture, she’s done it.
I get everything away from the walls while Mika and Bellatrix start wallpapering on the far side of the room. It’s a lovely pattern, dark green, with a forest theme of trees, leaves, little bushes, small sprigs of flowers, and animals like deer and rabbits. It’s cute while being mature and lovely at the same time.
While they work, they discuss the rest of the colors for the house. The room will be mostly green with a feature wall of wallpaper. Then, the green will change over to black for the kitchen, with the flamingo wallpaper dominating most of it. They also talk about copper ceiling tiles, wainscotting, and, eventually, crown molding.
The more they talk, the more I can see Bellatrix coming alive. She’s animated, smiling, and radiant. Best of all, she’s more relaxed. She’s effortlessly beautiful and happy at this moment. But I don’t watch her directly because that would ruin everything. Instead, I make sure I’m fully absorbed in moving heavy objects around so they won’t get splattered with paint.