Chapter31
Erin waved it off. “No need to worry. Dora told me to check with your about the old furniture–if there’s anything you don’t want, I can have it all cleared out and taken to a secondhand shop. You just need to gather your personal stuff. If there’s furniture you want to keep, just let us know where to move it.”
Chris and Alberto exchanged confused looks, both a little stunned.
“What do you mean?” Alberto asked, puzzled.
Erin blinked. “Wait–didn’t Dora tell you? She asked me to do a full remodel. All the furniture has already been replaced with brand–new pieces.”
“That’s…” Alberto’s brain nearly short–circuited. ‘A full set of new furniture? That must’ve cost a fortune,‘ he thought.
Chris gently tugged his sleeve, signaling him not to overthink it. The furniture was already bought–no point panicking now. Besides, they didn’t want to waste Erin’s time.
She quickly took off her apron and set it on the tea table, then smiled warmly at him. “Let’s just move the old furniture downstairs for now–no need for you to deal with that.”
“It’s really no trouble,” Erin replied quickly. “We’ve got a big truck parked out front. It’ll save you the hassle later–you’d only end up having to hire someone to haul it away.”
He spoke quickly, clearly the type who liked to get things done efficiently and without fuss.
Chris rubbed her hands together nervously. “Then I’ll go clear out the
master bedroom first. There’s less stuff in there, so it’ll be faster.”
“Perfect.” Erin nodded, then turned and gave orders to the five workers behind him. “You three, start moving the furniture downstairs. You two, get to work on the wallpaper. Let’s move fast.”
While the couple moved from room to room, gathering their things, the workers quickly got to work. Erin supervised everything with an eagle
eye.
“Line up the corners properly. What’s that gap for–an ant parade?”
“You don’t see all the dust on the wall? Clean it before you stick anything on. What, planning to grow mushrooms behind the wallpaper?”
“Edges of the window frames and doorframes–make them neat! If it’s crooked, rip it off and do it again.”
From the second bedroom, the couple could hear Erin shouting instructions from the master bedroom, and they both felt a chill run down their spines. Their hands moved faster without them realizing it.
So all the rumors were true–Erin really was the sharp–tongued perfectionist everyone said he was.
With the home renovations in full swing. Alberto occasionally pitched in where he could, while Chris, after moving everything from the bedrooms. into the living room, returned to the kitchen to continue working on her
steak.
“Erin, have some coffee,” Chris said, offering him a cup with a smile.
Erin had been mid–rant, hands on his hips while barking orders at the workers. But the moment he heard her voice, his temper vanished. He turned, accepted the tea with both hands, and smiled politely.
“Thank you. Really, no need to be so formal. I’ve known Dora for years.”
he said.
“All right,” Chris said, warming to him. He was far more polite and approachable than she’d expected. Testing the waters, she added. “Erin. I’ve been thinking of setting up a little stall to sell steak. I’m doing a test batch today, so I didn’t cook lunch. If you’re hungry, would you like to try some?”
“Absolutely,” Erin replied without hesitation. “Perfect timing–I was just getting hungry.”
Chris beamed, then glanced over at the workers still busy with their tools. “Why don’t they take a break too? Let them have a bite.”
“Wouldn’t that be too much trouble, with so many of us?” Erin asked, a little surprised.
“Not at all. I was hoping to get feedback from more people anyway!”
Since she was so eager, Erin called for the workers to take a short break and have something to eat before getting back to work.
Chris returned to the kitchen and brought out a tray of freshly made steak, all neatly sliced in half for easy sampling. She encouraged everyone to try them and give honest feedback.
“Wow, these are good!” Erin hadn’t even taken a bite yet, but just seeing the food was enough to earn his praise. “They smell amazing. Most. vendors use pre–packaged or frozen ingredients nowadays. It’s rare to see someone still using fresh produce like you do.”
Once he took a bite, he gave her a big thumbs–up and didn’t hold back with the compliments. Whether or not he truly thought they were the best thing ever didn’t matter–he poured on the praise, filling her with confidence and pride.
The workers, too, dug in happily, chewing with smiles and offering
E
enthusiastic praise for her cooking.
