The Room - A Sensuous Experience

anything that would jeopardize Robyn from working her magic.
“I’ll have to call in a few favors from some of my New York contacts as well as a few from the locals, but we’ll make it happen.” It wasn’t Robyn’s first time decorating a property this size, but it was the first time in a long time she’d been excited about it. She couldn’t help but wonder if it had to do with this particular house or being back in her hometown. Maybe it was both.
“There aren’t very many properties like this in our little town.” Robyn couldn’t help but say to herself that absolutely none of them were ripped right out of her dreams as an afterthought.
*****
“I couldn’t believe I got the call to plan the housewarming party for this estate.” Now, slightly less frantic, Eva placed a hand on one of her slim hips and put her portfolio underneath the opposite arm. “Over the years, we’ve had some pretty impressive homes built, but nothing like this house.”
Robyn snatched her eyes away from the arched doorways leading to the bathroom to look at her friend. “I still think it’s weird that your party planner's duties extended to interior design. It’s not only odd but doesn’t usually happen.”
“True, but the owner requested that I coordinate everything because they didn’t want to have to deal with a million different people. Whatever the reason, I’m just glad they offered me the job. Something like this could make or break my career. That’s why I’m so nervous about it. More so, since the Dkor fiasco. It’s obvious, I’ve bitten off more than I could chew.”
“Believe me; I’ve had worse experiences. You’re doing great.”
“I don’t know about that, but thanks to you, I can focus on what I’m good at.”
Robyn glanced up at the cathedral ceilings then over to the fireplace. It was so large she could easily stand up inside of it. The floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides of the room were magnificent and were going to be hell to cover before Saturday.
As Robyn stared out the windows, she could only imagine the most breathtaking sunrises and sunsets. Maybe coming home was indeed what she needed. After spending almost nine years away, and doing this exact same thing for other wealthy people, Robyn thought perhaps she’d lost her mojo—until today. Surprisingly, she found herself ready to get to work.
Eva’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Okay . . . let me just double-check a couple of things.” She pulled a piece of paper out of her portfolio. “I have the card you gave me with the information on where to wire the money, so I’ll do that as soon as I leave.” She extended her hand to Robyn and dangled the keys. “You’ll need these to get in and out of the house.”
“Thanks.” Robyn took the keys and put them in her front pocket. She reached into her backpack to pull out a camera and started taking pictures.
Eva’s perfectly sculpted eyebrow raised in question. “A camera? What’s that for?” A worry line reappeared. “I don’t think they want any media or paparazzi to know what we’re doing.”
Robyn laughed. “I’m not alerting the media. This is for me. It’s a common practice in my line of work. It’s for my design board.” Not that she needed any help remembering what this place looked like, but just in case. “It’s helpful to not lose the visual while I’m searching for things for the house.”
“Oh . . . okay. I get it.”
The camera flashed. “There’s a lot to do, so I won’t be able to measure the rooms. I’ll take some photos then have one of my assistants come back and do it.”
“I didn’t realize all the work that goes into decorating.”
“Most people don’t. They think it’s just making sure the colors match. Anyway, it’s especially important for a job this size.”
Eva whispered conspiratorially, as if they weren’t the only two people in the house, “You know, I might look all sophisticated, and like I know what I’m doing, but I’m so out of my league.”
“I’m pretty sure we all felt that way on our first big job. I know I did.”
“Really? I would never have guessed. Honestly, when they gave me the budget for this house, I’d never seen so much money in my life. It literally blew my mind.”
Most of Robyn’s clients didn’t have to worry about money. It was no object for them, but she could empathize with Eva. She remembered the very first time she was given a budget of a million dollars. It was orgasmic. “Hard to believe people even have that kind of money, huh? Let alone spend thousands on something frivolous like a rug.”
“True.” Eva sighed. “I’m just glad I didn’t give Amber any more money than I did. Fortunately, there’s still a nice chunk to be spent. It was my mistake to hire Dkor, so I’ll need to skimp a little on the party-planning side to make up for it. But I can do it. No one will be able to tell the difference.” Eva bit her bottom lip. “Wiring you the money will save on time too. I need you to have access to those funds ASAP. Thanks again for that tip.” She sighed as she looked around the room. “This project should have begun months ago.”
Robyn nodded in agreement. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything on my end. Do you know what the owners are like? That’s the one blind spot I’ll have—not knowing their likes and dislikes.”
“I haven’t actually met the owners. I’ve been working with an attorney.