Deborah’s voice over the phone said, “This just might be your lucky day, Andrew.”

Andrew scrolled through the playlist on his computer trying to decide if the “Retro Sunny Day” set of songs was appropriate for the new work day. He asked, “Did you sell that house?”

“Which house?” asked Deborah.

Andrew said, “You know…THE house. The one you were trying to sell to handsome Vincent. Did he leap for it as he should?”

“Sometimes, Andrew, it’s like you have a sixth sense about these things. Maybe you should be selling houses instead of designing. Yes, I sold it, and I sold it to Vincent.”

Andrew beamed and turned away from the list of songs. He leaned back in his leather desk chair and said, “Congratulations, Deborah! Does that mean you can take me out to lunch? I’m sure that one didn’t go cheap.”

“I’m not calling you for a lunch date,” grumbled Deborah. “Vincent and I had a brief conversation about fixing the Victorian issues with the house, and I mentioned that your firm does this kind of work.”

“It sounds like I owe you lunch.”

“Yes, perhaps you do,” said Deborah. “The reason I’m calling is that Vincent would like to meet with you. He would like to meet at the house and hear more about your ideas for the space. I’ll be there, but then I’ll duck out if he chooses to work with you.”

“Of course he’ll want to work with me,” said Andrew confidently. “I have no doubts about that.”

“10:00 a.m. on Saturday?” asked Deborah.

“I’ll be there. That gives me a little bit of time to talk to Jeffrey about the practicalities of the carpentry work needed.”

“See you then, Andrew,” said Deborah as she hung up.

Andrew found Jeffrey and Doug lounging on the back deck of the house that was home to their offices. Throwing open the French doors to the deck, Andrew said, “I got it!”

Doug said, “Whatever you got, Andrew, I hope it’s not a disease.”

Sighing, Andrew said, “The house. The one the two of you selected for me to visit on Sunday. Deborah sold it, and she told the buyer about our business. He wants to meet with me on Saturday morning.”

Jeffrey turned with greater interest. He said, “That’s great! Will he need all of our talents? Do you know the scope of the project yet?”

“I don’t know any more details,” said Andrew.

“Well, pull up a chair and tell us what you do know,” said Jeffrey. “I would love a crack at that place.”

Andrew spotted hummingbirds at the feeder on the edge of the deck. He tried to gingerly pull a chair away from their proximity to avoid frightening them. The two birds flew away for just a moment, but they returned as soon as Andrew sat down. Andrew said, “There’s another thing about the whole project.”

“Another thing?” asked Doug. Before Andrew could answer, he said, “And don’t forget that the house could use an authentic mid-century garden.”

Andrew leaned forward and scooped a few nuts from the bowl Doug and Jeffrey placed on a table between them. He chewed, swallowed, and said, “The other thing about the house is the new owner. He’s adorable.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” asked Jeffrey.

“Is he single? Gay?” asked Doug.

“Possibly both,” said Andrew. “I met him briefly, and my senses were going into overload.”

Jeffrey said, “Well, please keep all of those hormones in check until we’ve secured the job. We don’t need you scaring away business.”

“It hurts when you say things like that,” said Andrew. Then he added, “Sorta.”

Jeffrey said, “You have some grubbier clothes stashed away in your office somewhere, don’t you?”

“I might. Why do you ask? What plans do the two of you have for today?”

Doug said, “I’m doing some plantings out in the back corner. I think everything looks great out front, and close to the building, but I’m experimenting a little back there on ideas I might use for future clients, and I could use some help.”

“I’m doing a little work on the roofline of the garage,” said Jeffrey. “I could use some assistance when I pull out the ladder back there.”

“Manual labor?” asked Andrew.

“I think that is what we’re saying,” responded Doug.

“Okay, yeah. As long as the two of you spring for lunch, I’ll lend a hand.”

“It’s a deal,” said Jeffrey.

---

Deborah greeted Andrew at the door to the house. She said, “I think what he mainly wants to know are some financial figures and the scope of the overall project.”

“Do you know if he would be interested in any landscape design?” asked Andrew.

“I have no idea,” said Deborah. “You will have to ask about that yourself.” She added, “Did I say you look sharp today? That shirt is a good color on you. Vincent is in the kitchen.”

Andrew wrapped an arm around Deborah’s waist as they walked through the living room. He said, “Your dress is fetching, too.”

As they stepped into the living room, Andrew looked around and sighed heavily. His eyes brightened when he saw Vincent seated at the kitchen table. Vincent dressed in walking shorts and a deep green polo. He looked even better to Andrew when Andrew wasn’t feeling the aftereffects of a long, hectic work day. He sensed a connection again when Vincent looked up.

“Great to see you again, Andrew.” Vincent turned his attention back to the table. He had a large sheet of paper unfurled and said, “Deborah was showing me the original blueprints for the house.”

Andrew stepped up to Vincent’s side. He said, “That’s fantastic that they are still around. Jeffrey would be particularly interested in these.”

“Jeffrey?” asked Vincent.

“My business partner,” said Andrew. “Did Deborah tell you about our business?”

Vincent said, “Not a lot. You came highly recommended to work on this Victorian thing, but she didn’t say much more. After meeting you the other day, I thought we might be able to work well together.”

Andrew took the translation of that comment to be; I couldn’t wait to see you again. He had to admit to himself that the feeling was mutual. “Do you mind if I take a seat?”

Vincent gestured across the table and said, “Oh, please do.”

Deborah watched the quick rapport, and she said, “If the two of you don’t need anything else from me, I have an open house to prepare. Would it be okay if I make myself scarce?”

“Oh, thank you for everything, Deborah. You have been tremendous for all of this, but please, yes, do what you have to do. I will give you a call if I need anything else.”

Andrew said, “And do let me know if you need anything more from me.”

Deborah smiled. “Of course. I want to see the final product once you turn this house into a showcase.”

“Absolutely,” said Vincent. He turned his attention back to the blueprint when Deborah left.

Andrew said, “My business is ADJ Associates. We work on renovations of historically significant houses. That is our specialty and encompasses about 90% of our efforts. I formed the company with Jeffrey who specializes in carpentry and engineering and Doug who is an award-winning landscape architect. I do interior design.”

“So you notice the Victorian issue,” said Vincent.

“Immediately.”

“Deborah thinks you do outstanding work, but I am concerned about cost with a top level firm like yours. I can afford some upgrades, but I don’t have an unlimited budget either.”

Andrew smoothed out an edge of the blueprint and said, “Well, we can work with your budget figure, or I can bring in my associates, and we can work up a plan and overall cost. Then we can investigate individual items to remove and then have you look at the cost removing things to bring the cost down if it’s beyond what you can afford.”

“Do you have any ballpark figure?” asked Vincent. “It really won’t be that many more years before Mandy is ready to go off to college, and that’s the primary big ticket item to keep in mind.”

“Mandy?” asked Andrew. He hoped that his face didn’t go as pale as it felt when he heard the word. His assumption so far was that Vincent was single and living alone.

“She’s my daughter,” said Vincent. “I guess Deborah didn’t mention her, but I suppose there was no reason for her to give that kind of detail about me.”

Andrew said, “No, she didn’t mention anything about your family.” He glanced down at the hand without any rings and tried not to stare.

“Then, of course, she didn’t mention another major factor affecting both Mandy and me. My wife Dana passed away from cancer about eighteen months ago. We’re both doing well now, I think, and this house is a positive step forward for both of us.”

Andrew reflexively reached his hand across the table to cover Vincent’s. He said, “I’m very very sorry to hear that. It sounds difficult.”

Vincent looked back into Andrew’s eyes. He said, “Thank you so much for your understanding. I don’t think it should cause any problems with working on the house, but there are still emotional ups and downs from time to time. I’m sure you understand that.”

Andrew nodded. He felt somewhat deflated by the news that Vincent was married to a woman in the past and had a daughter. He also felt a wave of embarrassment at making other assumptions. He said, “Yes, of course, and please, let me know if I say or do anything out of line. I’ve not had personal experience like that, but it sounds so tough.”

“You’ve never been married?” asked Vincent.

Andrew smiled gently. He said, “No, I’m gay.”

Vincent was wise and gave Andrew a quick reminder. He said, “That doesn’t mean you can’t get married.”

With a soft chuckle, Andrew said, “Yes, that’s true today, but I don’t have a boyfriend or a partner. I’m very single at the moment.”

Vincent shrugged and said, “All of my friends say you never know when the right person might show up. It could happen anytime.”

Andrew nodded in agreement before he said, “So much for relationship histories.” He reached out to smooth the old creases in the blueprint again and said, “Let’s get down to work. My first question is whether or not you want only interior work done on the house. I would highly recommend Doug’s services to spruce up the landscape. He has won awards for his work with heirloom plantings. He would use only plants that were widely available fifty years ago at the original construction date of the house.”

“Again, a lot of it would depend on budget figures.”

Andrew tossed out his broad ballpark figure. He said, “The closest I can get before we start taking a look at more specifics is $50-100,000. How does that strike you?”

Rubbing his chin, Vincent said, “The lower number is feasible, and the higher end maybe a little too high. Can we aim for something somewhere in the middle?”

“I think we can do that,” said Andrew. “I think in particular the presence of these original blueprints could save a few thousand dollars. Jeffrey won’t have to guess what’s inside the walls, so he won’t begin tearing something down that he needs to rebuild again because of plumbing or wiring.”