Page 81 of How Dare You
“They may care about criminal charges. The Sandros are ready to open a police investigation into the intentional flooding of their home. I will be sharing every detail I have with them. I know you wouldn’t want any of that information to make it further than Palm Springs.”
Neither her nor Alex bothers to deny their involvement in the Calle Vista flood, but he does ask what he can do for me to keep me from sharing information with the Sandros.
“I don’t have anything for you. I just wanted to be here when you found out you got caught,” I say, standing up from my seat and heading for the door.
“You can have time to think on it, Trina. But if I don’t hear from you by the morning, I’ll be reaching out to my contact at Noon.”
Chapter 33
Rhett
Finished the cabinets for Peach Ridge early.
-From Rhett’s Most Important Things notebook, September 16th
“What a sexy looking kitchen,” Bea says, adjusting the ceramic, flower-filled pitcher she’s using for staging. Somehow, Devon managed to convince the appliance supplier to move the install date up for Peach Ridge by two weeks, and they’re doing a reveal for the clients this afternoon. Normally, I wouldn’t be present for something like this, but Omar Vega, the homeowner, asked me to come. “Truly, have you ever seen a more attractive faucet? What a babe.”
“Can’t say I’ve ever considered the attractiveness level of a kitchen that way Bea,” I answer, tilting my head as I consider the faucet.
“The cabinets are very sexy too.” Devon comes up on her toes to place a quick kiss on my cheek. For the most part, she still keeps a stoic, removed demeanor when we’re on jobsites, but occasionally she sneaks in little affections now too.
“Credit for that goes to the designer.” I smile at her, and she gives a little smile back.
Omar shows up just as Bea and Devon finish the final touches on staging, including a gift from Friday West of a bottle of champagne, a thoughtful spread of meats and cheeses, and a custom cutting board Devon insisted on paying me to make.
Omar has a discerning eye, commenting on details and levels of craftsmanship that few people catch. He’s impressed with the work and pleased with the early delivery, and both Devon and Bea soak up the much-needed praise he offers.
“There’s something I’d like to talk to the three of you about,” he says, leaning back against his new marble countertop. “I have another project I’d like to hire you for.” My chest swells with joy and relief for Devon. This is what she needed. A little win. Maybe he’s going to do his primary bath next. It’ll be enough to float her through for a while. “I’ve spent a lot of time researching and interviewing designers in town and a few based in LA and San Diego, but no one felt like the right fit. A friend of mine is the GM at Lemon + Sway.” The name sounds familiar. “And he spoke very highly of you and your work. He was extremely disappointment when the ownership went,” he pauses, considering his words, “a different direction with that other designer.”
“Leo, right? He was wonderful to work with,” Devon says, carefully sidestepping the reference to another designer, who has to be Trina. Lemon + Sway. It comes back to me then. That was the bar Devon and I went to on our first date. The finishes were already falling apart, and the place was brand new. But I hadn’t realized Trina designed it, or that Devon had started the project and lost it to her. Shit. Why did she ever agree to go in there with me?
“We’ve worked together in the past, and he’s helping with the plans for my new venture. I wanted to make sure I hire as many people I trust as possible,” he shrugs, pulling his lips into a smirk, “which is why I hired you for my kitchen. I wanted to see how well we’d work together. So, come see.”
He leads us through the house into his office, where he pulls out plans and sketches and passes them around. “It’ll be a boutique hotel with fifty rooms and an adjoining restaurant and bar.”
Devon’s eyes sparkle as she looks over the preliminary design. This is what she’s been working for and what she deserves, and no number of shady tricks on Trina Boatswain’s part could have taken it from her. We talk for hours, going over details and expectations, including the fact that he wants me to sign on early as his carpenter. This project will be ongoing, potentially for years, but Devon doesn’t balk at all, saying, “He’s the only carpenter in town I’ll work with, so I’m glad you like him.”
§
“Isn’t it a little early to celebrate?” Devon asks, as Allie hands her a martini.
“Nope!” Allie exclaims. “It’s never too early to celebrate you.” She raises her own glass high, and we join in a toast. Devon, Bea, Sadie, Luke, Allie, and I all crowd around two of the bar tables at Voyeur Café.
“Really, we haven’t even signed anything yet,” Devon says, lowering her hands in a shushing motion. “I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up. What if we jinx it?”
My arm wraps her waist, and I pull her in close to my side, kissing her cheek. “No such thing as a jinx. You’ve got this.”
“Yes, you do,” Bea agrees, exchanging a meaningful glance with Devon. “And we still have to toast to the other thing.” Bea holds up a newspaper, open to a page with an article titled A Cheater in the Design World.
Devon and I read it online first thing yesterday when it was published but seeing it in print is even better. An anonymous source, who tipped Devon off early, brought years of damning evidence against Trina Boatswain to a journalist at the local paper. The article details all the unethical and occasionally illegal things Trina did to undermine other interior designers in town. It turns out, Devon’s not the first designer she’s done this to. For years, any time someone would leave her employ to start their own design firm, Trina did everything she could to run them out of town.
It’s not listed in the article, but Devon told me she found out Alex is the one who shared false details about the flood at Calle Vista. Trina threatened never to work with him again if he didn’t give her something she could use against Friday West.
The article ends with a quote from Devon.
“Trina Boatswain is an icon in our industry for a reason, with a career full of ground-breaking designs that have inspired a generation. I’m disappointed to learn of these details surrounding her recent business practices, and I hope our local design community can move forward with as little turbulence as possible.”
Bea raises a glass, “To keeping your integrity and getting the last word.”