The table was crowded over dinner, and conversation turned to making changes to the house. We talked about adding onto the main house, for a dining room and family room downstairs, and a hall, bedroom and play area up stairs.
Jim had some experience with additions, having added a bedroom and bath onto his place. I’d helped with the renovations, and had learned some, but we were talking a two story addition here. We retired to the living room after dinner, where we continued the discussion.
Beth was a little resistant, she didn’t believe she needed her own room. She was content to share mine. But over time she saw the wisdom and acquiesced. Still the discussions were wandering.
“Karen, isn’t your sister an architect?” I asked.
“Not quite yet. She needs three more courses next semester. She’s on the four and half year plan.” She didn’t sound too enthusiastic.
“Do you think she’d be willing to loan us her talents?” I pressed.
“I don’t see why not. Might as well put some of that education to use. I can ask.”
“Why don’t you, while we see if we can get this house appraised and get a new mortgage on it. I’m bound to get a better rate.”
It wasn’t much later that Karen was shooing Jim away. I think he’d hoped for an invitation to stay, but Karen was not obliging. Shortly after he’d left and the little ones had been put to bed, we were sharing a bottle of wine in the living room, congratulating each other on how far we’d come, and all of us finally getting moved in.
Karen turned on some music on my mediocre stereo, and drew me to my feet for a slow dance. I took her in my arms, as she pulled me close, and we rocked to the music.
“Thank you. For sharing your home with us,” she told me softly.
I felt another pair of arms slip under mine from behind, curling up and holding my shoulders, as a body pressed against me. A glimpse of blonde hair let me know who it was moments before her voice echoed Karen’s sentiments. “Yes, thank you.”
Karen pulled my face down to hers, capturing my mouth with hers. Debbie’s hands unbuttoned my shirt, as her lips sought my neck.
Life doesn’t get any better than this, I thought, as I finished the dance before retiring to the bedroom for an exhausting night with my three housemates.
* * *
The next couple of days went pretty smoothly. I continued the process of getting my project moving smoothly, and talked Chris, my boss, into letting me work at home a couple of days a week since I had so much to do, and I could get a lot more done without the constant interruptions. We made Wednesdays and Fridays my telecommuting days, and by the time I left work on Tuesday, I was confident that the rest of the team knew what they needed to get done, and wouldn’t require my constant supervision. I also started the paperwork on refinancing the house, so I’d have the cash available to do the upgrade.
That evening Karen announced that her sister would be over on Wednesday, to talk about her plans. “She finishes her last final on Thursday, and can’t stay late, but we can at least talk it over. I thought we might invite Jim along as well, since he’d probably be helping us with some of the work.”
“That sounds like a plan,” I answered, between bite of Debbie’s famous roast. “I’ll be working from home tomorrow, just finishing up some work in the back.”
“I’ve got the late watch at work,” Beth spoke up. “So I’m at the mercy of whenever the last parents show up. I might be late. I’ll see what I can do about swapping with Amie, and getting her to take the late shift tomorrow.”
I was starting to think that getting a dining room, with a bigger table was becoming a priority. The six in our household pretty much filled our existing table. Good thing that was one of the things on our discussion list.
* * *
I’d spent most of the afternoon working in the garage and attached office. With the majority of my work project complete, I was only working about a half day on the telecommuting days. There was so much to do still, it was good to have the extra time. Debbie wanted the kitchen pantry re-done, and the back porch was still leaning. I’d done almost nothing for the garage and work area, and was getting the bathroom back there working, which took most of the day. By the time I got back to the house, I could be pretty proud of the job I’d done back there, and could check one thing off of my way-too-long checklist.
Coming in the back door, I found Debbie at work in the kitchen. I sidled up for a hug and a kiss, and was quickly shoo-ed off to the bathroom.
“You are a mess! You better get in there and clean up, Karen’s sister is going to be here any minute.”
I got a smack on the hand from her spoon, as I grabbed a chocolate chip cookie from one of the cooling racks. It was worth the whack.
Thirty minutes later I was settled deep in the couch, between two very vocal 6 year olds, engrossed in Scooby-Doo when Karen and her sister arrived.
I stood up to greet them as they entered the house. Karen’s sister didn’t look much like her at all. She was taller, and had big, almost bug-eyes, and short brown hair. She was slender, with smallish breasts, and was dressed in torn jeans and a cut-off T-shirt.
“Jack, this is my sister Robin. Robin, Jack.” Karen said, introducing us.
I reached out to shake her hand, which she grabbed and used to pull me in close in order to give me a kiss on the cheek. She then pulled away and looked me over, almost like a piece of meat.
“So. This is the infamous Jack.” Robin said, with a sly smile.
I looked over to Karen, and she looked a little uncomfortable. “I’m going to take her on a quick tour of the house.” She announced, giving me a little push back towards the couch, “I wouldn’t want to interrupt the intellectual feast your involved in there.”
Things started to get busy. Jim showed up shortly after, and Debbie brought some snacks out to the table, along with a bottle of merlot. Karen and Robin returned from their tour, introductions with Jim were made, and the little girls were chased upstairs.
I went into the bedroom and brought out a preliminary sketch of what I had in mind, and sat in the middle of the couch, placing the large pad with the drawing on the coffee table. Robin sat on one side of me and Karen on the other, as I pointed out the addition of a family room and dining room downstairs, and adding a bedroom and playroom upstairs. Robin seemed to be very touchy-feely like her sister, and made a point of sitting very close to me and leaning into me every time she looked at the drawing. With Karen glued to my other side, I was wedged in pretty tight.
Robin took a pencil and started making some changes almost immediately. Where I had a large arch that led into both of the new rooms, Robin created a series of doors changing the flow completely, and making it a little easier to close off the family room, ideal for when the little girls where camped out in there. As for upstairs, I didn’t really have a good idea of how to make it work, and Robin changed things drastically. Her version looked to be a lot more work, but it would work out with a large playroom that the girls rooms opened into, and adding a large bedroom with bath and walk-in closet for Beth.
She was just explaining the reasoning for laying it out that way, and how the plumbing would be much simplified, when Beth walked in the door. Debbie excused herself to the kitchen with an announcement that dinner would be ready in just a minute. We had just a minute to start explaining the layout to Beth, when dinner was served. Debbie set the girls up TV trays in the living room, while the 6 adults crowded around our table.