Heartbeats in Moonlight

Chapter 51

"We didn't waste an hour. We have got the gist."

"No, we haven't, if you wanted your place to look like my place! I could have showed it to you, and we could make plans to suit your request," She looked at her watch, "over an hour ago." She was fuming. "I told you at the start of this meeting today, my directions for the decorators would be based on the information that you gave me. And if you changed your mind, why the hell didn't you say that?"

David couldn't help the fact that her temper took her from attractive to spectacular. Her eyes flashed. There was colour in her cheeks. And her voice was full of passion.

"You know, you look amazing when you are annoyed." David said without thinking. At least his groan was silent.

His compliment, which he had not meant to say aloud, was met with fury.

Ella nearly erupted like a volcano. "I don't care if you think I look amazing when I am annoyed! If you carry on, you will see exactly what I look like when I am really cross, and believe me, it isn't nice, but it will be amazing."

David grinned. This was new to him. Ten years ago, their conversations were always friendly and  any conversation between them during the last two years, had a frisson covered in ice. Albeit, irritable, fractious and awkward. She was often petulant. He was often short-tempered. 

"It was just a compliment." David said.

"If you are going to waste my time..."

"I am not wasting you time. But you do look amazing at the moment. Can't I pay a compliment?" Ella looked up at her office's ceiling. David grinned and continued. "You said we would stop, here for now. But you also said that you will get on with that and you would the change the directions for the decorators."

"Exactly." She snapped.

"But you can't change the directions to the decorators, because we have not finished. I just told you, I want my place to have the feel of your place. Just because we have a colour scheme sorted..."

"We have done more than that!"

He put his hands up. "Ok, ok, we have done more that the colour scheme but we have not finished." He jammed his hands into his pockets "Think about it." He was pleased that he had found a way to extend this meeting. Because he still need an opportunity to talk about the ten-year-incident.

Ella wanted to throttle him.

Happily, David continued, "The colour scheme, the items, even the ones I suggested, do you think it will create an ambience like your place?"

Ella folded her arms. They were standing a foot away.

"Anyway, from my position, you just used that phone call to terminate our meeting."

"That is not true." 

"Really?"

"Yes!" She snapped again.

"Ok, fine, tell me if our discussion about my place will create an atmosphere like your home."

"Why do you want your place to look like mine? We have different tastes..."

"Not true. We do have the same..."

"Are you kidding me?"

"I want my place to have the kind of ambience that your place has."

"Ambience? Which is?"

David said directly without thinking, "Warm and calm."

"Warm and calm?" Ella snorted.

"Yes. Warm and calm. Not cosy exactly, not girly, not homely, not homey. See, that was my problem. I can't explain the mood. I just knew how it felt, seeing those photos. How do you explain mood, when you know how it feels? Like love."

Ella's fury vanished.

Seconds passed.

David eventually said,  "Comfortable, I guess. Not just the furniture. Not exactly comfortable. The way it fits. Snug."

"Snug?"

"When I look at the photos of Amelia, and Evie, and Mallory, in your home, they all seem really comfortable, kind of a stress-free space. Your friends are so different. But you can in their posture, in their eyes, that they are relaxed, happy, calm, in your house. At ease. I guess. Really tranquil, without being trite." David looked directly at Ella. "I want my place to do that."

That was quite a compliment, Ella thought. She looked over at  David.

"I guess I knew that when you started to decorate my place But I didn't know, exactly, how to explain, in terms of ambience. I knew what I wanted. I just didn't know how to explain it to you. Until I saw the photos." He moved closer to Ella. "I want my place to have the same ambience as your place." He saw Ella gulped. "I guess, it is not that easy to achieve."

"It depends on the owner." She said quietly.

David chuckled, "Really?"

 She said firmly. "Yes. It does."

"No offence, Gabriella, but you do know your reputation in town. The town thinks you are not warm!" He raised an eyebrow. "But your home radiates warmth!"

Ella buried her head in her hands. A few moments later, she lowered her hands, left them cupping her jaw and sighed. "Fine. Anything else?"

David smiled at her expression. "No, no, just the ambience, please!" He nodded towards her shelves, " I guess you will need to recover those files from the shelves." Ella rolled her eyes. "And I need coffee." David said looking around. "I'll make it." He said as if this was normal. "Do you want coffee?"

In her mind, Ella said no, no coffee, just a large whisky. But aloud she sighed, "Yes please. You know where the kettle, mugs, coffee and milk, are." She turned around and walked back to her shelves, muttering under her breath, "Pull yourself together, idiot. Ignore the charm."