Carol picked up the camera and panned it around the area. Grayson immediately recognized that the space had not been renovated since the seventies, probably. There was wood paneling on the walls, old appliances in the kitchen, a very marigold color palette. Then Carol and George took turns describing structural issues: they’d brought in a contractor to discuss taking down walls but had instead discovered rot and termite damage. And once they’d gotten all that fixed, they were basically out of money to make any other repairs.
“Anyone can see that the house is ridiculously out-of-date. It’s not functional as it is. The kitchen is too small, the house doesn’t flow well, there isn’t enough storage for all of our things. Please, Nolan Hamlin, we could use your help.”
Grayson bristled a little at the couple appealing to just Nolan, although of course they hadn’t known Grayson would be working on the show when they applied. And Nolan really was the star; Grayson was trying to be okay with his role as the sidekick. He was itching to do his own work and flex his design muscles.
Well, what he really wanted was to show off for Nolan, show what he could really do, and then be more of a cohost than a sidekick. But he supposed he’d have to settle for this role. At least for now.
“I like them,” Nolan said, barely looking at Grayson. “And that house definitely needs help.”
“What would you do with it?” Grayson asked, more out of curiosity than anything else.
“Well, I’d like to see it in person before making any commitments, but obviously that wood paneling has got to go. I’d also take down a wall and completely reconfigure the kitchen. Nobody wants a little kitchen like that anymore. That passthrough is very 1985. What would you do?”
“I agree, take down the wood, reconfigure the kitchen. I think I’d make the whole main area open concept. Take down all the walls.”
“That’ll depend a lot on budget. And not everyone likes open concept.”
“Yeah, but they say themselves the space is not functional. But you’re right, we should wait to decide until we see it.” Grayson supposed picking a fight with Nolan wouldn’t go very far to impress him.
Nolan nodded. “All right. Let’s watch the next one.”
They watched four more videos. One family was pretty easy to rule out. They were super awkward on camera, and their house wasn’t all that bad. Grayson’s apartment in Brooklyn looked worse. The other three were serious contenders. Grayson dutifully took notes as they watched and tried not to think about how hot Nolan was.
Nolan was a little unkempt today, probably because he knew they weren’t going to be on camera. His hair was disheveled, he had a few days of beard growth on his face, and there were bags under his eyes, making him look as if he hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep in a while. He wore jeans and a navy T-shirt, though both looked expensive. He had well-worn boat shoes on his feet.
And still, he was sexy. He smelled good, the disheveled quality of his hair made him look a little disreputable but in a good way, and he seemed unselfconscious.
Grayson had dressed up for today, in black jeans and a button-down, because he wanted to impress Nolan, even if they weren’t filming. He tried to say smart things as they reviewed each tape. He wanted to prove that he belonged on the show.
But working next to a man Grayson had adored from afar for a long time, who was even more handsome in person, especially when he let his guard down, was going to be a particular challenge. Grayson had been following Nolan’s career since he’d first appeared on Oprah’s show a zillion years ago. He’d read articles about him and DVR’d all his TV appearances and bought magazines when his designs were featured. Grayson wanted Nolan’s career, wanted to have that kind of success and fame. He’d even harbored a few fantasies about all the things he’d say and do if they were ever to meet, and he’d had plenty of more prurient fantasies too. He’d never imagined he’d actually be on TVwithNolan. It was like a surreal dream. He would have pinched himself, but he was legitimately worried he’d wake up.
And, fine, Grayson had lain awake the entire night before he’d met Nolan imagining that he had more courage than he did, dreaming he’d strolled right up to Nolan and propositioned him, and then they’d started a whirlwind romance that ended with them getting married at some idyllic refurbished farmhouse in the country somewhere and living happily ever after. That thought swirled around in his head whenever he looked at Nolan, who still barely knew his name.
Out here in the real world, Nolan was fifteen years older, now a coworker, and his husband had just died. Grayson knew a few things about loss and how it could wreck a person.
So of course he knew nothing would happen here. There was no way on earth a man like Nolan would ever be interested in Grayson. There was too much of an age gap, Nolan was still mourning, and Nolan also didn’t appear to take Grayson very seriously. Grayson should instead focus on what a great opportunity this was. He’d be on TV, in front of millions of viewers, on a show that he knew would pull at people’s heartstrings. The visibility alone would be great for his career. He should be glad to even be in Nolan’s orbit.
But it wasn’t that easy. He glanced at Nolan’s profile as Nolan queued up the next video. It was hard not to notice how perfect Nolan’s profile was. Well, notperfect. Nolan’s nose was a little on the long side. Up close, his age was a little more obvious. Not that there was anything wrong with being forty, just… he had a lot more life experience than Grayson did—in terms of years, anyway.
“Shall we look at the next one?” Nolan asked.
Grayson had to blink a few times to rejoin the corporeal world. “Sure.”
THE VIDEOwith the newlywed couple got to Nolan.
They’d bought their dream house in the New Jersey suburbs, only to find out that it was a money pit.
It reminded Nolan of the house he’d bought with Ricky in the Hollywood Hills. It hadn’t been to his taste at all, but it was this gorgeous old mansion built into a hill with a spectacular view of the valley. That view alone had made the price worth it. But they’d sunk even more money into molding the property into their vision. Ricky and Nolan had remarkably similar tastes—or maybe Ricky had just been deferring to Nolan’s expertise, Nolan had never been sure—and it had been the first time Nolan had designed an entire house for himself. And he had to admit, he’d gone a little over-the-top. Neutral colors on everything permanent—the walls, the floors, cabinets, counters—but lots of bright, colorful accessories and textiles. And Nolan had loved that house deep in his soul… until Ricky died. Then he saw Ricky in it every time he turned a corner, and it became unbearable to live in. He’d never been very fond of LA anyway, so escaping the memories was what he’d done on his hiatus.
Well, he’d spent the first few months in a sad, dark haze, where he didn’t really go anywhere. But once he was moderately functional again, he’d packed up the house, sold it and half his stuff, and moved to a loft in New York City.
But because this couple’s story pulled at his heartstrings, he said, “These guys for sure,” to Grayson.
“Yeah, I like them. I hate that they feel like they have to sell their house. They’re going to lose money if they do that.”
“It was definitely worth more before they started ripping stuff down.”
“And the couple is cute.”
