Once we were inside, I rolled my eyes when I saw Violet making a design on the table out of some of the tile that she’d already approved for the kitchen backsplash.
Yet here she was changing the design.
Again.
“Hi, Violet!” Harper ran over to her, and Violet stopped what she was doing and smiled down at my daughter.
“How’s the cutest kid in the world doing today?” she asked.
“I’m good.” Harper beamed up at her.
“What do you think of this design, Harper?” Violet asked my daughter, the six-year-old who has no design experience.
My right-hand man, Will, just stood there smiling at her like a starstruck pussy. I shot him a warning look, and he cleared his throat.
“Uh, hey, boss. Violet had an idea about changing the pattern on the subway tile to give the wall more—what is it?” Will asked her, and I rolled my eyes.
“Depth and character. I sat up last night thinking about it. Why would I want to just have the tile laid the way everyone lays it on the wall, when I could make it stand out?”
“I like it a lot,” Harper said, staring at the ridiculously complicated pattern on the table.
“I’ll tell you why. Because that’s the whole point of subway tile. And sure, you can make a unique design, but that design has to work on the entire wall. Your kitchen backsplash area isn’t that large, so onlyhalf of this is going to fit in the space beneath the cabinets, and we’re going to have a ton of cuts and it’s going to look like crap.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
The woman was wearing me out with her constant changes.
“I see Mr. Doom and Gloom has entered the building,” Violet said. “I like it. Will likes it. Harper likes it. But of course, you think it looks like crap.”
You also thought it was a wise idea to balance on a barstool in high heels.
Will is thinking with his dick.
Harper is six years old and wants pink sandwiches for her birthday.
“I didn’t say the design looks like crap. I said it would look like crap on the wall, because it will be cut off on every single side, and it will look like a half-done job. If you don’t like the subway tiles, there are other tiles you can use that have designs that are meant for the space.”
“I’m trying to avoid slowing down my timeline,” she said, holding her chin up defiantly.
“Then stop distracting the crew and stop changing everything that you’ve already approved.” I blew out a breath and told Will to get back to work on the bathroom.
“It’s my house, and I should love the design.”
“I couldn’t agree more. That was the point of you choosing the finishes. But now everything is ordered, and we’re trying to stay on track with the timeline. And you keep making changes.”
“Have you ever heard the term ‘It’s a woman’s right to change her mind’?”
“Have you ever heard the term ‘Make a decision and stick with it’?” I grumped.
“No, because that’s not a thing. Mine is actually a thing.”
“Daddy’s grumpy,” Harper said, and I wanted to tell her I’d serve brown sandwiches at her party for being a traitor, but I held my tongue.
“Go sit down at the card table over there, and get your crafts out.” I gave my daughter a stern look.
“Daddy is definitely grumpy,” Violet said sarcastically.
“Do you want to live in my guesthouse forever, or would you like to get this job done?” I asked, stepping closer to her, because I was done having this conversation day after day.
“Let’s see. The oven doesn’t work in the guesthouse. My landlord is a tyrant. And I have no space to entertain.”
