Reading the last sentence made Josh smile all over his face. 

„What is it?“ Michael asked curiously.

„Just got a mail from my interior designer.“

„Why your interior designer makes you look this way?“

„Which way?“

„Well. You look alive again. That’s something I didn’t expect to happen after your workout.“

„She’s awesome.“ Josh confessed.

Michael raised his eyebrows.

„Keep talking, darling. Keep talking!“ 

„I met her on New Year’s Eve first. We had a fling. And then it turned out she’s my interior designer. Things are really crazy sometimes.“

„Oh, I’m already loving that story.“ Michael cheered. 

„I really need to make her mine, Mikey.“ Josh said next.

Micheal nodded, finally realizing what was happening here.

„That’s why you just tried to kill yourself on that treadmill, right? You want looking good for her.“

„I’m doing that for my health. I know I was too lazy in the last years. Breaking bad habits has nothing to do with her.“

„Ya, ya, whatever. Lie to yourself if you want. I couldn’t care less.“ Michael teased again. 

From: jsc@jscmusic.com 

To: em@rachel-klein.design.com 

Subject: Re: Moodboards

Dear Eve, 

I love every of your ideas. Let’s meet and decide together. It’s teamwork, right?

What are your plans for tomorrow? 

Josh

P.S. Deep in my heart I’m a tea person. 

„Awwwww… he’s so, so cuuuuute…“ Eve swooned, sitting at their yellow sofa next to Lucy. She just read Josh’s email which she received on her cell. She was using the same phone for work and for private issues. 

Lucy smiled. 

„I still can’t believe you’re working for him now. I mean, that’s a sign. You were meant to meet that man. This is no coincidence.“

„Ya… you’re totally right. The problem is, that he’s my client.“

„But he won’t be your client forever.“

„That’s true.“

„So… first you make his place look like you want it. And then you can move in. Sounds like a masterplan, right?“

Eve laughed out loud. 

„You’re brilliant, Lucy. I didn’t see it this way, yet.“ She joked. 

Next afternoon Eve was standing in front of Josh’s gateway and rang the bell. She was completely nervous. As it was really warm and sunny, she was wearing her favorite sleeveless denim dress and nude sandals. The dress was very girly and perfectly underlining her petite feminine body shape. Make up and hair were the same like the last time she met Josh. She wore contact lenses again and was holding a big coffee package of her favorite brand in her hands. 

The gate opened up. Eve came in and went towards the closed front door. Her heart was beating like crazy and her palms were sweaty. When she arrived, it took few seconds before Josh finally opened up. Eve smiled all over her face and he immediately responded. 

„Mrs. Miller.“ He said, without interrupting his smile. 

„Mr. Chasez.“ She replied.

Josh was wearing dark jeans, a black button down shirt and his glasses. His sleeves were rolled up. Eve liked seeing his strong underarms. She also noticed that he tried to make his hair look less messy today. 

„Please come in.“ He said next and let her step inside. 

Eve kneeled down to put off her sandals. Josh was watching her. When she raised herself again, she handed over the coffee package to him. 

„Here.“ She said, smiling again. 

„Your favorite brand?“ He said, taking the coffee. 

Eve nodded. 

„Was my coffee really that bad that you bring your own now?“ 

Eve nodded again. 

Josh's cheeks already started hurting from smiling. 

„Please, let’s sit in the kitchen. I’ll make coffee.“ He said next. 

Eve followed him and sat down at his kitchen island. He started the coffee maker and filled it up with Eve’s beans. 

When he was finished he handed her a mug with milk and sugar and sat down next to her with his own mug. 

„It’s really good.“ He said, taking a sip.

„I know.“ Eve replied. 

There was a short pause. They looked into each other eyes and got lost for a moment. 

„Please just kiss me. Please just kiss me. Please just kiss me…“ Eve was thinking. 

Josh cleared his throat.

„Hey ehm… how you came here?“ He wondered.

„Uber.“ Eve answered. 

„You don’t have a license?“ 

„I do but I don’t have an own car, yet.“ She explained. 

„Oh. Are you picky?“

„Ehm… yes.“ 

There was another short pause.

„Should we start?“ She suggested now and put out her iPad out of her bag.

„Ya, sure. Let’s do this.“ Josh replied. 

Eve showed him her ideas once again. He looked at the moodboards thoroughly. 

„What about mixing all of this a little bit? There are items on every moodboard which I really like. Do you think you can make it work when we pick the best from all of them?“ He asked. 

„Well, it won’t work with every item, to be honest. We can mix some styles but we shouldn’t break too many rules. It would look a little chaotic in the end. But what we can do is using one moodboard for your bedroom and another for the living area. There is no need having the same style in the whole house, you know?“ Eve explained. 

„Sounds logical to me.“ Josh replied. 

Eve also brought catalogues, patterns and sample boards to choose furniture, fabrics and colors. She made some suggestions and Josh finally made his choices. They were completely engrossed in their conversation and didn’t realize how fast time passed by. When they finished their work it was already dark outside. 

„I believe this was it. We have a solid concept.“ Eve cheered. 

„Great. When exactly will you start with the redesign?“ Josh wanted to know.

„We can begin with the maintenance work next week if this is okay for you? But there will be longer delivery times for the furniture, to be honest. Some of my suppliers are from abroad. But I promise to keep them busy.“

Josh smiled and nodded.

„Next week sounds great.“

Eve smiled back. 

"Okay. I have everything I need. But if you change your mind about anything, please don’t hesitate to let me know.“

„I will.“ 

„Good.“

Eve grabbed her phone to request an Uber.

„Hey, ehm… it’s already dark outside. Please let me bring you home.“ Josh offered. 

„Oh. No. This is really not necessary. Don’t worry.“ Eve replied. 

„It would be a pleasure. Please let me do this.“ Josh insisted. 

Eve looked at him for a moment. He was perfection. This man was truly perfection. 

„Okay. Thank you, Josh.“ She finally gave in.

They left the house and Eve sat inside his black Jeep, parking in front of his double garage.

„For what reason you have such a giant car?“ She asked curiously.

Josh smiled, while starting the engine. 

„There is no reason. Sometimes I really feel shitty about it. I mean, the gas consumption is unreal. It’s completely unnecessary having such a big car in L.A. but… I’m a sucker for it.“ Josh explained and gave her an innocent smile. 

„Men and their cars, hm?“ Eve teased. 

„Women and their handbags, hm?“ JC teased back, pointing at her Louis Vuitton tote. 

„Touché.“ She said and smiled. 

After thirty minutes they arrived in Santa Monica. Josh parked his Jeep in front of her building. Eve’s butterflies were back again, celebrating a wild party in her belly.

„I can’t kiss him. I just can’t. But I want to! I want this so bad! Damn it!“ She thought. 

„Ehm… thank you for bringing me, Josh. I really appreciate this.“ She said shyly. 

„My pleasure.“ He replied. 

„You can call anytime if you feel insecure about anything.“

„Anytime?“ He asked, raising an eyebrow.

„Ehm… ya… I have my phone with me all the time. I’m a workaholic.“ 

„Eve…?“ Josh said now, suddenly turning serious. 

„Yes?“

„I can’t call you.“

„Why not?“

„Because you didn’t give me your number.“

„Oh! Right! Sorry for this!“ 

Immediately she grabbed a pen out of her bag and took his right hand. She couldn’t kiss him. She couldn’t flirt with him. But she could be the girl who was just giving a boy her number like back in high school.

She wrote her number down in the palm of his hand. Touching him felt really nice. He had beautiful strong masculine hands. Then she smiled adoringly at him and gave him a gentle peck on his cheek. 

„Bye, Josh.“ She said and left his car in the next moment. 

Josh needed to process. He didn’t expect that.

„Bye… Eve…“ He stammered, before she disappeared. 

Eve entered the apartment and let herself fall onto the sofa. Lucy was sitting there, watching telly. Eve’s head was resting on her lap. 

„Hi.“ Lucy said smiling.

„Hi.“ Eve replied.

„What’s going on?“ 

„He’s sooooo, sooooo cuuuuute…“ 

Lucy started laughing and stroke Eve’s hair.

„You are brutally in love with that guy, hm?“ 

Eve nodded, with a disturbingly bright smile in her face. 

„Did he bring you home?“

Eve nodded again.

„Good boy.“

„I know. He makes everything right. That’s completely unreal, Lulu…“

„Oh god, you call me Lulu… you are really losing your mind…“

„Yes I do. I want him so bad.“

„Then screw you own stupid rules and go for it.“

„But I’m working for him.“

„You can work for him in bed as well.“ 

„That’s what Mat also said.“

„See! All your friends say the same. You should listen to them for a change.“

Eve raised herself in the next moment.

„I really need a cold shower now.“

„Hell, no… take a hot bath and help yourself, girl.“ Lucy said cheeky. 

„Ya… maybe I should do that.“ Eve replied.