Donna walked to the photography room. Paul and Lance were engrossed in work at their computers and didn't hear her come in. "Gentlemen?" she said.
Both swiveled their chairs around. "Who's spreading that rumor?" Lance sneered.
Ignoring the comment, she addressed Paul, "Those close-ups you took for me? Worth asked if you could zoom out on the one of the mayor and get more of the crowd that was there?"
"Sure thing, Donnala," Paul said.
Donna glanced at Lance then left the room. In a moment, he was at her elbow. "Donnala?" he murmured. "I think I'd rather call you Donnalet. As in 'Donna lets' me take her out some time."
Donna stopped. Lance stopped. Donna looked around, wishing they were in a less public spot in the building, but come to think of it, that was probably a good thing. A little louder than necessary, she said, "Perhaps you didn't realize, but I got married a few days ago." She held her left hand up to make the point, waving it so her rings were unmistakable. "So, no, I will not let you do anything at all, other than conduct yourself professionally around me."
A few of the people seated close by snickered. Donna didn't like the way Lance's expression changed—it wasn't embarrassment. Something akin to rage flickered in his eyes, but only for a second.
Lance's eyes returned to normal as he bowed with a flourish. "My apology, madame. I meant it as a joke. No need to get your knickers in a twist." He turned to speak to one of the men who had overheard,
Probably something vile and off-color, Donna assumed as she walked back to her cubicle. I can't let him get to me. Oh, Eric, I wish you were here.
The Steins' house was enormous. "Okina Mizu—Big Waters, roughly, in Japanese," Ari Stein explained as he gave Eric an abbreviated grand tour. "I spent many happy years in Japan in my youth, so you'll notice the influence here and there. Some areas of the house were off-limits to servants, he said. "Not that you're a servant, per se, but we do ask you to respect our boundaries."
"Of course, Mr. Stein," Eric said. After the flight and the drive—pleasant company, that chauffeur—he was anxious to see the layout of the room where he would construct the fireplace.
Big Waters was so named because it sat on a narrow section of barrier island just north of Vero Beach. West windows on the second and third floors had a beautiful view of the sparkling Indian River, while windows on the east side of the mansion faced the Atlantic. In the distance, Eric spotted high rise condominiums but here, surrounded by landscaping and pine trees, no other home was in view. Traffic from the road that connected them to Vero, as well as north to Cape Canaveral, was barely audible within the lush confines of the estate.
"We value our privacy," Ari was saying as they walked. "We throw parties quite often, but otherwise, we're homebodies. Everything we need and want is brought in. Well, here it is."
Photographs had been sent by text and email, but nothing had prepared him for the sheer size of the job. Because of the time crunch before New Year's, he had encouraged them to order the stone and other materials to arrive before he did. Field stone from Italy, along with everything on his list, was there waiting.
The room itself was huge. Floor to ceiling glass on two sides of a vast wall revealed the private beach access with privacy walls ending about fifty yards from the water. There was a bar to the right as they entered, a conversation pit to one side. Centered on the focus wall was a large electric fireplace. The room appeared to be new, with expensive, ornate molding around the ceiling and baseboard. The walls were painted a light tan, accenting the polished parquet floor. When the stonework was complete, it would be magnificent.
Anticipating Eric's question, Ari beamed. "Yes, this is new construction. We'd only been here a few months when Doris—you'll meet her this evening—said we must expand. There simply wasn't enough 'party room' as she called it. And you'll see what she means next week. We're having a Thanksgiving 'do', and she's invited the whole of our usual party group. The society we belong to looks forward to it every year, but along the way, we have gatherings at other locations as well as here."
Eric nodded, not really paying attention. Mentally, he was measuring the area and writing another materials list. He'd need more scaffolding than he'd anticipated, in order to reach the top section and more drop cloths and padding to protect the parquet. Doris Stein had wanted imported fieldstone to remind her of her childhood summers in Italy, but it would have been better to postpone the flooring until after it was laid. No matter, it would just be more expense. And it was evident that expense was not a factor for the Steins in any way.
Everywhere Eric looked, he saw only the finest quality fixtures and furnishings. The home was modern, a 'smart home', with advanced technology discreetly in place. Despite mention of servants, Eric had met the friendly chauffeur, who had picked him up in Orlando, and the diminutive cook, who had brought out a tray of snacks upon his arrival. Both had been personable, Asian of some variety, but not overly curious about him. Apparently, they were the resident staff, with day workers for the elaborate landscaping, pool maintenance, and other jobs.
"You have carte blanche while you're here, Eric," Ari was saying. "Anything you need to make your stay more comfortable. The passwords to
