Love in the Dark (LarssonSiblingsSeries#1)

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE - DELILAH

DELILAH

I am becoming quite the handywoman. Painting. Cementing. Carpeting. I can do it all, with a little help, of course. We are due for a new carpet to arrive tomorrow, and I thought it would be a perfect idea to rip the old carpet up myself because time is ticking on, and I want the agency looking its best for the EcoMax meeting.

"I'm almost done in here, Delilah," Kirk, the plumber, says through the back where he's tending to the boiler.

I carry on pulling at the edge of the carpet, wondering what possessed me to think I could do this job on my own. Carpet is freaking heavy. "Cool, is everything alright?" I ask.

"It's old, and I did my best." That sounds ominous. I did my best is not a very promising answer.

I feel the sweat dribbling down my back from the labour of the carpet and sit on the floor to take a break. I've pulled up a quarter of the room, wincing at how rotten the underlay is underneath it.

"I appreciate anything you can do," I say, wiping my dirty hands on my jogging bottoms. "As long as it's safe."

I laugh when I get no reply from Kirk, the only noise coming from the sounds of a hammer banging into something. "It is safe, right, Kirk?"

"I'm a plumber. I've been to college," is his reply as he snaps at me.

"Great stuff," I come back, sticking my thumb into the air when I pull a face at the doorway. "Just checking because it's made some scary noises just recently."

Ignoring Kirk and his smart replies, I bend down to grab the edges of the carpet that I cut up with a Stanley knife, moving the worn-out rug to one side. I can decide how to dispose of it later. The terrible noises coming through the back get louder and do nothing for my faith in Kirk's college course. There's a hissing sound followed by a crack and a pop before it goes quiet. Peace at last.

"All sorted," Kirk shouts, sounding a little too relieved for my liking. Something just feels off about him when he storms past me and towards the door. "I'll mail you my bill."

I clamber up from the floor to dash to the door, shouting for him to stop when he opens the boot of his car to throw his tools in there. "Wait, are you sure it's safe?"

"Yes," he says, slamming his boot door shut. "It will only last for so long, though. You should really invest in a new one."

There's no denying it, but I just need a bit more time to get my shit together, then I can buy a new everything. If it wasn't for our lovely friends at the carpet store gifting me the new carpet, I would be on my hands and knees scrubbing it clean. Or at least buying several rugs to cover the bad bits.

I nod. "I'm on it."

Once Kirk climbs into his car, I stride back to the agency and close the door to go look at the boiler for myself. The tiny light still glows orange, which is worrying because I swear that can be dangerous. I'm just about to call Kirk back when the front doorbell jingles, followed by a sharp gasp. Oh, crap, is that a customer?

A petite woman with ice blonde hair up in a French braid has a sour look on her face as she turns in a circle, making it heartbreakingly clear how disgusted she is in the place. I watch her pull her knee-length dress past her knees in such a way it's obvious she thinks she's going to catch something.

"Please tell me I walked into the wrong agency," she hisses, pushing her Chanel handbag further up her arm.

I step forward. "Excuse me?"

She's too busy staring at the scruffy carpet to look at me. "Is this Branding & Co?"

Forcing myself not to get snappy with her, I plaster on the biggest smile I can muster at this point. "Yes, this is Branding & Co, and I am Delilah. How may I help you today?"