Chapter 3

" M mm, I was right. It was like sleeping on a cloud," Ella said as she stretched and turned to face Finn.

"Good morning, my love," he said as he pulled her body against his.

"What time is it?"

He craned his neck to look at the clock. "A little after nine. It seems that we somehow skipped the jet lag and got right on LA time. Benefit of being two world-class travelers, I suppose."

"I think it's because we feel so cozy together."

"That we do," he agreed, brushing the hair from her face. "What do you feel like doing? Do you want to get a workout in? Or are you hungry?"

"Yes to both, but first show me everything," she replied, breaking into a wide smile. "I'm ready to see where we live. Come on," she said, dragging him out of bed. "I'm too excited to wait."

They quickly got dressed in their gym clothes and then wandered through the house hand in hand. Ella's eyes widened as they entered each new room. "And obviously, this is the kitchen," Finn said.

"Wow! It's a chef's dream," she cooed, running her hand along the white marble island. "Oh, and you have eight burners. How wonderful for entertaining friends. Look at all this produce," she remarked, admiring the bowls overflowing with fresh fruits. "Avocados are my absolute favorite."

"We have avocado and lemon trees out back. Plus, Joyce goes to the farmers market a couple of times a week to pick up fresh, seasonal food."

"I'd love to go with her sometime."

"I'm sure she'd enjoy the company. There's just one room left on our tour. I've been saving it for last."

Finn took her hand and led her upstairs. As they approached the closed double doors, he said, "This is the room I had in mind for your office. It's empty now, but my decorator is coming by tomorrow afternoon so you two can plan and scheme. When you see it, just remember: we'll redo it from top to bottom, flooring to light fixtures."

"Oh my God," she gasped as he opened the doors to a massive room featuring sky-high ceilings and windows to match. "It's big enough to be a ballroom!"

He smiled. "You spend your life writing about the big topics, the big questions, and I hoped this big space might be inspiring." She silently let her eyes follow the crown molding around the entire ceiling as she tried to catch her breath. He took her hand and continued showing her around. "There's a full bathroom over here, and in this corner there's a walk-in closet. We could install some built-in cabinets and shelves. But just wait—I think you'll really love this bit," he said, leading her to a pair of doors. They stepped outside onto a large, furnished veranda with an outdoor fireplace, overlooking the entire back of the property. He rubbed her fingers and asked, "Do you think this will work for your office, sweetheart?"

"Do I think this will work?" she whispered incredulously, her voice shaking. She turned to him with tears in her eyes. "Finn, this is the nicest room in the house."

"I think so too," he said.

"No, I mean . . ."

"What, baby?"

"It's just lovely beyond words that you would save this for me."

He kissed her softly. "I've been picturing you here for so long, waiting to see how you would make this space your own."

"I can't even imagine what I'll write here."

"Something brilliant that pushes the bounds, no doubt. And I'll be the first in line to read it." She gazed into his eyes and pressed her forehead to his. After a quiet, intimate moment, he pulled back and asked, "Should we grab a quick workout and then something to eat?"

AN HOUR LATER, FRESHLY SHOWERED and dressed, they meandered into the kitchen.

"I'm starving," Finn said.

"Good. I'm going to make us a special brunch," Ella replied. "What do you feel like eating?"

"Anything. I'm easy. How can I help?"

"Maybe you could make your coffee and my tea. I'll take care of everything else."

"Okay, baby," he replied, grazing her hand as he passed.

"Wow, you've got everything in here," Ella remarked, peering inside the enormous stainless-steel refrigerator. "Ooh, there's crabmeat. Do you think your cook is saving that for something in particular?"

"No, baby. Everything in the house is for us. You can use anything you like."

"This will be fun," she said, piling food in her arms. "After you make the drinks, go relax in the dining room. I want to surprise you."

"Can I help you find anything?"

"I'm going to have to figure out where things are anyway. No time to learn like the present. Don't worry, I'll be fine," she assured him, opening and shutting several cabinets before retrieving a glass bowl.

Finn was relaxing in the dining room as instructed when Ella appeared with two mouthwatering plates, the food impeccably arranged like art.

"Wow!" Finn exclaimed. "This looks and smells amazing."

"Crab crepes with a mushroom cream sauce and a kale and avocado salad. I usually try to eat a little cleaner than this, but today is special. Think of it as Paris comes to LA," she explained, taking her seat.

"Thank you. It looks phenomenal."

"My pleasure."

Ella took a bite while Finn just sat, positively beaming at her.

She finished chewing and asked, "Aren't you going to try it?"

"I'm sorry, I got distracted. I'm just elated that you're here. I've imagined what this would be like every day since . . . Anyway, it's a dream come true." She rubbed his hand, and then he picked up his utensils and took a big bite of the crepe. "Wow, that's incredible."

"Glad you like it."

"After we eat, what do you say to spending the day lounging in the sunshine, swimming, and making love over and over again?"

She smiled. "I'm all in."

"OUR SECOND MORNING WAKING UP together in our home, with you in my arms. There are no words to describe how good this feels, how right it feels," Finn said.

"I wish we could stay like this all day. Or better yet, forever."

"Me too. But it's an exciting day—lots to do. First, you'll meet the house staff. Later, my assistant is coming by to go over some things. Then this afternoon, you'll meet with the decorator to get started on your office."

She glanced down and seemed to withdraw. He touched her chin, pulling her eyes back up to him.

"What is it, love? Are you still uncomfortable about my staff?"

"Well, you know I always love meeting new people. It's just . . . I've never had people milling around the place I live, except for this one commune where I stayed for a couple of months. But that was eons ago."

He laughed.

"It's just different having a household staff, that's all."

"They're just here to make things easier so we can focus on our work, traveling, whatever is important to us, and maybe someday, a family. They won't be in your way, and if there's anything they do that you want changed, that's no problem."

"How many of them are there?" she asked.

Finn chuckled. "You make them sound like an invading army."

"Well . . ."

"There's Joyce, our chef. She's also the head of the household staff. She's as nice as can be, and I just know you two will hit it off right away. There's nothing intimidating about her, so you can get that worried look off your face."

She giggled.

"Joyce brings in a sous-chef sometimes, especially if we want to throw a party or something. Then there are two cleaners and two groundskeepers; they take care of the garden, the pool, and whatever small stuff needs fixing around here. Finally, there's my personal assistant, Jason. He runs errands, makes reservations—that sort of thing. He'll be at your beck and call for anything you need, or he can make himself scarce if what you need is privacy."

"There's nothing I need that I can't do for myself."

"I have no doubt about that," he replied with a smile. "But he's here to be helpful."

"That's everyone, right?" she asked.

He laughed. "Yeah, baby, that's it. You'll feel better when you meet them. Speaking of which, what shall they call you?"

"What do you mean?"

"They call me Mr. Forrester. They could call you Ms. Sinclair. If you're planning to change your name when we get married, they could call you Mrs. Forrester."

"Finn . . ." she mumbled, squirming a bit and looking down.

"There's no pressure. I don't expect you to change your name. It's totally up to you."

"It's not that. It's just that I'm not very formal. I can't imagine people I see every day calling me by my last name. That's no way to be friendly or make things homey."

He smiled. "Would you prefer to be called Ella?"

She nodded.

"Okay, sweetheart. From now on, we're Finn and Ella to everyone. Should we make ourselves look a bit more presentable?"

"Yes, but Finn, just one more thing. I am planning to take your name; I thought I'd go by Ella Sinclair Forrester after we get married. If we're lucky enough to have children, they would have both our names too."

He smiled widely, lifted her hand to his lips, and kissed it.

"ELLA WILL BE DOWN ANY MINUTE, but I wanted to speak with you all first," Finn said to his staff, who were huddled around him in the kitchen. "Ella isn't comfortable with formality, so from now on, please address us both by our first names."

"Certainly, Mr. Forrester. Oh, I mean, Finn," Joyce replied, adjusting her thick-rimmed glasses.

He smiled. "I know it may take some getting used to, but there are going to be a few changes around here. Ella may have different preferences or ways of doing things, and I want to be sure we prioritize her wishes. She enjoys cooking and wants to be involved with the shopping. In fact, she recently wrote a book about food and pleasure. You two should have plenty in common, Joyce."

"We're all very much looking forward to meeting her. I've been with you the longest, so on behalf of all of us, we couldn't be happier for you," Joyce said.

"Thank you," Finn said with a genuine smile. "There is nothing more important to me than Ella's happiness. Nothing. I'm counting on all of you to do everything you can to make her feel at home."

They all nodded in acknowledgment just as Ella ambled into the room wearing a long, flowing gray sundress. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting," she said, fidgeting with her beaded necklace.

"Don't be silly, sweetheart," Finn replied, placing his hand on the small of her back. "Everyone's eager to meet you." He made the introductions, and everyone said hello to one another.

"We're all so happy to welcome you," Joyce said, her warm smile much larger than her five-foot frame.

"Thank you," Ella replied.

"I thought maybe we could sit down and have a good chat, get to know each other a little. You can tell me the kinds of things you like to eat so we can plan some menus, what sort of food you'd like to have in the house, when you prefer to have meals, that sort of thing. I know you're interested in doing some of the cooking yourself, so you can tell me more about that and how I can be of assistance."

"That would be great. Thank you, Joyce," Ella replied.

"Yes, thank you," Finn added.

Joyce smiled. "There's coffee, tea, and freshly squeezed juice in the dining room. I'll bring your breakfast in soon, and then whenever you have time, we can have that chat, Ella. I'm looking forward to it."

Finn took Ella's hand and they strolled to the dining room. "See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" he asked as he pulled out her chair.

"Well, they didn't look like serial killers, so the food probably isn't poisoned."

He laughed and kissed the top of her head.

"THERE YOU ARE," ELLA SAID AS SHE strolled into the den and plopped down on the sofa beside Finn. "You were right. Joyce is wonderful. We had such fun getting to know each other. I can tell that we'll be fast friends."

"I told you," he said.

"I heard the doorbell and a bit of a commotion. More invaders?" she asked.

He chuckled. "Jason, my assistant, is here, and your things arrived from Paris. He's directing the movers—they're putting the boxes labeled ‘books' and ‘work' outside your office, the ones marked ‘clothes' in our closet, and your keepsake chest in our bedroom. I figured you wouldn't want him to unpack for you, but of course he'd be happy to do it."

"I can unpack myself," she said.

Just then, Jason bounded into the room with a backpack slung over his shoulder. "You must be Ella. It's great to finally meet you!" he said, extending his hand.

"Likewise," she replied, standing to greet him. "Thank you for the clothes and personal items you got for me. They sure made it easy to settle in."

"I'm so glad. I can't take credit, though; Finn was very specific about what to get. Please, sit and get comfy. We have some things to go over."

They took a seat and Finn draped his arm around Ella.

"First things first," he said, unzipping his knapsack. "Here's my card with my phone number. Call or text anytime, day or night. Here is your set of keys to the house. We can go over the alarm system later. I figured you'd want to select your own code."

"Okay, great."

"Here's a credit card. There's no limit. It's already activated, so all you have to do is sign the back," he explained, handing her a credit card with her name on it.

She turned to Finn with a bewildered expression. "What on earth is this for?"

"So you can buy whatever you need," Finn replied. "You know, if you want clothes or . . ."

"Finn, there's nothing I need," she said quietly.

"You may want to get things for the house, maybe for your office. You can use it for absolutely anything. Never hesitate."

"Finn . . ."

"If I may interject," Jason said. Ella looked at him, a bit startled, and he continued, "If you'd prefer to have me pick things up for you, that's fine. In fact, I was planning on it. I brought a stack of designer catalogs so you can flip through them at your leisure and circle the styles you like," he said, placing the booklets on the coffee table. "That way, when I do personal shopping for you, I'll have some guidelines for your taste until we get to know each other better. Don't worry, I'm a whiz at picking accessories to complement any look."

"Uh, well, thank you," Ella stuttered. "It's just . . . well, it's just that I don't need anything. Really. I'm fine with what I have. Clothes aren't important to me."

Jason smiled. "That's absolutely fine. Based on the sundresses Finn had me get, I can tell you have a fabulous, casual, boho vibe. As you settle in, we can always add to your wardrobe. With all the buzz that Celebration is receiving, it looks like Finn will have a busy awards season ahead of him. When the time comes, I can help you select gowns."

"Oh, well, okay," Ella murmured, furrowing her brow as she tried to process everything.

Finn rubbed her arm.

Picking up on her uneasiness, Jason looked at her sympathetically. "I'm sure it feels like a lot. Moving to a new place, meeting new people, having all of this thrown at you. Please, rest assured, my only job is to make things easier for you."

"That's kind of you," she replied, still visibly tense.

"Look, I don't want to come off like a fanboy, but I know who you are. I mean, besides being Finn's fiancée. I've been reading your mind-shattering books and essays for years." Ella blushed. "I love working with Finn, and it will be an honor to get to know you too. There's no mold you have to fit. I'm here to learn what works for you. Just think of me as someone available to free up your time for work or the things that inspire you."

She smiled and a glimmer of relief crossed her face. "I appreciate that, really I do."

"Here," he said, whipping out another card and handing it to her. "I assumed you'd want a library card for research."

"That was thoughtful. Helpful too," she said, her smile growing.

"Just one last thing because I get the sense you've had enough thrown at you today." She giggled, and he placed a stack of car brochures on the table in front of her. "If you could tell me what kind of car you might be interested in, I can have some brought over for test-drives. Those are the latest by Porsche, Mercedes, Aston Martin, Jaguar, and so on."

Ella stammered, trying and failing to find the right words.

"If you're not sure which you'd like best, you can just tell me whether you'd prefer an SUV, a sedan, or something sporty. Even just the color you like would help. I'm guessing black, but maybe silver?"

She turned to Finn, and he gave her waist a gentle squeeze. "What is it, baby?"

She turned back to Jason and asked, "Can I have time to think about all of this?"

"Sure thing. That's exactly why I brought the brochures. Take all the time you want, and then you can reach out when you're ready. Or Finn can get in touch with me."

"Okay, thank you." She stood up and said, "If you two don't mind, I'd like to go unpack my things."

"Of course. I'll be up in a bit," Finn said, touching her hand.

"Ella, it was a real pleasure to meet you. Please let me know how I can be of assistance," Jason said.

She nodded. "Nice to meet you too."

A LITTLE WHILE LATER, FINN FOUND Ella sitting on the floor of their closet, folding her clothes.

"How's it going?" he asked.

"Fine. I don't have very much, so it's easy. I guess if you had your way, the closet would be overflowing."

"Ella," he said softly, sitting down beside her.

"When we fell in love, we spent months together in that charming room at the inn. I felt like we had everything we would ever need, just being cozy and close. You said you felt it too, that we could even live in my little loft in Paris. I always pictured us that way. In my fondest dream, I imagined us in a little cottage. Nothing fancy, just us. Someday we'd fill it with our family, tripping all over each other." She sighed and added, "It doesn't seem like you could ever be happy that way."

"That isn't true."

She looked him straight in his eyes and said, "Finn, why are you doing this? I don't understand."

"Doing what?" he asked, stroking her cheek.

"Trying to Cinderella me."

"That's not how I meant any of this."

"Don't you know how much I love you?" she asked. "I only want you. I don't care about anything else."

"Sweetheart, I'm not trying to change you, or buy you, or control you. All I want in this world is to make you happy and for us to be together."

"But we are together, and I am happy. I don't need anything else. Why don't you believe me?"

"You uprooted your life for me, and I . . ."

"What?"

"I don't take that responsibility lightly," Finn said.

"I want to be here with you. You don't need to buy me anything."

"Sweetheart, I'm just trying to make your life easier. I mean, how are you going to get around in LA? You'll need a car. The alternative would be a car and driver, but I figured you'd hate that. You're too independent, and I know you'll want to be able to come and go as you please to see friends or whatever."

"I guess that's true." She paused in thought. "But I don't want something so fancy. Just a simple, safe car to get me around."

"Okay, baby. As for the clothes and stuff, that's only if you decide that you want something. As far as I'm concerned, you could wear this sundress every day for the rest of your life. You are so beautiful." She blushed. "I just thought you might want some things for the LA climate, or for when we travel, or for the Hollywood stuff I have to do from time to time. That's all. If there's something you want for the house, I didn't want you to have to fret over it or feel like you had to ask me."

"That's sweet. It is. You are the most generous man. I'm sorry I took it the wrong way."

"You have nothing to apologize for."

"Finn, we're building a life together, and . . ." He waited patiently for her to find the words. "And I want to make sure that we love each other as we are. As we truly are. Always."

"I do, Ella. I know you and love you with all my heart."

THAT AFTERNOON, ELLA WAS LYING in bed reading a book when Finn came into the room. "Sweetheart, the decorator is here. We set up a folding table and chairs in your office, and Joyce made you two a pot of tea."

She smiled and followed him to the room.

"Ella, this is Lorraine," he said.

"Pleased to meet you," Ella said. "The furniture you picked out for the bedroom is gorgeous."

Lorraine smiled widely, revealing dimpled cheeks. "I'm so glad you like it. I'm excited to transform this room into something very special. We're going to have some fun."

"I'll leave you two to it," Finn said, giving Ella a delicate kiss before exiting.

Lorraine jubilantly squeezed Ella's wrists, positive energy oozing out of her. "This space is fabulous. Best room in the house, if you ask me."

"Yeah, it's amazing. I don't know how I could possibly fill it."

"Well, that's what we're here to figure out. Shall we sit and get to know each other?" They plopped down at the table and Lorraine said, "Why don't you tell me about how you plan to use this room, the functions it should serve, and the vibe you're after. I know you're a writer, so I imagine you'll need a desk and some little touches for inspiration."

Ella smiled, and her shoulders relaxed as she began to feel at ease. "Yes, I'll need a desk and maybe some bookshelves. I like to socialize and collaborate with other artists and intellectuals, so maybe a sitting area with a couch and a couple of chairs would be nice."

"Excellent. I already have all kinds of ideas about how we might arrange things for the best flow. I brought several binders with me," Lorraine noted, gesturing at the materials strewn on the table. "They cover everything: flooring, color palettes, furniture styles, themes. You can tell me some more about your work, and then we can start flipping through them to see what style suits you best."

NEARLY TWO HOURS LATER, FINN lightly tapped on the door before coming in. The women were laughing uproariously. "I didn't want to interrupt, but I just wanted to see if you two could use more tea."

"You're not interrupting at all," Ella replied. "We've been having a ball."

"Yes, Ella is a hoot. I think I have everything I need to get started," Lorraine said, scooping up her folders. "This room is going to be my masterpiece, my magnum opus."

Ella giggled. "If you don't mind, I want to go check on my kitten. Please excuse me. It was lovely to meet you, Lorraine."

"She's in our room," Finn said.

After Ella left, Lorraine said, "She's absolutely delightful. Her spirit is infectious. I can see why you're so smitten."

Finn blushed. "Now you know why it's so important to me that this room comes out just right."

"Don't worry, it's going to be magnificent. I estimate that it will take at least a few weeks to do it right, even working at full speed. My contractor is standing by with a team. The style is going to be French country, white with green pops, plenty of antiques with a few modern touches. I'm going to start scouring my sources in Europe for the perfect antique writing desk. Ella has great, eclectic taste. She didn't ask for much, but she gave me lots to work with in terms of her lifestyle and aesthetic."

"Please do absolutely everything she asked for. There are a few ideas I have too, a few surprises. This room has to be more than an office. I want it to show Ella exactly how I feel."