If You Could See Me Now by Cecelia Ahern

minutes until eventually they opened their eyes at the same time and stared down at her drawing of a bedroom. Her hand moved over to the brown pencil, as she tried to decide whether or not to pick it up.
    Ivan groaned softly, “Elizabeth, not brown again. Come on, go for some color, like that lime green,” he whispered into her ear, fully aware she couldn’t hear him.
    Her fingers hovered over the pencil as though a magnetic force were stopping her from touching it. She moved slowly away from the chocolate-brown pencil and moved to the lime green. She smiled slightly, as though amused by her choice, and gingerly held the pencil between her fingers as if it were for the first time. She moved it around in her fingers as though holding it felt alien to her. Slowly she began to shade in the scatter cushions on the bed, and the tassels on the curtain pull-backs, moving on to bigger pieces, like the throw at the end of the bed and eventually the lounger in the corner of the room.
    “Much better,” Ivan whispered, feeling proud.
    Elizabeth smiled and closed her eyes again, breathing slowly and deeply.
    There was suddenly a knock at the door. “Can I come in?” Poppy sang.
    Elizabeth’s eyes sprang open and she dropped the offending pencil from her hand, as though it were a dangerous weapon. “Yes,” she called out, sitting back in the chair, her shoulder briefly brushing past Ivan’s chest. Elizabeth looked around behind her, touched her shoulder lightly with her hand, and turned back to face Poppy, who was skipping into the room, eyes glistening with excitement.
    “OK, so Becca just told me you’ve got another meeting with the love hotel people.” Her words skipped together as though she were singing a song.
    Ivan sat down on the windowsill behind Elizabeth’s desk and stretched out his legs. They both folded their arms across their chests at the same time. Ivan smiled.
    “Poppy, please do not call it the love hotel.” Elizabeth rubbed her eyes wearily. Ivan was disappointed. That gnirob voice was back.
    “OK, so the ‘hotel’ then.” Poppy exaggerated the word. “I have some ideas. I’m thinking water beds in the shape of hearts, hot tubs, champagne flutes that rise from the bedside lockers.” She lowered her voice to an excited whisper. “I’m thinking the Romantic era meets Art Deco. Caspar David Friedrich meets Jean Dunand. It will be an explosion of rich reds, burgundy, and wines that make you feel like you’re being embraced in a velvet-lined womb. Candles everywhere. French boudoir meets—”
    “Las Vegas,” Elizabeth finished drily.
    Poppy snapped out of her trance and her face fell in disappointment.
    “Poppy.” Elizabeth sighed. “We’ve been through this before. I really think you should stick to the profile for this one.”
    “Ah.” She fell back as though she’d been shot in the chest. “But the profile is so boring. ”
    “Hear! Hear!” Ivan stood and applauded. “Gnirob,” he said loudly into Elizabeth’s ear.
    Elizabeth flinched and scratched at her ear. “I’m sorry you feel that way, Poppy, but unfortunately what you consider boring is how other people choose to decorate their homes. People want liveable, comfortable, and calming environments. People don’t want to return home after a hard day’s work to a house that shouts dramatic statements from every beam or colors that give them a headache. With work environments so full of stress, people just want their home environment to be manageable, relaxing, and peaceful.” A speech she delivered to all of her customers. “And this is a hotel, Poppy, we need to appeal to all kinds of people and not just the few, the very few in fact, that would like to reside in a velvet-lined womb,” she added drily.
    “Well, I don’t know many people that haven’t once resided in velvet-lined wombs, do you? I don’t think it rules out anyone on this planet, at least.” She kept trying. “It might spark off some comforting