Chapter Thirteen

"Hey, Ophelia!" a female voice called out.

Phina's liiting Pittsburgh accent caught my attention, and I spotted her balancing precariously on a ladder at the front entrance.

"How early did you guys get here?" I asked playfully as I approached her, and she just shook her head as she dipped her roller back into the paint can clutched in her hand.

"We wanted to get a head start. Cranky Collins is expecting this finished by today, remember?"

I couldn't help but grin at the return of that creative nickname. "Smart move," I replied.

She grinned in agreement, pointing to the supplies at her feet when I asked her where I could get my own roller.

"Oh, that's William over there, by the way. He is your replacement," she added.

I turned and narrowed my eyes in the direction she pointed to, but all I could make out was a mop of curly blond hair atop another ladder. Phina noticed this and cupped both of her hands around her mouth before yelling. "William, this is Ophelia!"

My cheeks flushed at how o