Before Cullen left for work that morning, he set out the clothes he planned on wearing to dinner with Chi-Chi. Of course, Luna had a major hand in it. A Hawes & Curtis green-and-blue Italian linen blazer, navy linen pants, a dark green shirt, and a blue-and-green-checkered tie with a pocket square to match. Cullen was always very buttoned up. Literally. During the week, he would spend most of his time in the workshop renovating something. But under his work apron was a button-down collared shirt. The only thing that gave a hint of his creative side were his socks. They were always something different than one would expect. Something interesting. Most people didn’t realize it because he wore work boots in his studio and workshop. But under that Brooks Brothers appearance was a pair of Looney Tunes, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Oreos, SpongeBob, or some other wacky footwear. Even at a black-tie event, he would wear white socks with black bowties. Rarely did anyone say a word. It was such a dichotomy from what people generally recognized. Now the dilemma was which pair to wear to dinner. Then he remembered he had a pair of green paisleys. Perfect. Dark maroon loafers with tassels, of course. He then started second-guessing himself about the tie. It would depend on how nervous he was and if a tie would make him feel like he was choking. He’d tough it out. The ensemble Luna had picked was impeccable, and he wanted to impress Chi-Chi. Satisfied his evening wear was ready, he left for the showroom and workshop. It was Saturday. He wouldn’t be working with paint, sawdust, old metal, or whatever would arrive in desperate need of refurbishing. He wanted to be sure he wouldn’t find the need to bathe in turpentine before he showered for his dinner date.

He had started working on the trunk the previous week. It took several days to get it clean and down to the original wood. He was surprised it was in decent shape considering how it had smelled when it arrived. It still had a smoky odor, but he figured that would dissipate over the next week or so. Then there was the refinishing, which would add its own aroma to the mix.