by Laina Turner
Two hours later, Kate left Isabelle’s office feeling as though the shoot had been a success. Even though she was the client, Isabelle had worked hard to put Kate at ease. After the first half hour or so, Kate started to get into her groove and her confidence grew.
She had only come to shoot a simple headshot, but Kate and Isabelle had played around with some candid, fun shots as well. Kate was sure that the shots would never see the light of day, but it was a fun experience for both of them. Plus, it had given Kate the chance to practice some things that would be necessary for more lifestyle-oriented photo shoots. She couldn’t wait to get home to see the pictures on her computer. Though she knew that she still needed to continue practicing, she felt a lot more confident than she’d felt that morning.
When she returned to her car, Zach’s car was no longer in the parking lot. It had only been a couple of hours since they’d left the diner, but she was eager to talk to him, so she sent him a quick text: I’m sorry that I didn’t think about telling you about the photos. Please accept my apology. Hope that you’re okay.
She stood there, staring at her phone for a minute, willing a response from Zach to come through, but it didn’t happen. She sighed and accepted that she would just have to be patient, though patience had never been one of her virtues. She planned to add practicing patience to her list of goals for changing her life.
22
Kate pulled into the driveway at the address Vivian had given her. As she stood looking at the beautiful home in front of her, she knew there was no way this could be the right house.
She scrolled back through her texts from Vivian to verify the address and saw that the numbers on the front of the house matched what she was given. The house was gorgeous and only about a mile down the road from Claire and Jim. It wasn’t on the beach but had beach access, and it looked to be about the same size as her friends’ place. It was impossible, she insisted to herself, that this house was within her budget. She thought that Vivian must have misunderstood and added an extra zero, or two, to the budget Kate had given her over the phone.
Kate got out of her car, knowing she would need to clear up the misunderstanding once Vivian arrived. She stared at the beautiful structure, unable to help wishing that it were within her price range. Staying in a place like this would be a dream come true, she mused, though she knew that sounded corny.
It was only a few minutes before Kate saw another car pull into the driveway and assumed it was Vivian’s. As Vivian stepped out of the car, Kate saw that she was a beautiful brunette who appeared well-polished. Kate thought that Vivian looked more like a real estate agent for million-dollar homes in the city rather than someone who worked with properties in a small town like Moonshire—though Kate had seen many large beach homes that she was sure would go for a pretty penny.
“You must be Kate,” the beautiful thirty-something woman said as she walked over and held out her hand.
“And you must be Vivian,” Kate responded, feeling bad about what she was about to say. She hated that she was wasting Vivian’s time. She knew enough about real estate to know that time was money. “Listen, I am so sorry, but I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”
Vivian’s brow furrowed and Kate could see that she looked concerned. “I’m sorry. Do you not like how this house looks from the outside? I really thought, based on our conversation on the phone, that this would be the perfect fit for you.”
“Oh, I have no doubt that this would be a great fit for me. It’s a gorgeous house, but I’m just not sure it’s exactly the perfect fit for my budget. This house can’t be renting for what I have to spend.”
Vivian dug in her purse, pulled out a pink leather notebook, and flipped through a few pages as if she was looking for the notes she’d taken on her conversation with Kate. “I usually take really good notes, so I’m sorry if I wrote it down wrong, but I have here that your budget is $1000 a month.”
Now it was Kate’s turn to look confused. She’d been embarrassed to have to tell Vivian how small her budget was when they’d spoken on the phone, but it was all she felt she could really afford based on the money she had left. She knew that, small town or not, $1000 wouldn’t get you very far, especially during tourist season. She’d expected to be shown some tiny house in town that wasn’t necessarily appealing to the people who came for the summer.
Claire had told Kate that some of the beach houses, as well as some near the beach, rented for thousands a month over the summer. She’d also told Kate that she and Jim had even been approached a few times to rent out their own house for the summer, and had almost done it once, simply for the money.
“Well, you wrote it down correctly, but there’s no way that this house is that cheap,” Kate insisted, not believing that whatever price Vivian thought that the house was renting for could be true, unless maybe if the inside of the house was a pit. But somehow, Kate didn’t think that was the case.
Vivian smiled. “Believe it or not, it is that cheap. You see, the owners don’t like to rent to tourists, so they leave it off the market and it’s promoted strictly by word of mouth. They are very picky.”
That seemed completely weird to Kate, but who was she to argue? She knew wealthy people in New York who spent their money in all sorts of unusual ways.
“Then, I guess, show me the house. Though, if it’s as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside, I don’t think I even need to see it.” Kate laughed while wondering if her luck was finally turning around.
They walked up to the front door and Vivian punched in the code that opened the lockbox. She took out the key, unlocked the door, and pushed it open.
“After you,” Vivian said, holding out her arm.
Kate tentatively walked into the foyer and she almost felt scared, or maybe, she thought, it was nervous excitement. The idea of being able to stay, even for a few months, in a beautiful house with beach access was more than she had ever hoped for. As she continued to walk further into the house, she wasn’t disappointed by what she saw. The building had the same basic layout as Claire’s house, with a foyer that opened into an open-concept living room and kitchen area. It was beautiful, and it had definitely been updated recently, as the appliances in the kitchen still had plastic on them.
“So sorry about the plastic on the appliances,” Vivian said with a frown as she noticed the direction in which Kate was looking. “When the housekeepers came out to clean last week, they were supposed to take that off.”
“Um, it’s fine,” Kate replied, running her hand over the beautiful silver-and-white granite countertop. Her home back east didn’t have countertops that pretty.
“And you’re sure this is $1000 a month?” Kate asked skeptically.
Vivian laughed and nodded. “Yes, I’m sure.”
“Then I’ll take it,” Kate said emphatically, barely able to stop herself from jumping up and down with excitement.
“Don’t you want to see the rest of the house?”
“I’ll run upstairs while you get the paperwork ready,” Kate said, while knowing that even if the upstairs was just a pile of two-by-fours and particle board, she wouldn’t care and would still want to live there.
As Vivian started digging forms out of her bag, Kate ran upstairs. Just like in Claire’s house, there were three bedrooms, all decorated very simply in neutral colors. The house even had basic furnishings, which Vivian said came with the house if she wanted or the owners could put it in storage. She would have thought she’d find a house done up entirely in whites and grays to be too sterile, but in this particular house, the combination seemed very clean, relaxing, and fresh. Somehow, it seemed like the perfect aesthetic for her. She didn’t even bother going into the two regular bedrooms, but headed straight for the master suite, walking through the bedroom to the adjoining master bath that featured a big Jacuzzi tub and oversized shower almost as big as the one she’d had in New York. As she walked back down the stairs, she was grinning ear to ear.
Vivian looked up from the pap
erwork and noticed Kate’s obvious glee. “So, I take it the upstairs met with your approval.”
“Would you find it crazy of me if I started jumping up and down and clapping my hands like a little girl because I’m so excited?”
“Not at all,” Vivian said with a laugh.
“And you’re sure about the price?”
“Stop it,” Vivian said, shaking her head, and Kate realized that Vivian probably thought she was nuts. “I’m positive the rent is a thousand a month. You’ll still be responsible for the utilities, but for a single person, they shouldn’t be that bad. There are no HOA fees or anything to worry about. Now, we just need to decide the length of the lease.”
That was the one thing that Kate had been unsure of before seeing this house. She knew that the reality of getting a month-to-month lease somewhere would be difficult, but she was apprehensive about signing something long-term that would leave her locked in, in case she couldn’t find a job or some way to make money.
“What are the owners looking for?”
“They’re flexible. I told them your situation, and they said that if you wanted to do month-to-month to test things out for a while, that would be fine, or longer would be fine too. Like I said, this is just an extra home for them, and they don’t use it much.”
Must be nice to have an extra home, Kate thought. “Well, their extra home is my saving grace. How about a six-month lease?” she suggested to Vivian.
While Kate hadn’t thought that far ahead in her life, she found that she didn’t feel nervous as she said it out loud. Any trepidation about where she’d find herself in half a year was far outweighed by a fear that she could potentially be kicked out of the place after only a month if the owners were only contracted to a month-to-month lease.
“That’s fine,” Vivian acknowledged. She filled in the appropriate lines on the contract, signed it, and turned the paper around to slide across the table to Kate. Kate signed her name, then gave it back to Vivian, who stuck it back in her bag. Vivian then pulled a garage door opener and another set of keys from her bag, both of which she handed over to Kate.
“Here you go. It’s all yours.”
Kate was stunned. “You mean, just like that, I can have it right now? No background or credit checks or anything?”
Vivian shook her head. “You’re a friend of Claire’s. That’s all the background check the owners need. I’ll take the lockbox off on my way out. My company also manages the property, so if you have any issues, you know, when your new appliance doesn’t work or something, just give me a call. Anything else I can do for you?”
Kate was so stunned, she didn’t know what to say. Vivian waited patiently for her to come to her senses.
“No. I think I’m all set. I guess I’m just in shock.”
“Enjoy,” said Vivian in parting, then she left, shutting the door behind her. Kate could hear the rattle of the lockbox as it was being taken off. She walked over to the kitchen counter and slumped onto one of the stools. She couldn’t see how this wasn’t some crazy mistake and felt like she was going to get a call the next day from Vivian saying that the rent was ten thousand a month instead of one thousand, and she’d have to leave. For now, though, she would enjoy it. She grabbed her phone and sent a quick text to Zach, though she wasn’t sure that he’d respond since he hadn’t texted her back after he’d gotten upset about the pictures.
Thank you so much for connecting me with Vivian. I rented the most amazing house.
She saw the three dots appear at the bottom of her screen that signaled that he was composing a reply, and it came shortly.
You can repay me by inviting me to dinner once you get settled.
Kate didn’t know what was making her smile more, the amazing house or the text from Zach. After shooting him back a quick text of agreement, she grabbed the keys and headed back over to Claire’s. As much as she didn’t want to leave her new house, she needed to collect her clothes and pick up a few things to cook with and some other groceries. She’d seen a thrift store in town and thought that it would be a great place to pick up a few odds and ends, just to tide her over.
As she drove down her new street, sunshine lit the view around her, making her feel as if things were finally looking up.
23
A couple days later, Kate was bustling around her kitchen, putting the finishing touches on dinner, which she planned to pop in the oven when Zach arrived. She’d never liked dinner parties at which you were expected to eat the minute you arrived, and even though this wasn’t exactly a dinner party, she wanted time to relax and chat with him.
She’d made lasagna because her family had always told her that it was one of the best things she cooked, and she found herself wanting to impress Zach. He’d been so creative with his beach picnic lunch that she felt some pressure to create something special, or at the very least, make it apparent that she was making an effort.
Though she didn’t want it to look like she was trying too hard. It was such a fine line. She had the feeling that her butterflies were coming more from her desire and excitement to see Zach rather than from nervousness over her cooking.
She looked at the microwave clock and saw that he would be there in ten minutes, as long as he wasn’t early. She’d noticed in her time working at his office that he was very punctual. He normally arrived a little early for meetings, so she realized she better hurry up and finish getting things set up. There were few things worse than company arriving while you were still scrambling to get everything ready.
She opened a bottle of red wine that she thought would go well with the meal, grabbed the cheese-and-meat platter that she had prepared earlier from the refrigerator, then set both on the counter next to a plate with an assortment of crackers. She was debating whether or not she wanted to pour herself a glass of wine to calm her nerves, when the doorbell rang. Too late, that must be him, she thought.
As she walked to the door, she felt her anticipation mounting. They hadn’t seen each other, besides at the office where they’d both remained cool and professional, since the morning at the diner when he’d seemed bothered by her photos of him. She’d been nervous about asking him to dinner; however, he’d immediately responded yes, giving her the impression that he wanted to see her as much as she wanted to see him. It made her feel happy and nervous, all at the same time. She couldn’t deny that she had feelings for him, as much as she wanted to. The more she got to know Zach, the easier it was to forget that he’d blackmailed her to work for him and that he was a dreaded attorney. She’d found that he was sweet and caring, and that caused her to have conflicting feelings about why he’d blackmailed her. He didn’t seem like the type who would turn a person in for something minor. She’d listened to him talking to clients on the phone and more than once heard him utter the phrase, good people make bad mistakes. It made her wonder if there was a reason beyond helping Rhoda, one she hadn’t yet figured out, that would explain why he’d decided to coerce her into working for him. She’d considered asking him but hadn’t yet worked up the nerve.
She opened the door to see him standing there, looking very handsome in black jeans and a turquoise button-down shirt. It was a different shade than the other turquoise shirts she’d seen him wear, and she stifled a giggle at the fact that she’d never seen anyone with so many shirts in so many shades of that particular color, though she couldn’t blame him for having several in his wardrobe because it set off his eyes amazingly well.
“Come on in,” she said, and he walked in and gave her a quick hug, one that was all too quick in her opinion. She led him to the kitchen and motioned toward a stool. “Have a seat. Let me just pop this in the oven, then we can take the snacks into the living room while dinner is cooking. Glass of wine? Or I have water or soda if you prefer,” she rattled nervously.
“I’ll take a glass of wine. Just make it a small one. It’s been a long day and I’m tired, and if I drink too much, I’ll fall asleep on you.”
That didn’t sou
nd all that bad, Kate thought, and she felt herself get a little heated at the thought of Zach falling asleep on her. Her face felt hot, so she could only assume it was red, and she hoped that he didn’t notice she was flushed. She poured just a little wine in both of their glasses. She was already feeling giddy and didn’t need to add to it with too much wine. She lifted both glasses and asked him to grab the two platters of food and follow her into the living room. They set everything down on the coffee table and took seats on the couch.
“You’ve done really well decorating in such a short amount of time,” Zach said, looking around the living room. She could see by the look on his face that he was impressed, and it made her feel good that he’d noticed.
“I borrowed Jim’s truck and hit a bunch of thrift stores and consignment shops in the area to spruce it up and add my own personality. I’m really happy with my finds. I got some great stuff for on the cheap.” She didn’t bother to add that she hadn’t had a choice, since she only had very little money. Truth be told, she would have looked for furnishings at the thrift stores first anyway. She thoroughly enjoyed hunting for slightly used bargains.
“Really, you found all of this secondhand?” The look on his face was one of surprise. He was clearly not well-versed in thrifting. Even when Kate had money, she’d loved frequenting secondhand stores, and she felt proud he thought she was good at something. Too bad it wasn’t a marketable skill, she thought. She had a lot of things that she was good at, but none of them could provide her financial stability.
She nodded in response to his question. “Yep. I admit, I was kind of surprised that I found it all so quickly. It usually takes a lot of patience to wait for just that right piece without giving up and going to find it full price somewhere. Luckily, I was in just the right place at the right time. I found the furniture you see here in the living room, as well as a dresser, and a bed frame for the bedroom.”