by Hailey Smoke
“This an open floor plan. The living area flows into the dining. The kitchen is on the left. The door at the end leads straight to the back yard. Would you like to see that before we head upstairs?”
“Lead the way. Your wish is my command.”
“Are you a genie now?” She laughed and I tweaked her nose.
“I’d be your genie any day of the week, any month of the year. Your wish is my command, mistress Serena.”
She lowered her eyes and smiled sweetly. Gently she extricated her hand from my elbow and flipped through the bunch of keys. She kept her face averted as she fit one into the back door and turned the knob. She threw a look over her shoulder and extended her hand.
“Coming?”
I held her gaze as I grasped her hand. As our palms met, I swore I felt as if two magnets had connected and sent shards of electricity shooting. As I looked deep into her eyes, I did not doubt that she had felt the connection too. She dropped her gaze and tugged my hand as she stepped out.
“This is a back porch. Out here you will find a laundry room where you can put a washer and dryer combo. All walls are insulated of course so no need to worry about being too cold or too warm out here. The yard is big in comparison to what you usually get with townhouses in this area. You could still do a fair amount of entertaining here.”
I looked around the tiny space and nodded.
“It could work but it doesn’t quite match up to that first showstopper you showed me.”
“I don’t think anything I have will quite match up. You should just put in an offer on it.”
I pouted. “And miss out on touring houses with my favorite real estate agent? I don’t think so.”
She rolled her eyes as she tried to hide her smile. “How was your house search for your previous house?”
“Honestly? All I did was sign the papers. Tracy did all the walkthroughs. I just figured that it was going be her house to turn into a home so she should be the one to choose it.”
“What was it like?”
“In the beginning, it was just like any other love affair with the newness of young love. But as time…”
She interrupted. “I meant the house. What was that first house like?”
“Oh, the house! Well, I just lived there. It was a pretty good space, but I always felt slightly disconnected from it. It was more Tracy’s taste and space than mine. That’s why when we decided to call it quits, I left her in it. I make good money, so I paid off the mortgage and anything else that needed to be paid but I wanted nothing to do with it. It’s hers to live in or sell if she wishes.”
She nodded understandingly. I tugged her hand and we stepped back into the house to continue the tour. She pointed to a door tucked between the kitchen and the staircase.
“This is the half bathroom. Some may call it a powder room. The only thing missing is the tub so guests can relieve and refresh themselves pretty much. Let’s head upstairs.”
She stepped ahead of me with my hand in hers and I just got the sensation of a man following his woman upstairs to the bedroom to do bedroom things. My hand tightened in hers and she looked back and down at me. As our eyes met it felt as if time stood still for that fraction of a second. I took a deep shuddering breath and swallowed hard. She turned and kept walking. I took the time to admire the strength in her well-toned calves. My eyes traveled up with each step and watched the play of her thighs beneath the pencil skirt she wore. At that moment I envied the skirt its privilege of wrapping around her body as closely as it did. Her derriere was perfectly round, and I wondered what it would feel like in the palm of my hand. I wanted to press my body to hers as she walked and…
“This is the bedroom that faces the front. If you look out, you can see that there is quite the potential as per my suggestion for covering the driveway. It could be a balcony, another room an extension to this room or even an office. The only downfall would be that if you were to add another room this room would be without a window. There is an ensuite.”
The bathroom was the basic three-piece tub, toilet, and basin.
“It’s a bit small for a master isn’t it.”
“Well, this isn’t the master. That faces the back. Shall we look?”
She tugged my hand yet again and I tightened my grip. We walked over to a room that was about twice the size of the one we had just looked at. This was the master.
“You will love this ensuite. It’s got both a shower stall and a tub, toilet and bidet, and double vanity, storage for linen and a closet.”
“Wow. It looked small from the outside. I think this is the most impressive bathroom I’ve seen on our tours.”
She smiled and nodded.
“There’s more.” We walked over to a door and stepped out onto a Juliet balcony. It was a bit of a tight squeeze, but I certainly was not going to complain. Instead, I welcomed the excuse to stand close to her. She turned to me.
“What do you think?”
I looked down at our entwined fingers. I wiggled mine playfully and smiled when she wiggled hers in response. I tilted my head to the side.
“What do you think I think?”
“Well, maybe if you hadn’t seen that very first house this could have been a possibility for a young and single chap like yourself. If you were still a couple not so much.”
“But I don’t have to be a part of a couple to know this may not suit my needs. I’m young and single as you pointed out. I’m very available so there is always the possibility of dating again.” It could have been my imagination, but I thought I saw the glimmer of a shadow pass over her features at the mention of my possibly dating. I pressed the conversation further as I kept playing with her fingers. I took hold of her other hand and leaned one hip against the closed door.
“I met Tracy when I was still in Uni and not quite sure what I was going to do with a degree in engineering. We were the same age and her friends hung out with my friends so eventually so did we. I graduated at twenty-one and ended up on the racing circuit in the pit. Then one day I got on the track. The right people sat up and paid attention. Next thing I knew what a childhood love, passion and hobby became a life. I’ve been moving up the ranks and by all indications, if the sports gurus are to be trusted, I could be the next Grand Prix champion.”
“If Tracy was so wonderful what happened?”
“We didn’t see eye to eye on a few things. Well, let me not say we didn’t see eye to eye. She changed her mind about some things we had agreed on previously. After my first year of racing, we bought the house. Last year I had every intention of proposing but it didn’t go quite as planned. We had a discussion that became a bit heated which became an argument. When the air cleared, we were on two different planes. The bottom line was I had made it clear from the beginning that I wanted a family. She had wanted it too… initially. But somewhere along the line she just didn’t. It was an insurmountable difference and neither of us was willing to budge. So, I simply paid off the house, put some extra into the joint account we had before removing my name, moved my bulkier things into storage and holed up at Lucy’s until I found an apartment. Then I met you and here I am considering a home all over again.”
“Wow! One wouldn’t have thought that someone so young could have had such a wealth of experience. Especially in the romance department.”
I grinned and intertwined our fingers tightly. “See why I said age is just a number? You may be older, but I have a little more experience in matters of the heart now don’t I.”
She gave me a strange look then spoke slowly.
“You would want to think that, wouldn’t you? Suppose I told you that at the same time you were trying to figure things out with Tracy I was in the final stages of my divorce.”
I went still. “Wow.”
“Wow indeed. I met Paul during my Uni days too. We were both into the same rock band and after a few concerts, we ended up just hanging together. After graduation, we drifted away a bit but ran into each other a year later. That
run-in had some sparks and we explored it. A hop, skip and jump and we were married the next year. I was only twenty-three. I started the agency the same year. He’s a bank manager. Things were good. We worked hard and bought our first house a year after. Life was pretty good. But then we just sort of drifted apart. We started having little spats about petty things. The spats grew more heated and the things more significant until we had the row of the century. There was no recovering from that one.” Her eyes misted over. Reflexively I stepped closer and put my hands on her shoulders. Her suddenly free hands automatically rested lightly against my chest. She kept her eyes lowered as she continued.
“I got home one evening to find his things gone. The next day the lawyer called. I didn’t fight the divorce. I found myself a new house and gave him the old one in the settlement. It was a small price to pay for being allowed to keep the agency I built out of nothing. He could have chosen to take more, and he would have been entitled. If he had taken it all I would have deserved, it.” She nervously toyed with a button on my shirt.
I tightened my grip on her shoulders and pulled her into my embrace. I felt a shudder go through her as she leaned her head on my chest. I buried my nose in her sweet-smelling hair and felt a shudder of my own. I rocked her slightly as I could tell she was crying softly.
“Do you still love him?”
She shook her head.
“So why the tears?”
She raised her head. “Because it was my fault and he didn’t deserve it. I could have been a better wife.”
“He could have been a better husband.” I used my thumb to dab at her damp eyes as I continued to hold her close. The thumb traveled down her cheek and came to rest on her chin. Our eyes met and held. I felt my breath skip as my head bent towards hers. Her eyes fluttered slightly, and she took a deep breath. My mouth was a whisper from hers when she suddenly pulled back.
“No. We can’t.” She pushed at my chest gently and shook her head. I reluctantly loosened my embrace. I couldn’t resist. I feathered a kiss across her temple before releasing her completely. I recaptured one hand and opened the door. We walked silently through the house, each lost in our thoughts. It seems but second before the front door was locked behind us and we were back at the curb. Only when I had put her into her seat and closed the door did I release her hand. I rested my forearm on the window and rested my chin on it which brought my face close to hers. I was pleased to note that she neither flinched nor retreated.
“How about we take a rain check on those other properties today. Is it too late for you to still play hooky?”
“I think I’ll just go home, do some chores and have an early evening.”
“Okay.” I reached in and smoothed a tendril back from her brow. I itched to do more, but I wanted to respect the distance she so obviously wanted. Reluctantly I drew back.
“Drive safely.” She nodded and started the engine. I stood as I always did and watched her drive away until the cherry red was just a dot. I shoved my hands deep into my pockets as I walked back to the truck. My thoughts were all over as I tried to make sense out of what had almost happened on the balcony.
I would have kissed her for sure. And I would have liked it. I would not have wanted to let her go. I took a deep breath as I slowly came to grips with the reality that whatever it was that I had started to feel for Serena was not an overnight thing nor was it temporary. I searched my memory banks to see if at any point in my past I had felt this way about anyone. I could not. I knew without a doubt that whatever this thing was that I felt for Serena it was something that I wanted to explore. I resolved right then and there that I was going to see exactly where things would and could end up with Serena.
5
Serena
I smiled at the young couple who sat across from me.
“Miss Bishop, we just can’t thank you and your staff enough for finding us this apartment. It’s exactly what we envisioned our first home to be as newlyweds. It’s not too big, nor too small. I guess like Goldilocks it’s just right.” The pretty little brunette giggled as her husband smiled down at her lovingly.
“Well, I do hope that when you’re ready to sell and upgrade you will consider Bishop’s Real Estate yet again. You know our motto: Matching the right homes to the right folks. Enjoy moving in Mr. and Mrs. Plunkett. And please, pass our name along to anyone you know of who is in the house hunting market.”
I stood with them and escorted them out of my office. Lucy took over with the tokens we gave to each client upon completion of their search. I gently closed my door and sighed, a happy smile on my face. It was always a good feeling when I felt a match in my bones. I went back to my desk and thumbed through my diary. The Plunkett’s had been my last appointment for the afternoon. A glance at my watch showed minutes to four. Being a Friday I knew my office would be empty in a few minutes. I usually didn’t mind my staffing getting a head start on the weekend and enjoyed staying behind in the quiet for an hour or two each Friday.
I nibbled on what was left of my sandwich from lunch as I updated my files on listings, I had shown that week. I checked my email occasionally to see if any listings for the following week had been sent over early. I said goodbye as random folks poked their head in to wish me a good weekend. When Lucy left then I knew I was truly alone. I walked through the three rooms we used as our offices and locked the outer door before heading back to my desk.
I picked up my diary and continued my update for the coming week. My fingers jerked nervously when I got to Wednesday afternoon and saw Connor penciled in. Connor.
What had almost happened on Monday had shocked the living daylights out of me. I couldn’t believe I had come that close to kissing him. We were two grown adults who were attracted to each other, alone and in a private space. Only fate knows what would have happened had I not gotten a hold of my senses. I respected the fact that he respected my withdrawal. I had been in situations where I had had to insist on not going further. But Connor was different.
There was no more lying to myself about the attraction I felt towards him and by all indications the feeling was mutual. But I had to remember that I was older and therefore had to be more responsible. I also had to remember that once bitten twice shy and I had vowed to always maintain a professional distance from my clients. Connor, no matter how sweet I found him to be, could not be treated any differently. If only he were a little older and not Lucy’s brother nor my client, there might have been a slight possibility of pursuing the interest. But under the current circumstances, it was a no. I took a deep breath and let it out on a sigh.
As I continued flipping through my diary my cellphone rang. I reached for it automatically.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Serena.”
My eyes opened wide. What the heck!? Had I conjured him up or something by just thinking about him?
“H-Hi Connor.”
“How are you?”
“I’m good. How are you? How’s the trip going?”
“Getting along just fine. Making my rounds on the circuits and getting my time trials worked on. Today was a bit easy so I’m just taking it easy. I was thinking about houses and you crossed my mind, so I just thought I’d give you a call. Did I catch you at a bad time?”
“No. The office is empty actually. No one sticks around on a Friday except the boss.”
“Well, you have to. It’s your name on the door.”
“True. True. But I don’t mind though. I get to have the office all to myself at the end of a busy week. I find the silence relaxing. It gives me a chance to catch up on any work I may have missed during the week plus set my diary for the coming week. Speaking of which. I have an opening for a house viewing for you on Wednesday afternoon. If memory serves correctly, I think you would have come back by Tuesday?”
“I’m thinking of catching the last flight out on Monday night. I’m rather anxious to be back.”
“That’s nice. You will be able to rest on Tuesday then. Jet lag is not a n
ice thing you know.”
“Don’t I know it.”
There was a slight pause on the line as we both went silent.
“Still there?” I jumped as he spoke.
“Yes. Yes, I am.”
“I was wondering. That paperwork that I filled out regarding the house search, is it cast in stone or can I make adjustments?”
“Clients do reserve the right the adjust their search criteria throughout the process as it does help to fine-tune the options.”
“Great. Would I be able to discuss that with you now or do I have to wait until next week?”
Common sense said I should have told him to come to the office next week and not prolong the conversation with him, but my traitorous heart had reined in my traitorous tongue as an ally and before my rational brain knew what was happening my mutinous mouth opened and the dastardly deed was done.
“You can talk to me about it now if you wish.” The word could not be recalled.
“Great. I was thinking that I would love a house with an entryway. Like a foyer perhaps. That way there is some preparation on the part of the guests to move deeper into the house. I wouldn’t mind seeing something that has a designated den area, separate from the living space and my man cave. I’d also like a wet bar. I like the idea of each bedroom having its bathroom. I’d also love to see an outdoor cooking space for summer. Are you getting all of this?”
“Are you serious right now Connor? That’s a pretty eclectic list you’ve got there. At this rate, I don’t think we’ll be looking for a house. We may need to be looking for land to build a house. Or possibly a fixer-upper that you can renovate with all these extras. But why all these sudden changes?”
There was a slight pause on the line. I got the sense that he was shrugging.