Not Your Match

by Lindzee Armstrong

  A fixer-upper. It was perfect. Hopefully the price would be right.

  “It needs a good scrubbing,” Andi said, her nose wrinkling. “And the carpets could stand to be cleaned.”

  Ben stepped from the tiled entryway into the living room. A large window showed a view of the Los Angeles skyline. Without any furniture the room looked small, but he thought it’d fit his recliner and couch. Whitney would’ve loved the natural light that streamed in through the window and filled the entire room.

  Why had she texted him?

  Ben pointed to a wall in the living room. “That’s big enough to fit my fifty-five inch flat screen which is the most important thing.”

  Andi laughed. “Well you’d better put down a deposit right now then.”

  “How long have they owned this?” Ben asked.

  “A few years. They bought it from Madelynn’s sister when she was going through some financial troubles, and she bought it when the building was first built.” Andi looked around. “Looks like they haven’t updated anything in those fifteen years.”

  “It could use a fresh coat of paint,” Ben said. He motioned to the living room ceiling. “Crown molding would make it seem more expensive and custom, and would be a relatively inexpensive upgrade.”

  “You have a good eye.”

  Ben shrugged and moved from the living room to the kitchen. A half-wall with an archway separated the two. If that was knocked out, it would open up the room and make it seem large and spacious instead of cramped. His hands itched for a sledgehammer. He hadn’t taken on a project in too long, and it would help erase the text from his mind.

  The kitchen was small, but adequate. The appliances were all white instead of the more in-vogue stainless steel, but he figured they’d be easier to keep clean. The cabinets were oak, not white like Rachel’s, and the counter tops were a Formica with a slight blue hue. The only thing he really disliked was the wallpaper lining the ceiling, which featured a montage of cooking utensils. Whitney would’ve called it tacky. He swallowed, imaging looking at this unit with her. They’d talked about relocating to California a few times, but it had never made sense.

  “Madelynn and Braden use this as a breakfast nook,” Andi said, motioning to the room off the kitchen. “They fit a table for four in here and it wasn’t too cramped.” She walked over to a closet, her shoes clicking dully on the vinyl floor. She opened the doors and nodded. “Yeah, I thought this probably had a washer and dryer in it. Looks like they left them behind. That’s convenient.”

  “Probably too big of a pain to get them out of the closet,” Ben said. The washer and dryer were full sized but stacked. The paint on the bi-fold doors was chipped and peeling, and the same awful wallpaper had been carried from the kitchen into the breakfast nook. He wondered, if he did get the place, if Madelynn and Braden would mind if he fixed it up a bit. Maybe dock his rent for the work. If he could give this condo a fresh start, maybe he could find one as well.

  Construction was great for working out complicated emotions he’d rather not examine.

  “Do you know anything about the neighbors?” Ben asked.

  Andi shrugged. “Madelynn complained a few times that the upstairs neighbors liked their music too loud. Other than that, I don’t really know. I’m not home often enough to pay attention.” She motioned to a short hallway that ran the length of the kitchen. “Should we check out the rest of the place?”

  The hallway held a half-bath, which Ben definitely counted as a bonus—he wouldn’t have to share his bathroom with company. Not that anyone but Rachel and Adam, and hopefully Andi, would visit. The master bedroom and bath were nothing too spectacular. But it would fit his king-size bed and dresser, and he didn’t need much else. The building was in a great area and reasonably clean, which were his two major wish list items. Well, that and price.

  “I like it,” Ben said.

  “It’s nice,” Andi agreed. “And I bet Madelynn and Braden would let you do some remodeling. They talked about changing things, but he was busy with school. I told Madelynn I’d have you call her if you’re interested.”

  Ben nodded, trying to swallow back his hope. “I should probably wait until tomorrow.”

  “Are you kidding me? They’re so stressed over this place. Calling would be the best Christmas present.”

  Ben looked around the space, at the worn carpet, the walls badly in need of painting, the brass light fixtures that dated the place. He wanted this used, battered condo more than he’d wanted anything in a long time. “I’ll call her now then,” he said.

  Andi nodded. “I’ll go back to my condo to give you some privacy. Lock the bottom knob when you leave, and I’ll lock the deadbolt on our way to the movie.”

  “Thanks, Andi,” Ben said.

  She smiled. “I hope it works out.” She padded across the carpet and shut the door quietly behind her.

  Ben took a deep breath, then dialed the number Andi had given him for Madelynn.

  “Hello?” The voice was soft and confused. He heard laughter in the background—a family enjoying Christmas.

  “Hi, this is Andi’s friend, Ben Rhodes. I looked at the condo? Is this Madelynn?”

  “Yes it is.” The laughter disappeared, like she’d moved into another room. “What did you think of it?”

  “It’s great,” Ben said.

  “We loved living there. That’s why we aren’t selling—we want to move back after he finishes medical school.” Madelynn spent the next few minutes telling Ben about the condo and answering his questions.

  “Let’s talk price,” Ben said. “That could be a deal breaker.”

  “Sure,” Madelynn said. “I left a few rental contracts on the counter next to the fridge.”

  Ben walked into the kitchen and grabbed the document. The dollar amount had been written in pen. It was nearly two hundred dollars outside the high end of his price range.

  “That seems high,” Ben said. He carefully kept his voice neutral, not wanting Madelynn to see how much he wanted the condo. “It’s a nice place but needs a lot of work.”

  “It’s a little outdated, but it’s a fantastic area.”

  “I used to flip houses,” Ben said. “Would you lower the price if I did some renovations?”

  “Andi showed me pictures of a house you did last year. It seems like you know what you’re doing. It looked really nice.”

  “I sold that house in less than a month. A bidding war drove the price up and I made a substantial profit.” And then he’d ended up using most of it to pay for Whitney’s medical bills when she’d been hospitalized for a suicide attempt.

  “What did you have in mind for our condo?”

  Ben’s heart tripped in his chest, and he struggled to keep his words even and not show his excitement. “If I tore out the archway and half-wall between the kitchen and living room, I could add a breakfast bar. It’d give you more seating for the kitchen and really open up the floor plan. Ripping out the flooring and putting laminate throughout would make the space seem bigger too. Crown molding in the living room and bedroom would add an expensive feel. And obviously I’d want to paint the walls … strip the wallpaper. Maybe paint the cabinets and replace the counter tops.”

  Madelynn laughed. “I hate the wallpaper too. I don’t know what my sister was thinking. I like your vision, but what about permits and everything?”

  He couldn’t believe it. Madelynn actually seemed to be going for it. Maybe he’d get this condo after all. “We shouldn’t need them for most of the work, but I’ll look into all that before doing anything. And of course I’d run it by you.”

  “We don’t have much saved for renovations.”

  “I know where to get quality supplies at a huge discount.”

  “It’s a tempting offer. Just a sec.” A hand covered the phone, and there were muffled voices, as though she was conferring with someone else—probably her husband. She came back on the line and rattled off a number nearly three hundred less than the previous one—st
ill on the high end of Ben’s budget, but now at least within it. “This is the best we can do. We’ve had a hard time getting people to come look at the condo since it’s only a one-bedroom, and now we’re out of time. We’re willing to rent it for what it costs us if you’ll sign a one-year agreement and promise to not have any pets.”

  “Not a problem,” Ben assured her.

  “That amount covers the mortgage payment and HOA fee. You take care of your own utilities. In exchange for the discount you’ll fix the place up. I want that half-wall and archway gone, the wallpaper stripped, and new paint at the very least. Run everything by me first. I’ll expect you to pay for the cheaper stuff since we’re giving you such a great deal. You can move in immediately and we’ll prorate rent for this month.”

  Gratitude flowed through Ben. For once, things were falling into place. “Fair enough. I’ll take it.”

  She exhaled, the sound loud in his ear. “Perfect. You have no idea what a relief this is. Normally I’d run a background check and call references, but I trust Andi and we’re leaving the country in a few days. Sign the rental agreement and email a picture of it to me in the next forty-eight hours, and I’ll get you instructions on where to send the deposit.” Madelynn rattled off her email address, and then they said their goodbyes.

  Ben clicked off his phone and saw the text icon blinking. Slowly, he opened the message.

  Whitney: Please don’t ignore me. Call me and we can talk.

  Ben put his phone away without replying. He looked around the condo, forcing himself to visualize his future here. He imagined his end table in the living room, covered in his favorite construction magazines. His messy, unmade bed in the bedroom. The feel of the sledgehammer in his hand as he knocked down that half-wall and opened up the kitchen. He populated the space with his belongings in his mind, and he felt a hundred pounds lighter.

  This Christmas was turning out better than he’d expected.

  He gave the condo one last look, then flipped off the lights and left, locking the bottom knob. When he came back next, it would be for good.

  Andi opened her door before he could knock, as though she’d been waiting for him. She took one look at his face and let out a squeal, throwing her arms around his neck. “You got it?” she asked.

  “I got it,” Ben confirmed.

  “This is perfect.” She gave him another squeeze, then let go. “Guess that means we’re neighbors.”

  “I can’t think of a better person to be neighbors with,” Ben said. He pushed Whitney into the furthest recesses of his mind, already anticipating the move.

  Andi locked her condo door and followed Ben down the hallway to the elevator. “When do you think you’ll move in?” she asked. She couldn’t wait.

  Ben pushed the down button. “Rachel will probably insist I wait until Saturday, so she and Adam can help.”

  “That’s probably best. It’ll give you tomorrow to track down a moving truck.”

  The elevator dinged open, and they both stepped inside. Andi barely held back a shiver as Ben’s shoulder brushed against hers.

  Ben was moving in down the hall. Every time she thought about it, warmth flowed through her, delicious and unnerving.

  They drove to the movie theater, Christmas music filling the car. Andi wondered if having Ben as a neighbor meant they’d see each other often. Would he want to hang out? It had been a long time since they’d been in daily contact with each other.

  Ben nudged her with his shoulder. “Penny for your thoughts?”

  Andi realized she’d been silent for several minutes as they drove. She scrambled to think of something she could say that wouldn’t implicate her thoughts. “I’m thinking about how this is kind of a weird Christmas. It’s the first one I haven’t spent with my parents.”

  “Do you miss them?”

  “A little, in the oh-it’s-Christmas-I-should-be-with-family kind of way. But in another way, it’s relaxing and nice. Christmas was pretty formal at our house.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  Andi cocked her head to the side, but his earnest expression convinced her he really was interested. “We had to get ready for the day before coming down to open presents on Christmas morning. I would wake up early, so excited to see what Santa had brought me. But my mom would make me get dressed and then she’d do my hair before we went downstairs, where we’d open presents one at a time, admiring each one.”

  “And after opening presents, then what?”

  “We’d have a very civilized breakfast in the formal dining room before my grandparents arrived.”

  Out of the corner of her eye, Andi saw Ben shake his head. The air from the heater vents tousled his hair, making him look like a teenager again.

  “I can’t even imagine a Christmas like that,” Ben said. “It was chaos at my house. Rachel and I would wake our parents up at the crack of dawn, then we’d rush downstairs and tear into the wrapping paper as fast as we could.”

  Andi smiled, pulling into the movie theater parking lot. This was nice, talking to Ben. They’d talked before, of course. But never about such personal things. She’d never talked to any guy like this. “Your Christmas mornings sound a lot more fun than mine.”

  “What happened after your grandparents came?”

  “We’d get ready for the big Christmas party. It was one of those formal affairs for rich clients. My job was to stay out of the way.”

  “Wow. I didn’t know Christmas could be so lame.”

  Andi shot Ben a stern look, but couldn’t hold it and burst out laughing. “It wasn’t all bad. My parents are excellent gift-givers, and I think they felt guilty about being so busy, because they certainly tried to buy my love. I got enough new toys and gadgets to keep me occupied all day, trust me.”

  “That’s so different from what it was like at my house. After Rachel and I had torn into our presents, we’d go to our grandparents’ house and play with cousins. There was a lot of food, a lot of fun, and a fair amount of fighting involved. Everyone brought treats and we’d snack all day so no one had to spend time in the kitchen. We’d usually go to a movie that evening, so I’m actually glad you wanted to do that.”

  Andi smiled. She’d mentioned a movie precisely because she remembered Rachel loving that tradition. “Are you missing your parents?”

  Ben shrugged. “I haven’t spent Christmas with them since college. They’ve gone on cruises the last few years. In Arizona …” He cleared his throat and gazed out the window. Andi whipped into a parking spot as a cloud descended on them. “Well, we usually spent Christmas with Whitney’s parents.”

  She wondered if Ben was thinking about the text Whitney had sent. She wondered if he was considering getting back together with his ex-fiancée. Rachel certainly seemed to think Ben and Whitney belonged together. Andi opened her mouth to respond, but Ben already had his door open and was out of the car. Obviously he didn’t want to talk about it.

  They walked side by side into the theater, talking about their favorite Christmas memories and laughing. Ben held the door open for Andi, making her heart quicken. It had been a long time since she’d been treated like a lady.

  The smell of popcorn instantly assaulted Andi when they entered the lobby. She took a deep breath and groaned.

  “Smells good, huh?” Ben said. His mouth quirked up in the corner, and Andi wondered what it would feel like to kiss him.

  Stop it. Just because Ben actually listened to her didn’t mean she needed to fall into his arms. She quickly looked at the menu above the concession stands. “I’m stuffed from breakfast.”

  “Me too. But you can’t see a movie without popcorn. That’s un-American.” He put a hand on the small of her back, spreading fire through her body, and guided her toward the concession line. “C’mon. My treat, since you made breakfast.”

  Andi batted her eyes sweetly. “Well in that case, I think I need an Icee too.”

  “Only if you’ll share.”

  Andi’s mouth grew dry at the
thought of sharing a drink with Ben. Of placing her lips on the straw that touched his. Would there be one straw, or two? This was starting to feel a lot more like a date than a friendly hangout between childhood pals.

  She hoped there would only be one straw.

  Soon Andi held a giant Icee in her hand—only one straw—while Ben held the popcorn in his. Andi took a big sip and gave an exaggerated sigh. “So good. Want some?”

  “Andi?”

  Andi froze, her eyes wide. It had been six months since she heard that voice, but it still sounded exactly as she remembered it. She looked up at Ben, who peered over her shoulder at the speaker. Mark? Andi mouthed. Ben gave an imperceptible nod.

  Why hadn’t she considered he’d come home for Christmas? His parents, his sister, his nephews … they were all in Los Angeles. But seriously, he had to be at this theater, at this exact moment? What had she done so wrong that the universe repaid her like this?

  She plastered on her best I’m over you smile and turned around. His hair was shorter than it had been the last time she saw him, the dirty blonde locks almost buzzed. He’d gained a few pounds around the middle, but not enough that most people would notice. He still looked as handsome as ever, and rage flared through her.

  Seven years. She’d wasted seven years on him.

  “I didn’t expect to run into you here,” Andi said, the words coming out harsher than she’d intended.

  Mark shifted his weight from foot to foot, a sure sign he was uncomfortable. “Yeah, we’re back for Christmas.” He reached out and pulled a woman forward. Andi hadn’t noticed her before. The woman was completely average in every way—average brown hair of an average length, average weight, average height. “This is Mandy. My fiancée.”

  The woman he’d left her for. She stood there, clutching her purse strap and looking like she’d rather be anywhere else in the world at that moment.

  This unremarkable person was still somehow more important to Mark than the seven years of history he’d shared with Andi.

  Andi couldn’t help herself. She glanced at Mandy’s left hand. A diamond sparkled in the light. A diamond she’d been so sure would one day rest on her finger. Andi’s eyes flicked up to meet Mark’s. They brimmed with a sympathetic apology. She wanted to slap him. He didn’t get to absolve his guilt by doling out compassion. She was the wronged party here.