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“Sure,” he said with an easy smile that crinkled his eyes at the corners.
My heart fluttered nervously. Was he just being nice, or was I doing the right thing? While I went to get a glass from the cabinet, Matteo paced my living room. “I love this wallpaper,” he said.
“Thanks,” I replied over my shoulder as I filled the glass designed with etched flowers. “My dad helped me put it up.”
“Is it permanent?” he asked.
“Peel and stick. In case I changed my mind,” I said.
“Smart.” He took the glass from me and drank a few sips. “Have you done lots of other work on the place?”
I nodded. “Want to see?”
“Definitely.” He grinned. “It’s always nice to get a feel for a place if you’ll be coming by more regularly.”
That had a smile on my lips. He thought he’d be coming by more often—that must mean I’d done something right. Or he’s presumptuous, but I preferred to look on the brighter side of life. So I gave him the grand tour of my pride and joy. All three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It was colorful and quirky and entirely me.
“It’s obvious you’ve taken a lot of pride in it,” he commented as we went outside to his car waiting in the driveway.
“It’s been a labor of love.” I told him about painting it pink the prior summer with my dad and some of my friends. It had been a fun project, and we made a whole event of it with free-flowing lemonade and a watermelon feast.
I got into the passenger seat of his SUV. It was impeccably cared for, clean on the inside, and it smelled like his cologne. I could get used to riding around in this.
“I thought we could go to Woody’s,” he suggested. “They have a chicken fried steak special tonight.”
“Sure,” I said, secretly thrilled. It had to be promising that he was taking me to the most frequented place in town. He wasn’t embarrassed to be seen with me or worried about rumors that were sure to follow a public outing together.
When we got to Woody’s, the date seemed to go really well. We talked about his background—he told me about going to college for sales and how many deals he’d been able to close as a realtor since moving back to Cottonwood Falls. It sounded like he’d had an incredible run working in real estate.
I was thinking he could be a really viable option for a partner, one that had been right under my nose, until he said, “A house like yours is going to take a specific kind of buyer, but I think we can get it sold faster if you’re willing to take down some of the wallpaper and touch up the paint behind it.”
I blinked. “What?”
“I know you love the house, but buyers like to see a home as more of a blank slate so they can make it their own.”
My head was spinning. “Sorry, I’m confused... I don’t want to sell my house. I’ll rent it when the time comes.”
His eyebrows drew together. “But Liv said I should take you out to dinner since you were moving soon and she didn’t want me to miss my chance with you...” Then realization hit his features. “Oh... Della, I’m sorry. I like you, but I don’t really see you like that. You showed me around your house, and I thought?—”
I held up a hand. “That’s okay, Matteo. Sorry for the miscommunication.”
He gestured down at the meal, clearly flustered. “I’ll cover this.”
“Oh no,” I said. “I’ll get it... for your professional advice.” My cheeks were freaking on fire. “In fact, you should go. I’ve already taken up so much of your time.”
“I don’t mind driving you home,” he said.
“That won’t be necessary,” I replied. “I think I’ll stay for a milkshake,” I added, just to get him out the door sooner. I had to keep at least a shred of my dignity.
“Okay...” He stood up and stayed by the table for a moment, opening and closing his mouth like he was about to say something, but I chirped, “Bye, Matteo!”
He gave me an awkward wave and left the restaurant.
And I got out my phone to text Liv.
Della: Matteo thought he was selling my house.
Liv: *shocked emoji* What??