Page 11 of Banter & Blushes #1
CADE
I agree to a date with Caroline Davis, and we’re scheduled for dinner at The Golden Anchor Wednesday evening—even though I’m already having second thoughts because of my growing feelings for Luna. What if I ask my matchmaker out on a date and see how that goes instead?
I’ve got a busy schedule for the next few days, so that helps keep my mind off the date.
Offers have started to roll in, and we’ve set a deadline for all contracts to be submitted by the end of the week.
Hugo and I are meeting tomorrow morning to discuss the contracts I have in hand so far.
I spend the rest of the day creating a spreadsheet to compare offers.
It’s a great tool so my client can see the differences between contracts in a summary format.
The sun sets before I even look up from my computer.
Rubbing my eyes, I make a quick sandwich for dinner, then go back through the offers one more time to make sure I haven’t overlooked any important points.
By midnight I’m in bed, exhausted after reading through each fifty-page contract.
Land sales require a lot of legal jargon, causing the contract to be much more bloated than for the sale of a home.
The next morning I get up early, making sure I have everything ready for the meeting with Hugo.
By 8:45 a.m. I’m on my way, arriving at Hugo’s a few minutes before the nine o’clock meeting time.
As I get out of my car, I take a moment to gaze at the adjoining property, and I try to imagine a high-rise hotel or condominium building sitting there.
It would be a shame to spoil the view with an eyesore structure, but obviously it’s my client’s choice who he sells the land to.
Hugo opens the door a few seconds after I ring the bell. “Cade! Come on in, I just put on a pot of coffee.”
“Coffee sounds good.” I follow him to the kitchen where there’s a spread of baked goods on the counter.
“I remembered your sweet tooth, so I stopped by Zoe’s this morning.”
I laugh. “You’ve already been into town?”
“Yep,” he says as he pours the black brew into two mugs. “I also took my daily three-mile beach walk to the lighthouse and back. The sunrise was particularly spectacular this morning.”
A pang of remorse hits that I haven’t even taken a walk on the beach since I did so with Luna several days ago.
I’ve been so caught up in work and this ridiculous matchmaking process to take a breather.
Why did I rent a bungalow on the beach if I’m not going to take advantage of the location?
My seventy-year-old client gets more fresh air and exercise than me.
Making a mental note to walk to the lighthouse myself very soon, I snag a chocolate éclair from the tray and join Hugo at his kitchen table. The coffee and sugar hit the spot. “You make strong coffee, just like I like it,” I say as I hold up my mug.
“I’ve always been a coffee drinker, but Luna’s almost converted me to becoming a tea drinker,” Hugo says with a chuckle.
“Don’t tell her, but I’m not fond of tea.”
My client laughs. “It’s our little secret.”
After we’ve finished our pastries and coffee, I get my laptop out of my bag. “I’ve created a spreadsheet to compare the details of each offer we’ve received so far.”
Hugo holds up his hand. “That’s great, but I wanted to discuss something else with you this morning.”
“Oh? What do you want to talk about?” My fingers pause mid-type.
The old man slouches back in his chair. “I’m getting second thoughts about the land sale. I don’t want to sell to just anyone and have them destroy a beautiful piece of property.”
Funny how I thought the exact same thing earlier.
“We can ask potential buyers to submit their plans for the site. But conditions or contingencies that a seller can place on a sale have to do with terms of the sale, rather than with what happens to the property afterwards.” I try to remember details of the zoning laws and whether those will protect the land, but I didn’t review them that closely.
“We’ll just have to come up with something creative.”
“I’m not a real estate attorney, but I know several good ones.” I’ll contact my friend Cassidy when I get back to the beach house. She’s an expert and will know what terms we’d need to include in the sales contract to protect the property .
Hugo nods. “Let’s cross that bridge when we get there. Now show me your fancy offer comparison sheet.”
I swivel the laptop towards him, point to the spreadsheet, and start talking.
It feels like déjà vu when I stroll into The Golden Anchor. Hopefully I enjoy this date much more than the previous one. Maybe I’ll even get to try the food. This time my date hasn’t arrived yet, so I opt to wait in the lobby area for her.
Five minutes tick by without any sign of Caroline. I read emails on my phone, trying to pass the time. At the ten-minute mark, I’m ready to give up and leave. I don’t have Caroline’s phone number, and I hesitate to call Luna to get it because I’d have to admit my date stood me up.
Right as I’m standing to leave, a woman wearing a business suit flies through the front door. She’s quite lovely but looks a little frazzled. She notices me immediately. “Are you Cade Bainbridge?” Her voice is a little breathless from her mad dash into the restaurant.
I step forward. “Yes, and you must be Caroline.”
“I apologize for being late.” She blows out a loud sigh as we shake hands. I don’t feel any attraction, but maybe that’ll come later. Her blonde hair is styled perfectly in waves, and the suit hugs her curves nicely. In terms of appearance, she checks all my boxes.
A waiter shows us to our table, leaves us with menus and ice waters, then strolls away.
“I hope you didn’t have an emergency,” I say, trying to break the ice.
Frowning she says, “We’re in the middle of a merger. You know how those things go. Always a fire to fight until all the paperwork is signed.”
I give her a commiserative nod. Real estate transactions can be stressful, and oftentimes the agent on the other side of the transaction expects you to drop everything to address an issue, no matter how big or how small.
“I can relate. You never know when a property deal will crash and burn,” I say, half-jokingly, hoping to get a smile out of her.
She arches an eyebrow and tosses me a skeptical look as if real estate could never be as stressful as her business. I shrug off the perceived put down.
“What’s good here?” she asks as she scans the menu.
I don’t know, and I certainly don’t want to admit that my previous meal here was interrupted by a bout of sneezing.
Cautiously sniffing the air, I wait anxiously, hoping my nose doesn’t start tingling.
It doesn’t. “Everything, as long as you like seafood,” I say, jokingly addressing her question.
My second attempt at humor falls flat. She doesn’t even crack a smile.
I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt that her sour mood is due to the issues with the merger.
How am I going to get her to lighten up and focus on this date?
We read through the voluminous menu in silence. After a few minutes, I rack my brain for another topic of conversation. Maybe the weather ?
Her phone dances across the table playing a popular Taylor Swift ringtone.
Caroline quickly grabs the phone, scowls, and says, “I’m sorry, but I have to get this.
” She jumps out of her chair and strides off to the lobby.
A few nearby diners give me sympathetic looks as I pretend to read the menu while I fume inside.
Can’t she turn her phone off for an hour while we eat?
A little voice inside my head reminds me that I’m getting what I asked for, a woman who’s as dedicated to her career as I am.
After I’ve read through every item on the menu twice and scrolled through the most recent Yelp comments, Caroline returns, sliding back onto her seat and chugging her ice water. She angrily swipes the menu from the table and says, “Where were we?”
My brows slam together. No apology for the fifteen-minute delay?
“I believe we were deciding on what to order.”
“Right. Seafood or seafood,” she says in a snide tone.
“Would you prefer to go somewhere else?” I offer.
She waves her hand in a dismissive manner. “I’ll probably just have the lettuce side salad.”
Really? We go to the premier seafood restaurant in the area and she’s having a salad? Something she could have ordered from any restaurant.
“I’m having the baked tilapia. The Golden Anchor’s special sauce gets rave reviews.” Maybe she’ll reconsider getting an entrée with a little encouragement.
She wrinkles her nose. “I don’t like sauces, especially on fish.”
“But you like lettuce slathered in dressing?” The words slip out before I can stop them, my frustration with this date bubbling to the top.
Her eyebrows rise. “I’ll ask for the dressing on the side, of course.”
Womp! Womp! The sound of a sad trombone plays in my head. This woman is strung as tight as a guitar string, and she’s as personable as a turnip.
When the Taylor Swift song pierces the silence again, I sag in relief. Maybe this fire will require her full attention and she’ll have to leave?
“Sorry, I have to get this.” Caroline leaps out of her seat and dashes back to the lobby.
I watch as she argues with someone, using a lot of hand gestures and angry facial expressions.
A few minutes later she returns to our table.
“You’d think one of my assistants could handle this situation,” she grouses.
“But apparently it requires my full attention.” She grabs her purse and stands, finally making eye contact. “Maybe we can reschedule?”
Not in a million years.
Before I open my mouth to turn her down gently, she puts her phone to her ear, starts talking, and walks briskly away.
“Do you still wish to order, sir?” the waiter asks a few seconds later.
Just wanting this evening to be over, I say, “Please give me the check.”
He throws me a quizzical look, probably wondering what to charge for two ice waters. I toss a fifty-dollar bill on the table, thank him, and stride out of the restaurant as fast as my feet will take me. I’m never going to show my face at The Golden Anchor again .
As I drive through town on the way to my beach house, I see the lights on in Luna’s shop. Without second-guessing myself, I whip into a parking spot right in front of her store.
The bells jingle as I enter. Luna appears, and her eyes grow wide as saucers. “I thought you were on your date with Caroline.”
“How about we go out for dinner and I tell you all about it?” I blurt.
A smile bursts across her face. “Sure! I was just getting ready to close. What are you hungry for?” she asks as she flits around, turning off lights and shutting down the register.
“Not seafood,” I mutter under my breath. “How about pizza?”
“That sounds delicious. I know just the place and we can walk to it.” She pauses and nods towards my outfit. “Do you want to change first?”
Glancing down, I remember that I’m wearing a three-piece suit and tie. I shrug out of the suit jacket and hand it to Luna, yank off the tie and vest, and roll up my sleeves. “This’ll be fine. I’ll just put these in my car,” I say.
She locks the shop door after I take back my jacket, then she falls into step beside me. I smile at her, and she smiles back, making my heart flip in my chest. This evening isn’t going to be a bust after all.