away, way too expensive, or the school district is bad.”
“Where are you looking?” I ask, leaning forward just a bit.
“Somewhere in Queens, most likely,” she replies.
The server brings us our food, and we both start eating. I am happy to see that she is enjoying her gnocchi, and my Alfredo is delicious, as always. An idea
strikes me in the middle of our meal. I have the perfect place for Rayne to stay.
When I was just getting into the real estate industry, I bought a brownstone in Astoria to flip and resell. I loved the house so much that I could never part
with it. However, I still visit it occasionally to escape from the bustle of the city.
“You know, I have a house not too far from here that you could rent if you want it,” I offer.
She shakes her head back and forth, finishing with a bite of food. “Do you think it’s wise to mix our relationship like that? You’d be my boss and my
landlord. It might make things complicated.”
“At least see it before you shut it down,” I say. She shrugs her shoulder and nods her head.
We finish eating, and Rayne pulls her wallet out of her purse to pay the bill. I nod at the server, and they respond with a smile. They will just add this to my tab.
“Absolutely not,” I say, and she freezes her movements. “It’s already taken care of.”
“Leonard, you don’t have to. How much was it? I’ll pay you back,” she protests.
I shake my head, stand up from the booth, and walk towards the door, completely ignoring her demands to pay for her lunch. When I get outside, I call for a
car to come to pick us up so I can show the brownstone to Rayne.
“Leonard, you have to stop doing that,” she sighs at me when she meets me outside. “What’s this house like, anyway?”
“It’s really special. I think you’ll love it. It’s a wonderful place to raise a child too, and the school district is great,” I say.
The car arrives and we both hop in. The drive to Astoria doesn’t take long and when we pull up to the brownstone, I watch Rayne’s face as she takes it in.
She is clearly enamored just by the outside, impressed by the beautiful exterior and large windows. I want her to live here. Knowing someone I care about is
filling the rooms with laughter would make giving this place up worth it.
Right when you enter the house, there is a large curving staircase leading to the second floor. The living room is directly to the left of that. The sun shines
through the bay windows and against the ebony-stained wooden floors. The walls are painted a bright white to make it appear larger than it is, but what it
lacks in space, it makes up for in charm. Next, we walk down the hall to the kitchen and dining area.
“This is stunning,” Rayne says as she traces her fingers over the rustic wooden island at the center of the room. Pots and pans hang on a rack above, and
new appliances fill the room alongside large white cabinets with glass cutouts. “But there is no way I can afford this.”
I walk over to the backdoor and look outside at the backyard. It is smaller than some of the yards in the area, but having this space in the city is rare
anyway. “It needs some work,” I lie, hoping she’ll believe me and accept the offer to live here. “If you take care of the work, I can give you a low rate.”
She looks around her, sizing the place up. “This place is flawless, Leonard,” she counters.
“You know, I’m not happy with it,” I say, looking around and shaking my head. “For starters, the walls need to be painted. Then, the cabinets are stained,