Page 24 of A Moment Never Forgotten
That was part of the façade…wasn’t it?
Sandi rounded the island that separated the kitchen from the dining space and living room, moving in close to Micah. “When we were here, alone, together, yesterday,” she said slowly in a low, husky voice, “I pointed out that this unit was recently renovated. Did you forget about that, sweetie?”
Micah winced.
Sandi gave Berit a fake grin. “Micah and I have been spending a great deal of time together lately. Strange, that he never mentioned you.” She turned toward him, once again laying her hand on his chest. “You’ve been a very naughty boy.”
He stepped back and her hand fell to her side. “Sandi, I have shown you nothing but respect as we looked at homes over the past several days, and I’m insulted that you would insinuate anything otherwise. If you’re trying to play some kind of game to make Berit jealous, I can assure you she’s not going to fall for it.”
Micah put his arm around Berit’s shoulders and pulled her to him. “Are you?”
His glance spoke volumes.
“Absolutely not,” she replied then stared at Sandi. “I doubt your broker would approve of the way you’ve acted today. Perhaps you should leave.”
“But…but I… I have to lock up the house,” she sputtered. She squared her shoulders. “I’m responsible if anything happens to the furniture or this condominium until it’s locked.”
“Very well, then, perhaps you should wait for us in your car,” Micah suggested. “Since I’ve already seen this place once before, I’ll be able to show Berit around. When we leave, you can come back in and check for any damages.”
Sandi stiffened her back. “Why don’t the two of you look around and discuss the home. I’ll wait for you right here.” She glanced away and stared off to the side. “Captain Reid, I apologize for my actions.” She sniffed. “I thought we were getting along really great. Like, personally. Like, maybe you were going to ask me out after I sold you a house.” She swiped a finger under her eyes.
Berit felt sorry for the woman but she wasn’t about to show her pity. Some lessons in life are learned best cold. She took Micah’s hand and tilted her head toward the living room. “We’re going to take a look around while you pull yourself together.”
The younger woman nodded. “I’m just going to…” Sniff. “Use the powder room.”
When Sandi disappeared behind the closed door, Micah pulled Berit into a hug. “Thank you. I know that was awkward there at the end, but I really appreciate you being here.” He kissed her cheek. “If you hadn’t agreed to come with me, I probably would have canceled.” He stepped back and she instantly missed the warmth of his body and its pressure against hers. “I really liked this place when I saw it the first time, but I truly wanted a woman’s point of view. You ready to finish the tour?”
“Let’s do it.” Berit moved into the dining area which was defined only by a tray ceiling with a chandelier hanging in the middle. “Everybody’s painting their house gray these days. I don’t know about you, but it reminds me of government buildings.”
Micah laughed. “Everything in the Navy is battleship gray. If I buy this place, first thing I’m going to do is have the walls painted before I move in.
Something was wrong with the space, but Berit couldn’t put her finger on it. She studied the dining room table. It hit her. Although there were four chairs at the table, they touched underneath. The table was undersized. It wasn’t even thirty-six inches wide, nor was it the standard forty-eight inches long.
“How big are your plates?” She looked to Micah for an answer.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. They’re regular plates.”
Berit’s gaze swept the living area. “Can you lay down and sleep on your couch?” He probably had no concept of its size either.
“Yeah. It’s comfortable.” He looked at her with questions in his eyes.
“This entire house has been staged. See this table? It’s several inches shorter than a standard dining room table. How many chairs do you have for your table?”
“I never use my dining room. Sometimes I wonder why I have one.”
“Answer the question,” she insisted.
After a moment’s thought, he answered, “Four chairs on each side, and one on each end with arms.” Before she could ask the next question, he added, “And I have extra leaves to make it bigger. I only have the six chairs, though. I have some folding chairs we use.”
“What else do you have in your dining room?” She had a china cabinet and a buffet as well as her table which could be expanded to seat twelve and was often full. When they moved stateside, she took her time and bought furniture room by room, finding her own style which was decidedly eclectic. She loved the thick colorful cushions that she brought back from the Middle East where most people sit on the floor. They sat stacked in the corner but had been pulled out and used constantly over the weekend by Mak and his friends. Where would she be without the handwoven rugs she bought so inexpensively in Turkey? Her home reflected her life and all the places she’d lived.
“I have a buffet, but I’m not really sure why.” Micah seemed to give his question some thought. “Oh, and the bar is in the dining room.”
“You’re going to have a hard time finding places to put all your furniture in this condo,” she noted.
“See.” Micah moved in and threw his arm around her shoulders. “This is exactly why I needed a woman to take a look at this place. I never would’ve thought about this shit.” He dragged her around and kissed her forehead. “Thank you.”
The powder room door opened as they were once again in each other’s arms. Hopefully catching them for a second time would dissipate any of Sandi’s hopes for a relationship with Micah.
