Page 28 of Saltwater Memories
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think that looked just like one of my clients.”
“Oh really? That’s funny.”
She walked past him and showed him the rest of the house. The tour went far too quickly for his taste, and he found himself standing in the living room again.
“I must say, this is a beautiful house. There’s a lot of potential here – that is,ifyou want to sell or rent. I totally understand if you’d prefer to keep it to yourself.”
Amanda shrugged. “Maybe it’d be good to rent it out? You know, for a little extra income. I could check out some of your other properties, see how it compares.”
“Sure.” He paused. It didn’t sound like she was sold on the idea and he didn’t want this to be the last time he got to see her. He took a deep breath. “I must admit that I have intentions completely outside of the real estate realm.”
“Oh?” She said, taking a step back.
“I was hoping that you might want to go to dinner with me.”
“As your…client?”
He looked down, then back up at her. Was she trying to give him an out? A hint that she was going to shoot him down? “Ah, no. Not necessarily. You don’t need to be my client. We can just be…friends.”
“Listen Will,” she said, “I just – I think that – ”
He put his hands up. “No pressure. None at all. I was looking forward to seeing the house, but more so, I was looking forward to seeing…you. I don’t know anyone else out here, so it can get kind of lonely.”
She frowned. “I know the feeling. I had a rough time when I first moved to London.”
“Yeah,” he said, shaking his head, “I mean, obviously I know that I’m an interloper here and the islanders want to run me off with pitch forks, but – ”
“No, it’s not like that. Not really.” She laughed. “Okay…sure. Why not.”
He smiled. “Great. Are you free…tonight?”
“Oh, like right now?”
He shrugged. “My social calendar is totally open. So…yes. Today! If you’re free. Or tomorrow. Any day.”
“Not one for playing hard to get, are you Will?”
He laughed – both at himself and at her calling him out. “Not really.”
She looked at her phone. “Well, all right. Other than answering angry emails from my boss, I didn’t have any plans tonight. Where should we go?”
“You’re the expert – what do you think?”
She smiled. “I’ve got some ideas.”
