Page 16 of Saltwater Memories
Amanda smiled back at him. “That actually does sound like a good idea.”
“Thank you.” He cleared his throat. “And do you see that one there? If you just flip to the next page – those are the building plans we put together for that property. By finishing the basement, we’re going to create a really great family space with a walkout into the backyard. And by breaking up that large bedroom into two different rooms, it becomes more comfortable for a group.”
“I’m not going to lie – I don’t know anything about building or improvements. But this all seems good.”
“I hope so.” He let out a sigh. “The trick is that we need to be careful with zoning. And I don’t want to overcrowd neighborhoods or areas with these multifamily homes or rentals. We still want to have quality, single-family homes. Those attract a different sort of interest, and offer another reliable stream of income for the company.”
Amanda finished her sandwich and bag of chips as Will told her about the plans for the various properties. Some of the places looked familiar – one was the previous home of an old middle school soccer friend. It made her feel a bit strange that a house she knew from childhood was going to be pulled into this scheme, but oh well. From Will’s pictures, it looked like it had fallen into disrepair.
Will seemed knowledgeable about the big ideas. What he didn’t understand were the island-specific challenges – the difficulty in getting building materials to the island, the challenges in booking contractors and companies, and which contractors to avoid entirely.
She debated whether she should help him with this, but ultimately she decided it was harmless. If it added to their relationship and made her seem like a more serious seller, all the better. It wasn’t like these were guarded secrets of the island – she’d just been around so long that she knew all of it.
He took heed of everything that she told him, writing furiously on a notepad. By the time she got through everything, though, it was too late for her to show him her house. She needed to get back to work – and Jade would be back, too. No need getting Jade involved.
“Sorry that we went over,” he said, shoving his notebook and folder back into his bag. “I really appreciate you taking the time to talk me through all of this.”
“Sure. You’re welcome. Maybe we can set up a time that I can show you my house?”
He nodded. “Absolutely.”
She took a breath. She had to make some progress on the Lenny front. “And maybe you could show me some of these other properties? You know – just to get a feel for the market?”
“Of course, anything you like.”
She smiled. Bingo. This might be all that she needed.
When Amanda got back home, she logged into her laptop to make sure that she wasn’t in trouble for anything at work. Luckily, there were only three emails from her boss, and none of them were at a livid-level that demanded immediate response.
She pulled out her phone to text Morgan the update and saw that she had a message from Rupert.
Rupert!
“Hey Amanda, how are you? I’ve got some news – I’m not sure how to tell you this…but I’m working in the Seattle office and I was hoping I’d run into you soon?”
Her stomach dropped. She hadnoidea that he was going to transfer to the Seattle office! Did this mean that he’d missed her? Did it mean that they were going to get back together?
No, she shouldn’t jump to conclusions. But there was a flutter in her chest. There must’ve been a reason why she couldn’t forget him for all of these months. A reason she kept dreaming of him. There really stillwassomething between them. She’d just been waiting for something – anything to confirm that feeling.
And here it was – a sign. Rupert had come to Seattle at last.
