Page 16 of Safer Alone
I smile at that thought, a big smile speeding across my face, that no doubt he can’t see in the dark. He leans forward. Sensing and hoping what is coming, I stay incredibly still and when his lips meet my cheek in a kiss, that feeling from before erupts on my skin. This time it was more like fire. I involuntarily move my face only an inch so my lips would be closer to his. He felt what I was doing and removes his face, breaking the contact.
Honestly, he may as well have just slapped me. I don’t know what I was expecting to happen. Surely he wasn’t about to kiss me, right on the mouth, but maybe he might have pecked me again. But no, instead the sting of rejection is bitter, the hope that was beginning to flower in my chest begins to fall.
“Ah, Angela, I’m afraid if I kissed you right here and now you wouldn’t get home as early as you were hoping.” He takes my hand again and kissed it twice, holding it to his cheek for a moment before releasing it beside my body.
That softened the blow a little bit. From what had just been said, it sounded to me as though he did, in fact, want to kiss me. “Until next time, Miss White.” He opens my car door for me and helps me to sit down. Once I was safely inside the vehicle, he closes the door for me with a sound thud.
I see him stand there the entire time. While I fasten my seat belt, turn the ignition on, and pull out of the parking space, he remains in my view until I drive away. What was that about? What on earth was I playing at, attempting to kiss him. You are a damn fool, Angela White. I will need to get my emotions in check before I see him again. I have even forgotten to ask him to place his offer in writing. I will need to send him an email later to confirm.
When I arrive back home, I shower and wash off all of the emotions of the day. The hot steam doing wonders to clear my head. After I am finished, I begin preparing myself for bed. Once I am comfortably cocooned amongst my blankets, I retrieve my cell phone from the nightstand and open my email program.
Dear Elliot,
I forgot to ask you to please place your offer in writing so I can present your proposal to the current owners.
As soon as I have a response I will be in contact.
Warm Regards,
Angela White
Licensed Real Estate Agent
Nashville Realty
P.S. Thank you for dinner, I had a lovely time
Once I hit send, I quickly peruse my other emails seeing if the owners of Liam’s new residence had gotten back to me. Unfortunately there wasn’t anything there. I sent myself a quick email reminding myself to follow up with them tomorrow morning. I see a couple of emails from other real estate agents with new listings in the area which I look at and then delete.
Tonight had not gone at all like I had expected, apart from the confirmation that Elliot wanted to purchase the property. That I had hoped for and had even considered a possibility due to the positive viewing we had today. I was well fed. The Hermitage’s chefs certainly lived up to their reputation. That meal was one of the best I have enjoyed in such a long time. Flirting, on the other hand, was certainly not something I had ever hoped for. He could have just been playing me, doing something that clearly works for him to get what he wanted. I had indeed agreed to being his lackey for the duration of the build. I had agreed to hop on a plane and return to a city that I had no intention of ever setting foot into again, except to make sure Grandfather’s properties were being looked after.
I was feeling things tonight that I haven’t felt in what feels like forever. An attractive young man flirted with me tonight, and I somehow flirted back. Something about Elliot Sands makes me want to come out of my shell, consider the possibility of men again, the possibility of putting myself back out there, on the dating scene. Scary as it seems, I think I might be ready.
I enter Elliot’s name into the Google search engine again and select images. Every single one has him clothed in a suit, whether he is at a charity ball, or in his office, well dressed each time. Several have him talking with a beautiful blonde female; his girlfriend perhaps, or maybe it might be an ex-girlfriend. Locking my phone and closing my eyes, I remember him tonight, holding my hand, kissing it, telling me if he kissed me I wouldn’t get home on time. How I would have given anything for him to kiss me just once so I would know what he meant by that statement. Opening my eyes again I looked down at my phone and reach out to plug it into charge and then roll over, getting comfortable for sleep. The notification sound comes from beside me. I reach over and lift my phone so it is visible. The email icon appears front and center. Barely containing the excitement in my stomach, I open it:
Good evening, Angela,
I have attached a PDF version of my full priced offer for Belle Meade Homestead.
I dare say there will be more paperwork to complete if all proceeds.
I hope to hear good news in the coming days.
Regards,
Elliot Sands
CEO Sands PTY Limited
P.S. I too enjoyed dinner and look forward to doing it again soon
I open the PDF attached, quickly reading through what he had typed. I was happy to see that all was correct. I don’t know why it wouldn’t be; after all, this wasn’t his first rodeo. I would contact the owners first thing tomorrow morning and hopefully they accept. There really was no reason for them to reject this offer, they wanted a full-priced offer, and here was one, $2.4 million dollars offered for the purchase of the home.
I reread the last line of the email several times, smiling like a loon at my screen. He didn’t need to include that on the email and yet he did. Maybe some of tonight was real. Maybe it wasn’t all just some sort of a game for him. I could replay tonight over and over in my head for hours, but for now, it was time to sleep. I place my phone back on the bedside table.
I roll back over onto my side and grab the pillow beside me, pulling it against my chest. I cuddle it, allowing myself to get comfortable. I close my eyes, waiting for sleep to take me.
I’m sitting all alone at a dining table, in the middle of an oversized room. Looking down, I see that the table is draped in a deep navy-blue tablecloth with intricate silver embroidery in a floral pattern.
