Page 80 of Pity Play

“Let me see it,” she says. “If it looks as good as this one, we may be able to add to the listing price.” As we continue to walk around the upstairs, she says, “You’ve taken care of all the details.The switch plates alone cost nothing but changing them out makes everything look so fresh. And I notice you replaced the closet pulls. So smart.”

I’m seriously beaming at her praise. “I watch a lot of HGTV.”

“So do a lot of people, but they don’t seem to catch on how to do this stuff for themselves.” She amends that to, “At least that’s true for a lot of the sellers I’ve had.”

“I talked to my parents this morning,” I tell her. “They’re coming home next week to check everything out and sign the paperwork.”

Anna nods her head thoughtfully. “I’m guessing they’ll have multiple offers in the first week of listing. We won’t put it on the market officially until after Memorial Day when the season opens.” She elaborates, “I predict a twenty percent increase based on the out-of-towners that will be interested in a vacation investment.”

“That’s crazy!” I declare. But even so, I can see that year-round Elk Lake residents might not be as interested in paying such a hefty price. But Chicagoans probably look at our inflated summer prices and still think they’re a steal.

The doorbell rings again, so I tell Anna, “That’s my friend. She wanted to come and see what I’ve done here. Go ahead and keep looking.”

Running down the stairs, I open the door for my old boss. The first words out of her mouth are, “Your house is adorable! I love this neighborhood!”

“It’s been a great place to live,” I tell her before asking, “Are you and Heath looking to buy here in Elk Lake?”

She shrugs. “I think we eventually want to build, but we’ve been so busy getting the lodge going that we haven’t settled on it yet.”

“You live in one of the cottages at the lodge, right?”

“For now. Heath still spends a good deal of time in the city and we’re not really sure what’s next for us. I think I’d like tosettle in Elk Lake, but a lot of that will depend on his next business venture.”

Trina’s fiancé is a billionaire, so I’m guessing he can do whatever he wants, but even though I’m not that financially sound, I still understand the need some people have to keep moving on.

Anna walks down the stairs and declares, “You’ve done an absolutely amazing job here, Lorelai!” She notices Trina. “Trina, how are you?”

Trina walks toward her and gives Anna a hug. “You look great!” she gushes. They have mutual friends—most notably Paige and Tim, who fell in love on the final season ofMidwestern Matchmaker.

Anna laughs. “Twenty pounds of baby weight off and only twenty to go.”

Trina announces, “When Heath and I start a family I’m going to make up for every diet I’ve ever gone on. I’m going to let myself eat anything and everything I want.”

“It’s a lot of fun,” Anna says. “Except that once the baby comes, you have to deal with what you’ve done to yourself.”

“You’re gorgeous,” Trina assures her, before telling her, “I have a friend in the city who just bought one of those magnificent old brownstones, but it needs a lot of work. I thought I’d see what Lorelai did here and then maybe get them together so she can help Chip with some ideas.”

Anna tells her, “I was just telling Lorelai that I wanted to give her number to my clients who are selling. She’s done an amazing job here!”

I love hearing how appreciated my talents are, especially when I never realized they were talents. Every change made to my parents’ house just seemed like common sense to me. Leading the way into the living room, I sit down and announce, “Please feel free to keep singing my praises. The two of you are making my day.”

Trina and Anna sit down with me, and Anna suggests, “Youmight consider going to design school. I mean, you’ve done such a fantastic job here, but credentials will get you bigger clients.”

I have never thought about design school, but the idea fills me with excitement. “I wonder if they have a school in Madison.” As much as I don’t want to go back there, I could probably stand it for however long it would take me to get some kind of certificate.

“If you’re going to go to school,” Trina says, “you should go in Chicago. They’re more cutting edge.”

While I’ve declared that I never wanted to live in Chicago, the thought of going to school there does not fill me with dread. I wonder why that is. But before I can put my feelings into words, an image of Luke pops into my head.

I’m immediately bombarded by a variety of feelings. I like Luke. I like him so much and I would love to date him. But even though he lives in Chicago, he’s made it clear he will never move back to Elk Lake. And while I might be willing to go to school in the city, I know with certainty that I will be moving back home as soon as possible.

As such, what would be the point of getting in deeper with Luke if we are destined for such different futures?

The events of the rest of the day come and go, and I simply can’t make sense of the whirlwind of emotions flooding my body. I’m hopeful, I’m nervous, I’m scared, but mostly I’m really excited about what the next chapter of my life will bring.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

LUKE

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