Page 15 of The Fireman and the Flirt

“I never used to until she got me started. The night sky is stunning.” I was grateful to have someone in my life who made me stop and look up once in a while.

“It’s kind of funny that we never take the time to admire it. We’re all too busy.” Cary pondered this statement for a moment, his lips pouting for a second, before he got back to business. “How about number of bedrooms?”

“Two.”

“You don’t see a need for more bedrooms in your future?”

“I’m past the age of wanting more kids. My back still hurts from picking up and putting down a toddler all day long.”

A sly smile hung on Cary’s lips that was hard to look away from. “Noted. I recommend two full baths. You and Jolene don’t want to be sharing if you can help it.”

“Good point. Sharing a bathroom with Cal in high school was a nightmare.”

“The man has always loved his beauty regimen.”

“The hell that would rain down on me for using his shampoo…”

Cary bit the corner of his lip to hold back a bigger smile, transfixing me once again.

“Now, in your bathroom, would you need dual sinks, or is one sufficient?” Cary glanced at me before looking away.

“Why would I need two sinks?”

“Well, you know…it makes it easier…for two people to get ready in the morning.”

“Like I was sharing my bedroom with someone?”

“Yes, technically. That’s your prerogative. It’s your bathroom and you can share it with whoever you want. If you do see fit to do that.” Cary turned red again. “What I mean is, dual sinks are popular and more in demand.”

“I only need one,” I said definitively, and he didn’t follow up.

We continued to talk about features I might want in a house. The more questions Cary asked me, the more I realized that I did have opinions beyond a house that works. There were things I hadn’t thought about like backyard space or neighborhood preferences. He made it easy to make this a free flowing discussion, and I was surprised at how much I discussed. He knew his shit, and with each question, I saw a spark glow behind his eyes. I was in the presence of someone who loved what he did, and his excitement was starting to be contagious.

Before we knew it, we’d hit an hour and those two annoying brothers were knocking on the conference room door and pointing at their watches.

We’d gone through his entire checklist, but a part of me didn’t want the meeting to end.

“Where are you off to now?” Cary asked as he walked me to the lobby.

“I don’t know. I might grab some lunch. After our call last night, I’ve been thinking about Deli Street Main.”

“That does sound good. I can get you set up on our listings site so you can start poking around and liking properties you might want to see.”

I forgot house hunting was a job in itself. I didn’t like to spend much time on a computer. It made my head hurt. “Is that site accessible on your tablet?”

“Yep.”

“Then what if you joined me for lunch and we went through the listings together? Or else I probably won’t get around to it. I’ll even let you steal chips from my plate for old time’s sake.”

“Uh, sure.” Did I detect hesitation in his voice? Maybe I was overstepping client/agent boundaries.

“Unless you have another appointment.”

“Not until the afternoon. I’m always down for Deli Street Main. Let me grab my coat.” Cary pointed at his cubicle.

Outside, dark gray clouds on the verge of snow hovered over downtown Sourwood, making the strands of lights over the main intersection sparkle in cozy warmth. It was good to be back.

6

---