Page 6 of Ghost's Obsession

“Yeah, I hadn’t thought about that, but you’re right,” he responds thoughtfully.

I move towards the far end of the garage, where there’s a little partitioned-off area with a rough utility sink, an equallyrough stand-up shower, and a toilet that still flushes by some miracle. “It will probably need the plumbing inspected, and the building is not wired to code—I can see that already.”

“We’ll need to factor that into the renovation costs,” he replies.

His eyes track me curiously as I make my way around the empty space. I take measurements with the laser tool clipped to my belt. Ghost doesn’t follow me, hover, or interrupt. He just stands there and lets me do my job. It’s refreshing—and much appreciated. I’ve worked for men who want to micromanage every detail. Some even try to flirt at every turn in the conversation. Ghost just lets me work.

I crouch near the old workbench and tap the wood. “This is salvageable. We could strip it down and repurpose it. Maybe find something useful to do with it.”

“You’re the boss,” he says. “Whatever you come up with will probably be amazing.”

I look up at him with my eyebrows raised. “So, does this mean I’m hired?”

He smiles down at me. “Yeah, you seem extremely competent. Of course, we would need to work up a floor plan that makes sense and get approval by the planning commission. There are a lot of details to a renovation like this.” This man has the most alluring smile.

“Yeah, we’ll need a structural engineer’s report before we get started,” I tell him.

“Of course. I want everything to be done by the book.”

“Did you have any other ideas you wanted me to incorporate into the plan?”

“I was thinking a stand-up shower,” he says, gesturing to the back left corner. “I was thinking about skipping the bathtub because I plan to build a little deck out there eventually. Something private, with a two-person hot tub.”

I give him a look, deadpan. “A hot tub? Your mom is a lucky lady.”

His grin becomes broader and more genuine. “I was thinking more about that for the short-term rental guests. Not everyone comes out here to hike and drink herbal tea. But there’s no reason to suspect my mom wouldn’t like to use it when she moves in.”

I nod, all smiles, because he’s not wrong about that.

A short silence spins out between us. But it isn’t uncomfortable. We’re both clearly comfortable with not filling every minute with mindless chatter.

“Have you ever done a build like this before, besides the one I saw in your portfolio?” Ghost finally asks.

“Yeah, I’ve done three or four. I even did one with less square footage than this one. In that renovation, every square inch counted, but we still managed to fit in a loft bed and kitchenette. Of course, the plumbing got complicated, but problems like that crop up from time to time. Sometimes I get strange requests, like one guy wanted a Japanese soaking tub and an indoor pizza oven.”

Ghost chuckles. “Spoiled fucker.”

“That thought occurred to me as well.”

I add one final note and then clip my pen to the first few pages of my sketchbook.

Turning to Ghost, I tell him, “I’ll draw up a couple of floor plan options for you to choose from. I’ll gather up some paint swatches and finishing samples.”

“Any idea about a timeline yet?” he asks.

“It’ll take me a couple of days to get the sketches ready. You’ll have them by Thursday. Once you decide for certain what you want, we can plan out a reasonable timeline.”

“That works for me,” he says.

We walk back outside. The sunlight is gearing up to be a scorcher. I flip to a clean page in my notepad as we make our way towards the driveway.

“Let’s talk budget,” I suggest, stopping at my truck. “I just need ballpark numbers for right now,” I explain. “I’m not asking you to commit to a budget, but I do need to understand what I’m working with before I sketch out anything too ambitious.”

He gives a sharp jerk of his chin and rakes one hand through his hair. I can tell he’s thinking up a storm about how much he wants the renovation to set him back. Finally, he says, “I’d like to keep it under fifty grand. Preferably closer to forty. I’ve got some cushion if it goes over, but I’d rather keep it tight.”

A quick mental calculation—appliances, plumbing, insulation, electrical updates, finishes, framing, flooring—tells me fifty grand isn’t going to be nearly enough.

“I don’t think that’s going to even come close to making this renovation happen.”

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