Page 16 of Banter & Blushes

A pang of remorse hits that I haven’t even taken a walk on the beach since I did so with Luna several days ago. I’ve been so caught up in work and this ridiculous matchmaking process to take a breather. Why did I rent a bungalow on the beach if I’m not going to take advantage of the location? My seventy-year-old client gets more fresh air and exercise than me.

Making a mental note to walk to the lighthouse myself very soon, I snag a chocolate éclair from the tray and join Hugo at his kitchen table. The coffee and sugar hit the spot. “You make strong coffee, just like I like it,” I say as I hold up my mug.

“I’ve always been a coffee drinker, but Luna’s almost converted me to becoming a tea drinker,” Hugo says with a chuckle.

“Don’t tell her, but I’m not fond of tea.”

My client laughs. “It’s our little secret.”

After we’ve finished our pastries and coffee, I get my laptop out of my bag. “I’ve created a spreadsheet to compare the details of each offer we’ve received so far.”

Hugo holds up his hand. “That’s great, but I wanted to discuss something else with you this morning.”

“Oh? What do you want to talk about?” My fingers pause mid-type.

The old man slouches back in his chair. “I’m getting second thoughts about the land sale. I don’t want to sell to just anyone and have them destroy a beautiful piece of property.”

Funny how I thought the exact same thing earlier. “We can ask potential buyers to submit their plans for the site. But conditions or contingencies that a seller can place on a sale have to do with terms of the sale, rather than with what happens to the property afterwards.” I try to remember details of the zoning laws and whether those will protect the land, but I didn’t review them that closely.

“We’ll just have to come up with something creative.”

“I’m not a real estate attorney, but I know several good ones.” I’ll contact my friend Cassidy when I get back to the beach house. She’s an expert and will know what terms we’d need to include in the sales contract to protect the property.

Hugo nods. “Let’s cross that bridge when we get there. Now show me your fancy offer comparison sheet.”

I swivel the laptop towards him, point to the spreadsheet, and start talking.

It feelslike déjà vu when I stroll into The Golden Anchor. Hopefully I enjoy this date much more than the previous one. Maybe I’ll even get to try the food. This time my date hasn’t arrived yet, so I opt to wait in the lobby area for her.

Five minutes tick by without any sign of Caroline. I read emails on my phone, trying to pass the time. At the ten-minute mark, I’m ready to give up and leave. I don’t have Caroline’s phone number, and I hesitate to call Luna to get it because I’d have to admit my date stood me up.

Right as I’m standing to leave, a woman wearing a business suit flies through the front door. She’s quite lovely but looks a little frazzled. She notices me immediately. “Are you Cade Bainbridge?” Her voice is a little breathless from her mad dash into the restaurant.

I step forward. “Yes, and you must be Caroline.”

“I apologize for being late.” She blows out a loud sigh as we shake hands. I don’t feel any attraction, but maybe that’ll come later. Her blonde hair is styled perfectly in waves, and the suit hugs her curves nicely. In terms of appearance, she checks all my boxes.

A waiter shows us to our table, leaves us with menus and ice waters, then strolls away.

“I hope you didn’t have an emergency,” I say, trying to break the ice.

Frowning she says, “We’re in the middle of a merger. You know how those things go. Always a fire to fight until all the paperwork is signed.”

I give her a commiserative nod. Real estate transactions can be stressful, and oftentimes the agent on the other side of the transaction expects you to drop everything to address an issue, no matter how big or how small. “I can relate. You never know when a property deal will crash and burn,” I say, half-jokingly, hoping to get a smile out of her.

She arches an eyebrow and tosses me a skeptical look as if real estate could never be as stressful as her business. I shrug off the perceived put down.

“What’s good here?” she asks as she scans the menu.

I don’t know, and I certainly don’t want to admit that my previous meal here was interrupted by a bout of sneezing. Cautiously sniffing the air, I wait anxiously, hoping my nose doesn’t start tingling. It doesn’t. “Everything, as long as you like seafood,” I say, jokingly addressing her question. My second attempt at humor falls flat. She doesn’t even crack a smile. I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt that her sour mood is due to the issues with the merger.How am I going to get her to lighten up and focus on this date?

We read through the voluminous menu in silence. After a few minutes, I rack my brain for another topic of conversation.Maybe the weather?

Her phone dances across the table playing a popular Taylor Swift ringtone. Caroline quickly grabs the phone, scowls, and says, “I’m sorry, but I have to get this.” She jumps out of her chair and strides off to the lobby. A few nearby diners give me sympathetic looks as I pretend to read the menu while I fume inside.Can’t she turn her phone off for an hour while we eat?

A little voice inside my head reminds me that I’m getting what I asked for, a woman who’s as dedicated to her career as I am.

After I’ve read through every item on the menu twice and scrolled through the most recent Yelp comments, Caroline returns, sliding back onto her seat and chugging her ice water. She angrily swipes the menu from the table and says, “Where were we?”

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