Page 5 of Persuading Penny
“Interesting,” she said, her eyes narrowed in thought.
I clapped my hands together, eager to change the subject. “And now, may we discuss the topic at hand; my employment with your production company.Where would you like me to begin?”
Keely stood and I feared I’d been too abrupt with her. After all, who was I to try to steer this interview into one direction or another?
“Can you give me a minute?”She walked around the desk. “I’ll be right back.”
She left the office and headed down the stairs.
What have I done?I immediately wondered. Had I said too much. Was my dire financial situation a stain on my reputation as an advisor?
From downstairs, I could just barely make out the voices of Keely and Hugh as they chatted. They didn’t sound angry, although it did seem serious.
“Okay,” I heard Hugh said. “I’ll give them a call to see what they think about it.”
The smack of a wet kiss was followed by the sound of Keely’s muffled steps as she came back up the stairs.
“I don’t want to intrude,” she said as she went around the desk to sit down. “I don’t want to impose, and the last thing I want to do is interfere, but...”
But you’re going to do all those things, I wanted to say.
“Would you and your parents be open to the idea of renting your home out...let’s say to a small American family who’ll soon be coming to Bath for a prolonged stay?”
“Rent?”I looked at the desktop, out the window, down at my clasped hands and finally at her once more. “Rent? I don’t know. It’s not an option that has ever been discussed.”
“I understand but let me tell you where I’m coming from.”
I nodded.
“Hugh and I have friends – friends from the United States – and they are planning to come to Bath for an extended stay. So far, they’ve booked their first nights at one of the hotels in town. As you can imagine, it is exceedingly expensive, and despite having booked a rather large suite, it is still just a hotel room. With two children, they would much prefer renting a house...a large house. And maybe a house with a yard?”
I smiled. “Yes. There’s a yard, and it’s a wonderful yard to run and play in. Flat and always well-kept, it’s the perfect place for games; croquet, lawn bowling...anything. And there is still a swing set at the far corner and a small wading pool. It’s been several years since I’ve swung at all, but it is still in good condition. As for the pool, well the water is green and slimy, but could easily be cleaned.”
“You wouldn’t happen to have any pictures, would you?”Keely said.
I pulled out my phone. “I might have a few.” I swiped through my photos. “Here’s one of the exterior.” I showed her my phone. “It’s a basic, two story, Victorian style home.”
“Very nice. Looks big enough for a family.”
I took back the phone. “I might have one of the formal dining room from a birthday a few years back. Oh, here it is.” Again, I showed her my phone.
“Perfect. Quite grand without being over the top.”
“And...”I said, still going through the photos. “I think I have one of my bedrooms. Here it is. It’s comfortably large with an adjacent private bath. Of course, my parents’ room is considerably larger and the bathroom more luxurious.”
“Good,” she said, nodding. “Very good. I’m sure our friends would love it. Can you send those to me, and I’ll make sure our friends see them. I should have an answer for you by tomorrow.”
I nodded, and pursed my lips as a question came to mind. “I don’t mean to sound...talking money is delicate sometimes, but...”
Keely chuckled lightly. “The suite they’d book was well over three-hundred pounds a day. I’m sure they’d be more than willing to pay several thousand pounds a month for a whole house to themselves.”
I smiled, relieved. A few thousand pounds a month...three? Perhaps four? That would surely change my family’s situation.
“You should have enough to make the mortgage payments,” she went on. “I would imagine it would also be enough to pay for more modest accommodations for you and your parents.Do you have a place that would be suitable for you.”
I nodded. “A family friend has a small cottage that we could stay in for a while.”
“Good. This could really be a great solution for everyone.”
