Page 29 of Right Place, Right Time
‘Wow,’ Adam says, again looking up as we step inside onto the Victorian black-and-white floor tiles and he sees the long, tall, winding staircase, with its black iron banister, running up through the house. ‘I thought it was just a tiny cottage from the outside. But this looks massive. How many floors?’
‘Three. The main living area is up on the first floor.’ I flick on some lights. ‘It also has a little roof terrace up there too. This floor has a couple of smaller bedrooms and the main bathroom, and at the very top is the main bedroom.’
‘It’s amazing,’ Adam says, his head almost swivelling 360 degrees as he follows me up the stairs to the next floor. ‘Who would have thought all this would be hidden inside an adorable little terraced cottage? It’s an incredible place and I love what you’ve done with it. It’s modern and chic, and I can see you’ve got some of your favourite antiques dotted about the place too, which makes it feel warm and inviting. It’s very you.’
I’m surprised to hear this rather lovely compliment from Adam. And I’m pleased my face is turned away from him as we climb the stairs, so he doesn’t see my delighted expression.
‘Thanks,’ I say quickly. ‘I’m glad you like it.’
We arrive at the first floor of the house with its open-plan living area. There’s a cream shaker-style kitchen at one end, leading to a small outdoor terrace with views over the city’s rooftops. On the other side of the kitchen island is the lounge area, where I have a long, green leather chesterfield-style sofa I bought at auction, an armchair in a similar style but in a deep burgundy-red velvet, a wooden coffee table, and some antique Tiffany-style glass lamps.
‘And this was your grandparents’ place?’ Adam asks. ‘I bet they were some pretty cool dudes.’
‘They were pretty cool, yes. But this house didn’t look like this when I inherited it; it was a bit more old-fashioned back then. I’ve done a fair bit of work on it since.’
‘I can tell. A place like this would cost a crazy amount to rent in London. May I take a look outside?’
‘Sure,’ I say, unlocking the door to the terrace. I don’t know why but I’m secretly really pleased to have Adam’s approval.
‘Nice,’ he says, stepping outside and looking around. ‘Is there another outdoor space above too?’
‘Yes, the main bedroom has a little balcony too.’
‘I think I’d better get into the antiques business,’ Adam says, smiling. ‘I’d love a place like this.’
‘Antiques is the wrong game for you if you want to make a lot of money, I’m afraid,’ I say lightly. ‘We do it for love, not money.’
‘You really get a sense of satisfaction from it, don’t you?’
‘Yes, I do. Don’t you get satisfaction from your job, then?’
‘I used to – not so much now, though. I’ve been trying to figure out for a while what I want to do instead, but nothing has come to mind as yet. So I just keep doing what I do.’
‘When you sell the house you’ll have some extra money, surely? Perhaps you could do something new with that?’ I say.
‘There’s the house and what you give me for the clearance. There’s some money in a couple of bank accounts too. Not a lot, but it all adds up, I suppose.’
‘There you go, then.’ I shiver a little in the cool night air. ‘Shall we go back inside? It’s pretty chilly out here tonight.’
Adam follows me back inside and I close the door behind him.
‘Would you like to get your shower first, or shall I?’ I ask a little awkwardly. ‘There’s two bathrooms here – the one downstairs and an en-suite upstairs. But the hot water doesn’t always do too well if you try to use both showers at once. It’s an old building.’
‘You go first,’ Adam says, putting his bag down on one of the kitchen stools. ‘It’s your house; I’m just an interloper. I wouldn’t want to use all your hot water. I know what old buildings can be like – I’ve lived in a few in my time.’
‘You’re a guest,’ I say, correcting him. ‘But if you’re sure?’
Adam looks pleased at my choice of word. ‘Yeah, you go for it. I’ll just chill here for a bit.’
‘All right, then … Well, help yourself to anything you fancy. There’s tea and coffee over there by the kettle, and cold drinks in the fridge.’
‘Will do!’ Adam wanders over to take a look in the fridge.
‘See you in a bit, then.’ I leave him looking inside my fridge and continue up to the second floor of the house where my bedroom and en-suite bathroom are.
As I remove all my dusty, dirty clothes and pull on my robe, I think about the situation I now find myself in. I met Adam just two days ago and now he’s downstairs helping himself to the contents of my refrigerator while I’m about to have a shower up here. I really should be a little more wary about inviting strangers into my home.
Usually, I would be much more careful. But I trust Adam. I don’t know whether it’s because our great-grandparents clearly knew each other, or whether it’s because we’ve spent much of the last thirty hours together? But I feel comfortable in his presence, and even though he irritates me at times, he is also very relaxed and fun to be around, and it’s been a long while since I’ve found someone’s company this easy.
