Page 50 of Fireworks at Pennycress Inn
An offer, of course. Which meant they’d not wanted to buy it for the full asking price, didn’t it? Polly felt her heart sinking again. ‘How much for?’
‘Five thousand under the asking price.’
‘Right.’ Five thousand. ‘That sounds like quite a bit being as we’ve already lowered the price twice before.’
‘Would you like me to ring them back with a counter-offer?’
‘You don’t think it’ll scare them away?’ They’d been waiting so long for this viewing, she wasn’t sure if she was brave enough to go down the route of counteroffering but five thousand pounds was a heck of a lot of money and could make all the difference to her if she was ever able to buy here.
‘I think we can give it a go. They liked the space the flat offered and, as I think I mentioned, they’re building a portfolio of rental properties, so the location being so close to the town centre is a big plus for them.’ David tapped something against the phone. ‘I think it’s a gamble worth taking. We’ll tell them we can go down two grand and see what happens.’
‘Right, okay. I’ll go with what you think.’ Polly took a deep breath. It was worth a go, wasn’t it? They wouldn’t just walk away because she’d asked for more money, if they wanted the flat enough to put an offer in, they wouldn’t want to lose it even if Polly had to agree to the lower offer after all.
‘They seem quite eager to get this wrapped up, so I’ll give them a call and ring you straight back.’ Without waiting for Polly to confirm, David ended the call.
Pulling her mobile away from her ear, Polly looked at the blank screen. How long would it take? She might be waiting hours, days even, for an answer. Walking across to the large glass doors, she pushed them open and stepped outside. Pulling the sleeves of her sweatshirt over her hands, she breathed in the fresh crisp air before watching as her breath turned to an icy cloud as she exhaled. She loved autumn days like this, when the fragrance of rain and foliage hung in the air but the sun peeked between clouds promising a clear day ahead.
She should probably go back into the office. There was definitely enough work to be getting on with, but there was no chance she’d be able to concentrate. Not right now. She’d leave it for a few minutes, take a quick walk and clear her head before going back.
Turning, Polly walked across the narrow bridge and into the reserve. A couple of gulls dived and skidded across the water of the lake, causing a stir amongst the ducks who were swimming serenely towards the small island in the middle of the water.
Just as she stepped down from the bridge and joined the gravel pathway which wound its way around the reserve, her mobile rang again. She frowned. It was David. That was quick. Answering it, she lifted it to her ear. ‘They weren’t in?’
‘They were and they accepted our counter-offer. You’ve got a sale! They’ve agreed on the new price.’ David’s voice was triumphant.
‘Wow. They’re buying the flat? It’s really sold?’ The questions tumbled from her mouth.
David’s loud chuckle sounded down the phone. ‘Yes, it’s sold, Miss Burrows. And the best thing is, they’re eager for a quick sale.’
A quick sale? It was really sold. ‘Thank you, David.’
‘My pleasure. I’ll get things moving my end and be in touch shortly. Speak soon.’
‘Bye,’ Polly whispered into the quiet phone. That was it. All done.
Walking across to the bench by the side of the path, she sank onto the cold wood. Her grandparents’ flat was sold. Shortly, it would no longer be hers. Everything her grandparents had worked hard for, all the love they’d put into their home, it would soon belong to someone else. Their memories, their ties with the flat, would be extinguished.
She stared at the ducks as they glided across the surface of the water, dipping their beaks below the surface every so often. She wouldn’t be able to go back there. Well, she would, but only to clear it out. She’d no longer have her bolthole, her sanctuary, the place she felt closest to her grandparents.
Leaning her elbows on her knees, Polly covered her eyes with the heels of her hands and pushed, waiting for the stars to appear in the blackness before her vision turned red. This is what she’d wanted. She’d wanted to sell the flat. That had been the end goal. It had been a stepping stone to securing her future here in Meadowfield, her new life, but now David had uttered those words she’d begun to suspect she’d never hear, now he’d told her it was sold, she wasn’t sure what to think.
She felt guilty. An immense tug growing in the pit of her stomach. What if she’d done the wrong thing? What if she should have kept the flat? What if she should have lived in it, been happy with her old life? What had she been thinking coming here, taking such a gamble, and at the expense of losing her grandparents’ beloved home too?
She felt someone sit down next to her and pulled her hands from her eyes, straightening her back. ‘Zac.’
‘Hey, are you okay?’ Draping her coat around her shoulders, he shuffled closer to her. ‘Don’t worry. There’ll be more people looking for a flat in that area. You never know, someone else might come along tomorrow and put an offer in.’
She smiled weakly at him. ‘It’s sold. The people who viewed today put an offer in, we countered it and they accepted.’
‘Oh wow. Congratulations!’ Zac frowned. ‘Or not?’
‘I don’t know.’ Slumping back against the hard wood of the bench, Polly gripped the edges of her coat around her. ‘I should be celebrating, shouldn’t I? Shouting from the rooftops or something, but all I feel like doing is crying.’
‘That’s understandable.’
‘It’s not. It’s pathetic. I’m the one who put it on the market. I knew what I was doing, so why do I feel like this?’ She shrugged. She didn’t even understand herself anymore.
Placing his arm around her shoulder, he leaned down and kissed the top of her head. ‘It is understandable. It’s a big deal. A really big deal. You grew up there, didn’t you?’
