I could see her teeth, which was something that usually only occurred when she schmoosed a wedding party or a soon-to-be client. She shook her head again, this time shaking off the smile and regaining her business composure. “I know they’ve had some financial issues and that’s why they chose to move here, though I am in the dark about their future plans. I have, however, started a tentative business plan of my own. I’ve discussed some things with your grandfather and I might make LJ an offer when she officially takes over the property. I have several things to do before then, the biggest being procuring a loan.”
“Nice, boss.” I sighed some on the inside, knowing that she was making plans. If her plans were as solid her work ethic, she’d be signing papers within days of LJ’s eighteenth birthday.
Simone cleared her throat with a dainty cough. “This information doesn’t leave this room, Ben. I’m not sure what that family is even like, much less what they are planning on doing with this place, so it’s best that we keep this to ourselves. If you find out anything from LJ, keep me posted. We’ll go from there.” She dropped her face again to her paperwork and started moving papers around.
I took that as my cue to leave. At least I had one day of peace left before I had to babysit. “I’ll be around if you need me, probably in the barn working on my bike.”
Simone’s desk phone rang and she grabbed the cordless receiver, holding a finger up for me to wait. “Stockton Mansion, Simone Platt speaking, can you hold for one minute?” She pressed a button on the phone. “Remember there’s a wedding so I expect silence. I don’t want to hear the engine noise from the barn or the woods.”
“Sure, no problem,” I replied seriously. I always respected the rules during events, and noise pollution was at the top of the list. I’m sure most grooms wouldn’t mind listening to the wild hum of a dirt bike engine while they professed their love and simultaneously said goodbye to their social freedom and independence. The brides wouldn’t be as happy, though. They pay to have their weddings here, isolated by the surrounding state park, away from the normal sights and sounds of everyday life. This property was sought out for its privacy and its charm, and we needed that to survive.
“And whenever he comes back here, have your friend, Sebastian, park his ugly truck out of view from now on, either behind your place or beside the barn. He parked it in the lot last week and a client was visibly scared by its horrendous condition. That hunk of scrap metal already looks like it belongs in the junkyard and now he has a deer rack mounted to the hood? I don’t suppose you could talk him into removing it?”
I shook my head. “Nope. He hit a deer last month and thought the truck deserved a trophy because it survived the accident.”
“Forget I asked,” she said with a pinched face. “Ben,” she called after I’d already walked into the hallway. “Thanks.”
I grabbed my chest in shock, mocking her kindness, and she narrowed her brows in response. “No problem,” I replied and turned back into the hall. “But, you owe me!” I shouted as best as I could through my teeth.
It was a good thing I owned a week’s worth of yoga pants and a couple of baggy sweatshirts because this ancient house held a dampness that had officially taken over my body and shook me until I layered up. I’d never felt this kind of cold before. And the thought of my first east-coast winter made my body shake more. Sure, the desert got cold enough. Temperatures there dropped in the twenties sometimes. But the humidity was nonexistent. Apparently, it made a bigger difference than I’d ever imagined.
The cold wasn’t the only reason I was grateful to have lounge attire. Over the last couple of weeks I’d said goodbye to the diet I’d been on since I turned fourteen and my body was thanking me by filling out in
“Nice, boss.” I sighed some on the inside, knowing that she was making plans. If her plans were as solid her work ethic, she’d be signing papers within days of LJ’s eighteenth birthday.
Simone cleared her throat with a dainty cough. “This information doesn’t leave this room, Ben. I’m not sure what that family is even like, much less what they are planning on doing with this place, so it’s best that we keep this to ourselves. If you find out anything from LJ, keep me posted. We’ll go from there.” She dropped her face again to her paperwork and started moving papers around.
I took that as my cue to leave. At least I had one day of peace left before I had to babysit. “I’ll be around if you need me, probably in the barn working on my bike.”
Simone’s desk phone rang and she grabbed the cordless receiver, holding a finger up for me to wait. “Stockton Mansion, Simone Platt speaking, can you hold for one minute?” She pressed a button on the phone. “Remember there’s a wedding so I expect silence. I don’t want to hear the engine noise from the barn or the woods.”
“Sure, no problem,” I replied seriously. I always respected the rules during events, and noise pollution was at the top of the list. I’m sure most grooms wouldn’t mind listening to the wild hum of a dirt bike engine while they professed their love and simultaneously said goodbye to their social freedom and independence. The brides wouldn’t be as happy, though. They pay to have their weddings here, isolated by the surrounding state park, away from the normal sights and sounds of everyday life. This property was sought out for its privacy and its charm, and we needed that to survive.
“And whenever he comes back here, have your friend, Sebastian, park his ugly truck out of view from now on, either behind your place or beside the barn. He parked it in the lot last week and a client was visibly scared by its horrendous condition. That hunk of scrap metal already looks like it belongs in the junkyard and now he has a deer rack mounted to the hood? I don’t suppose you could talk him into removing it?”
I shook my head. “Nope. He hit a deer last month and thought the truck deserved a trophy because it survived the accident.”
“Forget I asked,” she said with a pinched face. “Ben,” she called after I’d already walked into the hallway. “Thanks.”
I grabbed my chest in shock, mocking her kindness, and she narrowed her brows in response. “No problem,” I replied and turned back into the hall. “But, you owe me!” I shouted as best as I could through my teeth.
It was a good thing I owned a week’s worth of yoga pants and a couple of baggy sweatshirts because this ancient house held a dampness that had officially taken over my body and shook me until I layered up. I’d never felt this kind of cold before. And the thought of my first east-coast winter made my body shake more. Sure, the desert got cold enough. Temperatures there dropped in the twenties sometimes. But the humidity was nonexistent. Apparently, it made a bigger difference than I’d ever imagined.
The cold wasn’t the only reason I was grateful to have lounge attire. Over the last couple of weeks I’d said goodbye to the diet I’d been on since I turned fourteen and my body was thanking me by filling out in
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