Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 90899 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 454(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90899 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 454(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Anthony, being Anthony, immediately offered to let my parents use the home anytime they liked, so that Dad could finally face off against his fishy nemesis.
After we ended the call, I turned and apologized. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize Dad’s inner Silas Mariner would come out on the call. He doesn’t usually invite himself to people’s houses on the first phone date.”
But Anthony only laughed. “Hey, he invited me up to dig for clams and go out on the lobster boat with your cousins. Sounds like a good time.”
I roll my eyes. “It is not a good time. Moon snail infestations are decimating the clam populations around our town. But Dad keeps forgetting that and going out with his bucket anyway. Then, he spends the entire morning getting upset about snails and how fast the world is changing for the worse.”
“Not always for the worse,” Anthony said, leaning in to kiss me.
We’d spent the rest of the afternoon in bed because…why not?
We weren’t closing on the property until this morning anyway.
Thankfully, that went off without a hitch, and as of ten a.m. today, I am officially a property owner! I already have a meeting with an electrician on Monday to talk about replacing the wiring and a crew arriving on Tuesday to work on the fire escape. Best of all, Sydney has a connection with the permit department, who moved the inspection of the attic space to the top of their list.
Assuming she approves my plans, I should be able to bring those units up to code with a relatively small cash investment and a few months of renovation time. Add in a moderate rent increase for the existing tenants and much higher rent prices for the one vacant unit and another coming empty in six weeks, and the financials are suddenly looking much brighter than they did before.
Everything is coming together, all because I decided to stop playing it safe and go after what I wanted for the first time in my life. Even if this magical thing with Anthony goes up in smoke in the New Year, I’ll never regret the time we’ve spent together or all the things I’ve learned in just a week of living boldly.
But I don’t see the magic fading anytime soon, not when every day with this man is somehow better than the last.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Anthony says now, his hand warm on my lower back as we follow the hostess through the elegant space toward our table. Crystal chandeliers cast intimate pools of light over white-clothed tables, and the band plays soft jazz from a small stage near the dance floor, adding to the vintage holiday feel in the restaurant.
“Just thinking about magic.” I lean into him. “And how excited I am to start work at the apartment building. Mark my words, I’m going to be in the black and paying you back in six months. I see great things in the future.”
He grins. “I do, too, but don’t worry about paying me back so fast. I told you, I don’t care when you start making payments. Or…if you make payments at all.”
I wrinkle my nose at him as we reach a corner table with an unobstructed view of both the city and the dance floor, where a bottle of champagne already waits in an ice bucket. Anthony pulls out my chair, and I settle in, smoothing my new dress as I sit. It’s an elegant navy silk number, another gift from Anthony that was waiting for me at the hotel this afternoon.
He really has to stop buying me things, but I can’t deny he has great taste. I would never have considered navy for an evening gown, but the color brings out the blue in my eyes and the pink in my cheeks and looks effortlessly elegant.
“I told you, I don’t want a sugar daddy,” I whisper as the hostess walks away, leaving us to peruse the menu. “This is a loan, one I will pay back as soon as possible before moving on to further New York City real estate domination.”
His eyes glitter with amusement as he studies me across the table.
“What?” I ask, arching a brow. “I’m serious.”
“I know you are,” he says. “I love it. Your ambition is sexy. And I have no doubt you’re going to make it work. Your plan for turning the lobby into two studio apartments is brilliant. There’s a scarcity of studios in that area. You’ll boost your revenue in a serious way while also filling a need for the community.”
“Thank you.” I sit up straighter in my chair as I pick up my menu, enjoying his praise. I love how supportive we are of each other. It feels so good to know he has my back and that I’ll always have his. “I mean, I’d rather have my own small apartment than have to live with a roommate for the rest of my twenties.” I cast a playful look Anthony’s way over the top of the heavy cardstock. “Though my new roommate isn’t so bad.”