“I’m getting there,” Ridley said. “You ready?”
Ashanti made aget on with itgesture, even though Ridley couldn’t see her.
“I just saw aFOR SALEsign on the house you want.”
Ashanti’s stomach immediately dropped. Had Thad backed out of the sale? She should be ecstatic yet couldn’t deny a pinch of sadness that he wouldn’t be a few blocks away.
But then she remembered that Ridley said she was driving fromUptown.
“Wait,” Ashanti said, her hand on the screen door’s handle. “Which house?”
“Which one do you think? The Greek Revival on the corner of Terpsichore and Camp Streets.”
Her heart stopped. It literally stopped for at least three seconds. “Ridley, I swear, if this is some kind of joke—”
“When do I ever joke?”
Good point.
“I took a picture of the sign,” Ridley continued. “I’ll text it to you as soon as I’m stopped at a red light. You had better call the real estate agent to make an offer ASAP, because this house will not last long on the market. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve gotten offers already. Call them as soon as I send the number, okay?”
“Uh—” Ashanti had hesitated for only a second before Ridley started yelling through the phone.
“Ashanti Jacinta Wright, if you miss out on this house, we are taking it to the fucking streets, you hear me? I swear, girl. Don’t play with me. Iwillfight you.”
“I don’t even know what they’re asking for it,” Ashanti pointed out.
“I don’t care what they’re asking for it! You’ve got orders for those dog cookies coming out of your ass. And I can promise you there will be even more orders after this spot on the news today. You can’t affordnotto get this house. Don’t mess this up, Shanti. I swear I will never speak to you again if you do.”
Ridley had been threatening never to speak to her again since the first time they went shopping at Claire’s and Ashanti wavered on a pair of half-dollar-size gold hoop earrings. Shecontended to this day that those earrings were too big for her head.
This house, however, was perfect for her. Ridley was right. She deserved to have her ass kicked in the streets if she allowed it to pass her by.
“Send the info,” Ashanti said.
15
As she studied the number Ridley had texted, Ashanti’s heartbeat went from normal to climax scene in aFriday the 13thmovie, but she refused to let that have any effect on her decision-making. She could not allow anxiety or fear to get in the way of this opportunity.
This was a test of faith. She’d told herself that Thad swooping in and buying the house meant that there was something bigger and better on the horizon for her. Well, bigger and better had just dropped into her lap.
She had been willing to settle for the place in the Bywater, but there was not a single property in New Orleans better suited for what she envisioned for Barkingham Palace than that beautiful two-story house in the Lower Garden District. The bed-and-breakfast/café that occupied it for years had closed during the thick of the pandemic and had remained empty all this time. Even as she set her sights on the house in the Bywater, Ashanti had prayed this one would become available.
Her prayers had been answered. So why was she waiting to call?
“Because you know it will be outside of your price range,” she said with a sigh.
The Lower Garden District was one of the city’s most expensive neighborhoods. When Ridley was house-hunting for a new condo, there was not a two-bedroom for under a half million. And that was for only one condo. Ashanti’s stomach turned at the thought of what an entire building would cost, especially one in such a prime location.
The house was also more than twice the size of Barkingham Palace’s current location, with a huge fenced-in backyard. There would be ample room for the bakery, a kitchen, and a bigger daycare.
She called the number.
A woman answered on the first ring. Ashanti didn’t even have to tell her which property she was interested in; the real estate agent said they had been getting calls all day about the place on Terpsichore. She went through the basics: size, number of rooms—all things Ashanti had already learned through her numerous searches on various real estate sites.
“What is the asking price?” Ashanti asked.
“One point six million,” the woman answered. “But I have a feeling this one will go over the asking price. In fact, we’ve already had an offer for more than what they’re asking for it.”
