“When?”
“After your baby shower.” I clear up the timeline. “We came face-to-face with each other at the hospital. He was there to volunteer, and he got roped into being one of the bachelors at the fundraiser I was throwing.”
“And,” she eggs me on.
“And nothing, really, we became friends. He—” I take a sip of my coffee. “He figured out I was going through something with Trent.”
“How?”
“Not sure,” I say, not willing to give away his past. If he wants anyone to know, he’ll tell them. “But he knew I was going through things and he was…” I shrug. “…there.”
“I had no idea,” she says softly.
“No one did.” I smile at her. “I didn’t tell anyone.”
“Well, I’m glad he was there to help you through it then.” She reaches across the island and puts her hand on mine and squeezes it.
“I applied for the job,” I tell her and her eyes go big.
“What job? The one I told you about?”
“The foundation Kirby owns,” I point out and she shrugs.
“I didn’t know you two had a history or I wouldn’t have mentioned it.” She scoops some cereal in the blue plastic spoon before giving it to Jagger. “How did it go?”
“Well, after getting over the shock that it was him, I think it went well.” I smile at Jagger.
“Are you going to do it?”
“I think so,” I admit to her, standing up now and placing one foot on top of the other. “I love what they stand for, and it’s someplace that I would feel like I’m actually making a difference in people’s lives.”
“I think you’d be perfect for the job,” she encourages me, “and you’d have a kick-ass office. We are just getting the stuff delivered now and it’s so pretty.”
I smile. “Now all I have to do is decide if I’m going to take the house.”
“This is so exciting.” She looks at Jagger. “Isn’t this exciting, little man?” Then she turns to me. “A new job and a new house.” She whistles. “Watch out, world, Lexi Petrov is back.”
A short while later I’m sitting in front of the house I fell in love with when I came across it online. I didn’t tell anyone about it when I went to do a secret visit. The minute I walked in I fell more in love with it. It’s a two-bedroom house and comes right in my budget. I see the brown-stained door with the matching one-car garage. I smile as I walk up and put the code in the lock pad as the bottom springs out with the key. I turn the key in the lock and step in a little closed-in patio and I smile at how cute and charming it is. I walk over to the real front door, open it, and I suddenly feel like I’m home. A small entranceway is there, and when you walk in a bit more, you have the kitchen to the right. It’s nothing grand. No island in the middle, just a stainless-steel fridge, next to two ovens against the wall, with a stove top next to it. A small counter space before the sink. It’s small and quaint and perfect.
I walk into the open space that’s the living and dining room and head straight to the back of the house; the thing that made me want to seriously consider this house. I push open one of the two doors and stand out on the wooden balcony. The sounds of roaring waves hit right away as I smile, walking over to the glass railing. Looking to the left, I see the bedroom that leads onto the same balcony. This is where I’m planning to have my coffee in the morning. I can see myself doing yoga in the middle of here once I push the table and couch to the side.
I take my cell out of my purse and FaceTime my mother, who answers after one ring. “Hey, sweetie.”
“Hey, Mom,” I say as the wave hits again.
“Are you at the beach?” she asks me and I nod.
“I think I found a house,” I tell her and her eyes go big. “And,” I say with an even bigger smile, “it’s in my budget.”
She laughs. “Well, let me see it,” she urges me eagerly, waiting for me to take her on a tour.
“Okay, but remember this is for me and I think I love it,” I say and she nods her head.
“The kitchen is small,” she notes, “but you’re one person.” After the tour, she states, “You can use the second bedroom for extra closet space. Unless you knock down the wall and just make it one giant space.”
“I don’t know, it might be better for resale purposes if I keep it two bedrooms,” I mention and she agrees with me.
“I want to make an offer,” I tell her and she smiles and then I see the tears in her eyes. “Do you not like it?”
