‘No coffee for me. I just had one while I was waiting for you to open.’
Blythe raced around to her side of the desk and sat down, which was when she noticed the spilled coffee. She grabbed a handful of tissues from the box on her desk and began mopping. ‘I’m sorry, I wasn’t expecting you,’ she said.
‘Oh, I thought we said ten o’clock?’
‘For a phone call.’ She knew she was pulling that tense-emoji face she did in awkward situations but it was hard not to.
‘I thought we were viewing all those houses you sent me.’ Sam frowned hard. ‘I’ve come up from London especially to see them.’
This was the best and worst news in one sentence. The chances of him actually making an offer on a property over the phone had been minuscule so now she had a real chance of selling one and setting a new sales record. She had desperately wanted to show him properties but he’d always said he was too busy to travel up and now he was here and she had no appointments booked in with vendors.Don’t panic,she told herself, while a mini version of her inside her brain had a total meltdown. ‘And see properties is exactly what we will do,’ she told him firmly. Although she did not want him sitting there while she grovelled to vendors to let her view their property on a Sunday morning with a moment’s notice. ‘How about you have a little mooch around the town. Get a feel for the place while I make some calls?’
‘I don’t think—’
‘You could grab another coffee, see the sights. There’s a clock tower, the church is stunning and—’
He seemed to sense her desperation for him to clear off. ‘I’ll be back in twenty minutes.’ He checked his watch, stood up and left.
At the sound of the door closing Blythe puffed out a breath she’d been holding in and slumped back in her chair. This was a nightmare. Sam opened the door again and she sat bolt upright, almost giving herself whiplash. Blythe pasted on a smile.
‘If we’re visiting people, you might want to…’ He waved a finger in a circle motion around her head. He grinned at her and closed the door.
What was that about? She picked up her phone and flipped the camera so she could see herself. Her usually straight golden hair was like a mad professor’s but with added leaves and twigs. There was a smudge of dirt on her forehead and a scratch covered in dried blood on her cheek. ‘Arghhhhhhh!’
3
30thMay
Blythe may not have given off the professional image she’d been hoping for but at least after a few frantic phone calls she now had four viewings lined up. Thankfully despite the short notice, in a slow-moving market, vendors were still keen to sell even if it meant tidying up and changing out of their pyjamas on a Sunday.
Blythe pulled the last of the foliage from her long hair, quickly put it up into a rough bun and dashed out of the toilets to see Sam hovering outside the shop. She watched him for a moment. He wasn’t at all how she’d pictured him from their many phone conversations. But now she thought about it those interactions had been pretty one-sided – she’d been the one doing all the talking with the occasional clipped comment from him, making him sound like her stepdad when she was trying to talk to him whilst the football was on.
Whilst he might have sounded a little bit like her stepdad he definitely didn’t look like him. Sam was very tall with the sort of dark stubble on his jaw that made her question if he was growing a beard or just liked his stubble extra-long. He pushed his sun-streaked hair off his face, making her think he usually wore it shorter. When he turned to look through the glass she rapidly gathered up her things. Blythe joined him outside feeling a little more like she was back in control and that the game was certainly still afoot. If she could actually get Sam inside some of these homes she stood an excellent chance of landing a sale. It was all to play for.
She went through the hastily arranged viewings as they walked to her car and she explained that she also had calls out for two more properties that, worst case, she would just call on and see if they could accommodate a viewing. It wasn’t ideal but they could always say no. ‘These are some of the best properties in the area. You’re going to be spoiled for choice.’ She glanced at Sam for a reaction but he was still looking at the details of the first property they were going to.
‘This one’s a bit modern,’ he said.
Blythe always avoided confirming any doubts; she preferred to focus on the positives. ‘It’s in your ideal location. Close to the countryside, but convenient for the town and the motorway networks. It has four bedrooms so you could easily use one of those as a home office and it has a lovely garden.’ She was mentally ticking off Sam’s requirements list in her head as she reeled off the house’s best features.
‘Hmm.’ Not the most encouraging response but it wasn’t a straight no, so there was still hope.
Blythe bleeped her car open and they got in.
Sam folded himself into the car. A little too late Blythe realised she’d pushed the passenger seat forward to get something in the back a few days previously and not bothered to return it to a neutral position. Sam’s knees were wedged against the glove box.
‘Whoops, sorry,’ said Blythe. She automatically went to pull the lever under the seat. Sam looked alarmed at where she was putting her hand. ‘Sorry,’ she repeated as she pulled the lever and Sam was catapulted backwards at speed. He now looked like he was sat in the back but she wasn’t groping around his thighs again. Sam seemed to make her small car feel minuscule; his head was almost touching the roof. At least it was a short drive to property one.
She pulled up as close to the place as she could and they got out. Blythe could tell Sam wasn’t impressed by the way he was scowling up and down the street. ‘It’s quite a busy road. You can’t see that from the photographs.’
‘It’s always good to assess that sort of thing from inside the property because often once you’re in the house any road noise diminishes,’ said Blythe, ushering him along.
As it turned out there was actually more noise inside the property. The owner opened the door with a screaming toddler and a selection of toys in his arms. ‘Hi, sorry come in. My wife is away on business so I’ve not really had a chance to tidy up but you’re welcome to look around.’ He handed Blythe a doll so he could shake Sam’s proffered hand.
Blythe slapped on a smile. This was not a good start. Negotiating the toy-strewn hallway was harder than an army assault course. ‘Actually, could you take your shoes off please? Cream carpets,’ the owner added by way of explanation. Blythe and Sam did as requested. She noted his Star Wars socks. Blythe knew the house layout and had already mapped out in her head which order to view the rooms. In his requirements Sam had majored on needing a designated room as an office and for it to be an easy drive to the nearest motorway junction – she wondered what he did for a living and she filed that for discussion later as it might be something she could use.
They went upstairs and she pointed out that it had been recently decorated. The first floor looked like the place had been burgled. Toys were scattered everywhere. There was a pile of wet towels on the bathroom floor and the once shiny white tiles were covered in what looked like blue paint. She saw Sam’s eyes widen at the sight.
‘It’s just those bath crayons; it’ll rinse off,’ she said, giving it a rub with her finger and smearing more blue across the tile. ‘Anyway, master bedroom is a great size and has an en suite.’ She pushed open the door to see a toilet with the lid up and a large floating turd bobbing on the surface. She swiftly shut the lid and pointed at the shower to pull Sam’s attention, which worked. ‘Rainfall shower. Right, let’s take a look at the other bedrooms and see which would make the best home office.’
