“That sounds great, thanks, but can I take a rain check? I’ve already made dinner plans,” he said, just as he reached Lance’s house. It was a nice place, very traditional and charming, built of red brick, with two levels and a wrap-around porch.
“I’m sorry? You have dinner plans?” She couldn’t have sounded more shocked.
“Yes, I do, Nosey Nellie,” he said mockingly as he parked his truck in Lance’s driveway.
“Who is it? Do I know her? Where’d you meet her? Oh—is it one of your old girlfriends from high school? You had so many—”
“Cameron, I’ve got to go. I’m running late.”
“No! Wait! At least tell me her name!”
Tanner had a brief, errant thought of telling her that his dinner date’s name was Lance, if only to placate her, but then he’d have to deal with the aftermath, a/k/a interrogation, and that wasn’t worth it. So, no, he was going to leave her hanging for now and pay the price later.
“Love you bunches!” he said hurriedly and hung up before she could yell at him.
Looking up from his phone, he saw Lance open the front door of his house and lean against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest. It was—a bit odd, if Tanner was honest. Why hadn’t he waited for Tanner to ring the doorbell? Then again, Lance had a certain—vibeto him that Tanner didn’t quite understand. Like an old southern gentleman who’d been forced to speak the language of jocks for so long that he’d become a bit of both.
With an awkward wave, Tanner smiled and then shoved his phone in his back pocket. Graceless and stiff, he more or less fell out of the driver’s seat and hobbled around to the passenger side to grab the six-pack of his favorite Belgian beer that he hoped Lance would like.
He’d taken just a few steps towards the house before Lance stepped off the porch and walked over to relieve him of the six-pack.
“Hey,” he greeted with a warm smile. “Glad you could make it tonight.”
“You promised steaks on the grill, Kingsley—I’m a little slow, not crazy,” he answered with a shrug.
Lance laughed and led him into the house.
It was a nice place, but the décor was confusing. Some of the furnishings were modern, while others were antique. Heavy, dark wood pieces were mixed with those made of stainless steel and glass. There were lots of boxes, along with numerous half-finished projects, as if Lance had just given up and walked away. They seemed like simple projects too, like shelf installation, hanging up pictures, and patching holes.
“Please pardon the mess,” Lance said, smiling sheepishly, as he set the six-pack down on the counter.
The kitchen was in much better shape than the rest of the house. The center island was massive, with a double sink and bar stools placed alongside the open counterspace. Their steaks were resting on a plate, pre-seasoned and ready to cook.
Tanner scoffed at the insinuation that he had any right to judge anything. “You’ve seen my place, right?”
Lance laughed as he reached for the beer opener.
“I started the grill a few minutes ago, and it should be hot soon. Want a beer and a quick tour in the meantime? I can show you the items that are up for grabs if you like.”
“Sounds perfect.”
Tanner followed Lance throughout the house listening to his plans for updating the place, and why he’d decided to go with a fixer upper. Granted, his extensive list of projects would take years to complete since his day job didn’t allow for a lot of spare time. But it was his first home renovation project, and he was clearly excited to see what he could accomplish.
When they reached the top of the stairs, Lance opened the first bedroom door on the right, revealing the amassed pile offurniture and accessories he wanted to get rid of. The room was overflowing with stuff. All kinds, too, with no discernible style. Lamps, coffee tables, end tables, bookcases, dining room tables and chairs, dressers, armchairs, even some deck chairs—Tanner had hit the jackpot.
“Jesus!” Tanner exclaimed, looking around the room in amazement.
“That might be the only thing not in here,” Lance said, with a laugh. “Julie was a bit of a furniture fiend. I thought she’d take this stuff when she left, but she didn’t want anything to do with any of it. Something about my toxic energy imprinting on the wood, if you can believe it.”
“Yeah—she sounds like a hoot,” Tanner said, rolling his eyes as he stepped forward cautiously. “Her loss,” he added, limping his way around the room. He wiped the top of a small dining room table free of dust to reveal the pattern of entwined flowers carved into the wood. It was a beautiful piece.
“I love this table,” he said admiringly, as his gaze wandered to a pair of oak nightstands that would look great in his bedroom. “And those two nightstands.” As he took his time looking over each piece, he kept finding things he really liked, but wondered how he could possibly afford them all. Maybe some kind of payment plan could be worked out.
“See anything you might like?” Lance asked after a minute.
“Yeah. It’s great. Exactly what I was looking for,” he said, with a nod and a smile. “I don’t know how much I can buy from you right now, though. Maybe I could start with these three pieces, depending on the price.” It was difficult to admit he had limited funds, but the past three years had been rough financially. The big fat government check promised to him last month hadn’t arrived yet.
“Nah, pick whatever you want. It’s all free. Like I told you on Sunday, I just want to clear out the room and feel as if the stuff is actually serving a purpose and not just gathering dust.”
