Not So Easy (The NOT Series Book 4)

Chapter 11

The next twentyminutes were filled with oohs and aahs as we encountered room after room of cozy perfection. Soft colors, gleaming hardwoods, soaring ceilings, and furnishings that offered a modern twist on classic designs. There was even a hidden door disguised as a bookshelf that led into a well-appointed library.

There were five bedrooms and four baths on the second floor, while the third floor featured a luxury main suite, complete with an intimate seating area and a gorgeous all white bathroom.

By the time we returned to the kitchen, Megan was sold.

“This is it,” she said. “This is where I want to get married.”

“Shouldn’t you bring Ryan to see it first?” Josie asked.

“He’ll agree with me. We have to get married here.”

“You don’t even know how much the place costs,” Lindsey said.

Jaw tight, Megan rose to her full height of five foot nothing and said, “This is where I’m getting married.”

Turning to Calvin, I cleared my throat. “Could you please put Megan Knox on your calendar for October fifth and text me a rate sheet and contact info? Amanda Crawford will call to work out the details. She’ll be your contact person until Becca finishes her maternity leave.”

“I can do that.” Turning to Megan, he whipped a business card out of the front pocket of his overalls. “If you do want to show the groom, give me a call. He might want to see the special room.”

“You have a special room?” I asked. What could be more special than that plush top floor bedroom?

“Yes, ma’am. We took inspiration from about a century ago.” Flashing his pearly-whites, he added, “We call it the Speakeasy.”

“Okay, yeah,” Lindsey said. “We need to see that.”

“Not today, I’m afraid. They’re doing some repair work down there.”

“Down there?” I repeated.

“Yeah, the Speakeasy is in the basement. Should be ready for viewings by the end of the week, though.”

After a moment of silence, Josie said, “I guess this is mission accomplished. But we forgot to show Becca.” Turning to Calvin, she asked, “Can we do another walk-through with her on the phone so she can see it?”

“Sure. Take all the time you need.”

As they headed out of the kitchen, I stayed behind and Megan stopped at the swinging door to say, “Are you coming?”

“I’ll catch up.” Once the door swung shut, I said, “Thank you.”

“I should be thanking you. We opened for bookings four months ago with almost no calls. It’s been hard to get the word out.”

Most of my work came through Becca’s company, Three Rivers Events, but there were plenty of other planners in the city. “Have you sent your info out to the local event companies?”

“We have.”

“Then how are you not sold out? This place is amazing.”

“Thanks, but the problem isn’t the house or the grounds. It’s the location.”

Meaning people didn’t want to get married in this neighborhood. This was becoming an all too-familiar annoyance. “Do they bother to see it before making that decision?”

“Not often, no.”

For some unknown reason, I said, “My parents think I made a mistake by buying Bammy’s house.”

“Do you think you made a mistake?” he asked.

“No.”

Head tilted, he leaned on the island. “When are you going to start calling it your house?”

“What do you mean?”

“You always call it Bammy’s house.”

“It is Bammy’s house.”

“It was Bammy’s house. Now it’s your house. Living there won’t bring her back, you know.”

Was that why I was doing this? Some delusion that I could move in and magically go back in time to those happier days?

“I know that, but I also know her spirit is there. Not in a she haunts the place kind of way, but in an I can feel her there way. Does that sound crazy?”

“Nah, that’s true in a lot of the houses I flip. More so for you, since that’s your grandmother, but there are plenty of old spirits lingering around these blocks.”

“Do you think I made a mistake?” I asked. “Be honest. You know how much money this is costing me.”

Calvin paused and my heart stopped. If he said the words I didn’t want to hear, I might fall apart right there on his beautiful marble floor.

“If you were flipping the house with the goal of selling it right away, I’d say yeah, that’s a mistake. You wouldn’t get anywhere near the money back that you’re putting in. But you aren’t doing that. You’re making yourself a home you plan to live in for a long time, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then how could that be a mistake? Sometimes spending the money is worth what you get in the end.”

I liked that answer. “I don’t suppose you could explain that to my parents?”

He rubbed a calloused hand over the smooth counter top. “I don’t know. Meeting the parents is a big step.”

If he wanted to tease, I could tease right back. “You always were afraid of Daddy.”

Calvin leaned his elbows on the counter. “Your daddy is six foot four and mean.”

“What? Daddy isn’t mean.”

“He sure was. When I came over to ask you to the spring formal that one time, he chased me off the porch.”

My jaw dropped. “You’re lying. You never asked me to the formal.”

He straightened with a hand over his heart. “I swear on my best set of boots, I tried. He said no thug from the hood was good enough for his daughter.”

The more time I spent with this man, the more my entire life became a lie.

“He never told me.”

“Really? You went cold after that so I figured you knew and agreed with him.”

Teenage me had been such an idiot. Eyes down, I murmured, “No, I didn’t agree.”

I looked up to see him watching me, but before either of us could speak, my friends plowed into the room.

“Becca, you have to see this kitchen,” Josie said, holding her phone up in the air and swinging around to show the whole space. “Look at these counter tops. They’re to die for.”

“And the floor,” Megan added. “Show her the floor.”

“You’re making me dizzy,” Becca said. “Who is that with Donna?”

Josie pointed the phone at Calvin. “That’s her hunky contractor and the genius behind this house.” Tapping the screen, she shuffled around the island to stand next to our tour guide. “Becca, meet Calvin.”

“Nice to meet you,” she said. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there in person.”

“No worries,” he said, rolling with my insane friends. “I’ll be happy to show you around when you’re ready.”

Josie whipped the phone away and said, “We’re headed back. Megan has taken a ton of pics, and we have a business card for Amanda. She can thank us later for giving her the best kept secret in Pittsburgh. See ya soon and give the baby kisses for us.”

“Will do.”

With another tap Josie broke the connection. “Calvin, you really are our hero. This house is gorgeous, and it’s going to be perfect for the wedding. I still can’t believe it’s available.”

“Must have been meant to be,” he said with a smile. “Glad I could help.”

“Now I’m even more excited to see what Donna’s house is going to look like.” Lindsey glanced around the kitchen. “If this is the kind of work you do, her place is going to be amazing.”

“In Donna’s case, I’m just executing her ideas. She’ll deserve the credit for how it turns out.”

“A man willing to share the credit?” Josie shot me a look. “Woman, snap him up.”

My mind went blank, but Calvin saved me from having to reply.

“She’s too good for me. I’m just the hired help.”

“We need to go,” I said, far too frazzled to keep this up. “Thanks again for taking the time to show us around. We’ll make sure Amanda calls soon to lock in the rental.”

“No worries.” Calvin opened the back door and let us exit first. “Donna, I’ll call you about that thing we were discussing.”

If I had my way, we wouldn’t be continuing that discussion any time soon. Without looking back, I waved goodbye and hopped in the car. The girls chatted all the way back, allowing me to listen in silence. I’d essentially just admitted that I liked him back when we were kids. Something I probably should have done when he came clean that day at the house, but what did it matter?

That was a long time ago. We were adults with our own lives now. Teenage crushes had no bearing on the present. Right? Then why did I feel fifteen again and wishing I could melt into this car seat and disappear forever?

“Donna,” Josie said, “how are you resisting that man? He’s beautiful and an absolute sweetheart in addition to clearly being incredibly capable of just about anything. That house is more amazing than anything in my parents’ neighborhood.”

Her parents’ neighborhood was one of the wealthiest in the city, with stately old homes that most could only dream of. “I wouldn’t go that far,” I said.

“I would. If I ever get married I doubt that Mom will let me get away with a guest list under a hundred, but if she did, I’d use that place in a heartbeat.”

“I just want to use the shower,” Lindsey tossed in.

“Ryan and I are still looking at fixer-uppers,” Megan said. “If we get one, is it okay if I hire Calvin to do the work?”

It took a few seconds to realize she was talking to me. “You don’t need my permission.”

Lindsey leaned up from the backseat. “You never answered Josie’s question.”

“What question?”

“The one about how you’re resisting your contractor,” she said. “Or are you? That looked pretty intense when we walked into the kitchen.”

“Wait, what?” Josie said. “What did I miss?”

“I didn’t notice either,” Megan said.

The eagle-eyed school teacher caught my gaze in the rearview mirror. “You like him, don’t you?”

I could lie, but they’d see right through me. “Yes.”

Megan too leaned forward and squeezed her face up next to Lindsey’s. “For real? Oh my gosh. You two would be perfect together.”

“You don’t even know him,” I reminded her. “He could be a jerk.”

“But he isn’t,” Josie said. “He just stopped what he was doing on a Sunday afternoon to show your friends around that big house. All because you sent him one text. That’s a good guy.”

I couldn’t argue. “Yeah, he’s a really good guy.”

“Are you going to make a move?” Lindsey asked.

“I haven’t decided,” I answered truthfully. “We have a lot of history.”

“Have you guys dated?” Megan asked.

Shaking my head, I checked the side mirror and changed lanes. “No, not yet.”

Lindsey sat back with a smug smile. “That yet just gave you your answer.”