Chapter 2
Chapter two
February
Working in these cubicles sucked. Not ideal at all, but that’s where I was in life.
I needed the money to live. My salary covered the basics, and everything extra, including food, came from what little sponsorships I had on my channels.
Which meant trying to keep up with them while working a full-time job.
I logged into my dashboard to see where I was trending. I was on my break but still trying to be discreet about it. Apparently, not careful enough.
Ben looked over the top of my wall. “What’s going on? Thought you were getting food.”
I held up my smoothie. “Gotta look at this. Ah, crap.”
“What?”
“Numbers are down.” I felt the lines in my forehead creasing as I scowled.
“Numbers? Work numbers or…”
“Work numbers are fine. I seem to do a lot better with what I do here.”
“Maybe it’s not quality or quantity but rather subject matter?”
I had an appeal, but targeting certain markets was trickier than others. But I didn’t have a chance to get into that when we were interrupted by Steve. My boss, Steve Vanderburn, was actually a stand-up guy, but he looked pissed off when he beckoned for me to join him in his office.
“Hey, Steve. What’s going on?” My stomach quivered. It was the whole authority thing again, like being called to the principal’s office.
He shut the door but started talking before he even circled his desk. “You can’t work on your private project on company time.”
“I was on break.”
“Other people don’t know if you’re on break.” He sat in his big chair and glared at me. “I don’t like reprimanding you. I’m well aware of your performance here, and it’s beyond exemplary. But.”
“But what?”
“When your co-workers complain, I have to put my foot down. Don’t log into your accounts here at work.”
“It’s practice for my clients.” Even I knew I was reaching on that one.
Steve sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Don’t do it, Joe. In fact. Go home. You’re suspended for the rest of the day. Come back tomorrow with a better attitude.”
Better attitude? Fuck that. Fuck him. I nodded and left his office. I went to my stupid cubby and logged out.
“Hey, where you going?” Ben called out to me, but I waved him off and kept going.
I should have gone outside to use my fucking phone to review my platforms, instead of staying at my desk. Going forward, that’s what I would do. Inconvenient, but bills had to be paid. Thankfully, I was on a salary, not hourly, which meant I wasn’t being docked pay.
It was like being gifted a free half-day off, and I wanted to be happy about it. It meant I could work on my own shit the rest of the day.
But.
I wasn’t. I was crushed and hurt with a thousand and one scenarios running through my head, mostly about who the fuck had complained about me.
I was at the top of the scorecard, bringing in the biggest returns.
Surely, someone was jealous. That meant I couldn’t give them anything else to bitch about.
What a shitty thing to deal with at work.
Now I had to watch my back. I didn’t know who to trust.
What the fuck? Maybe I needed to look for a new job. In fact, maybe I could get more money somewhere else. I hated that it came down to that. Money and being comfortable in a trusting environment. The former didn’t outweigh the latter, or the other way around. Both mattered.
I didn’t know what to do. So I went home and crawled into my closet with my comfort things. A nap with my stuffie and my binkie was exactly what I needed.
I took a deep breath, smelling the salt in the air of the fresh, sunny day. This was why I wanted to live here. We’d raced here over the years, and I loved it every single time. Florida was beautiful, and St. Petersburg was a cool place.
Finding a house was challenging, though. There wasn’t a lot on the market, and what was available and in my price range wasn’t ideal. Tyler had been exceedingly patient in showing me all the properties, and he listened to what I had to say about them.
“I think this one might be it, Vince.” Tyler punched in the code and used the key from the box to open the huge front door.
This one had a very white exterior with a Spanish tile roof.
The contrast was stark, but not outrageous.
It was on a cul-de-sac, on the water, with a dock in the back.
I didn’t know what I’d do with that since I didn’t have a boat.
The pool area was fantastic. Perfect for parties or lounging or getting some exercise.
Inside was beautiful with personality, and at this point, was my favorite. Priced just under five million, it was under budget, but not by much.
“This is the best so far. But I’m not sure.”
“What’s holding you back? I mean, this is an exquisite property.”
“Well…” I stood in the living room, looking around at the big, open area. “The kitchen is big, but it’s ugly. Come on.”
Tyler waved me off. “That can change. It’s only cosmetics, and it has great bones. And that pass-through window.”
I shrugged. I could probably walk through and pick the place apart, but he was right. It was all about taste in finishes. “Something about it is just not me.”
“I got you. Well. Hmm…I think I have something else, but it’s on Davis Islands. Tampa side. Are you open?”
I hadn’t considered any area outside of St. Petersburg, but I knew some other sports celebrities lived out on Davis Islands. Couldn’t hurt to look. “Sure.”
We got in Tyler’s car to head to this other property, which was a bit of a drive. Before we got too far, he bumped my thigh with the back of his hand. “So, uh, after this, you want to go get something to eat? Or maybe go out tonight? I know some great clubs.”
Was he hitting on me? Did he want to date? “I don’t think so.” I tried to soften my words; didn’t want to hurt his feelings.
“Oh. Sorry. I mean, you’re just a lot nicer and better looking than I thought you’d be.”
Well, that put a smile on my face. “Did you look me up online?”
“Sort of…” He licked his lips. “The videos do not do you justice.”
“Thank you. And please do not be offended. I think you’re just not my type. Maybe?” But what was my type? I didn’t know, but I was expecting something. A zing? Hell, I wanted a zing!
“I get it. No hard feelings. But you down to just fuck around? I mean…no emotions, not dating, just—”
“No. Sorry, I’m not into hookups. Besides, we’re doing business together, and I don’t want to mix that up.”
“That’s okay. I get it.” He held his hand up, palm out, as if to say stop. “But I do know a really great club in Tampa. It’s called Afterglow. You should come out and meet some new people sometime. I’ll give you a free pass card.”
“Free pass?”
“It’s a members-only club. Very selective.”
“Hmm…well, thanks.” Not sure I would use that free pass, but it was nice to know that I could have something to do if I wanted.
Then we went over Gandy Bridge. The water sparkled in the afternoon sunlight.
I simply loved this area, even though I hadn’t had a ton of time to explore, but that was one of the things I was looking forward to.
And seeing the water spread out to the horizon was glorious.
A prehistoric-looking pelican flew low, close to the railing, before diving under the bridge. Incredible.
I pulled out my phone and turned to the side to snap some pics to send to Grant. And then… “What was that? Oh my. I think I saw a dolphin.”
“Probably. They’re out there, and this is a perfect time to see them.”
“There it is again.” It popped up and disappeared so quickly. Then two more—up and back under. I tried snapping pictures, but they were too quick. But how fantastic was that? I had to share the best of the pics I managed to get and the story with Grant.
I chuckled at his stupid emoji and focused on the drive.
We got onto the expressway and then exited at Hyde Park.
Some of the buildings seemed historic, with those same Spanish tile roofs and wrought-iron balconies, while others looked like old-time Southern houses with hip roofs and big front porches.
Giant oaks with Spanish moss dripping from them lined the streets, side by side with palm trees.
Then we crossed Bay Shore, taking another bridge out to Davis Island.
There was a big hospital when you first got onto the island.
Then we passed businesses before moving into a residential area.
These were multi-million-dollar homes, no doubt.
They were decorating the street in a variety of construction styles.
We drove through the center of the island all the way down to the water.
“See that?” Tyler pointed out a vacant lot for sale, and I saw the water glistening dark blue behind it. “If we don’t find a house, you can always buy a lot and build.”
“Is that more expensive?”
“Depends on what you build. But that lot looked a little small. You’d have to build up to get something sizeable on it.”
“Hmm…” It wasn’t ideal, but something to think about. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Now this one…” He pulled the car into a driveway of pavers, rather than cement or asphalt.
The house was a soft vanilla that reminded me of a cookie my nanny used to give my cousins and me when we were kids.
“This is a new construction. No one else has ever lived here. It’s five beds and six baths, almost four thousand square feet. ”
I liked the idea of it being new. And it was nice.
Kind of square with a huge set of stairs leading to a porch that stretched from the door in the center to one edge of the house, and it had a two-car garage on the other.
Nice curb appeal that had me intrigued. “Let’s go inside. ” And I wasn’t disappointed.
Tyler spread one arm out dramatically. “Everything was done in all neutrals, so it’s perfect for a designer to come help you put your personality into it. And being less expensive, you have the extra money to make it exactly what you want.”
“Less? How much less?”
“Believe it or not, this beauty is listed at two point five nine.”
“That is lower. Considerably.”
“Well. Yes, but it’s new on the market, and I’d bet my ass that there will be a bidding war. I think if you want it, you should be prepared to go in above asking. Maybe a good opening bid would be two point eight-five.”
“That’s still good. I could go all the way up to three and still have a hefty decorating budget.”
“True, but my job is to get it for you at the lowest price point possible.” He winked at me. “Come on. Let’s see if you even want it, first.”
Besides being beautiful, it had a lot of good points.
There was a full butler’s pantry, plus extra storage on top of that.
If I ever threw a party, that would come in handy.
I could actually learn to cook, too. Then there were plenty of bathrooms, a downstairs office area, though it was small.
Of course, the best part was the pool and hot tub.
Outside living was a must, and this one was nice, though unlike the house I liked in St. Petersburg, it didn’t have a ton of lounging space or pool equipment storage.
I wasn’t sure even a decorator could help with that.
There was a second floor, with laundry upstairs that included appliances and a door to the main closet. I hated hauling laundry around, so that was nice.
We found a comfy game room at the back, overlooking the pool area. It needed at least a dry bar and drink fridge added, but that was easy enough. I could see myself hanging out with Grant here. Maybe some new friends.
“If you’re into fitness, this is also very close to Davis Islands Trail for walking or running.”
“That’s nice to know. Hell, walking at sunset along the trail might become a favorite thing.” Maybe I needed a new hobby, like photography.
It wasn’t all great, though. For nearly three million, it was small, not that I needed a ton of space, but the other house was significantly bigger.
Four of the bedrooms were upstairs, making it seem a little cramped, but did I need that many bedrooms?
Maybe I could lose one room and rearrange the floor plan a bit.
I loved that door to the laundry, but if I moved it to the back bedroom, I could still get that and it would open the center landing up a lot, while making the game room bigger too.
“How much do you think it would cost to move that?” I tapped on the door to the laundry.
“Not sure. We can get an estimate before we make a bid. I know someone I can call. You’re thinking this is tight?” He gestured to the landing we stood in.
“Yes. Some.”
“Right. You can make it what you want.” He shrugged. “Let’s go back down to the kitchen. I can hook you up with a designer. A good one who won’t overcharge.”
“The kitchen is a bit small, too. Don’t you think?”
He tapped the island. “Porcelain countertops.” He looked around. “You don’t need a bigger kitchen with all the prep space in the pantry.”
I didn’t know if that was true or not since I didn’t cook much. But it was also only me.
“Four butts can sit.” He gestured to the barstools staged in front of the island.
“True. But I’m probably going to lose the formal dining room.”
“Why?”
“I need to work out.”
Tyler looked at me skeptically but didn’t say anything.
I took another look around the first floor to see what other changes I might make.
“That’s probably all I would change here.
I’d keep the kitchen as is. Seems like some wasted space with this bedroom and bath here, but it would be nice to open that to the outside. ”
“Right, so you don’t track water through your house.”
“Exactly.”
“I like the way you think. Let’s see the garage.”
After looking at that space, we went back to the front of the house, and I looked up at it. “I’m not sure. I like it. But…”
“Hey, Vince. Take your time. I want to sell you a home, sure, but I want you to love it. Think about it. These multi-million-dollar homes don’t sell fast, but they also don’t come on the market as often.
If you don’t like the ones we saw today, we can go back to the drawing board and wait for the perfect house. Or even buy a lot, like I said.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Sure.” He clapped his hand on my shoulder. “It’s a long drive back to the office. Let’s get going.”