Chapter 11
Who runs the world? Girls.
I'm on top of my game right now. I have been kicking ass at work and seriously considering breaking off to work independently. The only thing holding me back is wondering whether I’m grown up enough to be a business owner. To be determined.
I have also been saving a ton of money, and I'm wondering if I'm adult enough to buy a house.
I believe this is where I want to be long-term.
It seems like a good idea to put some of my hard-earned money toward a mortgage instead of rent.
Life as I pictured it in the past did not include me being an independent woman running her own business and buying her own house, but why not?
Justin from Mexico contacted me a few weeks after we got home.
I could feel myself slipping into relationship brain after our time together, and I had no desire to let myself back into a commitment.
I am in my independent woman stage, and I want to stay there.
I didn’t reach out, and I wasn’t surprised when he didn’t either… until a couple of weeks later.
Justin Thompson, AKA Hottie From Mexico: Hey, Cassie Franklin.
Me: Hi, Justin Thompson.
Justin Thompson AKA Hottie From Mexico: Sorry I didn’t text you sooner. I was busy getting back into the swing of things. That’s mostly a lie. I was nervous since I didn’t hear from you, and a chickenshit. I’ve been thinking about you.
Me: It’s good to hear from you. Also, a chickenshit. Didn’t want to seem clingy or needy. Wow, honesty is refreshing.
Justin Thompson AKA Hottie From Mexico: Haha. You’re correct there. How have you been? Would you want to get together sometime?
Me: I’ve been good! The weather here sucks. And yes. I would like to get together sometime. What are you thinking?
Justin Thompson AKA Hottie From Mexico: In the interest of continuing our open and honest streak, my car is a piece of shit and can’t be trusted farther than around the block. So, I would probably ask you to come to me. Feel free to block me, as that is pretty pathetic.
Me: LOL. No worries. I’ve been there. I can come to you. How does Thursday night sound? Do you want to just hang out at your place?
Justin Thompson AKA Hottie From Mexico: Yes, I do. I have a roommate, just so you're aware. He is normal and works two jobs, so he isn’t home very much. God, all of this forewarning about my situation is sexy, isn’t it?
Me: Seriously, it’s fine. Send me your address and a good time to stop over. Looking forward to seeing you again.
After a few weeks, Justin and I started hanging out casually.
The first night we got together, we reminisced about our trip and the fun we had.
Then we naturally kind of hooked up. It was a mediocre experience.
I was definitely attracted to him in Mexico, but I was also very starved for male attention.
I think that had me so ramped up that by the time he gave me any physical attention, I was ready to explode.
Maybe it was the humidity, the ocean air, the feeling of being wild and free that had me so heated in that moment.
Our recent encounters have been pretty blah, yet I have continued chasing the high of that first time.
His car is unreliable, so it’s usually up to me to go over to his place.
It’s kind of a jaunt, and he is still living the roommate life.
He’s a few years younger than me, and it shows.
So, to summarize: I have been engaging in a friends-with-benefits situation for the last several months, and the benefits are pretty lame.
He’s such a nice guy, which is why ending it is going to be difficult.
I don’t mind his company. I’m such a sucker for a good man, even when being a good man is the only thing this relationship has going for it.
Let’s review my last journey to Justin’s apartment.
He texted me at 9 p.m. on a Saturday night asking if I wanted to come over and hang out.
Straight-up booty-call territory, and I can recognize that for what it is.
When I got there, we chatted for about five minutes, and then we decided to watch a movie.
We watched a movie for about five minutes before Justin started feeling around.
And by feeling around, I mean him finding my hand and putting it down his pants.
This leads to some very minimal foreplay, where I find myself moving my body to get his hands in the right spots.
And the finale is couch sex, where I sometimes feel a flicker of pleasure, but it mostly consists of him finishing and saying, “Welp, that’s it. ”
As the cougar in this relationship, I recognize I should be putting on my ”experienced older woman hat” and teaching the kid the ropes.
I should be teaching him how to please a woman so that he is a better lover for the person that he winds up in an actual relationship with.
It is my duty to womankind. I’m going to compare it to the waxes and wanes of fitness motivation.
It’s like saying you are going to run in the morning.
You know that running is good for you, you see the benefits, and you would like to continue.
You are going to be a runner! Then, morning arrives, and it’s a lot easier to lie in bed like a slug.
Poor Justin is in a friends-with-benefits situation with a slug.
Honestly, he’s trying. I’m the problem, and I’m going to be better in the future.
Cora came with me to do some house shopping.
It wasn’t my intention to look to buy. We both wanted to see what was out there in the single-girl price range.
Even though I have some money to throw around, I want to be conservative with my spending because I know that shit can hit the fan in the market at any time.
My realtor took us around to some 1970s and 1980s homes that had me feeling uninspired and unimpressed with the homes in my price range.
It was all golden oak, floral wallpaper, and brown carpet.
At one of the houses we looked at, I kept tripping on my own feet because the floors were apparently not conducive to walking, which is basically their only job.
Another house had actual standing water in the basement when we walked downstairs.
I’m not a contractor, but all of this screams problematic.
I was about ready to give up on this journey when Linda, the Realtor—also my former roommate—suggested looking at some new construction homes on the edge of the suburb I had been looking at.
“There is a new development just outside of town that has some homes that are pretty close to your range. They will all have unfinished basements. That is something you could worry about down the road when you have more people living in the home.”
Her suggestion that I will have a spouse and children someday seems nice, though it feels overly optimistic at this point.
“I don’t know. I don’t think I could afford a brand-new house based on what I have seen today.”
“You would be surprised. The developers need to get people away from the city and into these new developments. They are surprisingly affordable, and there is nothing like a brand new house!” Linda informed me with her best saleswoman smile.
Cora nudged me on the shoulder. “Let’s just go check them out while we are here. It can’t be worse than the other houses we saw today.”
“Sure. Let’s check it out.”
The new development on “the edge” of the suburb I live in is basically in the middle of nowhere.
We are miles from a convenience store, and there is a field with cows behind a street of houses.
This development has an HOA that promises a park, pool, and community building in the future; however, they haven’t been built yet.
Of the twenty-some houses built so far, it looks like most of them are unoccupied.
There are no humans or cars anywhere, which is a far cry from the edge-of-downtown living I have been engaged in for the last decade.
The houses look new and modern. They seem to be a repeat of the same four basic designs.
The one we are going to look at is the basic-basic home: one level, two bedrooms, and two bathrooms. There is a two-car garage that looks like a little piece of paradise after my years of street parking.
Just thinking about not having to brush snow off my car and scrape my windshield has me ready to sign a check.
Linda let us in the front door, which has a nice little foyer with coat and shoe storage.
Then we were straight into the open-concept kitchen, living room, and dining room area.
Everything had been finished and was brand new, with some blue tape scattered around, which I took to mean there were some slight issues that needed to be repaired.
“Most of the homes on this street have been partially designed by the homeowner, so they were able to pick out all of the finishes themselves. This is their model home, so what you see is what you get. Since it is not as customizable and is the basic level home, it does come at a lower price than the others in the development.”
I don’t have any complaints about the finishes. It’s all very neutral and kind of bland, but I could add my own style to it. It feels so fresh and clean compared to the other crapholes we looked at today.
Linda is pointing around the kitchen, giving directions.
“This door goes to the garage, and this door in the corner is a mini pantry. If you follow me through the living room, that leads to the master bedroom, master bath, and then the second bedroom and guest bathroom. You’re going to love the closet space in the master. ”
I walked into the master bedroom and got smacked in the face with a feeling of serenity.
The large window faces the backyard, and do you know what is in the backyard?
COWS. I could wake up, look out the window, and see a cow?
I am a city slicker, and if there are downfalls to this arrangement, I am unaware of what they are.
Linda was not joking about the master closet.
You pass through the closet on the way to the master bath.
The closet is large enough; you could make it into a third bedroom for a small person.
As I stand in the master bath, which is sparkly and beautiful, I feel my body begin to twirl.
“Oh shit,” Cora mutters. “I hope this house isn’t way over your budget because you’re totally buying it. It’s okay, but I’m annoyed at how far away it is.”
“It’s like a fifteen-minute drive,” I remarked back, continuing my twirl. “You would be fine.”
“Not if I’m drunk and need to come over. I'll be in jail, and it will be your fault.”
“If you're drunk, I'll come to you as long as it is during business hours.”
Cora shoots me a major side-eye and sighs. “It’s pretty perfect. I just hope you don’t get murdered living out here in the boonies by yourself.”
“I wouldn’t be by myself. I have cows!“
Linda chimes in to provide some factual context to our conversation.
“So, they are not complementary cows. The person who owns that land has been holding out on selling, but I’m guessing he will eventually sell when the right price is thrown at him.
The developer would then continue to expand.
So it is likely not a forever home for the cows.
Second, most of these homes are under contract and expect that people will be moving in over the next month.
If you were to put in an offer and everything went as planned, most of these houses would be occupied by the time you got here. ”
“It’s so pretty. Why do you think it hasn’t been snatched up by someone yet?”
“Looks like it was under contract and their loan fell through recently. A lot of people want to pick their finishes in a new construction home, so that is part of the reason it’s still available.
I don’t expect it to last for long, so if you're thinking of putting in an offer, you will want to do it right away.”
“Right away? Like this week?”
While I’m sure Linda thought I was an idiot, she looked at me with understanding and grace. “I mean today. I know there are several other showings this evening.”
“Today?! Wait. I’m just looking today.”
“Here are the things you should ask yourself: Will you regret it if you let this home go? And do you have your finances sorted and a letter from your bank?”
“I don’t have a letter yet because I didn’t know that was a thing. Help me; I’ve never even considered buying a house until this week. What should I do?”
“I can’t tell you what to do. My philosophy when seriously looking at a house that you intend to live in for a long time is the 80/10/10 rule. You have to love 80% of the house. You can be willing to change 10% and willing to accept 10% as it is what it is. What percentage do you love this house?”
“Uh, I would say like 98%, and the 2% is just because I’m scared of being a grown-up.”
“Well, let’s head back to my office, and you can call a trusted adult for some advice. If you aren’t ready to put in an offer when we get back to the office, then just go home and sleep on it.”
On the ride home, I start by asking Cora what she would do because she is an adult I trust, even though she is younger, wilder, and sassier than I am.
“Cora, what would you do?”
“First, she told you to call an adultier adult. Are you having a stroke? That ain’t me, babe. But if you love the house, buy it. You’re rich; you can handle it.”
“Do you think I should call Mom and Dad?”
“Ugh, I don’t know. Neither of them is known for their financial prowess. If they tell you not to buy it and you still want to, are you going to listen to them?”
“Probably not.”
“Sounds like that would just be confusing and annoying for you, so let’s skip it.”
“I'm a strong, independent, financially secure woman.”
Cora stares at me. “Ok, and?”
“I’m just psyching myself up.”
“Do you need a mirror to look in while you say nice things about yourself?”
“Shut up. I’m thinking.”
The rest of the ride is silent while I think about all the potential downsides.
I know there will be home maintenance and repairs, neither of which I am good at.
However, it’s a new home, so that shouldn’t be a major concern for a while.
The HOA takes care of all of the snow and lawn care, so I wouldn’t have to worry about that.
I know I can afford it because I kept my maximum mortgage cost on the low end of my budget.
And then there are the major deciding factors of the closet and the cows.
The cows may be temporary, but that closet is forever.
As we pulled into the parking lot, I took a deep breath and said, “Linda, let’s put in an offer.”