Chapter 45
The phone ringing broke Court’s concentration.
She had been so focused on the numbers in front of her, she had to blink a few times before answering it.
As she did, she glanced at the spreadsheet one more time, fixing something she’d probably forget about and have to spend another hour searching if she didn’t.
“Court Morrissey, you’re buying a house with her?” Ellis demanded.
“Her name’s Stephanie Bexley, and yes, I am,” Court told her with a smile. All it took was saying her name to make her happy these days.
“I don’t care who she is. Do you know how serious it is to buy property with another person? It will take a lawyer to get you out of that. And I won’t help you.”
Highlighting the place she was in the spreadsheet. She turned all her attention to her friend. “Except I’m not going to need a lawyer, we’re going to grow old together in that house. Wait until you see it.”
“I don’t see it happening. Court, you’re going to start missing the parties, the clubs, the women. Remember the women. Stephanie can’t compete with them.” Ellis taunted her, but she had to know that she wasn’t into women anymore, Stephanie had changed that.
Leaning back in her chair, she told her, “It’s been months since I’ve even thought about another woman. There is only Stephanie now, and that isn’t going to change anytime soon.”
“That’s how it is with me and Jackson. We’re in the midst of a perfect relationship. In fact, I think he’s the one.” Ellis didn’t sound convinced of that fact.
“Date two isn’t the middle, unless it’s about over. Statistics, you know.”
“It’s date three, and that’s the sex date. Three days until that perfect date. And sex.”
“If you make it through the date without dumping him.”
“And why would I dump him? He’s perfect.” The last word was said with such conviction, Court doubted Ellis felt that way.
“Perfect?” she asked, because her friend had her scale of perfection mastered.
“Okay, he got a seventy-six, but do you know how many mid-seventies I’ve dated?
A hundred isn’t possible. My standards are just too high, which you are well aware of.
I will one day be the most sought after attorney in this town, married to the love of my life and business partner.
My company will be a household name, Ellis and whatever his name happens to be. ”
“Keeping your name?” She asked, because then they weren’t talking about the house Ellis was against.
“Why should I lose who I am? What is he giving up to marry me? That’s right, nothing. I’ll just keep what’s mine, which to some people might be just a name, but to me, it is who I am. And who I am is more important than a man.”
“You might change your mind when you meet that perfect man.”
“I’ve told you that there is no perfect man. I have to give up nothing.”
“I would take Stephanie’s last name if she asked me to.” She said, knowing that Ellis would have something to say on the subject.
“You would not! God, why would you even say that? Her name is Bexley. How is that better than Morrissey? You can’t even argue that.” She argued, but even she had to know she wasn’t being logical.
“Who I am isn’t wrapped up in my name.” Court told her she had never been overly attached to her last name, not that she thought she’d change it and still wasn’t thinking that. But Ellis didn’t need to know that, and she was in a mood today.
“Well, my name is a little more important than yours.” She insisted.
“Or I’ve found the perfect woman and we are in love. One so deep, names mean nothing.”
“You haven’t told her that have you? Please tell me you haven’t told her you love her.
It’s too soon, that’s like eight, nine months subject.
” Ellis sounded panicked, probably because she was on date three and was seeing them at month eight and wasn’t liking what she saw. He was only a seventy-six, after all.
“We’re buying a house together, Ellis, even I know to say the words before doing the thing. The words have been said many, many times.”
“You’re not marrying her, are you? Oh, I know you are. But really, why her?”
“If I had known that, I would have stopped it. I guess when you find the one.”
“The one.” Ellis groaned into the phone as her sister walked through the door.
Rolling her eyes at the woman as she walked over to the desk and sat down on the side. Turning the phone so she could see who was on the other end, a smirk crossed her face when she saw it was her sister. Hitting the speakerphone button, Rebel said, “Are you excited to see the house, Ellis?”
“She hasn’t even found one yet. That takes months if not years.” Ellis sounded desperate.
“Oh, I see. She’s spent hours telling you about it? What do you think about the enormous tree in the backyard and how the front door is going to be red? Hasn’t she told you about all that?”
“You already bought a house with her?” Ellis wailed on the other end.
“We signed a purchase agreement. We’re under contract.” Court admitted and liked how those words didn’t scare her even a little bit. This was the right move at the right time.
Ellis was silent on the other end, but she knew she hadn’t hung up the phone.
Was she gathering up her arguments for an even longer lecture?
One she was sure she’d let happen, though she was just as sure she wouldn’t listen.
She loved that she and Stephanie were starting their lives together and the house felt right. From the beginning.
Rebel picked up Court’s nameplate and spun it around a few times. “I’m so glad I didn’t take her home that night. I’m not ready for all of that.”
“She says she’s in love.” Ellis said sarcastically.
“I could see that was going to happen. She was that kind of girl.” Rebel said, and Court let the sisters have their conversation at her expense.
“How?” Ellis asked.
“Stephanie doesn’t have a mole.” With a smirk at her own joke. Court joined in with a silent chuckle.
“Those aren’t hereditary.” Ellis wailed.
“But let’s just pretend for a moment that it is. Except it moves in a second generation. Where on your chubby baby will that mole show up? It’s like Russian roulette, Ellis. Where is that damn mole?”
“Taking chances with moles.” Court added.
“Are we seriously still talking about this? Because I was talking about Court making mistakes and having regrets.” Ellis argued, as if she wasn’t now thinking of only moles. Big moles, baby moles.
“There won’t be any,” Court assured her. There weren’t now, or would there ever be? She was all in with Stephanie and couldn’t see her life without her.
“I just bet.” Ellis snorted.
Rebel took control of the conversation. “Speaking of bets, didn’t you actually lose a bet back when Court was off at her family weekend? Something about kissing a woman. As I remember, that didn’t happen.”
“I'm in a relationship now. I'm not a cheater. Besides, when I was single, Court was nowhere to be seen.”
“You were single for two days.” Court argued she hadn’t thought the mopey Ellis would find love too quickly.
“When you dump this one, the very next day.” Rebel held up a hand for a high five.
Slapping her hand, Court grinned. “Stephanie and I will be there.”
“It’s not going to happen.”
“You lost the bet, then. There’s been too much time between the bet and the actual action. You are losing by default. Did you just start dating this guy so you wouldn’t have to kiss a woman?”
“Are you changing the rules after the bet was placed? Because that means you forced it into default.”
“Are you scared? Because I can kiss a guy if that helps.” Rebel taunted her sister.
“You’ve done that before. Not that you should brag about that since you kissed Davie Dennis. Court never knew him, of which she felt lucky about,” Ellis said, making Rebel gag at the name.
“When you kick Mole to the curb, it’s you and some yet to be determined chick, Ellis. You even get to pick. If I were you, I’d pick one that I haven’t slept with already, or Court. Unless that’s your kink. Then, by all means, sloppy seconds.”
“Your luck would be that Henry and I spend the rest of our lives together. Then you’ll never see that kiss happen.”
“You’re not falling in love with a Henry, mole or not.”
“The mole is not important!” Ellis yelled into the phone.
In the Lady Killer’s office, Rebel and Court exchanged smiles. The relationship would be over in days. Sure, they shouldn’t do this to their friend/sister, but Ellis would never settle. There was a perfect man in her future, or a man so imperfect she wouldn’t know what hit her when she met him.
Now that Court had found happiness, she hoped her friends would as well. But there was no way Ellis was falling for one of the boring men she chose to date. At some point, one will come out of left field and sweep her off her feet.
Then it would be her who's buying a house and setting down roots. Now that Court had found the place she wanted to spend her life, she hoped her friends would find places close by. So, their kids could grow up together.
Kids? When did she start thinking about kids? Why wasn’t it scaring her?
“The clocks ticking, Ellis, kiss or pay up.” Rebel said melodiously as she ended the call. Then turned to Court with a glare, “You’re buying a house and I’m the last to know. I’m supposed to know everything about you, and now this.”
“You said you already knew.” She had thought she had overheard a conversation or something over the last few weeks. Sure, she had hidden their plans, but she had taken calls from the real estate agent in the office.
“I couldn’t let Ellis think she had found out before I did. She’d never let me live that down.” She slipped off the desk and sat in a chair. “Where exactly is this house?”
“Jane Addams Drive.” She tried to make it sound better than it was.
“I guess if you were going to pick a house, it would be there, on the one street named for a lesbian and a homelessness activist.” Rebel pulled out her phone and waved it. “Send me the info on this humble abode you are shacking up with your lady love in.”
Shaking her head at the remark, Court sent the information from her computer. The pictures were on there, since she had spent the morning pouring through the pictures again and planning the changes she was going to make.
“I hope you did not pay the price that’s listed on this? Highway robbery.” Rebel continued to look at the photos. “What exactly did you see in this house? You didn’t buy the first one you looked at, right?”
“No, not the first. I can’t explain what I saw. All I know is that it’s home. We are going to spend the money on making it ours.”
“Good luck with that. Don’t call me when you need help. Call my dad.”
“I already talked to him about shingles and hot water heaters.” They had decided that the house probably would need both and right away. Even so, she was excited about this new adventure.
“You told my parents before me? How dare you!” Rebel angrily got to her feet and stomped out of the office, slamming the door shut behind her.
It was the reaction she was expecting, but now they both knew and had their say about it.
Court had worried that their disapproval would change her mind about the entire situation.
And before she had found the house, it could have.
But now she was sure what she was doing was what she needed to be doing right now, that nothing could derail it.
Not even her friend’s attitude could change her mind.
Only Stephanie had that power over her now.