30. Charlie
THIRTY
CHARLIE
We had nine days to pull this event together, and not a moment to lose. With the mayor on board with our collaborative plan, Sebastian and I worked through the weekend to put a presentation together. I showed him what I’d prepared about the history of the building, and we used some of the better images to introduce the importance of the Monticello. He contributed financial predictions and a few architectural renders he’d had his Arlington team create.
It was a lot of work. We had to hit the right balance between honoring the history of the place while catering to the councilors who wanted to move the town forward. By Sunday night, our presentation was looking sharp.
And beyond that, working with Sebastian made me feel like I had a perpetually lit fuse inside me. His eyes gleamed whenever they met mine, and he got this crooked little smile on his lips whenever I showed him something he liked. I’d never had someone in my corner like this before.
I’d always battled to prove that I belonged here, to make sure that this town remained home to me. Maybe a part of me had always felt like I was on the outside, looking in. But as Sebastian and I worked on our presentation, he made me feel like I was important. Like I mattered. To the future of the Monticello, to the town—and to him.
I sat back in a dining chair at his beautiful antique kitchen table and scrolled through the document, satisfied. “This is good.”
Sebastian brought me one of my favorite sparkling peach drinks and set it down on a coaster next to my computer. “You know the council better than I do. You think they’ll go for it?”
“I do,” I told him. “I don’t see how they can knock this back. It’s the best of both worlds.”
He nodded a bit absentmindedly, a frown tugging his brows together as he stared at the screen.
“What is it?”
Sebastian glanced at me and shook his head. “Just wondering if it’ll be enough.”
“Enough for what?”
“Enough for investors to approve.”
I frowned. That niggling feeling of dread I’d gotten on the drive back from DC came back stronger than ever before. “What investors, exactly?”
“Ones who can afford to fund this reconstruction. This is…a departure. It could change things.”
“I thought you were the investor.”
“No, unfortunately, my funds are all tied up,” he said, but he wouldn’t meet my eye.
“You’re not having second thoughts, are you?”
He shook his head, his hand sliding across my shoulders. “I think it’s our best shot to get approval from the council.”
Something about his tone didn’t sit right with me. It didn’t sound like he believed in saving the theater or that he cared at all, except to ensure that his precious investors would be satisfied with the numbers.
Sebastian cleared his throat and moved to the fridge to grab himself a drink. Was it just me, or were his shoulders tense? He cracked open one of the fizzy peach drinks and took a sip, grimacing. “These are truly disgusting.”
I didn’t take the bait. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
He set the can down and crossed the kitchen toward me, then pulled me up out of my chair and wrapped his arms around me. “I want to get this approved by the council, Charlie. That’s all. It’s important. There’s a lot riding on this.”
“I’m aware,” I deadpanned.
“Not just for you,” he answered, his palm making a slow sweep down my spine. “Not just for the town. For me too.” He pressed a soft kiss to my lips and pulled back. “What do you say we put the computers away? Put on a movie. Relax for a couple hours.”
I slid my hands up his arms and draped them around his neck, nodding. “That sounds nice.”
“Everything will work out with the Monticello,” he said, and this time, he sounded confident. “We’ll get the plan approved, and we’ll save as much of it as we can.”
“And that’s what you want?”
He nodded. “That’s what I want.”
There was still some disquiet rumbling inside me, but all I could do was take his word for it. He walked me to the living room, and we cuddled on the couch as we flicked through movies before settling on a cute romcom from thirty years ago. I laid my head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat, and before long, I was asleep in his arms.
I had a meeting with the bank on Monday where they told me my pre-approval had come through. That meant I could make a fair offer on Radcliffe House as soon as I figured out how to broach the subject with Sebastian.
The demolition wasn’t slated to happen for six months, though. At this point, the gala on Saturday was much more pressing. We had to finish all the work by Wednesday evening to let the event planners have the space for their setup. It was all hands on deck to get the job done. I’d find the right opportunity to make an offer on the house once we were through with the vote. I had time.
I found Sebastian with Vinnie just outside the theater, supervising the replacement of all those marquee bulbs. Sebastian smiled at me as I came to a stop beside him, his hand brushing the back of my arm.
“This is going to look great,” Vinnie said. “And my tile guy just gave us the okay to walk near the entrance. You want to have a look?”
“I’ve never wanted anything more,” I answered, following the older man inside. Clutching my chest, I let out a happy sigh.
The wonderful, talented, amazing tile guy had done an incredible job matching the tiles and making the entryway look like it had always been this way. A geometric pattern welcomed visitors and ushered them further into the lobby, where the huge chandelier and the staircases gave the room a sense of scale and grandeur.
“Not bad for a little Virginia town, huh,” I said.
Sebastian grinned. “Not bad,” he agreed.
The wall sconces were being installed, and the final coat of paint was going up on the walls. There were a dozen workers doing their thing, so I tried to stay out of their way while ticking things off my to-do list.
“I think we’ll get there by Wednesday,” I said, glancing at Vinnie. “You?”
“No problems at all,” he said, smiling. “It’s going to look perfect.”
All that was left to do was put the final touches on the presentation, pick up my rented gown—and shoes—and prepare myself to let it all hang out in front of the entire town council. I glanced across the lobby to Sebastian, who was speaking to one of the electricians, and couldn’t help but smile.
I knew he had different priorities. He was worried about investors and funds…but he’d still done this restoration. With me. We’d started on opposite sides of the war only to find common ground. We could find common ground with Radcliffe House. And perhaps more. I could win him over and give him a generous offer for a run-down house to sweeten the deal.
I was sure of it.