17. Mia
17
MIA
I need to get some serious revamping done if I’m going to hope to open in August. I’ve stripped the inside of some of its older details like the wallpaper in the dining room. That had to go. It looked like something out of a horror movie.
The sound of hammers and saws drift through the open windows of my grandmother’s house as I move from room to room, examining my progress.
I take my phone out and add “dining room paint” to my list. The problem is I still haven’t decided what color I want to use. Everything in me wants to go for a dark blue, but I know that dark paint will make the room feel smaller. And my grandmother’s house has never been big to begin with.
I’ve sanded the floors in the living room and plan to refinish them by the end of the week. The entire house is slowly transforming from an outdated relic to a charming, modern bed and breakfast, just like I’ve always dreamed.
But there’s still a lot of work today. I roll my shoulders, trying to ease the tension that’s built up from hours of painting and sanding. It’s time to take a break from the inside and tackle the jungle that used to be my grandmother’s garden.
I’m tired of being stuck inside day after day. Even though the changes I’m making are important and necessary to bring the house to life, I need to get outside for a few hours.
I grab my gardening gloves and head out back. The mid-morning sun is gentle. It hasn’t yet reached that time of year when stepping outside is like stepping into a warm bath because it’s so humid.
The garden is a wild mess of overgrown weeds, tangled vines, and a few stubborn bushes that seem to be clinging to life despite the neglect. I pull on my gloves and get to work, ripping out the weeds first. I just need to get rid of everything. The bushes are ugly, if I’m being honest, and even though they might manage to make a good base for the garden, I just want everything gone so I can put in a few natural touches of beauty and leave it like that.
As I work, I notice movement near the property line. Theo’s contractors are unloading some materials dangerously close to my side of the property. My jaw tightens. It’s not the first time they’ve encroached on my space, and it’s starting to feel deliberate.
I continue with my work for a few minutes, yanking and pulling. My back and upper arms are starting to hurt, so I lean back and massage them gently. As I do, I glance over to see the unloading progress.
As I study the forklift that is setting down a load of bricks, I shake my head. This is deliberate now. And it’s not like I can just move the bricks over to their side. It’s such a heavy load that they need a forklift to move it. And if the bricks stay there long at all, the little grass I have now will be completely destroyed.
I stand up, brush the dirt from my gloves, and march over to confront them. I tell myself that I should keep it cool and calm, but I can feel adrenaline running through my veins.
“Hey!” I call out, loud enough to be heard over the noise of their work.
One of the contractors, a burly man with a shaved head, looks up from where he’s directing a forklift. “Yes, ma’am?” he replies, wiping sweat from his brow.
I cross my arms and try to stand as tall as I can. “You’re unloading on my property line. You need to move everything back to your side.”
He frowns and glances at the equipment. “We’re just trying to find a spot to unload where the ground is level. If we unload on a slope, no matter how slight, rain can shift the bricks. I’m sure you wouldn’t want them tumbling down the hill toward your place.” He glances behind me, and I see the judgmental look that comes into his eyes. It’s the same judgmental look that Theo gets when he looks at my grandmother’s house. In fact, it’s the same look that everyone who owns one of the newer properties has—a look of superiority, like my house isn’t as good as theirs because it’s not one of the newer townhouses with a rooftop porch.
“I don’t care,” I snap. “You’re on my property. Move it.”
I don’t have the patience to deal kindly with these people, especially when they are talking about rain moving bricks. Absolutely ridiculous!
The contractor sighs and gives a noncommittal shrug. “You’ll have to talk to Mr. Roberts about that. He’s inside.”
My anger flares at the casual dismissal. “Fine, I will.”
I do feel a moment of hesitation as I stand on the edge of our two properties. I’ve set foot on Theo’s property only once before. When he was working by himself, he started a conversation with me, and I crossed the property line to have it with him.
But this time, it feels more like I’m invading his space.
After taking a deep breath, I march across the lawn, my mind racing with a mix of frustration and determination. The nerve of Theo to let his contractors just take over my space like that. As if he owns everything around here. I’m going to give him a piece of my mind, and I’m going to make them move it.
First, he floods my property. Now, he’s going to kill the grass. I don’t even know why I try to have nice things with him around trying to ruin them.
I reach the front door of the resort and hesitate for a moment, taking a deep breath to calm myself. This isn’t just about the property line. It’s about respect, and Theo needs to understand that. I raise my hand to knock, but before my fist makes contact, the door swings open.
A man with a hardhat is standing there, and he blinks at me when I don’t move. “I need to—” He motions at moving around me.
I step out of the way and catch the door before it closes, pushing my way inside.
I don't see Theo yet. The building is filled with the sound of work—hammers, drills, and the murmur of voices. I step forward cautiously, my resolve firm. The contractors gave me no specific direction, so I move further into the building.
I can see that I’m clearly in some sort of lobby area. It’s open with windows that look out on the street. It looks like there is an empty elevator shaft straight ahead. Bare, wooden stairs lead up to the next floor, and there are a couple of doorways branching off this main entrance area.
I head toward the doorway on the right. I feel partially curious because I’ve never been inside this huge place. In fact, I bet a lot of people on Oak Island would kill to get the kind of preview I’m getting.
I wonder how much I could get if I took pictures of this place.
But I also know that would be a breach of privacy, and I’m not about to do that. The room I enter is filled with stacks of building materials and tools. The air smells like sawdust. I glance around, but there’s no sign of Theo.
I wonder what this room is going to be. It’s hard to tell with the subfloor still in place.
“Hello?” I call out, my voice echoing slightly in the large space.
One of the workers looks up from his task and points back toward where I came from. “He’s in the office, ma’am.”
I nod my thanks and head in that direction, my heart pounding. I didn’t see any office. Maybe it was through the other doorway that I saw past the elevator shaft.
I glance up, trying to make sure everything is stable. I feel like I should be wearing a hard hat walking around in this place.
Back in the main lobby, I see a closed door on the far side of it. It’s one of the only doors I’ve seen so far that suggests it could be some sort of office space. I feel some timidity as I approach the door. I pause, my hand hovering over the handle.
This confrontation isn’t just about the property line. It’s about Theo constantly pushing his boundaries, about him trying to buy me out, about everything he represents.
I can’t let myself feel awkward or timid as I confront him. I have to hold my ground and let him know I’m not going to stand for just anything.
My breath catches as I push the door open and step inside. The room is filled with blueprints and plans, the centerpiece of which is the resort plan that he’s been so insistent on. And there, standing over a table, deep in conversation with another well-dressed man, is Theo.
Not moving, I stand in the doorway, feeling Theo’s eyes slowly move from the man he’s talking with to me. His eyes widen slightly as he sees me standing there, and I grip the door handle, searching for courage.