Chapter 23 Kit #2
Meredith seemed less surprised to see me.
She gave a subtle wave as she listened to Charles.
She was dressed more casually than usual, in a white button-down and a pair of bootcut jeans, but even in a simple outfit, she looked like she belonged in a Ralph Lauren catalog.
She folded her arms across her chest as she listened to Charles give her the details of the house.
“Oh, hello, darlings,” a tall thin woman said, coming into the room. Like Meredith, the woman was striking, but with darker hair and slight freckles across her nose. She wore a long white maxi dress with delicate black and white flowers embroidered across the hem. “You must be Kit. I’m Addison.”
I gave a little wave. “Hi, everyone.”
“Hey!” Charles said with a level of enthusiasm that surprised me. He pointed at William, who was standing right behind me. “Okay, Boss Man. I was just telling Meredith the details of this house.”
Meredith rolled her eyes as soon as Charles said, ‘Boss Man’ and walked into the next room.
This house was different from our home in Creekstone.
It was small and compact. I started to wander around the house, which was very charming.
There was a decent-sized bedroom on the first floor and two smaller bedrooms upstairs.
I wandered down the stairs and into the kitchen.
It was a cute, small kitchen. There was a back door that led to a small garden patio overlooking a tiny but well-manicured backyard.
William came up behind me. “What do you think?”
“It’s very cute,” I said. “Small and cute.”
He kissed my head and said, “Yeah for $800,000, I want more house.”
I spun around, and my face must have looked shocked. “William,” I whispered, “That’s crazy expensive.”
“It’s the location. Close to the park.” William’s crooked smile spread across his face. “I know. For a house in Atlanta, we’re going to spend at least that, but don’t worry about the cost. Let’s go see the next house.”
Had William lost his mind? How could I not worry about the cost? That was a small fortune.
I followed Meredith, Addison, and William out to the curb. I heard Addison and Meredith talking about the property. “Too cute, but too small.”
“Okay,” Charles said. “Time to caravan to the next location. I’ve texted the address to you two in case we get separated in traffic.”
William and I got back into his car. “Okay, what did you think of it?”
“Well, I liked it, but didn’t love it,” I said. “And that’s way too expensive for a house. I started sweating in places I didn’t know could sweat when you told me how expensive it was.”
William laughed. “I agree. Not the right kind of house.”
I took a deep breath and said, “Okay. So, what would be the right kind of house? Are you thinking of buying a house to live in for like a couple of years or are you thinking like…longer?”
I saw William’s sly smile creep across his face, but he kept his eyes on the road. “Well, we’re just looking right now, but I think I’d like to buy a house that’s big enough for us to live in for the next five years. What do you think about that plan?”
My cheeks burned red, and I tried not to look flustered. “Oh. Well…I mean…I haven’t had much time to think about it, but that’s helpful. So, something big enough for you, me, and maybe a dog—if we decided to one. Or…something.”
William whistled. “I do like the idea of a house we can expand into.”
We pulled into a long driveway behind Meredith’s Mercedes.
The second house was a mid-century Craftsman style home.
It was beautiful, with a lush green yard and stonework leading up to the front door.
The inside of the home was perfectly done with built-in cabinets and archway accents above every doorway.
The kitchen was large with enough room for a kitchen table, and the dining room had floor to ceiling windows that looked out over the back yard.
The yard was much bigger than the last house.
The upstairs had three decent-sized bedrooms.
Charles didn’t try to sell any of us on the house. William had told me that he was just showing the houses as a favor to Meredith, and William had asked to tag along. Meredith loved the house, but Addison said she wasn’t sure about the neighborhood.
We moved along to the third property, which was a condo in midtown.
Meredith asked questions about the amenities.
William asked boring real estate questions about the neighboring buildings.
The condo was luxurious and grand with a rooftop pool and a concierge, but it wasn’t somewhere I would want to live.
As I wandered through the condo, I imagined schlepping all my groceries down the hallway every week and grimaced.
I walked into the master suite. It had an amazing view of the Atlanta skyline.
When I made my way into the master bath, I found Addison lying in the walk-in shower.
“Oh,” I said surprised. “Sorry.”
Addison sat up. She laughed, “No worries. I was just trying to see what could be accomplished in this shower.” Addison laid back down. “Like if I want to lie in the shower and lament my own mortality while hot water scalds my skin, could I lie down fully?”
Addison turned on her side and propped herself up. “Seems like it would do the trick.”
I let out a laugh. “Yeah, plenty of room for an existential crisis.”
“Exactly, and it has a double showerhead,” Addison said, hopping up onto her feet with surprising agility. “So, it is probably a great place for sex as well.”
“Really a shower for the ages,” I joked.
Addison giggled. She smoothed her dress as we both walked out of the bathroom. I asked her, “Do you like this condo?’
“Oh, darling,” Addison said with a smile that had a hint of pity. “It wouldn’t matter if I hated it. M loves it, so we’re probably going to buy it. I’m just here for moral support.” She winked at me.
“You’re okay with Meredith deciding for you both?” I asked, trying to hide my surprise.
Addison frowned and looked at me. “Oh, darling. Don’t think of it like that.
It’s not so bad. We have a good life. But I’m a piano teacher, and Meredith is the breadwinner.
Meredith feeling happy is important. It helps her do well at work.
So, in a way, letting her make this decision is a way for me to assure that she’s comfortable and we’re stable.
It’s part of the trade-off.” I detected a bit of an instructional tone in Addison’s voice, and I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like for William and me.
Addison and I stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows in the master bedroom, admiring the view. She looked at me and said, “Meredith mentioned that you might move to Atlanta with William. What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a librarian.” I wondered how Meredith knew I was moving to Atlanta.
“Oh see, darling, you get it. William was doing well before, but now he’s one of the top paid developers in the country, so I mean, you don’t even really need to work, right?”
“Eventually, I’ll go back to work.” I stuttered. “I'm just not sure what I want to do. Besides, we're not married, so I'll need to work so I have health insurance and benefits."
"William adores you. Whether you’re married or not, he’ll take care of you.”
I tried not to look surprised. It hadn’t occurred to me that William might be rich. He’d never mentioned it before.
“Ready to see the last place?” Charles asked us. “I picked out this spot just for William.”
The last home was in a historic neighborhood in the West End of Atlanta. I recognized some of the buildings William had pointed out to me a few weeks ago. The home was a large, brick two-story with a wraparound porch.
Charles was waiting in the driveway when we arrived. “Fully renovated. Beautifully done.” He pointed down the driveway. “Huge bonus about this house is the garage. Most houses in these neighborhoods don’t have covered parking.”
We followed Charles into the house. The house reminded me of a smaller, slightly more modern version of our place in Creekstone, so I immediately liked it.
I loved the warm wood floors and the sea salt color on the walls.
There was a large staircase as soon as we walked into the foyer.
A family room was to the left with a large fireplace.
William appeared next to me and put his hand on the small of my back. “This house is beautiful,” he said into my ear. It sent a chill down my spine. Charles appeared next to us. “Check out what’s in the back. You’ll love this.”
We followed Charles past the stairs and to the back of the house. The eat-in kitchen had a huge island bar. There were large windows that made the room seem brighter than the front of the house. Charles walked through the kitchen and opened the back door onto the deck. I followed him out.
“There's a small plunge pool out back in the garden and a pool house for guests,” Charles said.
“This is amazing,” I said to Charles.
Charles turned to me and smiled. “I know ol’ William. He loves neighborhoods like this.”
“He does?” I said, realizing that William and I had never talked about where he’d like to live before.
“Yeah, this has William written all over it. What about you?” Charles asked.
I shrugged. “Well, I have to admit this is pretty close to what I like.”
“What’s not to love?” Charles said, “This house would be a great investment. This neighborhood is on the verge of turning. So, buying now is what’s up.”
Charles followed me as I wandered through the house. “So, you plan on moving to Atlanta after William buys a house?”
“Eh, yeah. That’s the plan.” I tried not to sound overwhelmed. “We’re still kind of discussing the timing.”