Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
MARLOWE
W as Aunt Cate trying to set her up? On her way to meet with Gabby, Marlowe should have been thinking about what questions to ask, but no. That meeting with Seth Barrett had felt a little creepy. Did Marlowe look so desperate that her aunt had to grab any available man for her? Marlowe cringed at the thought. Really? For heaven's sake, that's the last thing she wanted to think about right now.
Seth Barrett was attractive. Marlowe hadn’t missed the broad shoulders and the charisma in his smile. But men were not on her mind. Relocating was. And although Marlowe was great at multitasking, when it came to work, she didn't want to start anything with a man up here in Michigan. Not until she got her feet on the ground and knew a little bit more about everyone and everything. She had a lot of work ahead of her.
The snow lined Highway 31 as she drove, but the piles were melting. Thank goodness Sam’s SUV was easy to drive, and the road north was straight. This would have been a great day to cross country ski. But that wasn’t in the cards for today or tomorrow. Maybe next time she came up, Marlowe would be able to set aside some time to go back to the trail she'd visited with Sam.
Would she go alone? Maybe. Sam wouldn’t be interested. Not after that accident that had given her more than a sprained ankle. Sam still limped a bit on that left foot, although she’d never admit it. But that accident out on the ski trail had brought her sister closer to Josh. Where would that road end? With a shake of her head, Marlowe turned her attention back to the road.
The scenery was so beautiful up here, the pine trees so rich and green. Marlowe drew in a deep breath and imagined that she could smell the pine. The landscape was such a switch from the palm trees and stark sunny highways of Florida. The traffic was horrendous in Naples during the winter season when streets were clogged with snowbirds. Maybe she'd stayed in Florida long enough. Maybe that's what this opportunity was saying to her.
If she did find work up here, this beautiful landscape would greet her when she went out to show properties. How wonderful and healing this could be. As she drove, Marlowe had an occasional glimpse of Lake Michigan. In winter, however, the inviting blue expanse was gone. Instead the lake was dark gray. She imagined that the edge was lined with ice floes.
Gabby had told her to look for the Bear Creek Crossings shopping center. Marlowe slowed down a bit. The office was just beyond a small strip mall. When the sign came up for Driscoll & Associates, she turned in. The trip up had taken only twenty-five minutes. That wasn’t bad at all. And she didn’t have the crazy traffic of Naples.
As she drove in, gravel crunched under her tires. The low blue building spread out in the snow and the windows framed by black shutters were frosted. Getting out, she was glad that she'd thrown on a jacket. But in all the confusion about the business cards, she'd forgotten to bring gloves. Her hands were freezing. Stamping the snow off her boots, she rubbed her hands together and grabbed her portfolio from the front seat.
The windows of the agency were filled with property listings. Marlowe took a second to scan them. Most were familiar to her because she'd seen them on their website. This all looked good, and her interest rose another notch. An overhead bell rang when she pulled the door open. Marlowe stepped into a large room where four desks were lined up along the left wall. The desks were heaped with papers and monitors. The place looked busy but no separate cubicles or offices, as with Hardy Luxury Properties.
“Hey, hi!” Smiling, Gabby peered at Marlowe through lime green glasses. Her turtleneck matched. Pushing up, she stepped briskly from the first desk. “Glad you’re here. Any trouble finding us?”
“Not at all.”
“Good to see you again.” Stepping to the door in her boots with three inch heels, Gabby flipped a lock. “Let’s sit down in the back. I don't expect anyone to pop in today, and I don’t want to be interrupted. Usually our clientele make appointments.”
“Sounds good.” Marlowe followed Gabby through a back door into an area that held an oval meeting table of beautifully grained wood and high backed chairs. An expensive espresso machine sat to one side.
“Have a seat.” Gabby gestured to one of the chairs covered in a stylish navy fabric with gold stripes. “So you're serious about leaving sunny Florida?”
“That's the plan.” She hadn’t mentioned her move on the plane. But Marlowe had enjoyed Gabby tremendously, even though she did seem a bit scattered. Would that matter if they each had a different approach to business?
“Are you thinking of keeping your place in Florida?”
“Probably not.” Marlowe didn't want to reveal too much of her plans. A lot depended on this meeting today. “Could I ask, how many agents do you have working for you?”
“Six right now. Two are part time. Summers only. And we’re losing one of our best people. She’s moving to California.”
That sounded good. Stepping into a position with a list of established clients would be ideal. “Has she been with you long?”
“A few years. Right out of school. That kind of thing. Met a man up here from one of the yachts. You know how that goes.”
“I can only imagine.”
“It takes a certain type of person to sell to Bar Harbor.” The casual Gabby was gone. She laced her manicured fingers together on the table and gave Marlowe an appraising look. On the plane, Marlowe hadn't noticed that outrageously large diamond on Gabby’s left hand. But then again, maybe she didn’t wear it while traveling. “If you're coming from Naples, I think you might do well here.”
“My properties are usually in the upper ranges.” Marlowe threw out some figures and Gabby looked pleased.
“And you're not right out of college or real estate classes. That counts a lot in my book because frankly, I don't have a lot of time to break someone in.”
Nodding with what she hoped looked like serious agreement, Marlowe liked what she was hearing. “I would only have to learn Michigan's rules and regulations.”
Gabby waved a dismissive hand. “Exactly. There’s a course you have to complete to pass certification. Some historical information. I’m sure you’ll have no problem with the exam.”
“My thought exactly.” Marlowe had done a general check so she was expecting the course work but thought she could do it online.
“Could you share your expectations with me?” Gabby asked. “Of course I'm wondering why an attractive, sharp woman like you chooses to uproot herself. Especially when you live in Florida. I hope you won’t be insulted but Chip and I hate to put in the time developing someone if there's a chance that you might decide to go back in a month.”
The question made perfect sense and Marlowe respected Gabby for putting that on the line. “If everything falls into place and we decide that this is a good fit, then yes I will be staying here. My condo will go on the market soon and I don’t expect to have any trouble selling it. My sister and aunt have made a similar decision.”
“My oh my.” Gabby gave an appreciative shake of her head. “What a brave group of women.”
“We are.” Pride welled up inside her. Marlowe blinked her eyes quickly. “My aunt has already put her Tribeca loft on the market in New York.”
That brought a bark of laughter. “Wish I was the realtor for that one,” Gabby said. “New York, now that's a different market.”
“I hate to be so blunt but there are no personal reasons precipitating this decision.” Marlowe had to be frank with her. “And the same is true of my aunt and sister. We’re at the age where change is good. My older sister Sam is recently divorced and my aunt was widowed about five years ago. This relocation is a family decision. It's all good.”
“Great. How about some coffee?”
By that time Marlowe was starting to relax and she nodded. Jumping up, Gabby went over to the Nespresso machine and poured two lattes. Over the next half hour she showed Marlowe some properties that she would love to sell. “And we also do some commercial real estate. The market is small so realtors don't specialize in family homes or commercial real estate.”
“I think I'd like that.” They were talking about the Village at Bay Harbor when a car pulled up outside. Seconds later a bear of a man with silver hair came through the side door. Stamping his feet he whisked off an Arnold Palmer hat and wiped his feet. His cheeks were ruddy from the cold and he was smiling. In his hands was what looked like a bakery box. “Am I interrupting?”
“Not at all, darling.” Gabby gave him a warm smile. “Chip, come meet Marlowe and bring that box with you.”
Slipping out of his loden green topcoat, he hung it up on a hook and lumbered over. He slid the box onto the table in front of Gabby and bent to kiss her forehead. “Is that what I think it is?” Gabby tapped the top of the box.
“Blueberry muffins from Johan’s.” Then he turned to shake Marlowe's hand. “Happy to meet you.”
“Me too. Nothing wrong with a guy who brings bakery.” His hands were cold but his grin was warm.
“That’s the reason I bring it. Otherwise, Gabrielle probably wouldn’t let me in the door. I married up, as they say.”
“For heaven’s sake, Chip.” Gabby blushed prettily and gave her husband an adoring smile. “That’s not true at all.”
Reaching behind him, Chip grabbed some napkins stacked next to the coffee machine and plunked them onto the table. “Glad to meet you, Marlowe. We could use some help here and my wife seems to think that you're the one.”
His candor made Marlowe laugh. “Could be. I feel lucky that we sat next to each other on the plane.”
Chip pointed to the box. “Go ahead and take your pick. Johan bakes them fresh every morning.”
“Don’t mind if I do.” Their teasing sent a warm feeling through Marlowe. It had been a long time since she'd been around an older couple who showed affection. Genuine affection, not the kind for dinner parties. Well, not since her Uncle Monty had passed away. And Chip reminded her very much of her uncle. Uncle Monty had adored Aunt Cate. Bringing home bakery was something he would do. The warm blueberries burst in her mouth and she took her time sampling the muffin while Gabby and her husband filled Marlowe in on the area.
“And you'll be living here full time?” Chip asked.
“Oh yes, I intend to. I might live at our family house in the beginning. It just depends on how everything works out.”
“Understood but when it comes time, we'll be happy to find you the right property,” Chip said in a rather fatherly way. “You'll probably want your own space.”
“Oh, I recognize that tone of voice,” Gabby said with an indulgent smile. “My husband is mentally going through any of the widowers he knows.”
“Now don’t scare the young woman,” he protested, sending Marlowe a wink. “That’s not what I’m about at all.”
“Nonsense, I know you, you old codger. Let the girl get her feet on the ground first, okay?” It had been a long time since Marlowe had heard this kind of banter. And it had been an even longer time since she’d been referred to as a girl. After they finished their coffee and the blueberry muffins, Chip insisted on loading both of them into his BMW to show Marlowe some of their properties.
The Hotel at Bay Harbor was impressive. Years ago, she’d stayed at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island and this newer building reminded her of that icon. The houses on the cliffs up above were breathtaking, as was the view. Waves crashed against the shore and they didn’t get out of the SUV as Chip took them around.
“It's a lot nicer in the summer when the breezes blow off Lake Michigan,” Gabby said. “But you get the idea.”
Then Chip headed north toward Petoskey, which held a mix of modern and traditional. The small town held a lot of history. Marlowe was charmed by the area and now realized that Charlevoix would be only a part of the area she could develop.
“How did it go with Seth this morning?” Gabby asked as they headed back to the agency.
“We all liked the drawings.” She sucked in a breath. “Some of the changes are pretty radical, like taking down a wall.”
“If you work with Seth, you can make any revisions. He’s very flexible.”
Marlowe could see Gabby watching her in the rearview mirror. “We all liked him so I think he’ll be our choice.”
“Oh goody!” Gabby clapped her hands together. “Then maybe I’ll get to work on some of the décor. What fun.”
Marlowe smiled. “I think Seth mentioned that.” But she stopped. No use in letting them know that her aunt had been throwing the attractive architect at her.
“That poor man’s had a hard time, but his son turned out great,” Gabby said.
“Yes, wonderful. Absolutely salt of the earth,” Chip added as they pulled into the parking lot.
But it was clear that something was wrong. “Hard time?” Marlowe echoed.
“Oh, nothing,” Chip said with an anxious look at his wife. Marlowe supposed they hated to discuss business partners in front of a stranger.
“It was a lot more than ‘nothing,” Chip. That Sylvia,” Gabby sputtered. “Ran off with a man Seth worked with and trusted. Left him with Hayden.”
“He’s done a great job with that boy,” Chip said, as if that ended the matter. “Amazing job.”
“I'll send you some information on the certification,” Gabby said when the tour had ended and Marlowe's mind was filled with so much information that it was throbbing. Or maybe it was time for lunch.