Chapter Six
GABE
An hour later, we'd managed to get all the boxes into her room.
After setting the final one off to the side, Diane stretched her arms over her head. “I can’t believe it only took an hour to lug all this inside.”
I chuckled. "See? It's a good thing I was here."
"True. I don't know what I would have done without you.
" She glanced at me over her shoulder. She was standing near the sea of boxes, looking around.
"I'm going to tackle opening them after I sell the car.
" She bit the inside of her cheek, obviously thinking of all the things she needed to take care of.
“I'm going to need to buy plates too. Otherwise, I’ve got the rest of my dishes…”
I was good at reading people's worries from their body language and the way they spoke, and it was easy to conclude that she was worried about money.
"Listen," I said. "You're going to use the kitchen to cook anyway. There are plates, pans, utensils, and all that crap in there too. You're more than welcome to use them."
Her eyes widened. "Are you sure? What if you're entertaining or something?"
“I rarely entertain, and if I do, I'm sure we can coordinate."
"Okay. Thanks." She looked around again, then startled as a beeping sound filled the air. "Oh, that's my phone." She took it out from her back pocket. "My buyer is already here. I really hope he won't change his mind. All right, I'll see you later."
"I'll come with you."
"Why?"
"To make sure everything's okay and that the dude isn't trying to intimidate you into lowering your price or something."
Her face opened up in a gorgeous smile. "Gabe, I can't be intimidated easily.
You'll learn that about me soon enough. I can fight my own battles.
Except, of course, when a predatory landlord throws me out without proper notice," she said through gritted teeth.
"But you look a bit intimidating, so you might help just by being there. In case the guy does try anything."
She took the stairs two at a time as I followed her down and then out the front door.
An elderly man stood outside the gate, staring at the house. She would have been much better off selling the car when it was parked in front of Celia's apartment. I could practically see the guy thinking she was loaded simply because she lived here. That never helped in these situations.
The Whitley name had cost me in negotiations over the years. Everyone assumed the money was endless. That was true right now, but there had been enough times in the company's history when we weren't sure one branch or the other could be salvaged.
"Hi, I'm Diane," she greeted.
The guy looked at her, then at me, and said, "I'm Dawson. This is the car?"
"Yes. Do you want to take it for a test drive?"
"I will later," he said. "I just want to take a look at it for now."
"It's a bit battered, but I did say that on the sales page."
"Yes, you did." After circling the car once, he stopped again, looking from Diane to the house as if he couldn't quite figure out why someone who lived here had this decrepit old thing. "Why are you selling it?”
"I honestly can't afford owning a car right now," she replied.
He jerked his head back. "And you can afford living here?"
"That's none of your concern. For all you know, I could just be making this my meeting point. Anyway, you said you were very interested in buying it today. Cash."
"True, but there are more scratches on it than I saw online. I'm going to have to fix them. That'll probably cost about five hundred. I want that taken off from the overall price."
I opened my mouth, then closed it again. Diane wouldn't want me to step in right now.
She straightened her shoulders, putting her hands on her hips.
"I've posted specific photographs of these three scratches, and I also explicitly wrote about them in the description, so no, I will not be accepting any attempts to negotiate.
As it said online, the price is final. If you don't want to buy it, that's your decision. "
He scoffed. "You just said you can't afford making car payments."
"I've got other people interested. Two are scheduled for tomorrow morning."
"I don't believe you."
She shrugged. "Believe what you want."
I had to admit, she definitely knew how to negotiate.
"Fine, I'll take it for a test drive."
"I’ll need something to hold on to while you do." She smiled sweetly. "Just so I know you're coming back."
"You think I’d steal it?"
She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Dawson, you're a perfect stranger."
"Fine, here you go." He handed her his credit card before getting into the car, starting it up, and heading down the street.
"I’m impressed," I said, stepping closer to her.
She looked at me over her shoulder. "I told you I'm good, and I was expecting him to try and wheel and deal. He already did online. It was his right to ask and mine to decline."
"If he doesn't want to take it, you've got those other sellers lined up anyway."
She grinned. "No, that was a negotiation tactic."
I whistled. "Damn, you're good. You fooled me."
On instinct, I leaned in even closer.
Why couldn't I keep my distance from her? She was my neighbor and Celia’s sister. There was a line in the sand, and I absolutely didn't want to cross it.
"Told you," Diane said triumphantly, then sighed. "Today feels like I'm starting a new life. I'm so excited about it. Maybe it’s a sign that my bad luck is gone."
I wanted details, but decided not to push. Despite knowing Celia for close to two years, I didn't really know anything about her family situation aside from the fact that their mother had been sick. Celia wasn't one to share personal details.
I couldn't explain my infatuation with Diane. It wasn't my usual approach, and despite my grandmother's best intentions, I only casually dated, nothing more. Once, a few years back, I had a so-called girlfriend for about two months before we moved on, but I’d never been serious about anyone.
Why my sudden interest in Diane?
Just then, the guy returned with the car and stepped out of it. "Rides good. I'm taking it."
"Perfect," Diane said.
Despite her confident answer, I saw her shoulders relax a little in relief. Clearly she needed that money. Was she that cash-strapped?
"All right."
She didn’t seem like she needed my involvement anymore, and I didn't want to be overbearing. So as they exchanged documents, I made to step back inside the house. But then I heard the dude say, "Why don’t you throw in a perk and go for a beer with me or something?"
What the fuck?
"I don't think so."
"Oh, come on. Don't be like that. You’re getting paid well enough for this."
"What the fuck?" she exclaimed.
I turned around and walked straight back to him. "Give her the money, take the car, and fucking leave."
"Who are you to have any say in this?"
"Fuck off," I sneered. I was having none of this. This guy needed to get the hell out of here.
Diane crossed her arms over her chest, looking down at her feet. Then she glanced back up at him. After he gave her the money, she immediately shoved it into her pocket.
"Fine, whatever," the guy said, cowering quickly.
“You got the keys. The rest of the documents are on the passenger seat, as you probably saw.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He got into the car.
The second he drove off, she let out a huge breath. Then she turned to me. "Mischief managed."
"Hmm?"
"Not a Harry Potter fan?"
"I've seen some of the movies," I said.
"Never mind. Anyway, thanks for making that moron finally leave." She shook her head. “I’ll never get over the fact that when a woman tells a guy no, he just thinks she means maybe. But when another guy tells him to fuck off, he takes it seriously."
"I've never thought about it like that."
"Probably because you’ve never had to." She waved it off.
"It doesn't matter. I've got the money and got rid of the car. Now I can focus on making my space all cozy. And as a thank-you for helping me today, I’d like to cook dinner tonight for both of us after I unpack—if you don't have plans, that is. "
"You don't have to do that. I can order something."
She shook her head vehemently. "No. You helped me with my boxes and that idiot, and I want to return the favor by cooking something delicious."
"All right. I won't say no."
"And thanks a lot for being here. He was a creep, and I should have realized that online when he asked all of those dumb questions. Here I thought he just wanted to lower the price."
"No problem. Glad I could be of service. Are you sure you don't need any help unpacking?"
"No, I need to do it myself. Feel the energy and all that."
I stared at her. Energy?
She smiled sheepishly. "You think I'm a weirdo, huh?"
"No, I just think you're different than anyone else I've ever met." And I liked it.
She laughed. "I happen to think different is good."
"It is," I said. "It definitely is."
She went past me on her way back inside the house.
Her arm almost brushed my chest, which she seemed to realize at the last second, because she took a step to the side.
Was she avoiding me on purpose? Was it because I made her uncomfortable or because she was attracted to me?
I needed to know, and I was going to find out.
Once Diane went inside, I returned to my construction site across the road, but I only spent half an hour there, since there really wasn't much I could do.
I had no clue about construction in general, but one thing I realized was that the crew was much more productive if they knew I stopped by regularly.
I didn't believe in micromanaging, but some things needed more attention than others, and my house was important to me.