How to Love Your Neighbour(20)
It was bittersweet news, since coming here had caused a bigger rift between him and his dad. Well, a more visible one. Instead of slowly releasing more opportunity and trust in Noah, his father had started micromanaging the acquisitions department that was supposed to be Noah’s. The constant second-guessing and overrides of solid deals pushed Noah toward facing the truth: he couldn’t work under his father even if it meant starting from scratch. Let’s face it, your idea of starting from the bottom is pretty cushy. He didn’t take his advantages lightly, but, like anyone else, he didn’t want to be dismissed or made to feel like he couldn’t contribute. At least if he failed out here, no one would rub it in his face.
Against his father’s loudly voiced opinions, Noah sold the buildings he’d purchased solo—buildings he’d tried and failed to get his father’s support on—to fund his California ventures.
“That’s great news.”
“It is.” Josh carried on. “The yard looks way better without the hedges but California law is pretty strict about their palm trees so I brought paperwork for that.”
Noah grabbed the bag of bagels, popped one into the toaster. “You get ahold of the land surveyor?” He wanted to make sure the fence lines were accurate all the way around the property. If he could nudge over on Grace’s property a little, if the lines showed inaccuracies, it would be a consolation prize for not getting his way. Don’t give up yet. You’re only in the beginning stages of negotiating with her—it’s the best part.
“Done. They’re backed up. Can’t get here for another couple of weeks. Just curious, why don’t you leave the lot next door for a later time? It’s not like you don’t have a ton going on.”
He didn’t want to get into the personal sentiments that made him envision what he was trying to build. “If I leave it too long, she’s going to settle in. Plus, I’ve got the woman from the magazine considering me. If I tell her those plans, make her realize it’s not just an interior job, there’s a better chance of me getting the magazine spread.”
Josh passed him the cream cheese. “Okay. That’s fair. You’re banking on that spread being your introduction to the real estate world on your own terms.”
“Exactly. It’ll showcase both my acquisitions capabilities and the development piece. People love a personal story. The fact that I’m making this into a place to live will resonate. I’ve got a few of those designers you researched for me coming by to take a look, share some thoughts.”
Grace popped into his brain again like one of those animals in that game Whac-A-Mole. She just kept appearing no matter how often he tried to push her from his thoughts. She was equal parts demanding, stubborn, and absolutely gracious. The time she’d taken last night, when her exhaustion was clear, had left him feeling very . . . unsettled. He didn’t like the burst of affection he’d felt for her in those couple of hours they’d worked. There was no room for that when he had a big-picture objective.
“I’m looking into office space for you and your brothers. I’ve got a list for you to take a look at. For now, though, I thought you should set up an actual home office. Not that your island countertop isn’t efficient.” Josh grinned at him.
Noah pointed to the kitchen window. The palm trees blocked most of it but there was a hint of the ocean in sight. “Great views.”
“They are. Want me to order furniture?”
The toaster popped out his bagel. Josh helped himself to a soda. His assistant in New York had recommended Josh when Noah announced his move. So far, the guy was great. He’d judged Josh based on looks—much like Grace had judged him—when he first met him. The guy was a poster child for the California surfing scene. He’d shown up to the house for his interview in board shorts and a loose Hawaiian shirt, with two surfboards on the roof of his car. Despite appearances, he was organized as hell, his résumé was solid gold, and Noah felt lucky to have him in his corner. See. You have more friends than just your brothers.
If he was paying him to be around, did that count? He could put in more effort, but like Josh said, why search for something that’s right in front of you? The way he’d snapped at Rob still grated on his nerves. He wasn’t usually the kind of person to take things out on other people. Going head-to-head with, say, Grace? That was fine. But he didn’t make a habit of pushing people away. Maybe he’d forgotten how to make a circle of friends because in New York he hadn’t needed to.
“You okay?”
Noah looked up from his bagel. “Yeah. Fine. Just wondering where your favorite place to surf is.”
“I have a friend who owns a place at Laguna. It’s busy because of tourists but if you hit the right time of day, there’s nothing else like it.”
Noah swallowed his bite while Josh sipped his soda. Clearing his throat, determined to build a life for himself on the West Coast, he asked, “Maybe we could go together sometime.”
Josh paused in the act of lowering his drink from his mouth. “Sure.”
There. Surf plans with a buddy. Sort of. His gut swirled like the waves he was asking about hitting. “Or maybe we could just grab a beer or something. Whatever. When you have time. No pressure or anything.”
Josh set his can down, then swept a hand over his slightly-too-long hair. “Right. Listen, man. Sir. Noah. I’m flattered—”