It's Better This Way(13)

“I’d purchase every one of these,” Heath admitted.

“You don’t have the space.”

“I know.”

“I like the old-world navigation painting for your home office,” she told him.

That had been one of his favorites. He’d been drawn to it immediately. “How much was the asking price again?”

“Twelve hundred. However, I know the artist and believe I can persuade him to lower it to nine hundred.”

“I would be willing to pay full price.” And he would, without question.

“This is why you have me. I will get whatever you need, cheaper than what you would normally pay. It’s what I do, and I’m good at it.”

“That’s a twist. A woman who saves me money.”

Julia grinned and shook her head. “Now, that was a sexist comment if I ever heard one.”

    “Forgive me. I’m old-school. Be patient, I’m learning.”

“Good.” She patted his hand, and he felt an immediate surge of warmth and electricity shoot up his arm.



* * *



—

For the next hour, they made their decisions about which paintings to purchase. When they finished, Heath was pleased, eager to finalize the deals that afternoon.

When they returned to Gas Works Park, Julia went to work. She claimed she was good at negotiations, and she was. With finesse, she was able to get each and every painting he decided on, at a price below what was listed. Heath had the feeling these talented artists recognized having Julia Jones purchase one of their art pieces was a positive career move.

On the way back, Julia got a call. Heath was driving and the traffic was heavy, and although he could hear one end of the conversation, it didn’t make much sense. All that came through was Julia’s excitement.

“Good news?” he asked when she ended the conversation.

“Terrific news. My niece, Carrie, got the job. She’s going to be the new concierge at The Heritage.”

“That’s great. I look forward to meeting her.” Julia’s niece was sure to be an improvement over Melanie, the previous concierge.





Chapter 5




Carrie was thrilled to have gotten the job, although no more so than her parents. From their reaction, one would think she’d been awarded a gold medal in the Summer Olympics.

Before the day was up, her mother, along with Carrie, had her bedroom packed and her father had loaded the boxes into her car. Eager much? The relief she felt was overwhelming, and clearly for her parents as well. Once at The Heritage, her mother helped her unpack and set up what she needed for the night. As soon as she finished, she fled, as if she feared Carrie would change her mind.

The studio apartment that was part of her employment package was small. The furnishings were mostly new and modern; it wouldn’t take much to make the place her own. She was sure her aunt Julia would advise her what to do to brighten up the space.

She was surprised at how busy she was. This was a job she could lean in to, as every day offered a learning experience and a challenge. She intended to make the most of this opportunity. Her aunt Julia, whom she deeply loved and admired, had given her a recommendation, and Carrie refused to do anything that would let her aunt down. Carrie made a point of introducing herself to each of the residents and found them all to be friendly. The only one she had yet to meet was Eric Hudson, as he had yet to appear to collect his mail. From what she’d learned, he had a home office and worked odd hours. At some point, she would introduce herself.

    The Friday night of her first week on the job, she was making notes for the following morning, when her cousin Hillary strolled up to the counter where Carrie sat.

“Hey,” Carrie said, looking up.

“Hey.” Hillary beamed back at her, looking unusually happy and cheerful.

Before Carrie could ask the reason, Hillary’s sister, Marie, entered the lobby.

“What’s up?” Carrie asked. Her two cousins looked as if they were ready to burst with good news.

“We’ve come to see Mom. Can you join us, or are you on duty?”

“I’m finished for the day, so sure.” Obviously the two had some fabulous news to share.

Carrie put aside her notes and followed her two cousins to the elevator. Julia must have been expecting them, because she had several appetizers set out. There were the usual cheese and crackers, and Julia’s special vegetable dumplings that were a family favorite. At any family function her aunt Julia was required to bring these, as no one else seemed to make them taste like hers.

    “Oh good, Carrie’s here,” her aunt said, ushering them past the appetizers, which she had set on the counter, and into the living area. Her aunt Julia’s condo was one of the nicer ones, and of course it was decorated beautifully in soft shades of gray with teal accents.

The four sat, and Julia looked expectantly toward her daughters. “Well, don’t keep me in suspense, what’s the good news?”

Marie looked to Hillary and then Hillary raised her left hand, splaying her fingers. A beautiful diamond engagement ring sparkled from her ring finger. “Blake asked me to marry him,” she announced, “and this time I said yes.”

Carrie knew that Blake had been after Hillary for some time to take the next big step in their relationship. He wanted to start a family and buy a house, and he wanted to do it with Hillary. Carrie never fully understood why her cousin kept putting him off. She kept insisting she wasn’t ready, and according to Marie, Hillary’s delays had become an issue with Blake. Carrie suspected Blake had given Hillary an ultimatum; either make a commitment or he was moving on.