Page 2 of A Place to Call Home
It was a lot to realize about a person so quickly. But not noticing those things would have been impossible. Ada reminded herself that looks could be and too often were deceiving, then she crossed directly to him.
“Mr. Adamson?”
He set aside his magazine and stood, unfolding himself from the seat. The man was tall and slender without being lanky. And he smelled good too. She allowed herself only the smallestfraction of a moment to add those things to her list of reasons why Shantice had been completely right in her description.
Back to work, Ada.
She held out her hand for him to shake. “I’m Ada Canton. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“You, too. And call me Craig.” His handshake was firm without being painful. Too many of her male clients didn’t know how to strike that balance.
“If you’re ready, we can get started,” she said.
He motioned for her to lead the way. Craig even held the door.Nice guy.
They stepped out into the bright early-summer day.
“The first property is a condo at the bottom of your price range.” She slid on her sunglasses.
“Bottom of my price range? I like it already.”
“Less expensive isn’t always a better deal,” she warned.
“Are you taking me to a slum?”Niceanda sense of humor.
“I specialize in slums.” She adjusted her purse to hang more firmly on her shoulder. “And I have a lead on a cardboard box under the Vista Way overpass.”
“Two bedrooms?” he asked.
“Of course.” She clicked her car door remote. “Are you single?”
“We’re jumping right to relationship status? You aren’t even going to awkwardly ask if I want to get coffee or see a movie or something first?” Even his eyes smiled.
Focus, Ada.
“I just want to make sure there isn’t someone else who ought to be part of the house search.”
He laughed. “Ah. That’s why you asked.”
“Ah.” She mimicked his tone.
“No one else,” he said. “Just me and my son. Except for every other weekend, when he’s with his mom.” His words stopped abruptly. “I have no idea why I told you that last part.”
“It’s a magical power all realtors have.” She crossed to her car. “Next you’ll be telling me your middle-school locker combination and who you voted for in the last election.”
“And then my blood type?” he guessed, stopping at the car parked next to hers.
“That’s not until the third or fourth property.”
Man, he had a great laugh. And, man, did she need to focus.
He followed her to the condominium complex where she meant to begin. She slipped out of her car quickly so she could watch Craig as he eyed the less-than-pristine complex with its faded paint and patchy grass. It wasn’t a dump— far from it— but it wasn’t like new, either.
Craig looked unimpressed. So aestheticswereimportant to him. And property upkeep.
“Let’s take a look,” she suggested.
His reaction to the condo was what she’d figured it would be— nothing was glaringly wrong with the property, but nothing was particularly eye-catching about it either. Many realtors started with a bang, presenting the best right away. Ada knew better. She’d learn far more this way.
