"Ummm… Serena. Where are we going exactly?" Lacey asked nervously from the passenger seat of the Mercedes. She gripped the armrests tightly as the little car neatly veered around a squirrel who had the poor judgment to venture out on the country road they were currently traveling on.
They had been driving for close to forty minutes, and as far as Lacey could tell, Serena was not familiar with the term speed "limit." In truth, Lacey felt like a little like she was trapped in the Delorean with Dr. Brown from "Back to the Future," and they were about to take off. That's how fast they were going.
"We're almost there. See that turnoff on the left? That's our destination," Serena said, steering deftly into a hairpin curve.
"But why are we going there? You know I want to buy something in town, right? And I don't think there are any townhouse developments being built way out here." She squeezed her eyes shut as yet another squirrel came close to meeting his squirrel-maker.
Serena just smiled secretively and said, "Wait and see. I don't want to spoil the surprise."
Lacey and Serena had met that afternoon as planned. But instead of immediately heading out to see Serena's mystery property they had sat for hours, just chatting and drinking coffee. And sampling some of the coffeehouse's famous red velvet cupcakes.
Lacey had found herself talking about her job, her dog, her mom, her hobbies, even her ex-boyfriend, Boring Barry. She felt like she'd been grilled by the world's nicest interrogator. She was actually a little embarrassed by how much she had revealed about herself, but Serena had seemed so interested. She had just kept asking questions, and her honest, non-judgmental responses had compelled Lacey to really open up and talk about herself for a change. It was a tad disquieting how much she'd volunteered. Clearly, this real estate agent should be working for Homeland Security or Scotland Yard or someplace like that. She certainly knew how to draw information out of a person.
Now they were in the middle of nowhere, driving up a long winding driveway towards a huge, colonial-style house that looked like it belonged in the Old South rather than the Pacific Northwest. Surrounded by trees and heavily landscaped, the house at the end of the long drive featured a four car garage, a wraparound porch and a set of stately black double doors, so large that a giant could walk through them with ease.
Lacey gaped in disbelief. "Serena. If that 'scaled down' mansion is what you had in mind for me, then it must need an exorcism. Or maybe it has an indian burial ground, or possibly a nuclear power plant in the back yard. Because there is no way that place is in my price range. And I'm pretty sure we're going to get arrested for trespassing if we try to go in there. Or worse, this place looks like the owners might employ an army of rabid Rottweilers to guard the family jewels."
"Relax. That's my cousin's house. No one lives there now. Not even a single rabid Rottweiler. Besides, we're not going there. The cottage out back is our destination."
"Oh. I get it. Is it for sale?"
"Nope. It's not even finished yet. I think the hardwood floors are being put in today, or possibly tomorrow. But I want you to keep an open mind. Check out the floor plan, the size, and the fixtures. I think something similar might be a perfect fit for someone like you."
Lacey wasn't sure what Serena meant by 'someone like you' but she was too distracted by the sight before her to comment. They had driven behind the monstrous white house and followed a narrow paved road into the woods until they came to a clearing. In the middle of that clearing was a small, adorable house. It was tiny, yes, but had a huge bay window and a porch large enough for a swing, or some chairs. In short, it was lovely.
"Oh. Wow. Look at that," Lacey sighed, getting out of Serena's car, and walking toward the cottage. "It's so cute. What is this place?"
"Well, it started off as a playhouse, but my cousin modified it from the original plan, and turned it into a cottage. Only a few people have seen it. Last time I was here it was just a big room, with some of the framing completed, but it didn't really look like much. One of my other cousins told me that Jack has been working on it like mad. So I'm just as curious as you are to check it out." They walked up the small flight of steps to the porch. "Let's go inside. Evidently, the door is missing, so we probably don't even need to knock."
The missing door was just inside, lying on two saw horses. A familiar, dark-haired figure, naked to the waist, was leaning over it, running a piece of sandpaper over its rough edges. He was so intent on his task that he didn't even notice their arrival until Serena cleared her throat. Jack looked up, clearly annoyed at being interrupted, but then his expression changed to what could only be described as surprised delight when he saw who was with Serena.
Lacey's expression, however, was one of horror. "You," she said. "What are you doing here?" She loved this little cottage, but running into him again, especially shirtless, was too much for her. She needed to get out of here.
Jack frowned at Lacey, shocked at the way she had gone pale when she recognized him. What exactly had Serena said about him? "I'm here because this is my place. What are you doing here?" He hadn't meant to sound quite so belligerent, but she was looking at him like he'd just belched the alphabet or something equally disgusting.
Serena interrupted. "She's here, Jay, because I wanted to show her your cottage. I think something similar would work for her, don't you? Why don't you introduce yourself and show us around?"
But Lacey was already out the door and down the steps. She knew she was being incredibly rude, especially considering Serena had gone to all the trouble of bringing her out here. But being around him was too much of a temptation. Just the sight of that all that tan skin and muscles made her think about indulging in some downright dirty immoral and possibly illegal acts. None of which were possible with a married man. The best thing for everyone involved was to get the hell out of here before she made an ass of herself again, or worse, caved into her carnal impulses and jumped him, hard.
If she'd had her own car, she would have been gone already. But she had foolishly carpooled with Serena. She pulled her cell phone out of her bag and was relieved to see that she was able to get reception. She started to call a cab company when she realized that she had no idea where she was. What now? She was trapped out here with Captain Temptation.
"Lacey, what's going on?" Serena called from the porch. "Are you not feeling well?"
That was a great idea. Maybe she could fake an illness and have an excuse to leave with some of her dignity intact. Perfect. "Yeah. I'm really not. Can we go? Like right now?"
Serena caught up with her at the car and studied her for a moment. "You do look a little pale. Is it your stomach? Do you want me to check with Jay to see if he has anything for diarrhea, or whatever? He'd probably have to go to the main house to get it, but his wife was a complete hypochondriac, so there's probably something there that would work."
"No. Please don't," Lacey shouted. She didn't want to be trapped here like a rat, but that was preferable to him suspecting that she might be suffering from some repulsive stomach bug.
"Lacey, what's really going on here?"
"Nothing. I just need to get back."
"Seriously? You were fine on the ride up here. Was it my driving? Some people don't like the way I drive."
"No, it wasn't that. Though I am a little surprised that you still have a license. I just wasn't planning on running into him again."
"Jack?"
"I guess so. You called him 'Jay' before."
"Because he's a Jack Junior, and it was too confusing having two Jack's in the family. But never mind that. You don't like my cousin?"
"He's your cousin?"
"Yeah. Did he do or say something offensive at the Open House? He wasn't creepy, was he? He's been out of the game for awhile and I'm not sure if he realizes how intense he can appear."
"What do you mean? In the game? He's married. The only game he should be playing should be with his wife."
Serena gaped at her. "His wife has been out of the picture for almost a year and a half!" Serena wanted to tell Lacey about the accident at this point, but thought Jack would prefer to tell her himself. Besides, Lacey was skittish enough without sharing that particular story. "And how did you know he was married anyway? He didn't even bother to tell you his name last week, and yet you seem to know a lot about him. Now, who's creepy?"
Lacey flushed a bright red. "Alright. I looked him up online. But just because I was interested in his skills as a builder. I wasn't cyberstalking him."
"You totally were," Serena said, triumphantly. "That's okay. If he wasn't my cousin, I'd probably do the same thing." Serena's smile faded. "But I'll warn you, the subject of Deborah, his wife, is a touchy one, so I wouldn't bring it up. Even his family avoids the subject. That's why she's still on the website. No one has gotten up the nerve to ask him about removing her. And he hasn't been interested in dating, so we didn't see any urgent reason to change it."
"So, he's single?" Lacey asked tentatively. How could that guy be single? And being single didn't mean he wasn't above flirting with women to sell houses. Maybe Serena was kind of like his real estate pimp and set him up with desperate, lonely women all the time? It would totally work. What woman wouldn't want to buy a house from him, especially in his manly shirtless state? That sight had certainly fried her brain cells, not to mention her panties.
"Very. And he asked me if I had your phone number after the Open House last week."
Lacey looked at her doubtfully. "So, he could ask me about the row-houses, right?"
"Absolutely not. He was into you. But turned chicken-shit at the last second. That was just some weird macho ruse."
"Seriously? So you orchestrated all this just to get us together? Wouldn't it have been easier to just give him my email address?"
"Well, partly. It seems silly now, but I wanted to check you out first."
"Okay. That's what the interrogation at the coffeehouse was all about. You were doing some kind of background check. So, did he know about this?
"Oh God. No! I acted completely on my own. I swear he didn't even know I had your email address."
"You're going to an awful lot of trouble to match-make for him? Should I be worried?"
"Well, like I said, getting you two together was only part of it. I have an ulterior motive that I'll get to later. Bottom line is, I really do think a place like this would work for you, and if you want to go back inside, Jack will show us around and maybe you can get to know him a bit. He's a bit of a grump, but a great guy otherwise. And I think he needs someone like you in his life. But no pressure."
"Right. No pressure at all. But what are we going to tell him about my reaction to seeing him? I did run off like a freak." Maybe Serena had a point. What harm could there be in getting to know him a bit. It was possible that he was sweet and honest and impossibly hot too. She just had to have a little faith, and quit being so paranoid. She had to at least give him the benefit of the doubt. How often did she meet guys like him anyway? Never. She might never meet someone like him again. And she didn't actually have any evidence that he was a creep, so why was she assuming the worst about him?
"We'll just say you were overwhelmed by his manliness and had to get some air."
"He'll believe that?"
"No, but he'll be so glad you came back that I don't think he'll push it too far. I'll leave it upto you to explain that you cyberstalked him and thought he was a slimy, married shit-heel."
"Good point. Maybe I'll just say I left my cell out in the car."
Jack was utterly confused. He'd been fantasizing about running into Lacey almost constantly for the past week. Mostly these daydreams consisted of some variation on him being suave, saying something witty, followed by her being so charmed that she immediately removed her shirt and sunk to her knees in front of him. Something like that. Not once had he ever imagined her turning white and fleeing the room. What had happened here exactly? And what did he need to do to remedy it?
He was standing on the porch, watching Serena and Lacey have what appeared to be a very animated conversation out by the car. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he was pretty sure his cousin was trying to convince Lacey to come back to the cottage. He put on his threadbare Oscar the Grouch T-shirt, and sat down on the bannister, crossing his arms across his chest.
It was difficult, but he would wait. If he ran out there now, he would definitely look like a domineering jerk. A very big part of him wanted to just pick her up and throw her over his shoulder and keep her. But what he considered a romantic gesture could be misinterpreted as a felony, so he kept himself in check, and waited. But if she made a move to get in the car, then all bets were off. He was going to drag her back to the cottage and convince her to stay. Using every sensual skill he'd dreamed of sharing with her over the last week.
Today, she was dressed in jeans again, but instead of a T-shirt, she was wearing a black ruffled blouse that scooped low in front, exposing just a hint of a red lacy camisole beneath. She had her arms crossed and the position caused a deep valley of cleavage he could see even from 30 feet away. He wondered if she was aware of what the sight of those magnificent curves did to a man? It was completely unfair that he was going to have to make polite conversation with her when all he wanted to do was bury his face in those firm globes.
Finally, they were walking back toward him. He tried to look nonchalant, but feared that the huge grin splitting his face was probably ruining the effect. Lacey's shy smile was confirmation enough that Serena had straightened out the problem, whatever it was. And that was good enough for him, for now. He would get the whole story from his cousin later. Right now, the woman he was completely hot for with was within touching distance, and he wasn't going to waste another second. Hopefully he could pretend to be civilized long enough to convince her to see him again.
"Jay, you remember Lacey Ferguson from the Open House last weekend, right?" Serena asked with a wicked sparkle in her eyes as they climbed the steps toward him. "I know you don't like anyone bothering you out here in your super secret lair, but I thought you might make an exception in her case. Why don't you show us around?"
Jack glared at Serena and held out his large hand to her companion as she reached the top of the stairs. "Hi, Lacey," he said, gruffly, shaking her hand. "I'm Jack Kingston. Serena didn't mention she was bringing you out. It probably doesn't look that impressive without the floors installed." He gestured toward a large pile of cherry-stained planks to his left, just inside the door. "If you come back next week, it should be completely done."
Reluctantly, Jack let go of her hand, but not before noting that the chemistry between them was just as potent as he remembered. Just the gentle brush of her fingers against his made him feel a bit dizzy as the blood drained from his head and settled in his groin. Today she was wearing some kind of light and fruity scent that was adding to the dizzying effect.
"Hi Jack. I'm already impressed, so don't worry about the floors. Where's the rest of your crew?" Lacey asked, following Serena into the front hall where Jack had been sanding the oversized door earlier.
"Crew? Sorry. No crew. Just me." He smiled, pleased with this opportunity to impress her.
"You mean you're doing this all by yourself?" Lacey asked incredulously. Why did this knowledge make her knees weak with arousal? There was just something so freaking sexy about a man who was capable of building something from nothing. Not to mention, good with his hands. As if the practically transparent T-shirt he was wearing wasn't stimulating enough. She could actually see the dark outline of his chest hair through the material. Oscar the Grouch had never looked so provocative.
"Pretty much. I mean, I didn't do the plumbing or electrical work, or pour the concrete for the foundation. But the actual construction and dry-walling and painting and stuff, that was me. Now I'm going to lay the floors."
Hmmm… that sounded so dirty when he said it, Lacey thought. "Are you serious? How do you know how to do all that? I mean, I know you and your brothers own a construction company, but I kind of thought you contracted people to do the work, and then you just sort of stood around, supervising the project."
Jack laughed. "We do that too. But that's not all we do. My dad started this company 35 years ago, and my brothers and I have all been raised on construction sites. At some point, all four of us have done our time doing just about every task connected with building a house. My mom has a picture of me hanging in her kitchen. I'm 11 years old and I just dry-walled my first house. I'm covered in dust, but grinning ear to ear. I loved getting my hands dirty, even then." He held out his saw-dust covered hands for her inspection.
All she noticed was that her mom was right about the size of his hands. "Sounds like you enjoyed it, even if your dad was using you guys for cheap labour," Lacey said with a grin, charmed by the idea of him as a junior handyman, following his dad around, soaking up knowledge and learning his destiny at such a young age.
"We only worked weekends and summers. It wasn't like we were home-schooled slaves or anything. And I enjoyed it. Still do. He just wanted us to learn the business. His philosophy was that we couldn't know if someone else was screwing up unless we'd done it ourselves, so we'd be better at supervising a build if we actually weren't talking out of our asses. He didn't put it that way, but that was what he meant."
"He sounds like a smart man."
"He was. He died a few years ago. Heart Attack."
"I'm sorry. You must miss him."
Serena interrupted. "Jay, are you going to show us your masterpiece or what? Uncle Jack would have told you to quit wasting time and show the buyer what she came to see."
"Yeah, yeah. You're right. I was just giving Lacey some background, and showing off a little. No harm in that, right?"
"Like your ego needs anymore stroking. I don't think so. Let's move this along. I have to get back to town in an hour, so that gives you twenty minutes to show us the highlights, okay?"
"Man, you are impatient. But twenty minutes is plenty of time. The place isn't very big."
They were done with the tour within ten minutes. There really wasn't much to it at all. The cottage consisted of a huge open concept living area, a large bedroom with walk-in closet, and a ridiculously oversized bathroom with a glass-tiled shower big enough for an entire basketball team to share comfortably. Basically, it was over-the-top luxury done on a very small scale. And it was Lacey's dream place, but not out in the middle of the country.
"Do you live here, Jack?" Lacey asked as they walked back into the living area. She looked around at the small signs of life, like the take-out containers on the granite countertop, and the towels beside the sink.
"No, but I will when it's done." He omitted the fact that he currently didn't really "live" anywhere, though officially his address was the huge mausoleum they'd passed on the way to the cottage. "After the floors, I just have the kitchen island to install and then I have to bribe Serena here to pick out some furniture for me, and I'm all set. Instant bachelor pad in the woods."
"You'd like that wouldn't you, you old hermit," Serena said, punching him in the shoulder. "Living in the woods with no one bugging you. Maybe you should just buy a couple of ugly recliners and embrace your man-cave lifestyle."
"Well, I am hoping to have a few very special guests," Jack said, smiling warmly at Lacey. She looked away, but not before he saw the delighted little smile turn up the corners of her gorgeous mouth. "So something more inviting than a giant TV, a Wii game console and a Lazy Boy would probably be more appropriate."
"He's talking about his brothers' places," Serena said in a stage whisper to Lacey. "Each and every one of them is single and living the ultimate bachelor dream. Last time I was at Jason's, the youngest, there wasn't even toilet paper in the bathroom, just a stack of coffee filters sitting on the bathroom counter. Disgusting."
Lacey laughed merrily and Jack was struck again by what a joyful person she was. He felt better when she was around than he had in years. Maybe ever. Even talking about his dad's death hadn't caused him to spiral into a black mood as was typical for him when the subject came up. Obviously, she had a positive effect on him. If he could just figure out a way to spend time with her without getting too emotionally attached, life would be so much better.
He knew he wasn't capable of anything serious. He couldn't even pretend he was ready for more than a physical connection with another woman after Deborah. It would probably be years before he could put the past behind him enough to really be willing to share his life. Maybe not even then. Just the thought of a traditional courtship made him panic. How could he go on dinner dates, make polite conversation and plans with someone new after what had happened? He couldn't do it. He just couldn't. It felt like a betrayal.
But sex he could definitely handle. Idly, he wondered if Lacey would be open to a casual relationship. Would he blow it if he suggested such a thing? Or maybe she was looking for something without strings too? Looking at her, he doubted very much that she was that open-minded.
He wasn't very good at guessing women's age, but he estimated her to be in her late twenties or very early thirties. But somehow her innocence seemed somewhat intact to him. Not virginal exactly, but definitely not experienced. Bold looks aside, she seemed unnerved by his attention, almost skittish. Like she wasn't used to men wanting her. Or she didn't believe that anyone could be interested in her. He couldn't quite fathom how she had escaped male notice. She was exotically beautiful, quick-witted, sweet, and beyond sexy. Everything a man like him lusted after, and yet she didn't seem to trust that his desire for her could be sincere. Either she had been living in a convent, or the only men she came in contact with had to be gay. That was the only way she could remain so oblivious to the effect she had on his gender, and especially him.
Her innocence both delighted and horrified him. On one hand, the thought of her with anyone else sent him into a jealous rage, so he would be relieved if she hadn't been with a lot of other men. But, if she was relatively inexperienced, it was unlikely she would want to be with someone who was incapable of any kind of emotional connection.
If he was really lucky, like lottery-winner lucky, then she would be innocent and adventurous. What were the odds of that? He was pretty sure this phenomenon never happened outside of really bad porn. But this was exactly what he needed at this point in his life. If there was even a chance Lacey could deal with his limitations and still wanted to explore her sensual side with him then he really needed to broach the subject with her. He would be kicking his own ass if she got away from him again.
Until Lacey had walked into that Open House he'd thought his libido was dead. But apparently it had just been dormant. Now that it was active again, his lust was like a constant hunger in him that refused to be ignored. He was used to keeping that side of his nature in check. Even while married, he had learned to repress it. But all his usual tricks, like cold showers and exhaustion, weren't working anymore. He needed to let the beast loose.
He was a deeply sexual person, but Deborah had not been an enthusiastic lover. She had barely tolerated his touch, and yet he had remained faithful, even when it was obvious that their marriage was over. He had pushed his body and mind to the limit of his endurance with work and exercise, and yet it would still be there. That need. He had hated that weakness in him. Despised his inability to control his thoughts and the way his mind would shift into a fantasy world of women, usually not his wife, when he was not diligent in repressing his impulses. He never acted on them, but his fantasies were vivid and he feared that they would take over if he ever gave them an outlet.
Man, would he love to play out some of those fantasies with this woman. He had many years of frustration to make up for. If only she was willing to buck traditional values and have some fun. He would do everything he could to ensure she didn't get hurt. They were adults. They could be honest about their needs and what they hopefully both wanted. He didn't see why they couldn't enjoy each other without getting too heavily involved. Now, if he could just figure out a way to bring it up without sounding like a complete scum-bag.
"Okay," Serena said, looking down at her watch. "This is what I propose. Just give me three minutes, and then take a day to think about it before you guys react, okay?" She waited for Lacey's vigorous nod, and Jack's impatient, "move this along" gesture before she continued.
"Jay, you know that big old house on Elm you're currently working on? You were going to put a gatehouse sort of building out back, right? Well, I was thinking why don't we have it rezoned as two properties, and then we could build something like this for Lacey." She spread her arms to indicate the cottage.
Jack couldn't help it. Serena's idea was ridiculous. He needed to interrupt before her big ideas got out of hand. "Ess, you know that's not possible. When you brought her here to see the cottage, I thought she already had purchased the land for us to build on. What you're talking about is a very expensive piece of real estate. If the row-house was out of her price range, then your idea is way, way beyond her means." He looked apologetically at Lacey. "I'm really sorry. You have no idea how much I hate disappointing you, but Serena's plan is totally unrealistic."
"That's okay. I totally get it. I kind of had a feeling it was too good to be true," Lacey responded, trying not to let her profound disappointment show.
Serena stomped her foot in impatience. "What did I say? Give me three minutes, and then react. Just listen for another two minutes, and then you can both go back to shooting down my idea before you even give it a chance." She glared at them and then continued. "What I was thinking is that the market is changing. Look at Lacey, she's single and childless. Sorry, Lacey, but you are. Usually someone like her would be restricted to an apartment or a small townhouse. But she also has a dog, which kind of limits her ability to live in either. Right, Lacey?"
"Yup, the neighbors complain if he makes any noise, so I leave him at my mom's house with her during the day while I'm at work."
"See. Lacey doesn't need a lot of space, but she needs some separation from her neighbors. And it's the same for a lot of single moms. They want a yard for their kids to play in, but can't afford your standard three bedroom house. But what if we created something new? A community of very small, detached houses, with all the luxuries people want, but on a very small scale."
Serena smiled, knowing she had their attention, and gestured toward the front of the house. "If you used a similar floor-plan to this place, you could put a small bedroom or den there, with an attached en-suite. For guests or for a kid. Or you could build a loft over the living area."
She waved her arm toward the back of the house. "I know what you're thinking. It would still be pricey. But it wouldn't have to be this customized. I mean, I'm sorry, Jay, but that shower is ridiculous. And why do you need a front door that's ten feet tall? Do you guys see it? And how about seniors? Their population is skyrocketing, and they want to downsize. Many of them don't like apartments after living in houses for fifty years, and townhouses aren't an option because of all the stairs. Do you see the potential?"
Jack was looking at her speculatively. "I don't know. It seems like a gamble."
"It totally would be, if we were going to create the whole huge community at once. But what if we started off with just one unit? One very special place that would pilot the whole project. We could build something Lacey would love, at a discount that she could afford, and in return, she would let us use it as a Presentation Centre for a potential new development, just for a month or two. If there's no interest in it, then we could forget about the whole thing. But if it revolutionizes the real estate market, as I think it will, then we'll all be wildly successful and you'll have me to thank. Now, what do you think?"
"Wow. I'm speechless," Lacey said, looking at Jack. "What do you think? Is it possible?"
Jack rubbed his chin, and looked thoughtful. "I think Serena knows that it's not quite that easy. You can't just show people a property that may or may not be built somewhere else. It's vaguely fraudulent. But the idea itself has merit. A community of small scale detached houses. Hmmm…I wonder where you came up with that?"
"I know. I totally stole the idea from Lacey. That's why I wanted her to be a part of it. She got me thinking about options for single professionals and how they are a huge untapped growth market."
"I'll admit it. It has some merit." Jack said. "But I need some time to think about it, work out the logistics, and maybe, just maybe, if I can get my idiot brothers onboard with it, we can talk about it."
Serena squealed and hugged Jack fiercely. "Oh, and since it was my idea, I get a big chunk of the profits, plus my commission, right?"
"We'll talk about it." He turned to Lacey, who was looking a little shell-shocked. "What do you think, Lacey? Would you consider it? I mean, if we decide to go ahead with it. You and I might have to spend some time together, going over plans, and deciding on where we can cut costs. Could you handle that?" He held his breath, waiting for her response.
If this actually happened, then it was the perfect opportunity to get to know her better and see if she might be open to a strictly physical relationship. Otherwise, he was going to be forced to be direct, and that didn't really feel like the right approach. Asking a sweet woman like her if she wanted to be his sex toy seemed unlikely to get a positive response. It might even get him a slap. Maybe prolonged enforced contact with him would take care of the awkwardness and things would just happen naturally. He wasn't a saint. If a little seduction was required, then he was certainly up for it.
"I really don't know," Lacey said, shaking her head. "I'm totally overwhelmed. The thought of my own place, especially something this lovely, in the perfect neighborhood, and in my price range, didn't even seem like a possibility before. I feel like I really shouldn't get my hopes up. Or there's going to be some kind of nasty string attached. I'm not going to have to parade around naked out front to attract buyers or something, am I?"
"Personally, I think that is a great idea. Let's write that into the contract," Jack said, only half kidding.
"You're a pig," Serena said to Jack, but smiled as she said it. She turned to Lacey. "I can't make any promises, but I think this might actually happen. And if I know Jack, it will happen fairly quickly. He prides himself on being a man of action. So, you need to decide if you want to be a part of it. You gave me this idea, so I really do want to return the favor. Take tonight, and think about it seriously. This is kind of an unorthodox proposition so I get it if you're hesitant. Change can be scary, even if it's positive. But let me know soon, okay? This is an opportunity to have exactly what you want, and that doesn't happen all that often. All you have to do is say the word."
Was it just Lacey's imagination or did it seem like Serena wasn't talking about real estate anymore? "I really don't need to think about it. If your plan is really possible, without going outside my budget, then I am totally up for it. What's a few hours a week as an Open House compared to twenty years in my own home." Wow! Her own home. That sounded so wonderful to her, she could hardly believe it. And even if Serena's plan didn't work out, at least there was chance that she might get to spend some quality time with Jack. Serena was right. How often did an average girl like her get to spend time with her dream guy while building her dream home? She'd be a fool not to jump at the opportunity.
"Okay, then. The brains of this operation are clearly onboard. Now, all we need is the brawn. Jay? When do you think you can get some kind of definitive answer from your minions?" Serena asked, looking expectantly at Jack.
"Don't push it, Serena. I said I'd talk to them. You're just going to have to wait and see," Jack said, crossing his arms across his chest again.
"Fine. Pretend you haven't already decided this is going to happen. Play your little game, but we both know you would have shut me down five minutes ago if you didn't think it was a great idea. Now, I have an appointment with a man with powerful hands and a bottle of lube, so I need to take off."
"No one needs to hear about your deviant sex life, but thanks for the mental image, Ess," Jack said, with a pained expression on his face.
"A massage, you pervert. I have an appointment with Klaus, my masseur. Presenting brilliant ideas gets me so tense, I really need him to work me over tonight." She wiggled her eyebrows at Jack suggestively, and he rolled his eyes.
"You're a sick individual, you know that, right?" Jack said, shaking his head.
"Yup. But it's genetic. Oh, by the way, are you heading into town tonight, Jay?" Serena asked, her eyes wide with innocence. "Maybe you can give Lacey a ride if she wants to stay here and check out your hardwood?"
"Subtle, really subtle, Serena," Jack muttered. "Lacey, ignore her. You're welcome to stay and hang out if you want. I was going to head into town in about an hour anyway." This wasn't actually true. He usually worked late into the evening. But she didn't need to know that. "So, I'd be glad for the company if you want to explore a bit." That had sounded a bit dirtier than he'd intended, but after Serena's "hardwood" comment his mind was firmly in the gutter.
"No, really. Thanks for the offer, but you obviously have a lot of work to do. You don't need me here distracting you from your rubbing, I mean, sanding. I'll just get a ride with Serena." Other than the flush staining her cheeks, Lacey valiantly ignored her slip. Hopefully, they would too.
"Lacey, I would be happy to drive you. Please stay. I insist." And help me with my rubbing, he thought to himself with a grin. Obviously, he wasn't the only one having dirty thoughts here.
"I seriously have to go," Serena said, walking toward the door. "Lacey, are you coming? I'd be glad to call ahead and see if Klaus can squeeze you in with his partner, Clay. I mean, it seems like you have some tension of your own to work out. So, a massage might be just the thing. Jay will let us know what's happening with 'The Plan,' won't you, Jay?"
Jack was trying block the image of any other man rubbing Lacey's smooth olive skin with scented oils. Just the thought made his vision cloud with a red mist. He felt his fists clench of their own accord. There was no way he was going to allow some soft-handed pretty boy to touch her, while he sat here by himself, polishing his wood.
"You know what? Serena is dangerous behind the wheel on any given day, but when she's in a hurry, she's downright frightening. You should really let her go, and stay here, with me. I'd really like to spend some time with you." There, he'd said it. He felt like a complete weenie, but he was a man, and men said what they wanted. Consequences be damned.
"If you're sure?"
"Yes, I'm completely sure."
"Okay then. I'd like to spend some time with you too. And talk about the cottage. Go ahead, Serena. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Have fun with Klaus. And maybe I'll set up something with Clay for another time."
Like hell you will, Jack thought to himself, but grinned like an idiot as they followed Serena out to the porch and watched her walk to her car.
"Jay, if I don't hear from you tomorrow, I will be calling your mother, so get on this thing right away, okay?" Serena called, sliding behind the steering wheel.
"Yeah, yeah. Quit badgering me or I will develop selective amnesia on this subject, I swear to God."
"Okay. Have fun, you two. Don't get any splinters." Putting on her sunglasses, Serena smiled wickedly as she flipped the car into gear, and rocketed down the driveway. All in all, she felt like she'd accomplished a lot today. Both her match-making and her real estate plans were coming together, perfectly. If only her own personal life was so easy to control.