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“Well, I’m hoping...if you were interested, of course...that you could help me with rent collection, depreciating new appliances and upgrades, and work out how to reduce my tax bill. I’ve been meaning to do it for so long, but...” Griffen shrugged. “There aren’t enough hours in the day.”
My ears perked up. Playing with numbers appealed to me a lot more than pretending to be a proficient handyman. “I’d be happy to. To be honest, it would probably be safer to let me sort your books than your properties.” I smiled, even as the strangest sensation of hope siphoned through my veins. Hope that was usually buried beneath cloying concern.
This guy, this job, this home...they all seemed too good to be true.
But I trusted Jack...
Which meant I had to learn to trust this guy too.
Perhaps the next stage of our lives wouldn’t be so bad, after all.
Neri gave me a dreamy look, probably feeling the same hope I did.
Just because we’d left Jack and Anna. Just because we’d driven to Townsville in Neri’s brand-new, second-hand Cherokee, and we were all alone in a city that could potentially destroy us as easily as reward us, didn’t mean we had to fear everything about the future.
With a bit of luck and a lot of love, we might be able to thrive here...as a couple. As independent adults who’d committed, promised, and were ready to face our entwined lives head-on.
“I’d still appreciate if you did the renos too,” Griffen said. “That would be a huge help.”
I nodded, unable to let him down. “Sure. I’ll do my best.”
“Great!” Griffen clapped his hands. “How about you focus on getting this apartment into better shape? Then, over the next few weeks, I’ll bring over the books and go over the rent for each place, the dates of payments, and lists of expenditures, and we’ll see if you can do both. Handyman and accountant? I’ll pay, of course. The rental agency was charging twelve percent of rent plus incidentals. I’m happy to pay you eight...cash in hand. And then an hourly rate for your labour.”
My eyes bugged. “But you don’t even know me.”
“I know, but I have a good feeling. And what’s the worst that can happen?” He shrugged as if he honestly went through life trusting every stranger he ever met. “You suck at bookkeeping and can’t use a hammer to save your life? Oh well, I rented out an apartment that was just sitting empty and helped look after the daughter of a new friend.” He winked. “Still a good deal. But...if you do prove to be a savant with sums and can figure out how to tackle a building as well as you tackled Jack’s boat, then I have no doubt I’m gonna be the lucky one in this scenario.”
“Aslan single-handedly ran Mum and Dad’s research operation. They passed almost everything over to him so they could spend as much time under the waves as possible,” Neri said with awe. “He can do anything.”
My nape prickled with embarrassment. I really didn’t like being the centre of attention or being spoken so highly of. I wanted to stay in the background, surrounded by shadows that kept me safe. “Neri, enough—”
“I’m excited.” Griffen smacked his hands together again. “Right, the day isn’t getting any younger, and I promised my wife, Millie, that I’d take her out for dinner, so...how about a quick tour? I’ll show you the electrical mains for the twenty-four apartments, the maintenance shed with all the tools, and the shut-off valves for water, gas, etcetera. That way, you can get familiar with how things work, so it won’t be quite so terrifying when I send through the list of issues that need addressing.”
I held the man’s stare. He seemed friendly, trustworthy, and had an ease about him that soothed my stress just enough for me to relax. A little.
“Sounds good,” Neri said on my behalf, throwing me a wide-eyed look, no doubt trying to remind me to be polite and not shut down.
“This way then,” Griffen announced, sweeping out of the room, expecting us to follow.
Neri gave me another piercing scowl as she padded toward the living room. I chased after them, my eyes locked on the sway of her stunning hair as Griffen’s voice sailed from up ahead. “Not sure if you’ve ever gutted a kitchen, Aslan, but I’ve already ordered a new flatpack. It’ll be delivered sometime next week. If you’re okay with ripping this one out and installing the new one, that would be great. It’s just like Ikea furniture, really, anyone can do it. Once you’ve got the new cabinets and Formica countertop in, I’ll give you the number for the sparky and plumber to wire in the new stove and sink. Sound good?”
My ears buzzed. My brain ached.
“I, eh—”
“Sounds perfect,” Neri said, falling back to pinch me. “He’ll figure it out. Like I said, he always does.”
