William and I got back into his car. “Okay, what did you think of it?”
“Well, I liked it, but didn’t love it,” I said. “And that’s way too expensive for a house. I started sweating in places I didn’t know could sweat when you told me how expensive it was.”
William laughed. “I agree. Not the right kind of house.”
I took a deep breath and said, “Okay. So, what would be the right kind of house? Are you thinking of buying a house to live in for like a couple of years or are you thinking like…longer?”
I saw William’s sly smile creep across his face, but he kept his eyes on the road. “Well, we’re just looking right now, but I think I’d like to buy a house that’s big enough for us to live in for the next five years. What do you think about that plan?”
My cheeks burned red, and I tried not to look flustered. “Oh. Well…I mean…I haven’t had much time to think about it, but that’s helpful. So, something big enough for you, me, and maybe a dog—if we decided to one. Or…something.”
William whistled. “I do like the idea of a house we can expand into.”
We pulled into a long driveway behind Meredith’s Mercedes. The second house was a mid-century Craftsman stylehome. It was beautiful, with a lush green yard and stonework leading up to the front door. The inside of the home was perfectly done with built-in cabinets and archway accents above every doorway. The kitchen was large with enough room for a kitchen table, and the dining room had floor to ceiling windows that looked out over the back yard. The yard was much bigger than the last house. The upstairs had three decent-sized bedrooms.
Charles didn’t try to sell any of us on the house. William had told me that he was just showing the houses as a favor to Meredith, and William had asked to tag along. Meredith loved the house, but Addison said she wasn’t sure about the neighborhood.
We moved along to the third property, which was a condo in midtown. Meredith asked questions about the amenities. William asked boring real estate questions about the neighboring buildings. The condo was luxurious and grand with a rooftop pool and a concierge, but it wasn’t somewhere I would want to live. As I wandered through the condo, I imagined schlepping all my groceries down the hallway every week and grimaced. I walked into the master suite. It had an amazing view of the Atlanta skyline. When I made my way into the master bath, I found Addison lying in the walk-in shower.
“Oh,” I said surprised. “Sorry.”
Addison sat up. She laughed, “No worries. I was just trying to see what could be accomplished in this shower.” Addison laid back down. “Like if I want to lie in the shower and lament my own mortality while hot water scalds my skin, could I lie down fully?”
Addison turned on her side and propped herself up. “Seems like it would do the trick.”
I let out a laugh. “Yeah, plenty of room for an existential crisis.”
“Exactly, and it has a double showerhead,” Addison said, hopping up onto her feet with surprising agility. “So, it is probably a great place for sex as well.”
“Really a shower for the ages,” I joked.
Addison giggled. She smoothed her dress as we both walked out of the bathroom. I asked her, “Do you like this condo?’
“Oh, darling,” Addison said with a smile that had a hint of pity. “It wouldn’t matter if I hated it. M loves it, so we’re probably going to buy it. I’m just here for moral support.” She winked at me.
“You’re okay with Meredith deciding for you both?” I asked, trying to hide my surprise.
Addison frowned and looked at me. “Oh, darling. Don’t think of it like that. It’s not so bad. We have a good life. But I’m a piano teacher, and Meredith is the breadwinner. Meredith feeling happy is important. It helps her do well at work. So, in a way, letting her make this decision is a way for me to assure that she’s comfortable and we’re stable. It’s part of the trade-off.” I detected a bit of an instructional tone in Addison’s voice, and I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like for William and me.
Addison and I stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows in the master bedroom, admiring the view. She looked at me and said, “Meredith mentioned that you might move to Atlanta with William. What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a librarian.” I wondered how Meredith knew I was moving to Atlanta.
“Oh see, darling, you get it. William was doing well before, but now he’s one of the top paid developers in the country, so I mean, you don’t even really need to work, right?”
“Eventually, I’ll go back to work.” I stuttered. “I'm just not sure what I want to do. Besides, we're not married, so I'll need to work so I have health insurance and benefits."
"William adores you. Whether you’re married or not, he’ll take care of you.”
I tried not to look surprised. It hadn’t occurred to me that William might be rich. He’d never mentioned it before.
“Ready to see the last place?” Charles asked us. “I picked out this spot just for William.”
The last home was in a historic neighborhood in the West End of Atlanta. I recognized some of the buildings William had pointed out to me a few weeks ago. The home was a large, brick two-story with a wraparound porch.
Charles was waiting in the driveway when we arrived. “Fully renovated. Beautifully done.” He pointed down the driveway. “Huge bonus about this house is the garage. Most houses in these neighborhoods don’t have covered parking.”
We followed Charles into the house. The house reminded me of a smaller, slightly more modern version of our place in Creekstone, so I immediately liked it. I loved the warm wood floors and the sea salt color on the walls. There was a large staircase as soon as we walked into the foyer. A family room was to the left with a large fireplace.
