William appeared next to me and put his hand on the small of my back. “This house is beautiful,” he said into my ear. It sent a chill down my spine. Charles appeared next to us. “Check out what’s in the back. You’ll love this.”
We followed Charles past the stairs and to the back of the house. The eat-in kitchen had a huge island bar. There were large windows that made the room seem brighter than the front of the house. Charles walked through the kitchen and opened the back door onto the deck. I followed him out.
“There's a small plunge pool out back in the garden and a pool house for guests,” Charles said.
“This is amazing,” I said to Charles.
Charles turned to me and smiled. “I know ol’ William. He loves neighborhoods like this.”
“He does?” I said, realizing that William and I had never talked about where he’d like to live before.
“Yeah, this has William written all over it. What about you?” Charles asked.
I shrugged. “Well, I have to admit this is pretty close to what I like.”
“What’s not to love?” Charles said, “This house would be a great investment. This neighborhood is on the verge of turning. So, buying now is what’s up.”
Charles followed me as I wandered through the house. “So, you plan on moving to Atlanta after William buys a house?”
“Eh, yeah. That’s the plan.” I tried not to sound overwhelmed. “We’re still kind of discussing the timing.”
“Well, I’m so happy for you two,” Charles said. A mischievous look flashed in his eyes, and he added, “No one would have ever guessed William would settle down. One day he’s being featured inThe Ave Magas one of New York’s most eligible bachelors—out every Friday night with a different supermodel or socialite, absolutely slaying the city’s social scene. Then he disappears for six months, and the next thing you know, he’s house hunting with a new girlfriend no one’s ever heard of.”
“Charles,” Meredith stepped into the room. “I thought even mediocre real estate agents knew not to hover around potential buyers. Buzz off and let Kit look around by herself.”
Charles clicked his tongue. “What would I do without you to tell me how to do my job, Meredith?”
They scowled at each other. Meredith stepped aside as Charles walked past her through the door. Meredith looked over at me. “Was he being skeezy or just annoying…or both?”
My mouth pushed into a frown. “Just a little annoying but maybe illuminating.”
“How's that?” Meredith asked, stepping into the room with me.
“He said that William was once named “Most Eligible Bachelor” by some magazine. Is that true?” I crossed my arms as I looked around the room.
Meredith laughed. “Yeah, I think those magazines are the worst. They don’t mean anything.”
“I guess there’s a lot I don’t know about William,” I sighed. I wanted to change the subject. “This is a great house. Do you like it?”
“Yeah, it’s not my style. Too much house for me. What about you?” Meredith asked. I was surprised by how personable Meredith was being. William had described Meredith as a force of nature, and she didn’t strike me as the kind of woman who believed in small talk.
“I love it. It’s the exact kind of place I’d want to live if I lived in Atlanta,” I admitted.
“I guess Charles knew what he was doing after all,” Meredith said, her lips twisting in disgust at the thought of Charles being competent. “My guess is William will like this house primarily because of the neighborhood and the guest house.”
“The guest house?” I peered out the window overlooking the pool and guest house in the backyard.
“For his mom,” Meredith noted as she peeked her head into the walk-in closet. I tried not to let it show that it bothered me how everyone seemed to know what William would want. After all, why should I be frustrated that he had friends whoknew him? The truth was I was just frustrated that I didn’t know him this well. Maybe Veronica was right. I felt a sick feeling rising in my throat.
“You okay?” Meredith asked. I looked up to see her standing a few feet away looking at me with concern.
“Yeah, it’s nothing,” I said.
Meredith pressed her lips together and said, “What are you and William doing for dinner tonight?”
“I don’t think we have plans yet,” I said, trying to shake off the feeling of anxiousness that was developing.
“Addison wants to try a new place tonight. You guys are welcome to join us if you’d like,” Meredith said.
