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12
Turning Over A New Leaf
Wesley pulled up to the two-family house a little outside of downtown Mystic where he was picking Jasmine up for their date on Friday. It was just shy of six and he’d rushed to get out on time and get home to shower.
He’d actually had to set an alarm on his phone to make sure he wasn’t late, not wanting to give off a bad impression.
Beginning again didn’t just mean his dating life, but also his work mode.
He had to tell himself there was more to life than work. He was still putting in a crazy amount of hours since the new business was a learning experience to him, and he was also in the busy season.
To retain the staff that Tess told him had been worth it, he’d given them raises. He’d listened to things they’d like to have changed and he accommodated what he could, knowing it took a village not only to raise a family, but also to run a business.
He got out of his car and went up the front stairs of the Victorian home. It was big and Jasmine had said there were three apartments here. The attic had a small one, but she was on the second floor.
He climbed the steps inside and got to her door, saw the summer wreath there with flowers on it. Not real ones, but they looked very realistic just the same. He knocked.
“Hi,” she said. “You found it okay. I worried about it after remembering you were new to the area.”
He smiled at her. “You can find just about anything now if your phone is on you or from the navigation in your car.”
“A nice car too,” she said, winking at him.
He and his mother drove his Range Rover up north. They were going to fly as they had a few times back and forth to check out the marina, but when it was time to pack up, he realized he wanted to take his time to get here.
There was part of him that was sad to leave the state that he’d known his whole life, but the other part of him was excited to begin again.
The moving truck they’d hired would bring their possessions along with his mother's Mercedes. His mother had the hardest time with the move, as she went from her massive home that she’d struggled to care for without hired help to a nice three-bedroom condo on the water a fraction of the size.
“Thanks,” he said. “Not sure why I felt I needed four-wheel drive in Tampa, but I got it. It will come in handy here.”
“I was never exposed to much snow in my life. We didn’t go to too many places with colder climates like that. I even went to college in the south, so no snow there either. This was definitely an eye-opener.”
“Where did you learn to drive?” he asked, just thinking of that now. “Did you get a license in another country?”
“I did. We all did. When I moved back here, my parents were good and helped out making sure I got a car. Nothing major. They didn’t want us trapped. My grandparents helped more than anything.”
“The ones in Texas?” he asked.
“Yes. You’re looking around my place. Do you want a tour?”
“If you want,” he said. “It’s nice. Has a lot of charm.”
“Thank you. When I first moved here, I got a one-bedroom apartment. It had no character, but again, I’ve never had a lot of possessions in my life and didn’t need much. After a few years and some raises, I decided I wanted more space. Something I could make feel like a home.”
They moved through the living room into a small dining room off to the right and then a galley-style kitchen. It was bright and cheerful with lots of decor. Not just flowers but more like a nature setting.
“I expected you to have more flowers here,” he said.
There were fresh ones on the table he’d passed, but that was it. He did notice a lot of plants throughout the place hanging by windows. He supposed that counted.
“I bring home some a few times a week but only keep them on the table. I do like my plants, as I’m sure you can tell. I’ve got two bedrooms side by side and a bathroom.”
He looked down the hall where she was pointing, but she did not attempt to move further so he didn’t.
“It’s a nice space.”
“It is. I use the second room as more of an office, but do have a bed in there. My siblings have come to visit and it gives them a place to stay.”
