Two months later
Winding roads stretch for miles. With the window rolled down and Metallica blasting from the speakers, I finally locate Hamlet Avenue. A line of palm trees as green as rolling Ireland hills are spaced evenly down the centre of a wider-than-average road. The clean air and fresh saltwater smells have me inhaling excessively. I’m going to get used to this lifestyle rather quickly, I believe.
“Where’s number sixteen?” I breathe. “No, that’s one, two … six … ten ...” I mumble with the wheels rolling slowly along smooth asphalt. I’m pleased when I find myself turning into a long drive with a shiny black letterbox situated to the left reading 16. “This must be home sweet home, then.”
Dark concreted stones disappear under the tyres of my new Landcrusier as I near a two-storey, steel blue rendered home. The driveway splits off into two separate directions when I reach a circular garden placed smack bang in the middle. I decide to go right and park about a metre away.
Clambering out, Roxie leaps to my chest, running her snout in a sniff along the side of my neck.
“Go on. Get out of it,” I warn, lowering her slightly so she stops lapping my skin. “You missed the trip, Rox. All you ever do in this car is sleep.”
“Mr Crossley … Brad, isn’t it?” Haldon’s dressed in a business suit and his hand is outstretched in greeting.
Where the hell did he come from? “Nah. It’s Finlay, mate. Finlay Crossley.” I grip his hand with a manly hold and stare dead into his eyes.
“I’m sorry. I thought it was Brad. I’m Haldon Burns.”
“Yep.”
“Nice dog.” He attempts to pat Roxie, who shyly tucks her head into my armpit.
“She bites, mate. I’d stay clear of the jaws. Don’t let her small size take you for a ride. Bloody vicious, this mop.”
“Oh.” He snatches his hand back, which has me grinning. “Would you like to look inside the house or on the outside, around the property first?”
“Neither. I’ll take the keys off your hands, and you’re good to go.”
His crossed glare tells me he’s more than a little puzzled.
I pat his shoulder with my free hand, and as I do, Haldon becomes unbalanced and lurches forward. He’s a twig, no doubting it.
Regaining composure, he presses his thin-framed glasses close to his eyes.
“Sorry, mate. Habit.” I never could stand this guy.
Haldon waves me off as if his stumble was nothing, flicking at his suit jacket like one does when brushing away unwanted creases. “So, you don’t want …?”
“Haldon.”
“Yes, Mr Crossley.”
“Thanks for your help. But since I already own this property, there’s no need for you to try and sell it to me, you know? I’m fine with the keys, if you don’t mind, and you can be on your way.”
He smiles crookedly. “They’re inside on the kitchen bench.”
“Excellent. Nice doing business with you.”
Before I’m able to step away he taps my arm and says, “In all the years I’ve been doing this, you’re the first to ever buy a house of this value from me without seeing it first. So, have you been here before?”
“Nope.” Come on … drop it, you git.
“How do you know you’ll like it, or even the neighbourhood, for that matter?”
“It’s a house. You live in it. What’s to see? Not bothered by who lives around here, and as you said when I called a couple months ago, it’s the only one available in this part of town, of the size I required, in the timeframe I needed … It will satisfy.”
His eyes bug from his head.
“Have a good day, Haldon.”
“Yes. You too, Mr Crossley. If you have any questions, please call one of our friendly staff and we’ll be ever so happy to help.”
“Sure.”
Roxie wiggles her bottom in my arms, her tell-tale request to be put down, and I comply, letting her drop to the ground once I’ve stretched her as far as my knees. She moves quickly to a manicured hedge located not far from the front door and squats to relieve herself.
Chuckling outwardly, I shake my head and begin moving forward.
“Don’t I know you?” Haldon’s tone is calm, maybe even curious in the pitch he spoke with.
Why is Haldon still here? Twisting at my waist, I turn my attention back over my shoulder. “Do you?”
“Aren’t you that Tank fellow from the steel mill?”
“Yep.”
“Oh, wow. I thought it was you. Remember me? I’ve been into the steel mill with Mr Horton a few times.”
“Sure.”
“Well, I never would have guessed someone working there could afford a place like this.” One eyebrow launches from under the frame of his glasses to the very top of his forehead.
Prick.
“I hope you’re not implying I stole the money. It was inheritance. If you don’t mind, I’m going to go get settled in.”
“Of course. Small world, hey?”
“If you say so.”
Just when I think Poindexter is finally backing off, he says, “Didn’t you throw the job in at the steel mill, though? I briefly remember Mr Horton expressing some dissatisfaction over this at lunch a couple of months ago.”
I turn sharply to face him. “I don’t work there anymore, no.”
“Falling out, wasn’t it?”
“Can’t remember.”
“I’m surprised you’re moving into this house here then.” He has a pathetic smirk planted across his face.
“Why exactly?”
“Oh, no reason at all, mate.” His overemphasis on mate has me reeling. “I’m here if you need me, remember?” He chuckles slightly. “Oh, this will be interesting,” he mutters.
Is he having his own private joke here?
Haldon clicks his tongue and points his finger at me in pistol form before winking.
They say I’m a loser. This guy is definitely a loser. Who does such a geek-like thing these days?
Watching Haldon climb into the shiny black car parked on the opposite side of the drive, I resist all temptation to grab his scrawny neck and tell him to mind his own business whilst shoving his finger pistol up his arse.
Woof! Woof!
“What are you barking at?” I scold, searching for the scrawny mutt.
She’s sitting right in front of the double front doors. Shaking my head, I walk over to her.
“What are you sitting on?” A thick navy mat is placed in the centre of the doorway. Using my foot, I shift Roxie’s bum over just enough to read the embossed gold cursive lettering. “Bienvenue à la maison.” No idea what that means. “Are you ready, girl?” I take the doorhandle into my grip.
Roxie runs between my legs like a lunatic, so I believe her reply to be a yes.
“Holy shit.” I’ve never seen anything so nice in my life.
There are high ceilings and a grand foyer. Standing in the doorway, I look past the foyer and out into an open room. Shifting my eyes downwards, I see the brown of my irises reflecting back at me in polished white flooring. The house is very neutral and completely bare of any furnishings.
Woof! Woof!
The echoing from Roxie’s sudden bark reiterates just how empty the place is, and when she leaves my side in a sudden bolt she skates with no coordination. It doesn’t halt her mission, though; she keeps trying to make ground with haste.
Bang!
I jolt from the unexpected closing of the door behind me, and this gets my feet moving and my eyes exploring.
The kitchen is to the right of the entry, and it’s probably bigger than my entire shitty rundown apartment. Navy blue marble benches. Silver stainless steel handles on the cabinetry and white doors, walls, floors. Whoever built this was a massive fan of white with colour splashes … I like it.
Coming back the way I entered, I continue my exploration of the lower level. Cinema. Fireplace, which surprises me mainly because it doesn’t quite get cold enough to warrant one in a place like Hoffman. A sturdy bar. A two-man sauna. A bathroom fit for a king, and two carpeted bedrooms bigger than any I’ve ever seen in my life, both fitted out with decent en suites. Pretty suave indeed. There are two more sunken rooms. Both have doors and I’m not sure what they’re for, but it’s obvious to me they are not designed to be bedrooms … I’ll have to figure this out.
Locating a metal staircase, I take the stairs two at a time and meet plush cream carpeting at the top. A kitchenette and room for at least two small couches is off-set from the stairs.
A hallway splits into either direction and I decide to walk to the farthest point to my right. This is where I locate the master bedroom. Entry is made through a wardrobe space seemingly stretching for an eternity … This is definitely a woman’s wardrobe. Through glass panelling, I spy a spa probably big enough for ten people, and behind this is the bedroom. There’s another door to the left and once opened, I locate another bathroom. That’s four on my count.
“I’d better hire a cleaner.”
A sheer curtain takes up majority of the farthest wall and when parted, I discover double glass doors to a veranda. There are two eight-shaped pools built into the ground, one smaller than the other. Ocean views act as the perfect backdrop and as I scan back and forward taking in all its beauty, I smile.
The breeze is fresh, and as it washes over my skin, I’m at peace. This is far better than I ever allowed my imagination to conjure up.
On the right-hand side of the bedroom is a decent-sized window with a light peach-coloured blind covering. I open the shade and secure it in place. Ocean views, farther off into the distance, have me smiling, again. This is going to be my new start in life. A house I’d never dreamt to own.
Taking in the palm trees dancing in the breeze and the perfect blue sky has me mesmerised until a wet sensation at my ankle alerts me to Roxie’s presence.
Turning my eyes downwards has my head shaking. “What do you think, girl? Pretty neat, huh?”
She wraps herself around my ankle.
“Come on. Moving day. We’d better get to work.”