Chapter 2: Mixing Business and Pleasure

"I haven't had a meal like this in ages," Charlotte sighed with a contented look.

"It was very good, wasn't it," I agreed.

"Are you staying here at this hotel?" she asked.

"No, I'm staying with my mother at our family home. She lives out near UBC. What about you? Are you staying at a hotel?"

"No, that's a luxury for now," she said regretfully. "I'm staying with one of the girls I went to school with. She has a condo on False Creek. It's a reasonable walk to the stadium."

"That's a bit of good luck, then. How did you get here? Did you drive?"

"No, I took the bus. I have to watch my pennies since I'm just getting started with my own business and I'm working hard to find some clients."

"So, my project might be coming along at just the right time?" I suggested.

"Oh, absolutely," she exclaimed. "At first I wondered if you weren't just trying out a new pick-up line, especially after you reminded me about that lunch where I first saw you. When you said you brought the plans, I felt a little more confident that this wasn't some come-on."

"Nope, it's completely legit. However, you are a very attractive woman and I'm a single guy, so you'll pardon me if you catch me staring now and then."

"What is it you find so ... unusual about me?"

"The first time I saw you, I found myself unable to resist looking at you. You have an incredible face to begin with, but that first time, what I noticed more than anything was the lack of makeup or jewelry. It was just ... you. And it was perfect. You were perfect. I tried to describe how you looked as I stared, but the only word I could come up with was serene. There wasn't any pretense about you and what I saw was the real you."

"Wow. That's kind of ... weird. I have to tell you, I wasn't at my best that day. I was late getting up after a late night and had to rush to get to the pub on time. The reason I didn't have any makeup on was because I didn't have time to put any on. I just washed my face, brushed my hair and headed down to Comox."

"Ka-ching," I laughed, totally confusing Charlotte."

"What was that about?"

"That was me counting the money that I bet myself on why you looked the way you did. I guessed that you were in a rush and I guessed that you deliberately didn't worry about any unnecessary adornments. You are one of the very few women in this world who doesn't need much to look her very best. I said to myself at the time that you were living proof that less is more."

She blushed. "Thank you, but I think you're overstating your case. I suppose you noticed the sweater, too?"

"Yes," I agreed, "and I hope you rid yourself of it as soon as you got home. On the other hand, it caused me to focus on your face and that was what I found so fascinating."

"Can we change the subject? I find this conversation uncomfortable."

"Of course. Tell me about yourself, Charlotte. What is your home town? Where did you go to school before the Art Institute? How long have you been in business for yourself?"

She laughed. "Well, that certainly got us off the topic, didn't it? I was brought up in Victoria, went to school there and then worked for a few years in a developer's office. That got me involved in some interior design, but I realized how little I knew about the profession, so I saved my money and enrolled in the Art Institute to get a proper education. I got my diploma almost two years ago, but couldn't find a job. My old one was gone by then.

"I moved up to the Comox Valley because there was little competition in my field. I took a retail job until I saved enough money to try and establish myself in my own firm. It's been hard, but I can see that if I stick with it, I can make it. Jobs have been trickling in, but that's better than nothing at all. In the meantime, I've got a part-time retail job at The Sport Warehouse."

"Good for you. Where do you do your design work?"

"In my apartment in Courtenay. The living room has been turned into a studio-come-sample room. The place is a mess, but someday I'll be able to rent a proper studio and invite clients to come there. Right now, I go to them with samples and photos. It's not ideal, but we all have to start somewhere."

"I think you're going to be okay, Charlotte. You've got the will to stick it out through the difficult start-up period. That's what usually makes or breaks new businesses."

"What about you, Nolan. What's your background, and how did you get a big house in the Sand Pines for yourself?"

"Well, it's a very interesting story," I smiled. "I was given the house by a friend."

"What! I don't believe you," she said emphatically.

"Believe it. It's true." I began to relate the story about Lew Rawlings and our friendship. I told her about how we had met and become friends, despite the age difference.

"He also gave me a sailboat," I said as Charlotte was still trying to absorb Lew's generosity.

"A sailboat, too?" she asked with another look of amazement.

"A thirty-two foot sloop," I nodded. "Right now it's out of the water at Campbell River getting the hull painted, the brightwork refinished, and some maintenance on the engine and electronics. It's a lovely thing, but I haven't been using it as much as I'd like to."

"Why not?" she asked.

"A couple of reasons. No one to sail with on a regular basis, and the house has been occupying quite a bit of my time. I've promised myself I'm going to get out on it more often this year and that's one of the reasons I want to get the house finished sooner than later. Care to apply for a deckhand position?"

"I might take you up on that," she said, "but it will depend on how busy I am as well. I would like to go sailing some time. I've sailed before, but not since I was a teenager. One of my friends' parents owned a boat and took us out. I loved it. Once we sailed over to the Gulf Islands and anchored for the night."

"Well, the invitation is always open, assuming between the two of us we can find the time."

"If I can't, it won't be all bad news. It will mean I'm busy, so that will be a good thing," she said brightly. "Anyway, where did you go to school?"

"In Vancouver, Britannia High, then UBC for journalism. It was my professor's connection with the newspaper industry that got me the job at the Clarion. I'm single, but not trying to stay that way," I smiled.

We sat silently, sipping an after-dinner coffee before I spoke again.

"There's a little conference area around the corner from the lobby. Why don't we go there and I can go over the plan. I have some photos as well that might help you get a feel for the house and the property. It really is very unique."

"Great. Let's settle the bill," she said.

"I already have. You can get the next one," I grinned.

"Are you ... uhhm ... you know ... rich or something?" she asked hesitantly.

"Now why would you ask a question like that," I chuckled.

"Well ... all the work you're doing on the house, plus you said that the newspaper job wasn't a great source of income, plus you're picking up the tab tonight. I hope you can afford this. Hell, I hope you can afford my services," she said with a hint of concern.

"Relax. I'm not super-rich, but I have the necessary funds to complete the house and continue to work at the Clarion. I can assure you, I'm not reckless with my money. I plan to keep as much of it as I can for as long as I can. You never know when something will come up that would invite investment," I said with a soft smile.

She blinked, another first as far as I could remember. She tended to fix her eyes on me when she was both talking and listening, and if she blinked, I never noticed it. But then, I wasn't really focussed on those details. If she'd wanted to hypnotize me, she'd have had a willing subject. I was still transfixed with her appearance and her simple beauty.

I rose and led her to the little conference area that I previously mentioned. Two low chairs and a long oval coffee table provided a platform for the plans I had on my laptop. We sat beside each other. Charlotte paid rapt attention as I described each room and the state that they were in. The photos of the outside of the house and property gave her a much better idea of the theme and style of the house and its setting in the pines. However, I had no pictures of the inside with me.