Neighborhood Steele - Part Twelve
Steele called the realtor from the limo. Laura listened anxiously to his side of the conversation, almost sure that they would be told the house had been sold an hour ago.
“Yes, we’re sure,” Steele said. “No, we don’t need to see the inside before making a decision.”
Laura smiled to herself in spite of her nerves. She could well imagine the realtor’s bewilderment upon hearing that the couple who still hadn’t given him a definite answer after seeing each of the other houses four times had suddenly settled on a different one.
“Yes,” Steele was saying, “how much?” His eyes widened in alarm for a moment before he grinned nervously. “That’s fine, yes. This afternoon? We’ll be there. Yes. Bye.”
He glanced cautiously in Laura’s direction.
“How much?” she said dangerously.
Steele put a reassuring arm around her shoulders. “Let’s not ruin the day with details, Laura.”
She began to protest, but he took her hand and squeezed it.
“We’ve got the house, Laura! A home!”
Laura laughed, enjoying his excitement as much as her own. “And it has a red dining room, and a garden.”
“And that bedroom,” Steele put in. “I think we’re going to enjoy playing house in there.”
He leaned down to kiss her, barely brushing her lips at first, but then nudging them apart. She responded eagerly, trying to convey just how much it meant to her that they had finally found a house. Suddenly, in the last hour, their relationship had acquired an entirely new feeling of permanence.
They didn’t notice when the limo pulled up to their office building. Fred finally cleared his throat and said, “Was there somewhere else you wanted to go, Mr. Steele?”
Steele wiped his lips and told Fred to take the rest of the day off.
“Do you ever wonder what he thinks of us?” Laura asked as the car drove away.
Steele smiled. “He certainly doesn’t let on much, does he? Maybe he takes notes and tries things on his own girlfriend.”
“Yes, we’re sure,” Steele said. “No, we don’t need to see the inside before making a decision.”
Laura smiled to herself in spite of her nerves. She could well imagine the realtor’s bewilderment upon hearing that the couple who still hadn’t given him a definite answer after seeing each of the other houses four times had suddenly settled on a different one.
“Yes,” Steele was saying, “how much?” His eyes widened in alarm for a moment before he grinned nervously. “That’s fine, yes. This afternoon? We’ll be there. Yes. Bye.”
He glanced cautiously in Laura’s direction.
“How much?” she said dangerously.
Steele put a reassuring arm around her shoulders. “Let’s not ruin the day with details, Laura.”
She began to protest, but he took her hand and squeezed it.
“We’ve got the house, Laura! A home!”
Laura laughed, enjoying his excitement as much as her own. “And it has a red dining room, and a garden.”
“And that bedroom,” Steele put in. “I think we’re going to enjoy playing house in there.”
He leaned down to kiss her, barely brushing her lips at first, but then nudging them apart. She responded eagerly, trying to convey just how much it meant to her that they had finally found a house. Suddenly, in the last hour, their relationship had acquired an entirely new feeling of permanence.
They didn’t notice when the limo pulled up to their office building. Fred finally cleared his throat and said, “Was there somewhere else you wanted to go, Mr. Steele?”
Steele wiped his lips and told Fred to take the rest of the day off.
“Do you ever wonder what he thinks of us?” Laura asked as the car drove away.
Steele smiled. “He certainly doesn’t let on much, does he? Maybe he takes notes and tries things on his own girlfriend.”