An Offer You Can't Refuse (part two) by Suzanne Hudson

Phil watched Katie as she bent her head to read the dimensions of the room in the brochure.  The sun was streaming in through the patio windows and it lit up the highlights in her long blonde hair, as it fell over her shoulders.  Something flipped inside him.  He realised that he’d never seen such a beautiful creature.  He fought the urge to reach out and touch her silky hair.  She looked up and asked him a question but he didn’t hear what she was saying.  He was transfixed by that pretty little elphin face and those huge green eyes and he felt his stomach lurch with desire.

‘Bloody hell, Phil, get a grip!’ he told himself, breathing in deeply and trying to concentrate on what she was saying.  Katie’s eyes flickered with a brief moment of puzzlement as she rephrased the question and this time Phil listened carefully and then answered as briefly as he could, before leading the couple out into the hallway.  He knew that he had to get himself as far away from her as was physically possible, without being rude.  His heart was racing and he was sure he was blushing.  He led the way up the steep staircase, calling down behind him for them to mind their heads.  A sudden image leapt into his mind, of her husband cracking his head on the ceiling at the bend in the stairs and falling backwards onto the tiled floor of the hall, dead on impact.

          ‘God, what is wrong with you?’ he muttered to himself as he led them into the largest bedroom and hurried over to push up the sash of the window, sticking his head out and gulping in air as if he was drowning.

          ‘The master bedroom,’ he announced, as he spun back around, trying desperately to get back into estate agent mode, but as they looked about and Katie enthused over the Victorian tiled fireplace, it suddenly occurred to him what they would be doing in this room and he shot out of it as fast as he could.  He showed them the other two bedrooms and the bathroom in record time and ushered them downstairs.  Michael shook his hand in the hallway.

‘We’ve got a few more to see, Phil,’ he smiled. ‘But yes, we are very interested.’ 

          Phil’s heart sank and he began to panic.  He couldn’t bear it, the thought to them living in this wonderful house together.  Could he pretend to get a call to say that an offer had just been made on it?  Was it worth losing his commission, just to save him from having to imagine them here?  He knew deep down that they would just find another house, that there was nothing he could do and no way that he could compete with a sports car and all that testosterone.

          Phil stood at the window and watched Katie swinging her long legs into the front of the tiny car and he felt like a part of him had died.  He didn’t care about his pint at the pub anymore and the night out with the lads.

          ‘Goodbye,’ he sighed and then he frowned as he saw the car door opening again and Katie climbing back out and running up the steps to the front door.  He was there before her.  She stood framed in the doorway, embarrassment flooding her face.

          ‘Sorry, Phil, I think I left my scarf in the kitchen…’

          ‘Oh, that’s fine, come in,’ he said, glad to grab a few more seconds with her.  She hurried down the hall and reappeared with her floral scarf in her hand. 

          ‘By the way, I’m sorry about Michael.  I know he can be a bit much at times.’

          ‘Oh no, he’s…’ began Phil.

          ‘But he’s my big brother, so I’m kind of stuck with him!’ she laughed and Phil stared at her in disbelief.

          ‘Did you say he’s your brother?  I thought you two...’

          ‘Oh, you didn’t think we were an item, did you?’  Katie’s laugh echoed around the hallway. ‘Oh, my goodness, sorry, I thought they would have told you.  We’re brother and sister.  Katie and Michael Fraser.’

          ‘That’s amazing,’ said Phil and he realised that he was grinning from ear to ear.

          ‘It is?’ asked Katie, blushing a little.  ‘I couldn’t afford a place on my own, so Michael said he’ll buy somewhere as an investment and let me rent off him.  He’s got a heart of gold really.’

           Phil knew that it was inappropriate to hit on one of your perspective buyers but he also knew that he might never see her again.  It was now or never.

          ‘You’re not the only one who’s forgetful, you know,’ he said, reaching into his jacket pocket and getting out his business card.  ‘I forgot to give you this.’  His hand was shaking but on the back of the card he managed to scribble, ‘Can I take you out for a drink?’ and handed it to her.  She turned over the card and read what he’d written and he saw a look of surprise on her face and then it broke into a beautiful smile.

          ‘So I’m very interested…’ she said, as Phil opened the door and she stepped out.

          ‘You are?’ he said, not sure if she was talking about him or the house.

          ‘In fact, I’d like to make an offer right now.’

          ‘You would?’  She turned back to face him, her eyes dancing.

          ‘Dinner at eight?’