Maybe it was time to give it another try.
By now, I'd had a steady paycheck for nearly three months. It was true that I'd spent some of that money on student loan payments, along with some basic necessities here and there. But I'd saved almost all of the rest. And I still had the bonus coming at the end of my consulting gig.
If I played my cards right, I'd have at least thirty thousand dollars after taxes.Was it enough for a down payment on the house?
I tried to think.No. Not according to Brody.He'd told me so himself way back in the beginning, and I had no reason to doubt him.
To Cami, I said, "Honestly, I don't think I could afford it."
"But why not?" she asked.
"Aside from the fact it's waterfront property?"
"Yeah. Aside from that."
"Well, for starters," I said, "you should see what Brody's doing to the place."
"Really?" She hesitated. "Good or bad?"
"Good.Reallygood." Now I couldn't help but smile. "You should see it, Cami. It's amazing. Granite countertops, marble sinks, a brand-new kitchen. I mean, it's not finished yet, but I've seen almost all of the plans."
I'd had a hand in creating those plans, too.
As I told Cami all about it, I heard the excitement in my own voice as I detailed the many improvements Brody would be making – or in some cases, had made already.
I loved every single thing on his list. And, later this year, when the next season of "Blast Brothers" would begin airing on the Home Network, the rest of the world would love it, too.
I just knew it.
Inside and out, Brody was working some serious magic.And me?I had the happy luck of seeing the magic unfold in every area of the house, well, except for the attic, which was still off-limits for safety reasons.
On the phone, I finished by saying, "And when he's completely done, it's going to look brand new, but even better because he didn't ruin the original character." I gave a happy sigh. "It reallyisamazing."
And it wasn't just the house that was amazing.It was Brody, too.Even if wehadn'tbeen romantically involved, I still would've admired not only his work ethic, but his skill in bringing out the home's natural beauty.
On the phone, Cami said, "Well that stinks."
My smile faded. "Why?"
"Because," she said, "if he were taking a more modest approach, you might be able to afford it, the house, I mean."
Well, there was that.
When I said nothing in reply, she added, "And granite countertops? Seriously?"
Her words stung. "What's wrong with granite countertops?"
"Nothing," she said. "They're beautiful if you can afford them. Butyoucan't."
She was right.And yet, I couldn’t really complain. After all, I'd had a hand in selecting those countertops. In fact, I'd helped select a lot of things – flooring, kitchen cabinets, appliances, and more.
At first, I'd gravitated mostly to the cheap stuff, but Brody had insisted on going high-end with everything. And, I had to admit, he definitely knew what he was doing.
Plus, I had to face facts. It washishouse, not mine.
There was a time, not too long ago, when I might've blamed Brody for buying it out from under me. But over the last few weeks, I'd come to realize something.It wasn't Brody's fault.
For whatever reason, my cousin had decided to sell. And Brody had decided to buy. He'd probably paid cash, too.
