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fully booked for the summer. The Sandpiper is a nice, mid-level
B&B.
What s the low level? Rod joked, but only he laughed. I m
sorry, but you ve gotta admit this place hasn t been updated since
World War II.
Noel privately thought it had been longer than that, but Rod
looked like he was in his midthirties, and probably didn t know
when World War II had occurred. That must not matter to you if
you want to gut the place, she said, trying to be nice.
Oh, yeah. It doesn t matter a bit. I m looking for space. I want
to put in five bedrooms and a big master suite. A real party house.
He grinned again. I can just see myself out in the back with one
of those huge gas grills. I ve heard they make one that you can put
a whole side of beef on.
That sounded rather disgusting to Noel, but, once again, she
didn t comment. Rod and Heidi kept going through the house,
but Noel dropped out of the tour. After he d taken pictures with
his stunningly expensive camera, he and Heidi found Noel in the
kitchen, making up some cheese platters for cocktail hour.
I m interested, he said without preamble. If we can strike a
deal, I d like a thirty-day close.
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The Legacy
Thirty days? Noel was sure she was gawping, but she couldn t
help herself. She turned to Heidi. I ve got reservations for the rest
of the summer.
They can be cancelled, Heidi said, but she didn t look happy
about it.
My guests have planned and paid for their vacations. You
should have seen the letters I got when I told them I wouldn t be
open. Some of them threatened to sue!
He laughed, completely unfazed. There s no constitutional
right to vacation plans. If you sell the place, all bets are off. That s
not an issue.
It is for the people who ve made plane reservations.
Well, yeah, but that s not your problem. A lot of my clients
lost their life savings when the market crashed, but I didn t have to
pay them back out of my money. Shit happens. He looked a little
puzzled, but didn t dwell on the issue. Good to meet you, he said,
shaking her hand. I ll be in touch.
Noel couldn t even make herself reply. She just watched them
leave, thinking that Rod might be the most irritating person she d
met in years.
:
Several hours later, Heidi called to ask if she could stop by. Noel
was in her apartment, and Heidi came to the door and knocked.
When Noel answered, she said, You re the first person to come to
my door.
You haven t had anyone over? Heidi looked both surprised and
puzzled.
No, you re the first. What s going on with Mr. Charm?
He s something, isn t he? she said, making a face. New money
can buy anything but tact.
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Susan X Meagher
Not everything, Noel said, reserving judgment.
He s offering a good price. Heidi pulled out a purchase offer
form and laid it on the desk Noel had set up. She looked at the
number and whistled.
That s a very good price. Immediately, she wondered if Toni
could match it if she carried a second mortgage. But I m very
hesitant to sell right now. The people who made reservations would
be screwed if I didn t honor them.
True. Heidi didn t elaborate, and Noel couldn t tell where she
stood on the issue.
I need some time to read this over and think about it.
Well, you don t have much of that. He made the offer contingent
on a response by nine tonight.
Stunned, Noel stared at her. Can he do that?
He can do anything he wants. You don t have to accept, but
he can propose that you have to run through town naked while
singing.
Noel was scanning the offer. She absently shook her head,
saying, He d regret that. I don t sing all that well.
:
Noel reached Heidi on her cell phone at eight that night. Hi,
she said, feeling like she had to shout. Can you hear me?
Yeah. I m having dinner at a restaurant that didn t seem that
noisy until now. Let me go outside. Noel waited several minutes,
listening to the random sounds of a live phone being transported.
Okay. That s better.
I m sorry to interrupt your dinner. You can call me back.
Why not come over to Jackie s and let me buy you a drink.
Then we can chat in person.
Are you sure?
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Yeah, I m sure. I was just going to pay the bill. I can meet you
in about fifteen minutes. Is that good?
That s perfect. I d like to talk a little bit.
See you there.
Noel hung up and allocated five of her fifteen minutes fixing
her hair and putting on just enough makeup to look like she wasn t
wearing any. Before she left, she spritzed a little perfume on, just
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