And he would not do that with Josette accompanying me.
However, I was Franka Drakkar and I knew what I liked.
So I shared it.
“The brick walkways of the first property you showed us, as well as the drive and garage, for Mr. Hawthorne will need somewhere to keep his vehicle that’s safer than the street for when he’s with us, as will Josette and I when we acquire our own conveyances,” I declared.
The woman stared fixedly at me, something she did often when I knew she found my speech odd.
I ignored it and carried on.
“The wrought iron around the veranda and balconies of the second, with the large tree in front that offered shade, its two stories and lovely cornices and ceiling roses. And the privacy and maturity of the garden in the courtyard of the third.” I drifted out a hand. “Alas, I’ve nothing to share that I like of this, except the large lawns, which I do believe I may need to relinquish in order to have other things that are priorities.”
“I like to find my clients exactly what they want, but I will say that’s likely,” she muttered.
“And lastly, proximity to Mr. Hawthorne, which I should have said first,” I finished.
At this, Noc slid an arm around me and pulled me close to his side. Therefore, I returned the gesture.
“I can work with this,” the agent said.
I should hope she could, she was being paid to do just that.
“I’ll sort some listings. Do you have a direct email or would you like me to continue sending them to Ms. Rousseau’s assistant?” she asked.
“Send them to me,” Noc answered. “It’ll all go faster that way. I’ll get your number from Franka and text you my email.”
“Excellent,” she replied.
“Not to hurry us along or anything,” Josette began. “But are we done here? Just because, you see, Noc said we’re going to the mall after this and there was that blouse I decided against that I haven’t been able to get out of my mind since, and I was hoping it’d still be there.”
“We’re done here,” Noc decreed, looked to the agent and lifted his chin. “Thanks for your time, and you send us some listings, we’ll be in touch.”
“My pleasure. I hope to see you again soon.”
Josette and I also gave our farewells and Noc guided us out.
We were in his SUV when he shared, “Babe, you don’t have to live in the city. You want nature around you, I’m sure they have places that might not be close but they’re not far.”
“Yes, but you’re in the city,” was my reply.
“Yeah, but I’m also not getting to you by sled, sweetheart,” he returned with humor. “It won’t take half a day to make an hour’s drive.”
I turned from viewing the road before us to look at Noc and only then did I repeat, but more definitively this time, “Yes, but you are in the city.”
He glanced at me and back to the road, but even with only having his profile, I watched his expression warm before he said, “Gotcha.”
I nodded smartly, looked behind me to smile at Josette, who smiled back, and then I looked back to the road.
* * * * *
I was engrossed in my perusal of a very attractive dress hanging on a rack in the mall when I heard Noc make a noise.
I looked up to him to see that his expression was no longer vacant (this being because I knew he was bored out of his mind, for we did not simply pick up some baby gifts and Josette’s blouse, we became distracted by other things so our quick trip to the mall was nothing of the like).
Now he looked alert and I turned to see what he was regarding.
It was Josette, skipping toward us, waving her telephone and looking joyous.
I couldn’t help it, her demeanor made me smile.
My lovely Josette, she so enjoyed the mall.
She stopped on a sway and cried, “I have a dinner date tomorrow!”
My smile died.
“I beg your pardon?” I queried.
“Say again?” Noc asked.
“Glover,” she stated, rolling up to her toes, and back, and again, grinning like a lunatic. “That man we met on Bourbon Street. You know. The large, tall, handsome Maroovian-non-Maroovian one with the lovely smile?”
I knew no such man.
“No, I do not know,” I stated.
“That guy, baby, the one Jo was talkin’ to for, like, two hours,” Noc explained.
I turned to him, vaguely remembering, and back to Josette when she started talking.
“He gave me his number. I texted. He texted back. We’ve been exchanging them, like, bunches. He’s been being very sweet. I was looking at the jeans over there,” she tossed an arm behind her but didn’t turn that direction, she kept grinning at Noc and me, “and he called and asked if I wanted to go out to dinner tomorrow night. And I said yes!” She nearly shouted her last. “Isn’t that divine? He’s coming to pick me up at seven at Valentine’s.”
“He’s doing nothing of the sort,” I spat.
Josette blinked and her smile faltered.
I felt Noc move closer to me.
“I’m sorry?” Josette whispered.
“Am I to understand he’s arriving at Valentine’s home to put you in a car and take you for a meal?” I inquired.
“Yes,” Josette kept whispering.
“That’s unacceptable,” I declared.
Josette blinked again and her shoulders fell.
“Frannie—” Noc started.
I jerked my head his way. “It’s unacceptable.”
“You were drunk and unnecessarily flirting with me so I think you missed she’s into the guy and he was way into her,” Noc replied.