Hollywood Remake (A Celebrity Love Story)

Chapter 36: Risky Business

Kate sat in the rocking chair, her eyes locked with Aidan’s. Her mind was swimming and her breath caught in her throat.

Yes, she wanted to say. Yes yes yes!

Her tongue was forming the word. Her lips were itching to speak.

It had all changed so suddenly. Just this morning, she’d been certain things were over between them. He was getting ready to break up with her. She’d been bracing for the inevitable blow. And now this? Now he wanted to buy a house together?

She knew what it meant. It was more than just a house that he was offering her. It was everything. Everything she’d always wanted. A house. A family. A man she loved more than anyone else on the face of the Earth to wake up by her side every morning.

But it was so sudden. Was it real? Was it just another of his crazy impulses? Would he come to his senses next week and regret it? It was risky business, buying a house with someone. She’d seen more than her fair share of lawsuits between former couples in just this situation – no longer together, but trapped in a morass of legal wrangling over a property deed with both of their names on it.

If only she could have it both ways. The house, the dream – but also the possibility of escaping unscathed if things between them fell apart.

She knew she should say no. She'd be crazy to say yes.

But was she crazy to say no? It was all there – everything she’d ever wanted. And it just fell in her lap out of nowhere. They were just out for an aimless drive through Beverly Hills, and there it was right in front of them. The perfect house. The perfect life. Like it was sitting there waiting for them. Like someone had put it there on purpose for them to find. Like it was meant to be. Fate.

How could she say no to fate?

Aidan held Kate’s hand in his. He kept his eyes fixed firmly on her face as he slid his right foot forward inch by inch. Easy does it, he thought to himself. Slow and steady. This was risky business now. One false move and he'd send her skittering away again. At last he had his foot out in front of him. He lifted himself into his intended position – kneeling before her on one knee.

He saw her lips forming the word he wanted so badly to hear. He closed his eyes for a moment and prepared himself to savor the sound of her voice as she said it.

“How are you folks making out?”

Aidan’s eyes popped open. He turned his head to see the real estate agent standing in the doorway.

“Any questions I can answer about the house?”

Aidan could only stare at her. She had to pick this moment to interrupt them? This exact moment? Was the woman a complete imbecile? Did she not see the position he was kneeling in?

No, Aidan screamed inside his head. No no no!

It was too late. The spell was broken. Kate set the teddy bears back on the shelf and stood up from the chair. She looked down at the listing brochure as she rose. Aidan slumped backward in defeat and rearranged his legs to sit cross-legged on the floor.

“Yes,” Kate said to the real estate agent. “I have a question. It says here the house is also available for rental?”

The agent nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, the owners would consider a lease arrangement—“

“Wait wait wait,” Aidan interrupted, hauling himself to his feet. “What? I thought it was for sale. They want to sell it, right?”

Kate held up the brochure and pointed to the words printed in bold at the top. “AVAILABLE FOR SALE OR LEASE.”

“As I was saying,” the agent continued, “the owners would consider a sale or a lease with a minimum term of six months.”

Six months. Aidan squeezed his eyes shut in silent disbelief.

“Any possibility of a lease with an attached right of first refusal clause?” The tone of Kate's voice had changed from wistful to brisk and businesslike.

A lawyer, Aidan thought. He had to go and fall in love with a lawyer. Dammit dammit dammit—

The agent took out a pad of paper and began to jot down notes. “That’s not part of the standard lease agreement language, but I’m sure we could discuss a right of first refusal.”

“A right of first what now?” Aidan asked, fairly certain that he didn’t want to hear the answer.

Kate turned toward him, lowering her voice in a confidential whisper. “It means you can wait six months and if you still want to buy it, you get first dibs. But if you don’t, then you can walk away. There’s no commitment.”

“No commitment?”

“It’s perfect!”

“No commitment,” he deadpanned back to her. He looked away toward the window for a moment so she wouldn’t see the disappointment on his face. “No commitment for six months.”

“It makes sense, Aidan. It’s a win-win.”

Win-win. Six months. Perfect, he thought. He mentally rescinded the raise he had planned for his assistant Dean a few moments ago.

Available for sale or lease? Seriously? After all of that research? All of that careful planning? No one thought to mention to him that it was available for fucking lease?

“Great,” he muttered, turning back toward Kate and the real estate agent. The two of them were exchanging legal verbiage in some language that sounded only vaguely related to English.

“I understand,” the agent said with a nod. “Let me take these terms back to the owners and see if we can draw up an agreement that will be mutually agreeable to all parties.”

“Great!” Kate cast a bright smile in Aidan’s direction.

“Great,” Aidan repeated, forcing his lips to curve upward in response. “Perfect. Win-win.”

“And would the lease be under both your names or—“

“Just his name, I think,” Kate said. “Right, Aidan? No need to overcomplicate anything at this stage.”

“Sure.” He nodded. “Wouldn’t want it to get complicated.”

“And how should I be in touch with you?” the agent asked, turning her attention away from Kate and toward him.

Aidan sighed. It was over. He’d gambled, and he'd lost. All-in with a full house in his hand, and the dealer just turned over a straight flush. Game over.

“My assistant will be in touch,” he said, placing his hand on Kate’s elbow. “Come on, it’s getting late. We should get back.”

“I almost forgot our big date!” She looked up at him with a warm glow of happiness in her eyes. “Perfect!”

“Perfect?”

She went up on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the lips. “Perfect,” she said again. “Now we really have something to celebrate.”