Flip or Flop

"Before my husband walked out, that would have been easily doable. But now, it may as well be a million dollars. My credit cards are maxed out, I don't have any savings, and I'm have bills to pay. Nick wants to sell this place as soon as possible and after this last break-in last night, I see no way ahead."

"That's too bad. The comps (comparable homes for sale) in this neighborhood are running close to $275,00, Renee. If you could come up with the money, you'd clear around $70,000 after closing costs, etc. Your half would be a tidy $35,000. Is there any way you could borrow from family or take out a second mortgage?"

"Unfortunately, no. I've already borrowed from my parents just to make ends meet day to day. They can help out with that for a while, but I can see the handwriting on the wall." Both of them looked over at the graffiti on the walls and started laughing.

"At least you haven't lost your sense of humor," he told her.

"If I did I'd go crazy. Truth be told, I'm barely holding it together. I guess it's time to face the hard truth that the flip is about as far gone as my marriage."

"Not so fast," he told her. "I have an idea that just might work."

Scott pulled on his iPhone and hit '1' on the speed dial. "Dad? Hey, I need a favor." Renee could only hear his end of the conversation and the next thing she heard was, "Do you want me to send you a video or some pictures? No? Okay. I can't thank you enough. We'll be by this afternoon. My new partner."

She stood there just looking at him waiting for him to say something. "Will your husband let you buy him out?" he asked her.

Three days later they sat down with two attorneys and Scott met Nick for the first time. To say he was cold was like saying outer space was a bit nippy. He refused to shake hands or even acknowledge his presence as he scribbled his name on the necessary legal documents. The only thing Scott did here him say was, "You're off the hook on this house, but just so you know, I'll find a way to get our house, Renee. You and your new boy toy over there can do whatever the hell you want with the piece of crap you just bought, but I'm moving back into MY house. You can take that to the bank."

After he left, Scott said, "What a peach."

"He wasn't always like that," she told him. "The first few years were actually really good. Somewhere along the line he just turned bitter. It happened gradually over several years and these last two or three were really hard, you know? I guess I'm just an optimistic who's a hopeless romantic." She looked over at him and said, "I suppose that's the main reason I love watching Flip or Flop. I want a marriage like they have. But...that ship has sailed."

"Can I buy you lunch before we go back to work?" he asked.

"As long as we can go 50/50—partner."

"Sorry, no can do. When it comes to the house, yes. But when it comes to taking a beautiful woman to lunch or dinner or wherever, I pay or we don't go."

She stood there with her arms crossed trying look tough before she started laughing. "Ahh! I so wanted to stand my ground, but I'm caving the very first time."

Scott smiled and said, "Try not to hate yourself too much, okay?" It made him feel good to see her laugh.

During lunch he told her, "I think the very first thing we need to do is put in some security cameras with motion sensors and and an ear-piercing alarm. We need to either catch these guys or scare the hell out of them the next time they try something." He then laid out a timeline that took into account how long it took to get something delivered from the day it was ordered and that made sure everything needing to be done sequentially got done in the correct order.

"We could have really used you a couple of months ago," she said as she looked over the plan he sketched out on his laptop as they ate. "It's obvious you've done this a time or two, as well."

He laughed and said, "More like a few hundred times, but okay, a time or two works for me."

After lunch, they picked up the security cameras at a local Radio Shack then headed to a store that sold all-things-kitchen. "I'm thinking quartz in the kitchen and granite in the bathrooms," she told him.

"I agree," he said. They also had no issue selecting the specific colors after deciding to go with alpine white for the cabinets.

"I'm also thinking subway tile for the black splash," she told him.

"Me, too," he told her.

"No arguing? No fighting over money?" she said pretending to be disappointed.

"Would that make you feel better?" he teased.

"Good point," she said.

Within an hour, they'd agreed on cabinets, countertops, appliances, what kind of sink for the kitchen, what tub to put in the master bathroom, as well as the flooring, which would be a nice travertine tile, in the kitchen and bathrooms.

They got back to the house and while Scott installed the cameras and synched them to his iPhone and laptop, Renee went to back to work on the cleanup.

It was after 9pm when they decided to call it quits, but the house was finally clutter and garbage-free again.

"So we'll demo everything tomorrow. I don't see a single thing worth saving, do you?" She shook her head so he said, "We'll tear down these cabinets, remove the backsplash and countertops, tear out that crappy old sink, then peel up this nasty-looking linoleum. When we're done in the kitchen, we'll do the same thing to the master bathroom and the other bathroom, as well. That should take us no more than two days and we'll be ready to start laying tile while we wait on the cabinets."

He looked over at Renee and he noticed she was looking very emotional. "You okay?" he asked her.

She pretended to have gotten something in her eye and said, "Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Just got a speck of dust or something in my eye." She blinked a few times and said, "Before I forget, I want to thank your dad personally, Scott. I know I told him thanks at the lawyer's office, but that just wasn't adequate."

"I'll set something up so you can do that. He's pretty awesome, huh?"

"He really is," she said with genuine sincerity. She looked at Scott and said, "He did an amazing job raising his son, too."

Scott smiled and said, "It wasn't always easy. He has very high standards. But looking back, it was all worth it. He taught me to never settle for anything but the best—no matter what I was doing."

"That's great advice," she told him. What she wouldn't tell him is the way she was beginning to see him now. He was very young, to be sure, but he was mature far beyond his years. He was also smart, hard-working, and knew exactly what he was doing. And the more time she spent with him the more she couldn't deny he was a very good-looking guy. He reminded her of those tall twin property brothers who did another home-remodeling show. Scott was also well over six feet tall and had that same kind of very dark, very thick hair she loved. And those dimples! And that smile. And that body and...

"You ready?" she heard him ask.

"Oh, right. Yeah, let's get out of here. See you tomorrow then?"

"Bright and early," he assured her.

Over the next three weeks Scott showed Renee to how to lay a tile floor on the diagonal, level and shim cabinets, install countertops and a sink, replace the broken windows, and tile a bathroom shower along with many other little tips of the trade.

The one and only security problem they had was over as soon as it started. Two young men threw another brick through a window and the resulting alarm was so loud they didn't even try entering. Problem solved.

"Okay, all we've got left is sanding and staining the hardwood and painting the walls." Both of them agreed a neutral a color on the walls would appeal to a larger group of buyers and within a week, they were ready for the open house.

"So what are we going to list it at?" she asked as they ate lunch at the house.

"The good news is comps are even stronger than when we first looked. I'm thinking we can list for $299,900 and see how it goes."

"That's really strong, Scott. What if we don't sell?"

"Oh, we'll sell. It's just a matter of how long. By staying under $300k we don't lose buyers whose maximum budget is $300k. They can write an offer that's a little lower and that's still going to be acceptable. I say we give it a shot."

"You've been right on everything else and it really looks amazing. So...okay. We'll try it at $299,900."

They saved a couple thousand dollars by not paying a professional stager to come in and make the home look lived in by putting things from Renee's home in his truck and temporarily moving them into the new place the day before the open house. They finished up the last touches by 8pm and agreed to meet there the next morning at 9 o'clock for the 10am starting time. They'd done a good deal of marketing and advertising and now it was just a matter of finding a buyer to fall in love with their new home—and make an offer.

Renee got there first and placed the "Open House" sign in the front yard and set some fresh flowers on the table in the living room. She had a stack of flyers ready to go and was setting out a few snacks when she saw Scott's truck pull up.

A feeling of sadness overwhelmed her knowing they wouldn't be working together anymore after this, but she also felt relieved knowing the torment of being around him all day, every day but not being able to be with him would also end. As she watched him walk up the sidewalk, she felt her heartache fade—at least for the moment. She'd never seen him in a suit before and he looked so handsome it made her aware of something she hadn't felt in a very long time. She was grateful she'd worn a mini pad that day as she was as wet as she could ever remember being. The last thing she needed was a...spot...on her dress.

She went to meet him at the door and opened it just as he walked in. Renee had no way of knowing he wanted to propose flipping another house together nor the reason why. Scott realized some time ago he couldn't imagine not being able to be around her every day and although he knew she didn't share his romantic feelings toward her, he could at least be near the woman he thought of nearly every minute they were apart.

He stepped inside and took a look at her and stopped dead in his tracks. "Wow," was all he could say. He stood there looking at her trying to take it all in. He'd only seen her in work clothes since the airport and here she was in a beautiful, off-white linen dress with a very sleek-looking black cardigan sweater and three-inch heels. She was also wearing makeup and he'd forgotten just how incredibly beautiful she was. No, that wasn't true. He'd just chosen to try not to think about her like that even though it was a losing battle. Everything from the way she dressed to her gorgeous hair to her painted nails and red lips screamed class, beauty, and elegance.

"Wow back," she said running her hand along one of the lapels of his jacket. "You look very handsome in a suit. Nice tie, too," she said straightening the way women seemed to have to do whenever they saw one.

"Words fail me," he said as he looked at her again. "I knew you were beautiful, but...wow."

Renee smiled but inwardly she was dying. She'd had a final hearing on her divorce and knew it would be over soon, but she also knew she had no chance with a guy like Scott Moore. She was just thankful to have had the opportunity to meet him and to learn so much from him.

"Oh, before I forget. My dad wants us to come over for dinner soon. I told him you wanted to thank him in person and while he said that wasn't necessary, he said he'd love to have us join him and my mom for dinner. How does that sound?" he asked her.

"That sounds perfect. I'd like to be able to take him a check for his investment—with interest of course—at the same time. Maybe we could do it right after closing whenever the house sells."

"I like the way you think," he told her. He took another look at her and smiled and said, "And I really like the way you look."

Renee put on a brave face and smiled back and at him. "Dittoes on that, partner."

Right at 10am, the first potential home buyers came in to look around and a steady stream of them followed until 2pm. Without exception, all of them told Scott and Renee how much they loved the house. "I love the kitchen!" was something they heard over and over. "The master bathroom is gorgeous! I love this claw-foot tub!" The hardwood floors also got rave reviews. The best news was that one couple said they wanted to put in an offer giving the partners hope they might get a full-price offer or maybe even start a bidding war.

"That went very well," Scott said.

"Yes, it did. I think the young couple is going to make an offer today or tomorrow. They just kept raving about the house."

Scott saw his chance and took it. "You know, we make a pretty good team, Renee."

She seemed less enthusiastic as she replied, "We did work well together, didn't we?"

Undaunted, Scott said, "We seem to have the same tastes in design and as far as I can remember we never had a single disagreement."

"That's true," Renee had to admit. "That was a nice change of pace from my um...previous partner."

"So I was thinking," he said. "Since we do so well together, maybe we could team up to flip another house. There's one just two streets over that looks perfect for a flip and we could put in an offer..."

"I don't think so, Scott," she said. "It's just too hard for me."

He knew she could always say 'no' but it never really occurred to him she actually would. "Oh. Okay. I just thought since we seemed to have so much in common and had so much fun on this one that..."

As bad as her rejection hurt it was nothing compared to the way she was looking at him. Scott was trying to remember the last time a woman he liked had said 'no' to him for anything and he was drawing a blank. But clearly Renee was trying to find a way to let him down easily. It was finally setting in she just didn't feel the same way about him. In fact, she would almost certainly start dating again soon and she'd be looking for a man her age with a good job and who made her feel safe and secure. She didn't need someone she saw as a kid just starting out his life heading down the road to where she'd already been.

"Well, I just thought I'd run it by you. To be honest I kind of had an ulterior motive and it's never a good idea to keep secrets from your business partner."

She sat down in one of the chairs at the dining room table and said, "It just has to be like this, Scott. I've loved working with you and you've taught me so much and I'll always be grateful for that. It's just that..."

"I understand. You don't find spending time with a guy like me...someone my age...all that interesting so I get it."

"What?" she asked tilting her head.

"I'm just saying I get it. You're fully grounded in reality and I'm living in some kind of fantasy world which just serves to confirm how you see me. Some kind of young kid who's naive enough to think you have the same kind of feelings for him as he does for you. Crazy, right?" he said as he looked back over at her.

Her mouth was open slightly and her eyes were moving quickly back and forth between his. "That was my ulterior motive, Renee. I really like being around you—for more than just the business side of things—and I didn't want that to end. I was just too afraid to say anything because I thought I might scare you away and...now I've managed to do just that."

She not only hadn't moved, she'd barely even blinked since he cut her off in mid-sentence.

"What? Why are you staring at me like that? I already feel foolish enough. We'll just sell this home and move on."

Scott was taken by surprise when he realized he'd had a hard on most of the morning and throughout the entire open house. He was aware he was now so flaccid, he thought Mr. Happy might have crawled back inside him. He also had that sick feeling in the pit of his stomach which he decided must be what rejection feels like. He suddenly had genuine sympathy for every girl he'd casually turned down who'd gotten up the nerve to ask him out or let him know she liked him. "Turnabout is fair play," he told himself as Renee just kept staring.

"I'm starting to get a complex," he told her finally sitting down across from her.

"Did you say you had feelings for me?" she asked in a hollow voice.

"You don't have to keep beating me up for being honest. I'm kind of new to this whole rejection thing."

"Do you know why I don't want to flip another house with you, Scott?" she asked him.

"You've made your point pretty clearly. It's too hard for you to work with me. I get it, okay? It would be nice if we could just move on to something else."

She continued as though he hadn't spoken. "I said 'no' because I can't stand being around you and..."

"Wow. You don't even like being around me? I don't think I've ever misread anyone this badly in my life."

"Would you please stop talking and let me finish?" she said sweetly.

He pulled his chair in, sat up straight, and folded his hands on the table. "Okay. I'm listening. Let me have it. Better to just rip the bandaid off once and for all."

She stretched out her hand and put it on top of his. "What I tried to say was I can't stand being around you all day knowing you don't have the kind of feelings for me I have for you."

Scott blinked and shook his head. "Wait. Are you saying you do have feelings for me? As in romantic feelings? As in the kind I have for you?"

Renee's hands were shaking as she put them over her mouth. "Oh, my God! I want to make sure I heard you right. Did you just tell me you have romantic feelings for me? You know, the kind I have for you? Did you just say that?"

Scott smiled as he said, "I think this must might be the biggest misread not just in my life but in the history of the world." Renee's eyes were full and glistening as he said, "I think about you from the time I wake up until I get here and then from the time I leave each evening until I fall asleep. I've never had it this bad for anyone before, Renee. Ever."

She reached for one of the linen napkins she'd laid out with the place settings and used it to dry her tears. "Are you saying if I told you...right now...that I want you to kiss me more than anything else in the world, you wouldn't laugh at me or run away?"

He stood up and walked around the table and reached out for her hand. He helped her stand and once she was face to face with him he told her, "I've never been in love before, Renee, so I may not be understanding what exactly it is I'm feeling, but I hardly sleep, I barely eat, and I can't think of anything but being with you. If that's what being in love is like, then I think I'm in love with you."

She was furiously blinking back tears and trying not to cry as she said, "I've been in love with you for weeks. But you're so young and SO handsome and smart and funny and I'm...just old and..."

"And the most beautiful woman I've ever known," he said as he cupped her pretty face and leaned down to kiss her for the first time.

Her lips were quivering and her body was still trembling as he kissed her. Their lips pressed together for several seconds before parting and when they did he put his arms around her and said, "Renee, I love you."

She looked up at him and said, "Please say that again."

He put a hand on her cheek and said, "I'm in love with you."

She put her arms around his neck and said trying to stop crying, "I'm in love with you, too."

They held each other for a very long time. Scott stroked her long blonde hair as she took deep breaths to stop crying. Once she'd gotten control of her emotions he put his hands on her shoulders and said, "I have a question to ask you."

Her eyes were darting rapidly between his and she began trembling again. "Oh, my God..." she said.