Home Free - Fern Michaels [18]
The parking lot that belonged to Nikki’s firm was almost full, but Maggie Spritzer was able to maneuver the little Beetle she’d borrowed from her secretary into a spot with ease. She sat behind the wheel, the engine still running, the heater going full blast as she contemplated the reason she was there. Yes, she had legitimate business there; she’d made the appointment two weeks ago. But she knew she was there for another reason, too. She needed some girl talk. Time permitting, maybe Nikki and Alexis, the brand-new office manager, could find the time for a quick bite just to get out of the office.
Then again, maybe not. Who in their right mind, besides herself, would want to go out in this weather? Maggie continued to sit and watch the whipping branches. It was almost hypnotic. She had one bad moment as she wondered if the wind was strong enough to blow over the little Beetle. She had to move.
Maggie opened the door and had to use all her strength to hold on so the wind wouldn’t blow the door off its hinges. She finally got the door closed and locked. She hunkered down into her jacket and tried to make a run for it, the ferocious wind battling her every step of the way, but she finally made it to the entrance and the beautiful carved teak double doors.
“You look like an alien!” Alexis laughed as she pointed to Maggie’s curly hair, which looked like a messy bunch of corkscrews standing on end.
“It’s wicked out there,” Maggie gasped. “Even so, I was going to ask you if you and Nikki could get away for a bite to eat after my meeting. Or are you too busy?”
“I’m game, but check with Nikki. Go on back. She’s waiting for you. You want coffee?”
“Sure.”
Maggie marched back to Nikki’s office, the last one on the right off the long hallway. Nikki got up, and the two women hugged. “Kind of windy out there, huh?”
“Sure is. I borrowed my secretary’s Beetle to drive over. I hope it doesn’t blow away, it’s so little.”
Nikki laughed and motioned for Maggie to sit opposite her. “What’s up that you need my services? You want to do lunch when we’re finished? It’s usually slow at this time of year, what with Thanksgiving just a few days away. Legal woes seem to take a backseat around holiday time. Actually from now till the first of the year, we all get to catch our breath. This is also when we take vacations. Courts are slow, too.”
“Absolutely, let’s do lunch. I asked Alexis on my way in, and she said she could get away, but it really depended on you. Okay, this is why I’m here.” Maggie slid a manila folder across the desk. “I made the decision to buy a house. The owner of the one I’m leasing—well, the Post is leasing it, and I pay the Post—he’s willing to sell. He, the owner, married a Frenchwoman, and she doesn’t like it here in the States and doesn’t want to be bothered with a rental property. I lucked out, Nikki. Last summer, he put in a new AC unit, and a month ago, when the furnace went out, he replaced it. This past summer the stove just stopped working, and he told me to buy a new one, which I did. I got a Wolf, you know, those high-end ones with the red knobs.
“So, the house is in pretty good shape, a little pricey, but Georgetown prices really never go down. I did haggle and got him down somewhat. He just wants to unload it. Oh, and the roof is only five years old. I think I did good, and the best part, Nikki, is that we will be neighbors in the true sense of the word. You know, actual home owners.”
“That’s great, Maggie.” Nikki scanned the papers and smiled. “It’s all here. You did half my work for me. Do you want to close before or after the holidays?”
“I think I’d like to be a home owner before Christmas. That way, when I put up a Christmas tree, I’ll feel like I’m really putting it up in my own house, not someone else’s. I might even string some