Riptide

Chapter Twelve: Under the Hammer

When I get back to the house, Mum and Kris are making lunch and listening to the Michael Bublé Christmas CD. I retreat into the bedroom that Kris and I share, undecided on whether or not I'm still supposed to be meeting Ryan later.

I decide to shower and get dressed, just in case. I wear a plain white dress and brown ballet flats. The white dress serves to accentuate my strongly developed tan, and I admire the way my legs look. I'm looking a lot leaner and stronger.

Ryan sends me a text after lunch, so I meet him outside his house. He's standing on the driveway, holding car keys.

'Where's Rose?' I ask him.

'She went to the point to take some photos,' he says. 'You still want to come with me?'

'Yeah,' I say. I let myself into the passenger seat of the car and he takes his place on the driver's side. His hair is slightly damp; maybe he just had a shower. He's wearing a plain white shirt and blue shorts. I find myself watching him driving instead of watching where we're going. He has the window down and his blonde hair whips in the breeze.

The drive takes about ten minutes. We pull up in a suburban street, away from the beach and high on the hillside. I see yellow and red balloons outside a large house, and I look at Ryan, questioning.

'This house here,' he says, pointing at the white front fence. 'They're having an open auction today. I figured we could come along and have a look.'

'An auction?' I say. 'What does that have to do with my job?'

'Well,' Ryan says, taking his sunglasses off and putting them on his head. 'I was thinking maybe you'd be interested in real estate. It's a competitive industry, but that's the kind of thing you like. You love competition.'

I smile, and follow Ryan out of the car. There are a few older couples walking into the auction. I notice most of the cars parked on the street are expensive, which suggests that this may be a very expensive house we're about to walk into.

Off the street, the house looks small and unassuming. It has a plain exterior, taken up mostly by a large garage door. We walk through the front door, taking a pamphlet from a man in a suit, and into the foyer.

Instantly I let a small gasp escape my lips. Straight from the foyer we can see all the way to the back of the house. The hill drops away and the house is built steeply over the cliff, with amazing views all the way across the town. From here we can see the whole magnificent bay, with amazing views of Surfer's Paradise in the distance.

There is a waterfall running through a void in the upper story of the house and into a water feature in the foyer. We walk through to an open plan kitchen and living area with rich white couches. Couples and singles mill around, admiring the view and examining the glossy hardwood floors.

'Let's take a look around,' Ryan says, taking my hand. He leads me upstairs, where we find the master bedroom and en-suite. The master bedroom also has magnificent views of the ocean. We stop at the open windows and look out. Ryan puts his arm around my waist.

'Wouldn't you love to wake up here every morning?' he asks me.

'I can't even imagine,' I say. 'I thought the view from your house was good,' I laugh.

He smiles. 'Sure, it's nice being right on the beach, but these views from up high are phenomenal.'

'When I start working for Fletcher-Galloway lawyers I'll buy us a place like this, okay?' Ryan says.

'Us?' I ask him.

Ryan grins with his tongue in between his teeth. He's teasing me. 'A place for you, and me, and Kris and Tammy. Our own place to call home. Don't tell me you still want to stay in your Mum's house sharing a bedroom with Kris forever?'

I grin. 'Sure, I guess if you want to buy this place I'll begrudgingly stay here.'

'Oh, begrudgingly, that's a big word for you,' Ryan says, and I roll my eyes, grinning.

'Come on, let's see what Kris and Tammy's room looks like,' he says.

'Wait, so whose is this room?' I ask, referring to the master bedroom we're just exiting.

Ryan smirks. 'Ours, of course.'

'I don't think your girlfriend will be too happy with that,' I mock him, and he shrugs but doesn't give me a clue what he's thinking.

The house has three smaller bedrooms with minor views of the town, but the master bedroom is clearly the best. We head back downstairs and out onto the huge outdoor entertaining area where everyone else is standing around. The auction is going to start soon.

Ryan and I take a spot on the deck, leaning against the railing, trying to stay out of the way of the people who are serious about bidding on this house as the auction starts.

I watch the auctioneer talking and I'm amazed at how fast but directly he speaks to everyone bidding, subtly encouraging higher bids in different ways for each customer. A quick bidding war starts between two men in suits, but eventually one backs out. An older woman bids casually throughout by holding up her card wordlessly. The auctioneer seems to decide that she has the potential to put down the most money and he starts fixing on her, asking her for another bid every time she is outbid. She doesn't fall for his tricks, but does bid slowly while others fight it out. Eventually no one else is willing to put down a higher bid, and the woman takes the house.

The auctioneers pop champagne and hand glasses around, and the homeowner shakes hands with the woman.

'Reckon you could do that?' Ryan asks me, nudging towards the auctioneer and his team of agents.

I bite my lip. 'Maybe,' I say.

We drive back down to the beach and Ryan tells me he'll see me later. He says he needs to talk to Rose, which makes me nervous, but I don't question him.

// Author's Note

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