thought – but it was the last message that really caught his attention.
‘Rob, hi, Johnny Sheridan here. Listen, I have the perfect house for you; the owner is a good friend of mine and looking to rent it out. Give me a call when you get a chance and I’ll fill you in on the details.’
‘Excellent!’ Rob rubbed his hands together and went out to the galley kitchen to make a coffee.
He had first met Johnny when he’d installed a computer system for him nearly three years ago. It was shortly after he’d started his own business and meeting Johnny had been a blessing. He’d sent plenty of other builders and tradesmen to him and Rob hadn’t looked back. It was also Johnny who’d pointed out the need for a reliable property website and Rob had taken his advice. The venture had been an overnight success and he’d made a killing when he sold the website only months before the property market crashed. Finally in a position to build a home of his own, he’d turned to Johnny; well, who else? Together they had searched for the perfect site and Johnny had recommended Rus Bowen, a talented and imaginative architect, to design the house. Once the planning came through, he would be able to build his dream home. When he’d said he would like to rent a place near the site where he could both live and work, Johnny had immediately offered to find him a place and Rob was happy to let him. A true entrepreneur, Johnny had survived the crash and seemed to be doing well for himself once more. Rob wasn’t surprised; if ever there was a man who was made to bounce, it was Johnny.
Armed with a large mug of strong coffee and a couple of chocolate bars that would suffice as dinner, Rob returned to his desk in the corner of his drab and joyless living room and picked up the phone. Johnny answered on the second ring.
‘Hey, Johnny, it’s Rob.’
‘Rob! How are you doing?’
‘Great, thanks. You have news for me?’
‘I do indeed, sir, good news. Well . . .’ he added in more sombre tones, ‘good for you anyway. I have a friend who needs to rent her house. It’s a lovely place, only about eight years old, has exactly the kind of space you were looking for and is in very good condition. And,’ he added, ‘it’s less than a mile from the site.’
‘Excellent. When can I move in?’
Johnny laughed. ‘Don’t you want to see it before you make your mind up?’
‘I trust you.’ Rob looked around the cramped room. The only saving grace of this flat, apart from its location in the heart of Dublin, was the large bay window. The busy street below presented him with such a wonderful tapestry of life each day that he rarely bothered switching on the TV set in the corner.
‘The bad news is it won’t be available for a couple of months, but with the way the planning office drags its heels, we’ll be lucky to be breaking earth by then. This house is worth the wait.’
Rob sighed. ‘Okay, then. Why don’t you set up a viewing and we’ll take it from there?’
‘Excellent, I’ll do that.’
‘What’s the landlady’s name?’ he asked, picking up a pen.
‘Marianne Thomson.’
Rob dropped his pen as Marianne’s lovely face swam before his eyes.
‘I’ll give her a call and get back to you during the week,’ Johnny continued. ‘Rob? Are you there?’
‘Yeah, I’m here. That’s fine, Johnny, appreciate it, take care.’
Rob put the phone down and stared out of the window, for once not even seeing the bustling beauty of the city. Marianne . He went back in his mind over Johnny’s words; he hadn’t mentioned Dominic at all. In fact he had specifically said ‘she’; had she finally left that asshole? He couldn’t help feeling a thrill of excitement at the thought of her being single, of seeing her beautiful face again and that gorgeous body. He wondered if she knew that he was her potential tenant and, if so, was she as excited as he was? He wished now that he’d asked Johnny more questions and was sorely
‘Rob, hi, Johnny Sheridan here. Listen, I have the perfect house for you; the owner is a good friend of mine and looking to rent it out. Give me a call when you get a chance and I’ll fill you in on the details.’
‘Excellent!’ Rob rubbed his hands together and went out to the galley kitchen to make a coffee.
He had first met Johnny when he’d installed a computer system for him nearly three years ago. It was shortly after he’d started his own business and meeting Johnny had been a blessing. He’d sent plenty of other builders and tradesmen to him and Rob hadn’t looked back. It was also Johnny who’d pointed out the need for a reliable property website and Rob had taken his advice. The venture had been an overnight success and he’d made a killing when he sold the website only months before the property market crashed. Finally in a position to build a home of his own, he’d turned to Johnny; well, who else? Together they had searched for the perfect site and Johnny had recommended Rus Bowen, a talented and imaginative architect, to design the house. Once the planning came through, he would be able to build his dream home. When he’d said he would like to rent a place near the site where he could both live and work, Johnny had immediately offered to find him a place and Rob was happy to let him. A true entrepreneur, Johnny had survived the crash and seemed to be doing well for himself once more. Rob wasn’t surprised; if ever there was a man who was made to bounce, it was Johnny.
Armed with a large mug of strong coffee and a couple of chocolate bars that would suffice as dinner, Rob returned to his desk in the corner of his drab and joyless living room and picked up the phone. Johnny answered on the second ring.
‘Hey, Johnny, it’s Rob.’
‘Rob! How are you doing?’
‘Great, thanks. You have news for me?’
‘I do indeed, sir, good news. Well . . .’ he added in more sombre tones, ‘good for you anyway. I have a friend who needs to rent her house. It’s a lovely place, only about eight years old, has exactly the kind of space you were looking for and is in very good condition. And,’ he added, ‘it’s less than a mile from the site.’
‘Excellent. When can I move in?’
Johnny laughed. ‘Don’t you want to see it before you make your mind up?’
‘I trust you.’ Rob looked around the cramped room. The only saving grace of this flat, apart from its location in the heart of Dublin, was the large bay window. The busy street below presented him with such a wonderful tapestry of life each day that he rarely bothered switching on the TV set in the corner.
‘The bad news is it won’t be available for a couple of months, but with the way the planning office drags its heels, we’ll be lucky to be breaking earth by then. This house is worth the wait.’
Rob sighed. ‘Okay, then. Why don’t you set up a viewing and we’ll take it from there?’
‘Excellent, I’ll do that.’
‘What’s the landlady’s name?’ he asked, picking up a pen.
‘Marianne Thomson.’
Rob dropped his pen as Marianne’s lovely face swam before his eyes.
‘I’ll give her a call and get back to you during the week,’ Johnny continued. ‘Rob? Are you there?’
‘Yeah, I’m here. That’s fine, Johnny, appreciate it, take care.’
Rob put the phone down and stared out of the window, for once not even seeing the bustling beauty of the city. Marianne . He went back in his mind over Johnny’s words; he hadn’t mentioned Dominic at all. In fact he had specifically said ‘she’; had she finally left that asshole? He couldn’t help feeling a thrill of excitement at the thought of her being single, of seeing her beautiful face again and that gorgeous body. He wondered if she knew that he was her potential tenant and, if so, was she as excited as he was? He wished now that he’d asked Johnny more questions and was sorely
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