Read Online Love on the Rocks by Veronica Henry - Free Book Online
Authors: Veronica Henry
Ads: Link
overhead, opened the carton and poured in the pale green liquid.
‘I can’t help feeling it’s a monumental risk. We’d both have to sell our houses. We don’t know if we can work together. And what do either of us know about running a hotel?’
‘It can’t be any harder than running a chip shop. And lots of people who buy hotels don’t have a clue. They have to learn the hard way.’
George gave the soup a swirl with a wooden spoon. It was the one thing he hated about himself. Being cautious was so unsexy. He looked at Lisa, eager to throw caution to the wind, her eyes sparkling.
‘Don’t you think it was meant to be? Don’t you think fate led us there? Both of us walk out of our jobs on a Friday afternoon and end up in a seaside hotel that’s crying out for a makeover? It’s . . . what’s the word?’
‘Serendipitous.’
‘That’s it. Serendipitous.’
She pulled the details out of her handbag. They were looking rather worn already, they’d been pored over so many times.
‘It’s so beautiful.’
‘It’s a dump.’
‘Hang on a minute. You’re the one who was having orgasms over the tiles under the carpet in the hall.’
She looked so indignant George had to laugh.
‘I know. It’s just that I know how much hard work it’s going to be.’
‘Well, if you don’t want to get your hands dirty . . .’ Lisa tossed the details back on the counter top.
‘It’s not that.’
‘What’s the problem then?’
There was a small pause as George took the soup off the heat.
‘I’m scared,’ he admitted.
‘In that case I should potter back into work tomorrow morning, apologize to everybody and carry on paying into your nice, safe, sensible pension fund. Because you’ll be stuck there for the rest of your life. But at least you won’t be scared.’
This last word was dripping with vitriol. George blinked in surprise. He hadn’t known Lisa could be so scathing.
‘OK,’ he rallied. ‘Let’s do the maths again, shall we?’
Lisa smiled and picked up the details again. George threw her a pencil from the leather pencil pot by his phone.
‘OK,’ she said. ‘I can get three and a bit for my place tomorrow. And just under two for the flat.’
Lisa had a small town house on an estate just outside Stratford, and had astutely bought a flat on the same development three years ago, which she rented to a student.
‘You’ll have capital gains to pay on that,’ George pointed out.
‘So let’s say that by the time I’ve paid off my mortgage I’ll clear four hundred.’
‘If I can get five and a half for this, then I’ll have about the same.’
‘And the guide price for The Rocks is seven.’
‘Which only leaves us a hundred grand to do it up.’
‘Only?’ Lisa squeaked.
‘Come on. Be realistic. I know we’re only talking about a cosmetic refurb, but we’ve got to rip up all those carpets and pull off all the wallpaper. And preferably redo the bathrooms. Then we have to furnish the place. A hundred grand won’t go far.’
‘Then we borrow some more. That’s what people do, George.’
George pulled the ciabatta out of the oven, just as the doorbell rang.
‘Who the hell could this be on a Sunday night?’
He stood stock-still in the middle of the kitchen, clutching the loaf in his oven gloves. Lisa slid off her stool.
‘I’ll go.’
‘No!’
George dropped the bread on to the work surface and rushed out of the room. Lisa watched after him, frowning slightly. George seemed tense all of a sudden. She supposed he didn’t like being cornered. In a way she was calling his bluff. To her, the plan seemed logical. What was the worst that could happen? That they tried and failed? She picked up the details once again, wondering what she could do to persuade him that this was the perfect project for them, when George came back into the room with a tall, gaunt figure in tow.
‘It’s Justin. He’s just got back from skiing.’
‘Six weeks in Morzine. It was absolute
‘I can’t help feeling it’s a monumental risk. We’d both have to sell our houses. We don’t know if we can work together. And what do either of us know about running a hotel?’
‘It can’t be any harder than running a chip shop. And lots of people who buy hotels don’t have a clue. They have to learn the hard way.’
George gave the soup a swirl with a wooden spoon. It was the one thing he hated about himself. Being cautious was so unsexy. He looked at Lisa, eager to throw caution to the wind, her eyes sparkling.
‘Don’t you think it was meant to be? Don’t you think fate led us there? Both of us walk out of our jobs on a Friday afternoon and end up in a seaside hotel that’s crying out for a makeover? It’s . . . what’s the word?’
‘Serendipitous.’
‘That’s it. Serendipitous.’
She pulled the details out of her handbag. They were looking rather worn already, they’d been pored over so many times.
‘It’s so beautiful.’
‘It’s a dump.’
‘Hang on a minute. You’re the one who was having orgasms over the tiles under the carpet in the hall.’
She looked so indignant George had to laugh.
‘I know. It’s just that I know how much hard work it’s going to be.’
‘Well, if you don’t want to get your hands dirty . . .’ Lisa tossed the details back on the counter top.
‘It’s not that.’
‘What’s the problem then?’
There was a small pause as George took the soup off the heat.
‘I’m scared,’ he admitted.
‘In that case I should potter back into work tomorrow morning, apologize to everybody and carry on paying into your nice, safe, sensible pension fund. Because you’ll be stuck there for the rest of your life. But at least you won’t be scared.’
This last word was dripping with vitriol. George blinked in surprise. He hadn’t known Lisa could be so scathing.
‘OK,’ he rallied. ‘Let’s do the maths again, shall we?’
Lisa smiled and picked up the details again. George threw her a pencil from the leather pencil pot by his phone.
‘OK,’ she said. ‘I can get three and a bit for my place tomorrow. And just under two for the flat.’
Lisa had a small town house on an estate just outside Stratford, and had astutely bought a flat on the same development three years ago, which she rented to a student.
‘You’ll have capital gains to pay on that,’ George pointed out.
‘So let’s say that by the time I’ve paid off my mortgage I’ll clear four hundred.’
‘If I can get five and a half for this, then I’ll have about the same.’
‘And the guide price for The Rocks is seven.’
‘Which only leaves us a hundred grand to do it up.’
‘Only?’ Lisa squeaked.
‘Come on. Be realistic. I know we’re only talking about a cosmetic refurb, but we’ve got to rip up all those carpets and pull off all the wallpaper. And preferably redo the bathrooms. Then we have to furnish the place. A hundred grand won’t go far.’
‘Then we borrow some more. That’s what people do, George.’
George pulled the ciabatta out of the oven, just as the doorbell rang.
‘Who the hell could this be on a Sunday night?’
He stood stock-still in the middle of the kitchen, clutching the loaf in his oven gloves. Lisa slid off her stool.
‘I’ll go.’
‘No!’
George dropped the bread on to the work surface and rushed out of the room. Lisa watched after him, frowning slightly. George seemed tense all of a sudden. She supposed he didn’t like being cornered. In a way she was calling his bluff. To her, the plan seemed logical. What was the worst that could happen? That they tried and failed? She picked up the details once again, wondering what she could do to persuade him that this was the perfect project for them, when George came back into the room with a tall, gaunt figure in tow.
‘It’s Justin. He’s just got back from skiing.’
‘Six weeks in Morzine. It was absolute
Similar Books
