Thank God for Irish Women Ch. 10

After a few minutes of random touching, tickling, and caressing, we took a shower together, dressed and walked down for breakfast.

****

Lunch was very interesting. Emily's four friends were late arriving, but then it was a whirlwind of hugs, kisses and pleasant chatter as they refreshed their friendship. They all told Emily how sorry they were that Patrick was killed. Several tears were shed by the girls. Emily didn't mention any of Patrick's legal issues but did tell them that the coroner discovered a brain tumor that was inoperable. They were all shocked.

It was while Emily was reading the menu that Debbie noticed the ring. She stared at it, I guess thinking she was imagining things, but leaned over and whispered to Trish. Trish looked at Emily's hand and gasped.

"Emily, is that an engagement ring?" Trish asked.

"Yes. Matt and I are engaged." They were obviously shocked but said congratulations to us.

"Thank you," Emily replied. "I know you think we're crazy but, believe me, we are a perfect match. That was obvious to me after our first week together, and many things have happened to confirm it. I loved Patrick with all my heart, but Matt is my true soulmate." She reached for my hand.

Debbie replied, "We don't think you're crazy. If you knew that and didn't act on it, that would have been crazy." We all smiled. I thought that was the perfect thing for a true friend to say.

The talk turned to finding out everything about me and the new job. I said I grew up on a farm in Iowa and had a degree in engineering from Georgia Tech. Emily told them about my parents and how nice they were, and about me getting shot at a bar in Kansas City. The guys were very interested in the shooting so the full story was told... or at least a version of it.

Debbie and Trish were beautiful young ladies with outgoing personalities, and I had no trouble at all imagining them doing the things Emily had recounted. Davis and Sam were nice guys, maybe a bit overmatched by the strong personalities of the girls. Emily was in her element and a full equal to her true friends. It was fun seeing them interact and hearing the witty give and take.

As we returned to the hotel, I could sense that Emily was happy. Her friends meant the world to her and she seemed to be proud of me. I was relieved that they didn't criticize our very quick decision to get married.

We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the area and looking for housing. There were many open houses that day and we stopped and toured several townhouses and condos.

Monday, May 31, 2010 Memorial Day

It was a busy morning. I called my new boss Ron Stevens at his home. He seemed excited to hear from me and to learn that I was in town and would be there early on Tuesday. Emily and I spent the remainder of the day looking for a place to live.

Toward the end of the afternoon, we found a very interesting complex under construction. We stopped and toured several units that were nearing completion. One three-bedroom townhouse was beautiful. It had all the features we wanted and was at the point where we could still select our countertops and flooring. The asking price was "only" $1,450,000, which was twice what it would have cost in Atlanta or three times the price in Iowa.

I asked that the builder install quartz counter tops, rather than the standard and more expensive granite, and that the standard carpet be changed to hardwood floors. I also offered $50,000 less. After several phone calls and an interesting give and take, the builder agreed. He had 40 units planned, three sold and only five complete enough to sell. He was probably hungry.

We signed the purchase offer, and the builder's rep initialed it on behalf of the builder. She promised to have the documents officially signed the following day. We promised that Emily would return then with our check for the earnest money.

We celebrated that evening with dinner at Ruth's Chris Steak House. During dinner I said, "Tomorrow morning, sweetheart, I'd like for you to go car shopping."

Her face lit up. "You were serious about buying me a new one?"

"That Civic is fine but let's give it back to your stepdad. You need something more like you. Plus, I'm concerned about how many keys may be out there."

"What do you mean by something like me?"

"Exciting, racy, sleek, and elegant."

She grinned. "What a nice thing to say. What should I get?"

"That's up to you. What's been your fantasy car?"

She looked up to the ceiling and pursed her lips. "Well, since you asked, I've always wanted a BMW. Not a big one... just a small one."

"Go get it."

She stared at me in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"I am. It's yours."

"Aren't you going with me?"

"No, why should I?"

"You're going to let me buy a car?"

I replied, "You're certainly capable."

"Matt, I'm only 19. The salesman will run all over me."

"Not a chance. You're tougher than I am. Go online and see what the model you want is actually selling for and tell him that's your final offer. If he gives you any crap, just leave and go to the next dealer. He will not let you leave until he can't go any lower. All the dealers are hungry."

"Should I buy one off the lot?"

"Well, drive the model you want and make sure you like it. You can decide if you want to order one or take one off the lot. The price you should offer is the same."

"They won't approve a loan for me. I don't have a job."

"We'll pay cash. Just give them a down payment and get their bank transfer information and I'll have my bank in Iowa send the money. It'll be in their account tomorrow, and you can pick it up."

She asked, "Is it really that easy?"

"Should be. Let me know if you encounter a problem and I'll help if you need me."

She gazed at me for several seconds and smiled. "You're the first man who's ever let me make all the decisions on something."

"Get used to it. You're going to have many big decisions to make in the future. And many will be life-changing decisions for people," I replied.

"That's scary. Will you help me?"

"If you want my help, but you're going to be the boss on that."

We returned to the hotel that evening and enjoyed a quiet night thinking about how to decorate the townhouse. It wouldn't be ready for six to seven weeks so we had ample time to debate and decide the details.

Emily spent an hour online to research BMW prices, options, and features of the various models. We went to bed early. She giggled every time she thought about her new car and how exciting it would be to drive. I was very thankful I could buy it for her. My new job would begin the next day, and I was eagerly looking forward to it.

The end of Chapter 10.