Love at 320 Sycamore Read online

  Chapter 1

  “Oh no,” Izzy Gallo mumbled beneath her breath when she spotted Aunt Laura sitting next to her seat at the table. She balanced her plate on top of a Solo cup and glanced around for an escape.

  “Yoo-hoo,” Aunt Laura waved from across the yard. “Over here, Izzy.”

  “Thanks,” she answered. Izzy needed to escape the elder. Quickly. “But, I promised Jenny I would sit with her.” Izzy made a beeline towards the children’s table. Jenny looked up at her and giggled. “You don’t mind, do you?” Izzy whispered to the little girl.

  Izzy would rather pretend to drink tea than to subject herself to Aunt Laura’s questions. Jenny asked a million questions too, but none of them pertained to Izzy being single. Izzy conversed with her four-year-old niece while they ate and tried to ignore the sound of her biological clock ticking inside her head.

  Something caught Jenny’s eyes, and she ran off, leaving Izzy alone. She rolled an olive around her plate as she looked around the backyard. She was the only one left of her generation still single.

  “What are you doing over there?” A cousin shouted from a table not too far away. He motioned for her to join him and the rest of her cousins.

  Izzy smiled. “My date left me for the swing-set.” She appreciated the company but wasn’t in the mood to join them. Izzy squirmed in her seat as she watched them laugh among themselves.

  Being single didn’t bother her, on most days. Izzy loved her job and spent many hours trying to succeed on her own. A man would only complicate things. She liked not having anyone to depend on her.

  There were advantages of being single. Attending family reunions was not one of them. This was her first one since moving back to West Seneca. Everyone wanted to talk to Izzy, see how she’s doing, and that was fine. Aunt Laura’s agenda was bigger, embarrass Izzy to death.

  Izzy stumbled as she stood from the tiny chair. She decided not to dwell on her relationship status. Nobody cared, she told herself, except Aunt Laura. Izzy picked up abandoned plates and tossed them into the trash. They were in her sister, Gemma’s, backyard and Izzy felt an obligation to help clean.

  Relatives scattered across the yard. Izzy spoke to them as she made her rounds. “What brought you back to Western New York?” They asked. Everyone wanted to know her business.

  Izzy smiled at them and gave the best answer she could think. “Family.” Then she would see Aunt Laura out of the corner of her eye and move along through the crowd.

  Gemma and her husband, Jake, stood talking to someone. He stood a head taller than Izzy and had wide shoulders. Her kind of man. Izzy didn’t recognize him from behind and thought nothing of joining their conversation. Big mistake.

  “Hey Izzy,” Gemma beamed. “Do you remember Drew?”

  Chills went up Izzy’s spine. Every hair on her body stood. The yard spun, and her stomach flipped. “Excuse me,” she faked a smile and turned to leave.

  Izzy’s luck ran out.

  “Oh, there you are, Izzy.” Aunt Laura spoke loud enough for the entire party to hear. “How are things in the romance department?”

  Jake grabbed her arm as the ground slipped from beneath Izzy’s feet. Everyone waited for her answer, even Drew. Great, she thought, now she had two people to avoid. “Oh! Em! Gee!,” she cursed as she stormed off and away from the crowd.

  As she ran, she heard Gemma say, “She’s still single, Aunt Laura.”

  Chapter 2

  Izzy found peace and solitude behind a large oak tree. She flopped down and stuck her head between her knees. After a few minutes, Aunt Laura’s scene and the embarrassment it caused, passed. This wasn’t the first time. It wouldn’t be the last, either. But Drew, why Drew? Izzy wondered.

  “Why do you hide here,” Gemma asked as she walked up to Izzy and sat down. “I always find you.”

  “It’s not a hiding spot,” Izzy lied. She placed her head on Gemma’s shoulder and sighed. Gemma didn’t know her troubles. How could she, Izzy thought? Her sister married her high school sweetheart and never experienced elder relatives criticizing her relationship decisions.

  “If you didn’t run off,” Gemma boosted, “You would have heard Drew defend you.”

  Just the thought made Izzy sick. Drew shouldn’t defend her, he shouldn’t even be there. Izzy buried her head between her knees again.

  “He’s not that bad.”

  “You and I remember two different people,” Izzy stated. She sat up and tore apart a leaf.

  “He’s single.”

  Izzy moaned. “Don’t,” she said before her sister could say anything else. “Don’t go there.”

  They remained quiet for a few minutes. Izzy decided her aunt and Drew ruined the party for her. She stood to leave. Sounds of splashing water caused her to pause her thoughts. She looked down at Gemma and smiled.

  “Come on Izzy, let’s go swimming,” Gemma pleaded.

  Izzy looked around as her loved ones gathered around the pool. They were the reason she came to the party and decided not to let Drew damper her day. She looked around and didn’t see him. “Okay,” she agreed. “I need to change, be right back.”

  ~~~

  As Izzy exited the bathroom, she wrapped a towel around her bikini. She looked up and saw Drew standing near the staircase, staring at her. She tightened the towel and barged her way passed him.

  Drew reached out and grabbed her arm. “Hey there,” he said.

  “Let go,” she snapped and jerked her arm away from him.

  “Isabella,” Drew pleaded. He was the only one who ever called her by her full name, something Izzy didn’t mind when they were younger.

  “Izzy,” she corrected him. It used to be special when he called her Isabella. Everyone else called her by her nickname. Times changed.

  “Why can’t you forget the past?”

  “I did, but you came back.” She wasn’t in the mood to speak to him, and probably never would be.

  Izzy walked down the stairs and felt his eyes burning into her. She shook her head and wondered why he’d ever think she would forget the pain he caused. They haven’t seen each other in over five years, but the memories were fresh.

  ~~~

  Out in the pool, Izzy spotted Drew watching her. Izzy ignored him and played with the little kids and then joined her cousins in a game of water volleyball. Other than Drew’s stares, Izzy enjoyed the rest of the party.

  When the sun went down, Jake started a fire. The children and elderly adults had either gone home, or were resting inside the house. The rest of them sat around the fire. Most of the night, everyone talked about Drew. Izzy shifted in her chair and tried to change the subject many times. It did no good.

  Drew had been a childhood friend to them all. His family moved away during his senior year of high school, and just a few people had contact with him throughout the years. Izzy was one. She preferred to forget everything, but her family centered him in their conversations.

  “Are you back for good?” Somebody asked him.

  Izzy put her head down when he answered, hoping he would say no.

  “Yeah,” Drew answered. Izzy sighed. “Home is where the heart is, or so they say.”

  “Just like you, Izzy,” Jake butted into the conversation.

  Izzy stood and moved her seat away from the fire. Drew looked at her. The darkness shielded his face, but Izzy could make out his smile.

  “Speaking of moving back,” Drew slapped his hands together and leaned forward in his chair. “Do any of you know a good real estate agent?”

  “Yes, we do,” Gemma just about shouted with excitement.

  Izzy held her hand by her throat and motioned told her sister to keep her mouth shut. She
glanced up and found Drew watching her every move.

  “Izzy is one of the best,” Gemma finished. “She can get you a good deal.”

  “I’m sorry,” Izzy spoke. “I have a lot going on right now and wouldn’t have time to help you.” She gulped as she realized it was the most she’d spoken to him all day long.

  Drew crossed his arms and leaned back into his chair. His grin sent chills down Izzy’s spine. “Thanks anyway,” he said. The others harassed Izzy.

  Chapter 3

  Izzy walked into the office on Monday morning. The weekend had been rough on her, but she shook it off. She took a long sip of her coffee as the computer turned on. Around her cubicle, she heard her coworkers talk. Real estate is a competitive business, but most of the staff supported each other, and built friendships.

  She pulled up a listing and looked through the pictures. 320 Sycamore had been her dream house since Izzy’s youth. The steep asking price kept the house a dream. Izzy made good money at what she did for a living, but $395,500 was still too much for her.

  Outside of her cubicle, Izzy heard Clara Morris’s annoying voice. Clara, her biggest competitor, walked through the office looking for attention. She wouldn’t receive it from Izzy. Izzy focused on her dream home and ignored the ice princess passing her by.

  The phone rang. “Hello,” Izzy answered. She recognized the quick tone, telling her it was an interoffice call.

  “Izzy,” Mr. Hochstetler said. “I need you to come to my office, right now.”

  She hung up the phone after saying, “Alright.” Izzy minimized the listing for 320 Sycamore and stepped out of her cubicle.

  ~~~

  Izzy noticed the back of Drew’s head as she approached Mr. Hochstetler’s office. She wanted to scream. Her face reddened and her fists clung to her side. Izzy took a deep breath and walked inside to find out what the urgency was about.

  “Ah, there you are Izzy,” Mr. Hochstetler said. Drew turned and faced her. If looks killed, he’d die any second, Izzy snickered to herself.

  She didn’t need to ask. Drew wanted a house, wanted her to help him, and apparently wouldn’t take no for an answer. But, she asked anyway. “What can I do for you?”

  “Look who’s here,” Mr. Hochstetler said, as if Izzy couldn’t see for herself. “Drew Walker, I’d like you to meet Izzy.”

  Drew extended his hand. His politeness made her furious. “We’re acquainted,” Izzy informed her boss. She didn’t reach to shake his hand.

  “Well then,” Mr. Hochstetler motioned for the other two to have a seat. “Mr. Walker needs a home as soon as possible, and I told him you’re the best.”

  She looked at Drew and scowled. A grin spread across his face, which made Izzy want to slap him. “Sir,” she started. “I already told Drew, err, I mean Mr. Walker that I’m busy with another client right now and wouldn’t have time to help him.” She focused on Drew’s face and finished, “He knew this.”

  “Nonsense,” Mr. Hochstetler stated. “The Johnson’s made an offer.”

  “What? They were my clients! Who took them?”

  Mr. Hochstetler leaned onto his elbows and fumbled with his thumbs. “Nothing like that, Izzy. They called over the weekend, and you weren’t available. Don’t worry none, they wouldn’t let anyone else take credit for your hard work. It’s still up to you to wrap up all their paperwork, but that won’t take you long. Now you’re free to help Mr. Walker out.”

  This was not what Izzy wanted to hear. She considered telling them about other clients who wanted her help, but figured Mr. Hochstetler would somehow talk her out of it, anyway.

  Drew turned to Izzy and spoke for the first time. “Have lunch with me today. We’ll talk about what I’m looking for and what steps we need to take.”

  “Great idea,” Mr. Hochstetler said. “But, make that dinner instead. We have staff meetings every Monday.”

  “Fine with me,” Drew agreed.

  Izzy fumed. “Doesn’t anyone care what I think?”

  “Of course, and you can tell Mr. Walker all your ideas over dinner tonight.”

  She stood and stormed out of the office. Behind her, Izzy heard Drew trying to keep up. She stepped inside her cubicle and threw herself into the chair.

  “Thank you, Isabella,” Drew said as he peeked his head around the corner. “I’ll make reservations for seven o’clock. Salvatore’s. See you there.” He didn’t wait to listen to her rebuttal.

  “No, you won’t!”

  ~~~

  The staff meeting turned out like Izzy assumed it would. As soon as Mr. Hochstetler told the staff that Drew was on the market for a house, a buzz grew. He informed everyone that Izzy would be his agent, and they all moaned. Later, they congratulated her, but Izzy wasn’t proud in the slightest bit.

  She gathered a few things from her cubicle and intended on taking the rest of the afternoon off. One perk of real estate, agents weren’t confined to the office all day long. She needed to go someplace and think. One way or the other, she would get out of working with Drew.

  Clara walked into Izzy’s space and made herself at home. She sat on the edge of the desk and crossed her slim legs. This behavior usually annoyed Izzy, but she had too much on her mind to care. “You’re not happy about selling to Drew Walker?”

  “None of your business,” Izzy snapped.

  “Look,” Clara said. “I don’t know why you wouldn’t want such a deal, but I’m willing to take him off your hands.”

  The idea caused a familiar feeling in Izzy’s gut. Jealousy? She thought that was insane. There was nothing, but a broken friendship between herself and Drew. There wasn’t any reason to be jealous.

  Visions of Clara rubbing her hands all over Drew’s chest caused Izzy to steam in anger. Clara Morris, as the story in the office goes, would stop at nothing from making a sale. The woman defined sleazy and Izzy refused to let Clara get to Drew. “Back off,” Izzy snapped.

  Clara placed her hand over her chest and acted innocent. “I’m sorry, it’s just, well you don’t seem happy about the arrangement.”

  “I’m fine, Clara. Stay away from Drew Walker.” From that moment on, whether she liked it or not, Izzy accepted her duty to be his agent.

  Clara stormed out of the cubicle. Izzy sat and looked at her belongings. A few minutes before she wanted to run away, now she had work to do. Izzy turned to her computer and looked for listings, printing them out, and making a file for Drew.

  ~~~

  A few minutes later, her cell phone buzzed. Izzy looked at the caller ID before answering. “Hey Gemma,” she answered.

  “Oh, my God,” Gemma said. “Is it true?”

  “Is what true?”

  “Don’t tease me,” Gemma spoke fast. “You’re having dinner with Drew tonight?”

  Izzy shook her head in disbelief. She wondered how her sister heard already. “How do you know?”

  Her reply confirmed the news for Gemma. “He stopped by after seeing you. You two will make such a good team.”

  Izzy didn’t think of them as being a team. “Trust me, I didn’t have any say in the matter.”

  “What is your problem Izzy?” Gemma burst through the phone line. “Can’t you see the man is going out on a limb to be near you?”

  “Look,” Izzy stated. “It’s business, nothing else.”

  Izzy felt bad for stomping on her sister’s hopes, but couldn’t allow her to think something wonderful would happen between her and Drew. Those days were gone. Believing the things Gemma said would be the worst thing Izzy could do for herself.

  “Baby steps,” Gemma said. “I’m so glad you changed your mind.”

  Izzy growled and didn’t care who heard. “I didn’t change my mind, they forced me. Don’t get excited. We’re having dinner to talk about his finances and see what he’s looking for.”

  “I know what he’s looking for,” Gemma laughed.

  Izzy couldn’t see her sister’s face, but she k
new the elder girl blushed. “Stop, Gem,” Izzy turned red herself, not from blushing but from anger. “I think you’re looking in to this the wrong way. Maybe Aunt Laura got to you. It’s a business relationship and nothing more. It’ll never be anything more and I hope you can understand that.”

  She hung up the phone and threw it into her bag. Izzy tossed the new file into her briefcase and then returned her attention to the computer screen. She would not show 320 Sycamore to Drew, not if she could help it.

  Chapter 4

  Izzy gritted her teeth as she parked her car at Salvatore’s. Drew couldn’t have picked a different place to have dinner? She thought. Nobody ever ate at the Italian restaurant without the appropriate dress attire. It made Izzy uncomfortable.

  She stepped out of her car and wobbled over toward the door. Heels and Izzy didn’t get along too well. Izzy paused and looked at herself in the reflection before entering. She wore a black mini-dress with a red shawl to cover her shoulders. Izzy looked down at her knees. “Stop shaking,” she instructed them. She turned to get a good look at herself and smiled. Izzy didn’t dress up too often, besides the usual office attire, and worried that she didn’t look good. Her shapely legs told her she’d been wrong.

  Drew sat at the bar and waited for her. Izzy took a deep breath as she noticed people look at her. They seemed to approve her wardrobe. Izzy hoped that Drew would be the opposite, she didn’t want to attract him. She walked up to the bar as he turned to address her. From the look of his eyes, she could tell it pleased him too. Oh great, Izzy thought.

  “Have a seat,” Drew said after giving her a friendly kiss on the cheek.

  “Can’t we get a table?” Izzy didn’t want to have drinks with him.

  Drew ignored her and turned his attention to the bartender. “Can we get a whiskey sour over here?”

  Izzy said nothing while they watched the bartender prepare the drink. He sat it down on a coaster in front of her. “You remembered?” Izzy asked as she traced her finger around the edge of the glass.