Sam’s face lit up.
And that niggling feeling played across the nape of her neck.
Maybe her uneasiness was nothing to do with Sam and Marshall, and everything to do with Jake and Jake’s brother.
She’d had to admit she hadn’t sold Irma’s house, and then she’d gone and dropped her bra right in front of Abel. How embarrassing was that!
Bet Bob Begg’s never dropped his underwear in front of a client.
Ella giggled, and Sam glanced across. ‘You okay, Mum?’
‘Yeah. I’m good. Just thinking about something funny.’
It had been interesting, though, what Abel had said about Jake choosing to sell with her, and not with Bob.
Jake said he’d wanted to give her a chance.
Jake said he didn’t want to sell. What he wanted was to find out why Abe wanted to sell so much.
And as Ella worked it out, the pieces slotted neatly into place, square pegs into square holes.
Jake chose her to sell his nanna’s house because he was sure she couldn’t do the job.
He never believed she had what it took.
He’d never believed in her.
CHAPTER
27
‘Harvey? Have you got a moment?’ Ella spoke at the same time as she knocked on Harvey’s office door on Monday morning, and her boss beamed at her as his head came up.
‘Ella! Of course! And tell me, did you ring the bell?’ Harvey mimed ringing a bell with his hands.
The sale felt so long ago now, all the way back to Saturday, and so much had happened since. ‘I forgot about it.’
‘What did I miss?’ called Gina.
‘Ella made her first sale over the weekend,’ Bob threw in, loud enough for Gina to hear.
It appeared her sale wasn’t quite enough to get Bob up from his chair, but it definitely met Gina’s excitement parameters. Their receptionist was up and out of her seat, arms wide, coming at Ella like a goose for an open gate.
‘You sold the Honeychurch house? Ella, that’s fantastic.’ Gina wrapped Ella in a hug.
‘Not quite,’ Ella murmured. ‘Helen Nillson’s house next door.’
Gina’s eyes went wide. ‘Oh. I didn’t even know we had it listed.’
‘We didn’t,’ Harvey said.
‘Wow. Well, go, you! That’s fantastic. And why didn’t you ring the bell?’ Gina stepped back.
‘I forgot about it.’
‘Well, do it now!’ Gina shooed Ella towards the front office and the shiny silver bell. ‘Go on!’
Ella picked up the little bell, giving it a tinny-sounding tinkle.
‘That’s not a ring …’ Gina plucked the bell from Ella’s fingers, waving it like a maniac. ‘That’s a ring!’
So Ella took the bell back and gave it a proper shake this time, and when she put the silver thing back on the counter, she wore a goofy grin. It did feel pretty darn amazing.
‘I’ll get the paperwork together for you, Gina,’ Ella said, smiling as she headed back to Harvey’s office to finish the conversation that had been hijacked.
‘So, Harvey? Is this a good time?’
‘Absolutely. Come on in.’
Ella sat on one of Harvey’s lovely leather guest chairs, smoothing her skirt under her legs. ‘I’ve been thinking about what you were saying about the swimming pool.’
‘Yes?’
‘Well … I’d like to do it. I think it would be good for the town. I have a few questions, though. I mean, how will it impact my work here? What would you need from me?’
‘Bob and I can help with your inspections and cover your roster if there are times you’d need to be out of the office. We’re a team, aren’t we, Bob?’ He called the last bit louder, to reach Bob’s ears in the next office.
‘Sure,’ said Bob.
‘Great news,’ Harvey said. ‘That’s really great, Ella. I’ll call the Shire President and see what we need to do to get the ball rolling. I’ll get back to you.’
‘Okay. Thanks. In the meantime, I’ll contact AustSwim and make sure my current teaching qualifications are up to date. My ex-husband, Erik Brecker, will know what I need to get.’
‘How lucky is Chalk Hill to have you and Erik Brecker involved in starting up its swim school?’ Harvey said, rubbing his palms. ‘Once the pool is up and running, we can have a review and rethink where we’re all at with the workload. I mean, we want you here too, don’t get me wrong. This is a great first sale on the Nillson place. Now you’re off and running. Or should I say, off and swimming!’ He laughed at his own joke.
‘Thanks, Harvey,’ Ella said, getting up from the chair.
He was muttering about the Begg & Robertson Flying Dolphin Swimming Squad as she walked out his door.
She didn’t get far.
‘Bob? Have you got a moment?’ Ella said, standing with her hand poised at the doorframe heading into Bob’s office. His door was open so there wasn’t much point knocking.
‘Sure. Come on in,’ Bob said, pushing back his chair, reclining in the seat. ‘What’s up?’
Ella sat across from Bob and tried not to pay any attention to the many (many) framed certificates for ‘best salesperson’ lining his office wall.
‘I wanted to ask if you’d take over the Honeychurch house listing for me,’ she said. ‘I had the authority for ninety days and that’s nearly up. If Jake wants to extend the authority, I think it’s best if you handle it.’
She’d thought and thought this through last night, and this was the only way. She couldn’t keep working for Jake, not now that she knew he didn’t think she was the best person for the job.
Bob put his palms on his desk, straightened his arms and leaned back so far Ella worried he might flip his chair and crush the bright green ficus hiding behind him. Then he nodded once, narrowing his eyes. ‘Jake didn’t like you selling out the neighbour’s place to Henry Graham, hey?’
‘No. It wasn’t anything like that,’ Ella said. ‘I haven’t mentioned it to Jake yet, I just wanted to be sure you didn’t have too many other listings to take care of, and that it was okay by you.’
‘I’d be happy to help Jake out. Might talk to
