The Cabin Escape_Back On Fever Mountain

by Melissa Devenport

  He agreed, so after paying the bill we hugged the marina and took in all the ambient sounds of the city. Pigeons and sea gulls squawked incessantly, diving in and stealing crumbs and sometimes whole sandwiches from diners around the harbor. Tourists and natives were abundant along the water’s edge, making the atmosphere very cosmopolitan and friendly. I noticed plenty of Italian and east Asian restaurants, and made note for later on in the day. Mostly, however, our walk, which ultimately led to the Sydney Harbour and its iconic bridge.

  Watching ant-sized people traipse up and down the tower on the east side of the bridge, as well as back and forth along the high catwalk, Adam and I sat on a low wall to listen to a busker playing the violin. A small crowd gathered, as did several others along the paved path to take in music and comedy.

  “So, about David,” Adam began, throwing an arm casually around my waist.

  “Right,” I nodded, keeping my eyes on the musician.

  “He’s a couple of years older than I am. He moved out here in his early twenties and met Julie here. They got married a few years ago and have a couple of young kids. She’s…I don’t know. I’m not sure we’re getting along as well as we should. Dave doesn’t notice, or at least he pretends not to.”

  Oh, good. A complicated other woman in the picture. I hoped fervently that Julie wouldn’t be a big part of the business.

  “One of Dave’s first jobs out here was an assistant in a real estate office, and eventually he took all his licensing courses and set up his own place. At the beginning, the industry was doing great, but in the last couple of years it’s gone downhill and taken his savings with it. Julie doesn’t work, and mortgage payments – even in Parramatta, versus the inner city – aren’t cheap.”

  I nodded. “So what have you got planned, exactly? Have you ever worked with your brother before?”

  A crooked smile appeared on his face as he remembered. “Not really. I mean, we both sort of worked for our dad when we were kids, but that was hardly worth mentioning. We definitely didn’t do a great job of anything. But,” he paused, running a hand through his shaggy blonde hair, “we used to spend all our time together, and that can’t hurt us now. As for a plan? He isn’t sure about it, and Julie is dead set against it.” He sighed.

  “Well?”

  Squeezing my back with his large hand, Adam turned his head and focused his dazzling blue eyes on mine. As the strains of the violin faded away and the rest of the small crowd applauded, we were lost in our own little world. “Dave’s been focusing on the high-end, luxury market. Problem is, those are expensive setups. Can you imagine staging a luxury home for sale?”

  I laughed. “Actually…”

  “It’s an insane expenditure, and honestly there aren’t as many high-end buyers in Sydney and surrounding area as you might think, given the average house price. Dave’s been sinking disgusting -amounts of money into these investments and only selling a fraction of them. But here’s what I figured out: he’s been ignoring the real home buyers in the area. The middle-and-lower-middle class people, in need of four walls and a roof over their heads.”

  I nodded, taking in his words. The musician began another composition as onlookers deposited large coins before departing or standing back for another song. “I get that. But how does knowing that help you turn the business around?”

  He smiled, happy to outline his brilliant idea. “You already know I brought my savings here with me – but I haven’t sunk them in yet. You know, I was waiting to figure out how to use them in the best way.”

  “And?”

  A soft breeze fluttered the wisps of hair on my neck, cooling the beads of sweat that had gathered there during our walk. I sipped on a rapidly-warming icy soda, the cup dripping all over my hands. I didn’t mind, given the wonderful view and the man at my side.

  “So I’m going to use that money to buy the company’s next home. But this time, it’s going to be a low-cost fixer-upper. We’ll use the leftover money to do necessary renovations and stage the home with simple but nice furniture and decoration, and sell it quickly to someone desperate to get on the property ladder.”

  I considered the idea, bobbing my head from side to side as I did so. “You’re sure there are enough of those kinds of buyers?”

  He nodded, confidently closing his eyes for a moment. “I am. The thing is, they all want to live in the centre of Sydney, and can only afford to live in the outer suburbs.”

  “Like Parramatta?” I teased.

  Adam laughed and squeezed my side before removing his hand and using it to fan himself with the hem of his shirt. “Exactly. That’s just what Dave and Julie did, and it’s what they all do.”

  “Okay, so you want to find fixer-upper properties – little ones, I assume – in the heart of the city? Is that possible?”

  He shrugged. “It’s not impossible.”

  “Okay. It sounds like a good plan to me, Adam. I hope we can make it work.”

  Chapter 4

  David and Julie

  We spent three days and nights in Sydney center, enjoying the harbors and ferries, sea breeze and fine dining. We had lunch at small eateries with burgers, famous Australian meat pies and other foods that could be eaten while standing up, and spent dinner times in air-conditioned dining rooms with intricate menus.

  Together, we explored the top fashion centers, tried the street food, listened to uncountable musicians and comedians in Hyde Park and along the harbor promenades – and at night, we got to know each other again physically. It was exactly what I needed to put aside all my fears about coming so far for a man I clearly loved, for an unclear future. When our bodies responded to one another’s so naturally, it was easier with every passing day to trust and confide in each other. We found ourselves holding hands while crossing the streets, picking food from the other’s plates, and trading sections of the newspaper instinctively. Bliss.

  Of course, we couldn’t put off the real world forever, no matter how exclusive my credit card. Eventually I repacked my bags and we set off to the western suburb-cum-city of Parramatta. Though Adam had made a poor case for this area, it’s only real vice was being far from the sea. Less visually appealing than Sydney center, Parra was clearly stuffed to the gills with affordable office and commercial space. I could quickly understand what Adam had said about new home buyers focusing on this area versus the expensive heart of Sydney itself.

  We took a taxi to David and Julie’s home, since for now the brothers were sharing one vehicle. The driver pulled up to a squat, orange house with a matching concrete flower bed in front. The front yard was well-shaded but very small; I could only hope that the interior was large enough for two couples plus children. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that I was here to cultivate a career and a relationship, not to live in luxury.

  The driver helped us unload my luggage at the front gate next to the large flower bed, and as he drove away Adam worked the wrought-iron lock with his key. The two of us struggled through the archway, me trying to look as elegant as possible under the weight of my bulging bags. A skinny door on one side of the house stood open in front of us, revealing a catwalk-like hardwood deck on which a pinch-faced woman about my age sat on a cushioned chair.

  I plastered an overly-enthusiastic smile on my face, aiming it both at her and the chubby blonde man who swung the gate open.

  “Hey,” the man smiled at us. “There’s the lady we’ve been waiting for! Come on in, Melissa!”

  I could tell David was also putting in perhaps a bit too much effort, but I appreciated it nevertheless. Julie, meanwhile, pursed her lips together tightly, presumably smiling under her sunglasses while staying seated. I saw two little faces at the window behind Julie, peeking and scrambling for a glimpse of the stranger they’d have to accommodate in their home for who knows how long.

  I shot them a polite smile before walking towards Julie, dropping my bags and extending a hand out to her.

  “You must be Julie? I’m so happy to meet you
! I can’t thank you enough for letting me stay with you while Adam and David get things sorted out.”

  She nodded almost imperceptibly, giving me an unenthusiastic and stiff hand to shake. “Of course. Welcome.”

  Okay…

  Moving on, I turned around and did the same towards David, who stepped past my hand and gave me a friendly hug. “Welcome! I’m so glad you’re here. Adam’s been nothing but a sulk since he got here – maybe now he can get his head in the game and we’ll start making some money!”

  I smiled politely, noticing that his accent had softened and taken on an Australian flare around the edges. Julie’s brief phrase had a similar sound.

  “Let’s hope so,” I agreed, while Adam fake-punched his brother in the arm.

  Dave stuffed my bags through the kitchen door to get them out of the way and brought forward two more chairs so that Adam and I could sit with him and Julie on the deck. Uneasy leaving my belongings in the vicinity of the kids, I hesitated before sitting. Adam gave me a wink and nudged me towards my seat, so I bit my lip and tried to relax.

  “Fancy a stubby?” Dave asked, eyebrows raised in my direction.

  “Umm….”

  “He’s talking about the beer, Mel.” Adam rolled his eyes. “And trying to get a rise of me, obviously.”

  “Well it worked now didn’t it!”

  A little lost, I looked from Adam to David without speaking. The latter reached into a big cooler in the middle of the chair circle and pulled out two short, squat beer bottles.

  “Oh! Well they are stubby. I’d love one, thanks David.”

  I had no idea how the drink might taste, but needed something liquid to help me deal with this new, still-awkward situation. Julie’s odd silence and half-hidden face weren’t exactly helping me feel at home. What was her deal, anyway?

  “Oh just Dave, please. Here you go.” He popped the top off the bottle with a key chain bottle opener and passed it over to me. “Drink up fast, it gets hot out here!”

  “I’ll try, Dave.” I laughed, then made a show of sighing contentedly. “Wow, what a beautiful place you guys have here! Do the kids not want to join us?” I asked merely out of politeness, but really had no interest in dealing with them as well as their parents right then.

  Julie accepted a fresh beer from her husband and shook her head. “Oh don’t worry about them. Ian and Sarah, by the way. I told them not to get in our way today.” Her voice was flat and disinterested.

  “Oh, no, I hope that’s not my fault…”

  “Nope,” she interrupted. “Don’t worry about it.” With that, she scooted down in her chair and reclined her head, taking a long draught from her bottle.

  “Well, if you’re sure…”

  “You’ll have plenty of time to get to know the little hell-raisers later. Enjoy your space today, believe me.” Dave’s assurance didn’t make me too confident.

  Adam chuckled, and I opened my eyes widely at him.

  “So,” Dave said casually. “Melissa, Adam tells me you’ve never been to Australia before?”

  Thankful for an easy question, I shook my head. “No, first time! That’s why I kept Adam to myself these last couple of days – I needed him to show me around the city a bit. Great food so far! I loved all the performers around the harbor. I’ve never seen that kind of thing before, without city councils or someone getting upset about it.”

  “The buskers? Oh yeah, they’re out there every day. I think they have a license? Dunno. But yeah! I kind of like them myself. But you know, Parramatta has plenty of cool stuff too – restaurants and shopping centers for sure. I know Adam complains, but it’s a nice little city.” Suddenly, his face brightened. “Hey do you like soccer? Parra has a great team this year!”

  Dave immediately struck me as a perfectly reasonable person, easy to get along with and have a chat with. I decided right away that I was going to enjoy working with him, and could even see a bit of Adam in his blonde hair and soft eyes. The three of us were going to make a good team. But Julie? I hoped my first impressions would turn out wrong, and grasped for a reason to include her in a friendly conversation.

  “I don’t know anything about it, but I promise I’ll try. You both are into local sports?” I looked pointedly at Julie, inviting her to weigh in. It took her a moment to register that we were all waiting for her to speak. She glanced at each of us before shrugging her shoulders.

  “We go once in a while to the stadium. It’s good for the kids. I suppose there are a couple of players that aren’t terrible to watch!”

  The guys laughed, so I smiled. “Aha! Nice. We’ll definitely have to check out that action.” Unable to think of anything else to add, I switched gears and spoke to Dave. “So, Adam told me about his plan to revamp the business, what do think about it?”

  Dave bobbed his head a little, indicating that he’d been thinking heavily about the subject. I sensed Adam tense up.

  “I gotta be honest, Melissa, I’m not entirely comfortable relying on low-spenders to save my business…but I’ve agreed to flip one property with Adam and if it goes well, we can continue in that vein.”

  “Well that’s kind of exciting, right? Have you guys decided on a property yet?”

  “I have a couple in mind,” Adam said confidently.

  “Ooh! I can’t wait to see what you buy and start shopping to fill it!”

  Dave threw up his hands and nodded at me, filling me with anxiety about the upcoming project. What if I couldn’t find anything to work within the décor budget? What if I managed it, but the house didn’t sell? Would Adam come back home with me or would we be unable to get through the business failure and remain a couple? My stomach fluttered uncomfortably.

  The four of us stayed on the deck, chatting in the shade, for a couple of hours before someone called a pizza delivery service. We ate on the deck table with the kids, who I realized were quite shy and nervous around newcomers. I put on my most kid-friendly face, but could convince neither Ian nor Sarah to speak one word to me. Afterwards Adam and I dragged my luggage to the back of the long, slim house, placing it at the foot of a double-bed of a small bedroom. It dawned on me that occupying the same bedroom for a prolonged period of time was a fairly huge step in a relationship.

  I hoped we could handle it.

  Chapter 5

  Browsing Opportunities

  The next day, after another marathon sleep (still getting used to what felt like odd hours) and a chaotic family breakfast in the little kitchen, I rode along with the guys to look at prospective properties. Dave had a funny little thing Australian’s call a “ute,” which is essentially a large car with a pick-up-like box behind the cab. I felt silly squished into the middle seat at first, but Dave was just as easy to get along with as I’d initially guessed, which made the trip fun.

  Following a haphazard route, we visited several properties that had been circled by one of my companions in local listings. Though most weren’t set at a feasible price for Adam’s modest investment budget, there were a few that seemed to fit the bill.

  The first was a tiny brick house sandwiched between two food shops of questionable quality. Though the shape of the house was classic and the overall look that of a cute 18th-century cottage, it was clear the neighborhood would hinder the resell price. With just a quick look inside, we moved on to the next site.

  This one was a dilapidated two-story home on an otherwise pretty street. Though it would require a lot of money in terms of renovations, the location was ideal. The address was starred on the news sheet before we moved on. The final property on the list wasn’t a house at all, but a small apartment building that had apparently been vacant since the 1980s. Dave shuddered to look at it, and even Adam frowned when we pulled up. Nevertheless, we piled out of the ute and had a proper look up-close.

  The outer façade was faded brown paint over concrete, while the inner rooms sported out-dated wallpaper, carpeting and broken fixtures. Overall, however, the structure was sound and the neighborhood
neither gave a negative nor a positive impression. I liked it.

  “What do you think?” I asked Adam, trying not to sound excited.

  He shrugged, running the palm of his hand over a dirty section of floral wallpaper. “Well in theory, an apartment building is the best investment we could make. I mean, it’s six properties in one, sort of. But…”

  His brother cut him off. “But neither of us knows shit about all the legalities of prepping and selling an apartment complex. It’s way more than we can take on right now. Anyway, with the repairs needed it’ll cost more than we’ve got stashed away for the project.”

  “True enough,” Adam agreed, but I thought I saw a hint of regret in those words. Carefully, I pursued the matter further.

  “So saleable houses have different requirements than apartments?” I hoped the question wouldn’t annoy an already tense Dave. He answered frankly.

  “It’s that most of the old utility systems in the building will be run on out-dated circuits. Modern by-laws require more efficiency, and since there are six separate units, we’ll have to buy six whole sets of certain things. You get me?”

  I nodded, biting my lip. “Well that’s a shame. It would be a fun project.”

  “It could be, that’s for sure,” Adam said.

  Dave grunted. “You two are nuts. Lux homes are so much easier to deal with! Get a normal home, throw in high-end appliances, lighting and furniture, you make half a million bucks. What would we get with this? Probably fleas, and no buyers to boot.”

  “Well, that’s fair. I guess you guys need to talk it out then?”

  We grabbed a quick lunch in the city before heading back to the house, where Dave and Adam went out on the shady deck once more to hash out details and try to make a decision on which property to buy. Julie and the kids were out, but I felt too much like a stranger to enjoy the main part of the house on my own, so I retreated into the bedroom.