Did Casey have an interest in restoring things? That might finally give Vera the in she needed to help him relax or this was going to be a very awkward forty minutes.
"Yeah. I restore other people's antiques and find ones of my own to fix and sell. I'm actually working on this beautiful nineteenth century bookcase right now that I found at this estate sale and it's going to be a masterpiece when I finish it!"
A glimmer of curiosity appeared in his visible eye. "H-how do you do that?"
"Fixing any loose joints—which is harder than it looks because you don't want to use materials that will compromise the historical integrity of the piece—is the first order of business," Vera began.
"Then I have to take care of the damaged wood if there are splits, gouges, scratches, or water spots. This particular one was horrendously painted over and needs to be stripped before I can sand it down. Then I need to clean it and refinish it with whatever material it seemed to have been originally finished with.
"I haven't figured that part out yet since I haven't even stripped the paint but once I do I'll know how to proceed from there. Taking the before and after pictures might be my favorite part of the process."
"Th-that's really cool. H-how did you get into that?" Casey asked with interest.
"My aunt. She used to be one of the best-known antique restorers in Washington and she taught me everything she knew. Are you interested in antiques?"
"N-not exactly. I'm trying to f-flip a house but it's falling apart."
Now Vera was the one who was interested. "Oh yeah? Do you know what year it was built?"
"1962, I think."
"No way! What have you done to it? Does it still have all of the original materials? Is this the first time major repairs have been done on it?"
Casey was taken aback by her questions. "I h-haven't done anything yet. I b-barely started looking into this. It's been f-falling apart for decades. Why?"
"Casey," Vera said urgently. "I realize this is incredibly forward of me but can I please, please see the house? If it gets restored properly, you can get it registered as a historic home and your resale value will be much higher."
"R-really?"
"Yes! Don't do yourself a disservice by messing with things before you've had it checked out."
"If you s-say so," Casey said, regarding her curiously. "Is that p-part of your job too?"
"I work more with furniture than architecture but I know a lot about wood and glass. I'll be able to help you out with that much at least but if it seems legit you'll want to get someone who specializes in historic buildings involved. Do you have any DIY experience?" Vera asked.
He shook his head. "N-not unless you count watching v-videos."
She laughed. "I'm afraid I don't. You definitely don't want to risk doing this yourself then, even if you are good at following tutorials. One wrong move and you'll lose the chance at having historic status. The codes are rather strict.
"I had a client once who wanted a historic home filled only with period furniture. That was a real eye-opener, let me tell you! I was working with her for months and I learned a lot about historic homes I never thought I would need to know."
Casey gave her a small smile. "L-lucky for me."
Vera returned his smile widely. "Yeah, looks like it! Here, take my business card. I'm not sure when you'll want to do this but I'm available for consultations first thing in the morning or in the evenings after the shop closes."
"Thanks."
"Happy to help! Not only will you get a better deal for your house, historic preservation will prevail. It's a win-win."
"You r-really care about that stuff, d-don't you?" he asked, suddenly looking like he wished the ground would swallow him whole for daring to ask a semi-personal question.
Vera sighed dreamily. "Boy, do I! Seeing things withstand the test of time moves my soul. Kind of silly, huh?"
"N-not at all."
They continued talking (where Casey mostly listened because he seemed too afraid to ask more questions) until the tow truck arrived. He gave her another small smile before he left, thanking her profusely for her help and promising he would call.
He might have been a nervous wreck but he seemed to relax slightly as the conversation progressed. Maybe if he did end up consulting her regarding his house he would feel comfortable with her by the end of it.
Poor thing. He had been soaking wet and anxious about imposing on her when it really wasn't a big deal. If she was caught in the rain and needed help, she hoped someone would do the same for her. She was a firm believer of the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have others do unto you.
Vera had a few more calls or visitors for the rest of the day and when she closed up shop she headed straight to the nursing home. She was delighted to find that Tilly was lucid today and told her all about both the bookcase and the potential opportunity to check out a historic home.
"That's amazing, V! You'll have to show me pictures," Tilly said with as much enthusiasm as she was capable of mustering these days.
"I will! I have a lot to do but it will be worth it in the end. I can probably sell it for at least a few thousand and I got it for less than two hundred," Vera said eagerly.
"That's my girl."
She soaked up the praise. Tilly was the only real parent she ever had so she loved making her proud.
"You'll have to tell me about the house too if that young man ever calls you," Tilly added. "You never know with people. Sometimes they only pretend to be interested."
Didn't she know it! Casey seemed to be genuinely interested though. She supposed time would tell. She wouldn't know for sure until she heard from him and saw whether or not he wanted to proceed from there.
Vera shrugged. "I think he is but you're right that you never know. Guess I'll see."