“What is it? A grand? Two? Tell them to buy a new one and be done with it. They aren’t going to get a better deal on that house.”
“I know, but they’re adamant. I’m afraid we’ll lose the deal if we can’t get the seller to agree.”
“Then get the seller to agree,” I said. “Try to find something else to sweeten the deal for them, and be done with it.”
She nodded. “And the rest?”
“Give me fifteen minutes to get changed, and I’ll ride with you to the office.” I headed for the stairs. “Help yourself to a drink, and I’ll be back in a sec.”
When I got upstairs, I immediately plugged in my phone, dreading the moment all the calls, texts, and emails would finally come through. Preston was great about getting me to unplug and enjoy the moment, but it was unrealistic to maintain for hours at a time. Had I enjoyed the time off? Absolutely. But it came at a cost. And it could mean losing hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars in sales.
I grabbed a dress off the hanger, shimmying into it before slipping into my favorite Jimmy Choo pumps. After a quick refresh of mascara and lip gloss, I tousled my waves, spraying in some dry shampoo. I was out of time; it would have to do. I’d never felt so disorganized, so unprepared, as I did in that moment.
Christine’s laughter reached me from the stairs, followed by the deep timbre of Preston’s voice. I gripped my phone, my heels clicking against the floor with every step. When I reached the kitchen, they were standing across the island from each other, and she was clearly into him.
“Ready to go?” I asked.
She whipped her head around to face me. “Yep. Whenever you are.”
Preston walked over to me, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek. “Have a great day.”
I stiffened, even as I forced a smile. What the hell was he doing?
“Bye, Soph,” I called, stepping away from his touch.
“Bye, Mom.” She waved from the pool.
“Shouldn’t you be watching Sophia?” I asked him in a low voice, feeling conflicted about the kiss.
“I haven’t taken my eyes off her the entire time,” he ground out. And though I knew he was referring to my daughter, the green-eyed monster raging in my mind told me he was talking about Christine.
Who would blame him for looking? She was nearly six feet tall—even without the five-inch heels she often wore. She had platinum blond hair that hung like a waterfall down to her waist. And the most convincing pair of fake boobs I’d ever seen.
“It was nice to meet you, Christine.” He padded over to the door. “I should get back to work.” He gave me a pointed look, letting me know he wasn’t pleased.
I followed Christine out to her car, my mood growing darker by the minute. I buckled in and started scrolling through the emails that had piled up, responding to each as quickly as possible.
“So, Preston…?” Christine finally asked as we neared the office.
I kept my attention on the phone, trying to keep my voice even when I spoke. “He’s taking care of Sophia this summer.”
“He’s…the nanny?” She scrunched up her nose as if she smelled something disgusting.
“Yes. What’s wrong with being a nanny?” I turned, watching her profile.
“Nothing, I guess.” Even though she shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal, she spoke the words with such disdain, it made me sick. “He seems too hot to be a nanny. Honestly, I thought he was your new boy toy.”
“Boy toy? Me?” I burst out laughing, though her comment struck a little too close to home. “Christine, when have you ever known me to date? Let alone have a boy toy?”
“I wasn’t trying to offend you,” she was quick to say. “I thought it was a compliment.”
“Is that so?” I resisted the urge to cross my arms over my chest.
We worked in an industry that thrived on reading subtle signals, body communication. And crossing my arms over my chest would send the wrong message—would make it abundantly clear just how pissed I was. Would reveal my weakness when it came to this man.
“Yeah. I mean, he’s young, hot.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder.
I’d always admired Christine’s blunt manner, until now. She had to be close to Preston’s age, but they were so different in their respective outlook on life. Where he was focused on family and giving back, her only thought was for appearances. Not that I was much better than her, but still.
