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“Isn’t the chauffeur supposed to be the one to open the door for the passenger?” she teased as Jesse climbed in behind her. He settled onto the seat at the very back next to her. There was a long bench that ran the length of the limo, facing what looked like cabinetry, but she preferred to face forward.
“I told him to stay put.” He shrugged. “I don’t really like being waited on.”
Interesting. It didn’t surprise her, though. Despite how much money Jesse had, he didn’t throw his weight around. It was part of the reason showing up in a limo had surprised her so much.
“Do you have this guy on retainer?” Kimmie asked. “I’ve only ever done limos for special occasions.”
Was that too revealing? Maybe she shouldn’t let him know that riding around in a limo wasn’t an everyday thing for her. Not even an every-yearthing. He probably was used to spending time with women who expected men to pick them up in limos.
“Sort of.” Jesse looked at her. “He was my first driver when I moved into the tower over the summer. He gave me his business card, and now I just call him directly when I need a ride somewhere.”
Jesse was talking, but Kimmie struggled to focus on the words coming out of his mouth. She’d forgotten how powerful that stare of his could be. He had this way of making you feel like you were the only person in the world. No matter how many times she told herself he probably looked at everyone that way, it still made her feel all warm and squishy.
To try to regain her composure, Kimmie ripped her gaze off him and focused on the glass partition that divided them from the driver. “Where exactly are we going?”
“Happy hour,” he said.
Kimmie frowned. He’d said that earlier. The words “happy hour” brought to mind bars packed with loud people. Definitely not her thing.
“I want you to see why I love my building so much,” he said. “You know…research.”
Ah. Kimmie felt a stab of disappointment in her gut. The thing was, she should be glad this was about business. It meant he was still interested in moving, provided she could find the right place.
But she wanted this to be more than that. She wanted him towantto spend time with her.
“How are things going?” Jesse asked.
There was warmth in his voice. It was hard to deny that. He seemed genuinely interested to hear. Concerned, even.
She smiled. “Better. I think. I’m putting a condo on the market this weekend, so that’s promising. You wouldn’t be interested in buying in Green Hills, would you?”
“Don’t even think about it.” He leaned back. “What if I could send you some leads?”
Kimmie leaned back, too. It put a little more distance between them, which made this easier on her. She still had a hard time keeping this strictly professional, but it helped.
“What kind of leads?” she asked.
“I know people. I could check around and see if anyone’s in the market for property here in town. Some of my friends are into buying up real estate for resale later.”
“That would be great,” she said with more confidence than she felt. She regretted telling him the truth about her job being on the line. That was inappropriate. He was a client.
“The Green Hills condo!” she blurted. It came out in a word-blast. Definitely not the polite, constrained way she would plan to act in a limousine with a client. “I mean…I think that would be a great investment. It’s the size of yours and has all the amenities. Well, that and there are a pet spa and wine-tasting rooms. And a small movie theater.”
Jesse’s mouth opened, then closed again. Kimmie laughed. She’d had the same reaction when someone had mentioned the pet spa. His current building didn’t even allow pets, but that clearly wasn’t an issue for him.
She decided to keep selling while she was on a roll. “It’s near the mall, too. And there’s an independent bookstore within walking distance. If I had the money...”
Her voice drifted off on that sentence. She wasn’t ashamed of her bank account usually. But it felt wrong to point it out while seated in the back of a limo with a rental fee that probably cost more than her electric bill.
“We’re here,” Jesse announced as the car slowed to a stop.
Kimmie breathed a sigh of relief. She was actually looking forward to being around other people. Maybe this happy hour would be too loud for her to keep saying awkward things.
7
This was what he’d hoped for. Jesse stepped out of the elevator and onto the rooftop, then followed the well-lit path to the lounge on the far end. They walked in silence, but it was a comfortable silence. In fact, he’d almost forgotten how nice it was to be in her company.
He’d waited patiently for Kimmie to reach out to him. To tell him she had a condo to show or ask to meet up to discuss some properties. Day after day passed without a word. Finally, he’d arrived at Friday afternoon, with happy hour only a few hours away, and he couldn’t wait another day.
