AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’d like that,” she said with a smile. “But…”
Uh-oh. If there was a “but,” that couldn’t be good.But we should just keep this professional. But I just want to be friends. But I forgot to tell you that I met someone who’s a thousand times better than you.
Yeah, he didn’t likebut.
“I have to be honest with you,” she said.
Here they went. He braced himself for the letdown.
She gestured to indicate their surroundings. “I don’t think I can do better than this.”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
She set her napkin in her lap and took a deep breath before answering. “I need the sale, but if this is what you’re looking for, within your small specifications, I’m stuck. Which means I’m going to have to tell Luke Kelly that he can’t have this suite.”
“You’re right. I’ve researched the market around here, and this is the best of the best. I can’t move.”
The words landed with a thud. He’d felt safe saying them, considering what she’d just admitted. But the look on her face told him the finality of what he’d just said wasn’t going over well with her.
“What?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Nothing. It’s just…did you know all along you weren’t going to sell?”
“Pretty much.”
What was wrong with saying that? Why did he feel like a jerk? He’d been sitting in his condo Sunday evening, finishing up the game, when she’d arrived at his door to ask him to sell his home. He’d made it clear—or so he thought—that he wasn’t interested in moving, but she didn’t want to hear that.
So he’d entertained her for a little longer. Maybe that was where he’d gone wrong. He wanted to spend time around her, but mostly he wanted to help her. He would have done anything to help her.
Anything but give up the condo he’d worked so hard to get.
“I brought you here to show you why this place is so amazing.” He pointed to a couple standing at the bar. “It’s more than the building. That couple over there bought this condo after their kids were grown. That woman is a bestselling author, and the man she’s talking to works remotely for a New York investment firm. It’s the people who make up this building. You can’t easily replace that.”
But his words didn’t seem to improve her expression. In fact, he had the feeling he was making things worse.
“I have to go,” she said. “Thank you for everything.”
“Wait!”
But it was too late. She was fleeing the roof. Fleeing fromhim. Chasing after her seemed desperate, and the last thing he wanted to be was desperate. As he stood, trying to figure out what to do, everything around him suddenly seemed wrong. All the things he’d worked so hard to keep meant never seeing Kimmie Hart again, and that made him wonder if it was worth it.
8
“What’s wrong?”
Ella knew Kimmie. Even though Kimmie had walked into the office, determined to hide how devastated she was, Ella picked up on it right away.
“I lost the Lyric Tower deal.”
There. That was simple enough. Did Kimmie even have to say more? She set her laptop bag down on her chair and headed over for some coffee. That would put her back to her friend, giving her extra time to perfect her no-big-deal face.
“Luke Kelly backed out?” Ella asked.
Kimmie shook her head. “Jesse won’t sell.”
She doctored up her coffee, taking her time before finally turning and heading to her desk. Only when she passed Ella did she realize her friend wasn’t silent because she’d gone back to her work. She was staring ahead, seemingly lost in thought.
“What?” Kimmie asked, hoping Ella was coming up with a brilliant idea.
