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“And 1212 and Encore and Bennie Dillon… You name it, I’ve had my eye on it. I even put an offer on one and it was snatched right out from under me. I’m not going anywhere.”
“What if I could help you find something even better?” she asked.
Jesse laughed. Better. It didn’t get better than Lyric Tower. There were a rooftop pool and bar, a cafe in the lobby, a coworking space with four desks, and an “artist’s alcove” next to the cafe… She couldn’t do it.
But maybe that was the point. If he said yes, this gorgeous blonde would go away and he could get back to business. There was nothing to lose by going along with whatever she wanted. He could let her down later when she came back with some substandard substitute for this condo.
“Fine,” Jesse said. “I’ll tell you what. You put together a couple of places and I’ll think about it. If you don’t mind, though, I need to get back to the game.”
“Game?” She tilted her head to the side. “The Titans?”
That was kind of a stupid question, considering this was Sunday and they were in Nashville. But he supposed there were plenty of other teams he could be rooting for. Most of the people he met here were from other places, after all.
“Yeah. I’m a corporate sponsor, so the outcome—”
“Mind if I come in and watch the game with you?”
Her question took him back to his initial thought. Maybe she was a psycho killer. Why else would someone want to watch the game in a stranger’s condo?
“I don’t think—”
But she interrupted him before he could get the rest of the sentence out. “I need to get some information from you about exactly what you want. Plus, I kind of want to see the end of the game.”
No. Absolutely not. Or maybe he could just put her off by telling her he’d give her a call tomorrow. Any of those three were options for answers. What wasn’t an option wasyes.
Somehow, though, his body managed to betray him. Jesse stepped back, door in his right hand, and gestured with the other for her to enter. She breezed past him with a big smile on her face, leaving him wondering what had just happened.
“This is definitely the best view in the entire building,” Kimmie said. “I hear Grayston now wishes he’d snapped it up for himself.”
Grayston Young owned this building. Not that Jesse knew all that much about developers in this town, but Jesse owned the largest chain of senior care facilities in the country. A large part of his wealth was built on scoping out land and dealing with all the drama that came with developing it.
Which was what had made his hunt for a condo so frustrating. This was what he did for a living. It should have been easier.
“Wait a second.” Jesse paced the length of his living room, trying not to glance at the TV. A screensaver covered up what was paused there anyway. “Is Grayston the one who wants to buy this condo?”
Grayston lived on the other end of the building, where the view wasn’t quite as good. But the suite was at least double the size of this one. He shared this end with another suite that was currently vacant.
“No.” Kimmie had plopped down on his sofa and was staring at the screen. It was like she was waiting for the game to show up there. “Luke Kelly.”
She looked at him then, as though waiting for the name to register. It was total Greek to him.
“The country singer?” she prompted.
That prompt was wasted on him. Yes, he’d lived in Nashville his entire life. Yes, he was aware this was called Music City because it was the home of the Grand Ole Opry and country music studios and all that mumbo jumbo. It wasn’t like he couldn’t walk down the street without seeing at least one person in a cowboy hat carrying a guitar case. But he didn’t have time for music.
“Never heard of him,” Jesse said. “But I don’t listen to that stuff.”
She looked surprised, and honestly, her surprise surprised him. It wasn’t like any of his friends listened to country music growing up. They were like kids anywhere else. They chose their music preferences based on what they enjoyed, not where they lived.
“He’s a household name,” Kimmie said. “Everyone loves him.”
Not everyone in Jesse’s household. Which was just him, so he didn’t know if it counted. He’d have to ask his parents if they knew who this…
“What’s his name again?” Jesse asked. He’d already forgotten.
“Luke Kelly.”
Jesse picked up the remote, but before he could press play, he remembered they were talking about this country singer guy for a reason. What that reason was, he had no idea.
