AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Fishing for his phone, he immediately dialed his assistant. After a few rings, the man picked up.
“Lenard, we have a problem.”
“What’s going on? Where are you right now?”
“Where else would I be at noon on a Tuesday?” Mars motioned for some food, which the waiter dashed to the kitchen to retrieve. “I need to find a good property for a … very special client.”
“Who are we talking about?”
“Gerri Wilder.”
Lenard made a noise, a mix of surprise and awe. “What the hell? When did she stop by? Is she going to work with us long-term?”
“You’re asking me too many questions right now. We need to get her a property. Vacant space with an acceptable monthly rent in the downtown area. Do you think we can come up with that as soon as possible?”
“Indowntown?” Lenard reiterated. “Holy shit. I mean, if you asked for the countryside, I’d whip up some properties in a minute, but downtown is a whole different ballgame. You know that, Mars.”
“I do, but we need to make this happen.” He nodded as the waiter placed a steaming plate of onion rings in front of him. “I can’t let her down.”
“What’s with this attitude of yours? I’ve never seen you drop everything to help a client. I mean, I’ve heard about Gerri and her success, but …” Lenard sucked in a breath. “Hold on. Is she matching you with someone?”
“As I already said, you’re asking too many questions right now. I’m not going to answer them.”
“Sorry.”
“Tell me that we can do this. I have a reputation to maintain, and I can’t let someone like her down. Word will get out, and it’ll be bad for business.”
“I need their monthly budget. Did she provide one?”
“No, but I imagine it needs to be pretty low. It’s a charity organization, for God’s sake. How much money do you think they’re pulling in each month?”
“Depends. So I’ll assume they’re moderately successful. All right.” Lenard clicked away on his laptop while Mars munched on his onion rings. “I’m sure I can find something by the end of today.”
“That’s perfect. I owe you one.”
“Hold on, Mars. Before you go, I want at least one of my questions answered. Is that a fair trade?”
“I guess.”
“Is Gerri Wilder matching you up with someone? And is that why you’re so eager for this property?”
Mars rolled his eyes. “Those were two questions.”
“I’ll take that as a yes, then.”
THREE
RHIANNON
Standing beneath the vibrant mix of colors that illuminated the underground tunnels that ran through downtown, Rhiannon checked her phone every few seconds. She double and triple-checked her location, making sure she was in the right place at the right time.
Yep. This was the right intersection in the Concourse. She had clicked the directions sent to her by Mars’s assistant an embarrassing number of times, assuring herself that she was where she needed to be. All she had to do was wait. However, the seconds felt like years as she stood by herself in the tunnels. Her eyes gazed across the artwork and lights that adorned the subterranean passageways, which relaxed her nerves somewhat.
Colors danced across the walls, keeping her mind occupied while she gnawed on her fingernails until they were all short again. What was she going to do when Mars arrived? What was she going tosay? She didn’t want to humiliate herself, knowing good and well that she was going to turn around and walk away if she did so, never to be seen again.
Stop making yourself nervous, she thought to herself.You’ll be fine.Everything will be fine.
Even still, the what-ifs tormented her. What if she tripped? What if she stumbled on her words? What if she snorted on accident while laughing?
