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I watch her clench her fists and mutter something to herself—words of encouragement or curses at me?—before she moves slowly and certainly toward the seat opposite me. She keeps her eyes on me as she sits, as though judging a wild animal that's about to attack any minute.
Her caution and audacity make me smile even harder.
“Thank you for meeting me on such short notice,” she says tentatively as she folds her hands in her lap.
“Is something wrong with my sister?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “No. I just said her name so you would agree to see me."
I raise an eyebrow. “So, you're admitting you used my sister to get to me?"
"In this instance, yes.” I have to admire the way she unashamedly admits it, at the same time, her chin goes up as though adding,“And what about it?”
Interesting.
Most people wouldn't have the balls to even refer to Chloe to my face. I can be very testy where family is concerned.
But the fact that she’s being honest with me makes me respect her a little more. I don't expect that. I don't expect honesty from anyone, least of all a scared little mouse like this.
But she gives it anyway.
Damn, I haven’t had this much fun in a long time.
“Okay. Now you have my attention.” I lean forward and her eyes flare slightly as I stare. “So, what do you want?’
She takes a deep breath before she starts talking again. “I don’t know if Chloe told you that I’m a real estate agent."
“She might have mentioned it,” I say noncommittally. I wouldn’t know since I tune out my sister a lot during our conversations. I typically only listen long enough to make sure that she’s not completely losing her mind, before thinking about more important things. My sister’s a bit of a free spirit, and I’ve always understood that, but sometimes she talkstospirits and I start to worry.
“For the last year and up until two weeks ago, I was the top-performing real estate agent at Clarkson Real Estate," she continues as though reciting from a book. “The year before that, I got more clients than the next two agents combined. I’ve closed impossible deals and have an in-depth understanding of land and valuation. Plus, I speak two languages and know enough Spanish to get by."
"Impressive,” I say drily. “Why are you telling me all this?”
She sets her shoulders. “Because I want you to hire me at Reign and Associates.”
Bold. And once again, unexpected after how she spoke about my company when we last met. “I wasn’t aware we were looking to hire anyone. ”
“'Anyone who waits to look for talent will miss out on it. And they’ll deserve it.'”
The words sound familiar but I have to run them back in my mind to be sure. “You just quoted…”
“Your twenty-eighteen Miami Conference speech,” she says. "Yes, I remember. I remember a lot of things about you, actually, including how you brought your company from the brink of bankruptcy to land a multibillion-dollar contract. And I think I’ll be an asset to you."
"You think?" I lean back in my seat.
She clears her throat. "Sorry. I mean, I know I'll be an asset to you." Her confidence glows in her eyes and I consider everything she has said.
So far I’m impressed, but it still doesn't answer the question of why she’s here. I doubt her opinion of me changed that quickly, with one little delicious lick. Somehow, I have a feeling that there's more going on than what I’m seeing.
And then she surprises me once again. “Full disclosure,” she says. “Just so you don’t have to bother going on the internet to look for it. There are rumors going around about me.”
That piques my interest. "What kind of rumors?"
‘Rumors that are completely untrue." She purses her lips and then draws them together in a line. "They say that I…sleep with clients to get a higher commission or to make the sale in the first place. I don’t." She says it firmly as though she's desperate to assure me, “ I swear to you I don't. The rumor was started by my old boss probably because I refused to sleep with him. But it’s spread nonetheless and it has cost me so far. "
“Who was your former boss?” I ask.
“His name was Greg,” she tells me. The name doesn't ring a bell, so he can’t be all that important in the real estate market.
