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“Why did you suggest I go out with him, then?” Sophie asked.
Max shrugged. “He’s a nice guy and he was interested. You never know.”
Chapter Fourteen
“Hi, my name is Laura Prescott. I’m hoping you might be able to help me with a rental. I saw one of the office listings. The price was a little higher than I can pay but I’m wondering if you might have anything else? I need a two bedroom and I’m flexible on location as long as it’s in Manhattan and not far from public transportation. I work in midtown.” It was Monday morning and Sophie had just finished typing up the notes from that morning’s sales meeting when the phone rang.
“Let me connect you with one of our realtors, Laura. What is your budget?” Sophie asked. The realtors liked her to collect some basic information before passing the call along.
“I’m really hoping to be under four thousand a month, if possible,” she said.
“Hold on a moment, and I’ll connect you to one of our realtors.”
Sophie checked her list and Caroline was up next. She buzzed her extension and Caroline picked up immediately.
“Can you take a call for a rental?”
“Sure, what are they looking for?” Caroline asked.
“Two bedrooms, flexible on location, ideally under four thousand.”
Caroline sighed. “Ugh, that’s going to be tough.”
“What about the one Troy mentioned in this morning’s meeting? It’s on the smaller side but it’s in a good neighborhood and they’re asking just under four.”
“Oh my gosh, you’re totally right. Thanks, Sophie, send her over.”
Sophie transferred the call and when she turned her attention back to her computer, she saw that Rick Fulton was leaning against the counter, looking at her curiously.
“So, you actually pay attention to what we talk about in the morning meetings. You’re not just typing it up. That was a good suggestion for Caroline.”
Sophie smiled, pleased by the compliment. “I just finished typing the notes up, so it was fresh in my mind.”
“Are you sure you want to stay in the receptionist role? You’re doing a great job and we’re happy to have you in it. But I can’t help but wonder if you might have a knack for the sales side of things.”
“I never thought that I wanted sales,” Sophie said honestly. “The all-commission thing scares me a little.”
Rick shrugged. “It’s only scary if you don’t sell anything. If you work hard, then the income potential is unlimited. Think about it!”
“I will. Thank you.”
And Sophie did think about it. She was comfortable in the receptionist role. She liked interfacing with clients and the realtors, but she wasn’t especially challenged by it. It was a cushy job. Was she ready for something more challenging?
Later that evening when she was watching TV in the apartment with Caroline and Tessa, Sophie told them about her conversation with Rick.
Tessa raised her eyebrows. “When we talked about this before, you were pretty uncomfortable with working on commission only,” she said.
“I still am nervous about it. But Rick seems to think I could do it,” Sophie said.
“I think you could do it. You instantly thought of that apartment that wasn’t even on my radar. I may have been half-asleep during this morning’s meeting,” Caroline admitted.
“Can you afford to go without any income for a while?” Tessa asked. “Even if you sell something right away, there’s an average of three months before you’ll see the money.”
“It’s a little faster with rentals,” Caroline said. “But Tessa is right, there is a delay. And there can be ups and downs, especially at first. I used to put all my eggs in one basket once someone made an offer and I’d count on that money.”
Tessa nodded. “But you can’t do that,” she said. “Too many deals fall apart along the way. You need to have lots of balls in the air. I try to plan on half of all my sure things happening. And sometimes they all fall apart. Not to be negative, but it’s hard.”
“It’s a great job, though,” Caroline added. “It’s just not easy and you do have to work really hard, all the time.”
