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“Why?” The way he tilts his head to the side with the quizzical look on his face reminds me of a puppy who’s just heard a new and interesting sound.
“Because I need to know if it’s somewhere super populated. I don’t want to run into a coworker or anything.”
Jason rolls his eyes and turns around while Trip snorts.
“Why does that matter?” Grant asks.
As if he doesn’t already know. I realize they enjoy these mind games, but for me, it’s getting to be a drag. “Ireallydon’t want to get fired.”
“You’ll get fired for just hanging out with us?” Trip asks curiously.
“No.” I run my hands over my dress. Thank goodness whoever ramshackled my place didn’t destroy as much clothing as they could’ve. “But I don’t want people to ask questions or assume anything.”
“You won’t run into anyone you know this morning,” Grant states.
I sag in my seat with relief. “Good.”
“You were really concerned, weren’t you?” Trip chuckles beside me.
My teeth clench together. I grind them for a moment before I force myself to relax once more.
“Yes.”
The car falls silent. I turn my attention to my window and watch the world speed by. It’s not ten minutes later when we pull up to a tall brick building. There’s no sign on it, leaving me just as clueless as I was a few minutes ago. As we all pile out of Grant’s truck, the guys straighten their ties, fix their jackets and their hair.
“Why are you guys so nervous?” I ask as we head toward the glass door.
“We’re not,” Trip mutters behind me.
When I shoot a glance at Jason for an answer, he gives me a smile. It’s weak though. Definitely not the normal confident one he wears. “You’ll see in a second.”
We head inside the building. There, Jason places his hand on my lower back and guides me toward the elevator. We head up to the seventh floor and step out into a reception area. Sitting in one of the seats is Rachel, Grant’s real estate agent. She stands as we walk further into the room.
“Grant, Jason, and Trip! It’s a lovely morning to buy a piece of property, isn’t it?” she asks with a bright smile.
Shock causes my body to lock up in surprise. They’re doing it? They’re going to buy the ranch? A smile splits my face in two as the guys meet her halfway. They’re really going to do it! I don’t know why, but I’m thrilled for the three of them. As they greet their agent, I fall back a little. I don’t miss the way she takes them all in with rapt attention and a flirtatious batting of her eyes. Something akin to heartburn crawls up my throat. I swallow it down when she finally acknowledges me.
“Miss Wilson, was it?” she asks.
I clasp my hand around hers and give her my best smile. “To you it is.”
Trip makes a noise, and when I look over at him, he turns quickly, but not fast enough to hide the smile on his face. Grant walks over to the receptionist’s desk as I move away from Rachel. Jason follows me.
“Good morning, Mr. Gipson, I’ll let Mr. Kim know you’ve arrived.” The drop-dead bombshell behind the desk flashes Grant a bright smile before picking up the phone and dialing a number. Oh for the love of god, am I going to have to deal with this anytime I go out anywhere with them? It shouldn’t matter, but that heartburn feeling rises in my throat, making it hard to ignore.
I’m about to sit down, far from where Rachel is moving to take her seat, but before I can, a door on the opposite side of the room opens. An older man with dark hair, a sharp-looking suit, and a shark-like smile appears.
“Mr. Gipson, Mr. Nani, and Mr. Baniker, I’m glad to see you this morning. Are you ready to sign some paperwork?” he asks as he steps forward and goes through the motions of taking each guy’s hand to shake it.
“We are,” Grant nods and turns halfway around to look at me. “Before we start, we’d like to introduce you to someone real quick.”
I freeze when all eyes turn on me. Well, I certainly didn’t expectthis. Quickly, I force another smile to my lips as I step forward.
“This is my girlfriend, Briella Wilson.” Grant introduces smoothly. “It was Bri that helped us finally settle on a piece of property. I hope you don’t mind if she joins us?”
I’ve been upgraded from good friend togirlfriend? Since when? My heart trips over itself and stumbles before taking off in a sprint. I’m not the only one who notices the change in title either. Out of the corner of my eyes, I catch Rachel’s brief scowl.
Mr. Kim locks eyes with mine as his hand wraps around mine. The man reeks of money and greed. Just like all the lawyers I knew back home. Rather than shake my hand, he lifts and kisses the back of it. I try not to squirm, feeling grossed out by the charm he’s trying to force out.
