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I dropped off my coat and bag, running my hand through my damp hair. I hoped it didn’t look like a complete mess, but the pouring rain outside did nothing to help my appearance.
For the last two months, Brett showed me more and more of the business. We spent late evenings together, pouring over listings and discussing the new properties he was acquiring to develop and sell.
I would be lying if I said I didn’t want him, but nothing else had happened since that night, even though I wanted it to.
He wanted something more, I think, but neither of us was willing to cross that line. So instead, we danced around each other with sexual tension burning hot.
After smoothing my skirt and checking my mascara, I entered Brett’s office. He looked up from the paperwork before him, his gaze trailing down my body.
Everywhere he looked, a fire ignited my body. I thought about how his fingers felt when they dug into my flesh, gripping me tightly.
“Close the door,” he said, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms.
I shut the door before heading to the little seating area he had near a massive window that overlook the town outside. The windows were tinted so nobody could see inside, but he could still watch everything happening outside.
Brett exited his desk and crossed the room, sitting across from me. He looked conflicted as he leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on his thighs.
“Did something happen?” I asked, wondering if I had failed to do my job correctly. Of course, I couldn’t remember anything wrong, but I wasn’t sure either. So much had been happening in the last several weeks that I couldn’t keep track of it all.
“Nothing happened. We have to discuss your future here, though.”
“Are you firing me?”
Brett chuckled and shook his head. “Why would I fire you when profits are skyrocketing? You’re selling more properties than several other agents and were hired as an intern. Not to mention your interest in the corporate end and how you have excelled there.”
“But you want to talk about my future here?”
“You once said you would start your company and put me out of business. I don’t doubt that you could after seeing the way you work. However, I would like to make you another offer.”
My heart skipped a beat. I stared at Brett momentarily, trying to determine whether or not he was messing with me.
“I would like to start pushing you up the ladder for promotions within the company. One of my current agents is moving away, and a position will open. It’s yours if you want it. It’s a good stepping stone for moving through my company.”
It’s a good offer, and it comes with commissions. I knew that if I were talking to some of my friends, they would say I was an idiot not to take it. However, my goal wasn’t to move up in his company. If I started working as an agent, I would spend less time learning the corporate end.
“With all due respect, thank you for the offer, but I must turn it down.”
His eyes widened slightly as if that wasn’t the expected answer. Although to be fair, it wasn’t the answer most would give. Most people would jump at leaving a paid internship to become an agent.
I, however, wasn’t like most people, and moving within his company wouldn’t serve my goals.
“Why would you turn it down? There is a significant pay increase to discuss, as well as added benefits.”
I shrugged and crossed one leg over the other. “I told you before my goal to run my own business. I already know how to sell properties, and I do that working as an intern for you. If I agree to become an agent, I start missing out on the business side, which I need experience building my own company.”
He studied me for a moment; his lips pressed tight together. There was a thin line between his eyebrows, and how he looked at me made me feel like a puzzle he couldn’t quite figure out.
“You’re turning down a job that would only help you.”
“You and I have very different ideas of what would help me. I know where I want to go with my life, and it’s a pretty set idea. Mia said you offered when I agreed to the internship; I knew what it would get me. So that’s why I took it.”
“You have no interest in the money that comes with the promotion?” He arched an eyebrow and leaned back in his seat. The expression on his face told me that he thought I was crazy.
“Money makes the world go around. I’m not naïve about that. However, I want to build my real estate empire. I don’t feel like riding around on the coattails of yours.”
Brett looked out the window, watching the people walking by. His jaw tightened, and I could see his muscles twitch as he worked through what I said.
To some, it might seem insane, but to me, it was the right career move.
