Me:You’ll never believe what happened today.I got a…
“Miss Farrarah?” a voice interrupts, and I pocket my phone without sending the message.
“Yes?” I look up to see the investor with the glasses. “We’re ready to talk to you now.”
Well, that was fast…
Which could be a really bad or good thing.
“Awesome.” I sound silly, but it’s all I can think to say as I follow him back into the room.
“Go ahead and take a seat.” He gestures to the chair adjacent to the panel of men. “We have quite a bit to go over.”
I nod, pulling out the chair with shaking hands. “Of course.” I can’t think of anything, my brain blanking as I sit down in the black leather seat. I situate my bag beside me, just in case I need to make some sort of emergency exit or something, and then clasp my hands on top of the table.
“Well, we already had pretty much come to a decision before you ever presented to us,” the blond-headed man begins, clearing his throat. “We haven’t seen an idea like this before—and while we don’t typically take on such niche development ideas, we actually think this one has some substance to work with.”
“Really?” I cough, trying to hide the surprise in my voice.
“Really,” the younger one confirms. “The apartment complex is a phenomenal idea, and we’re willing to take a risk on you. Of course, we’ll be right there, walking you through the process. It would be a guaranteed success.”
I nod, trying not to scream with victory. “Absolutely.”
“There’s just one thing.” The glasses guy hums, his eyes dropping to the brochure in front of him. “I don’t think we want to start the venture here in Los Angeles.”
I blink a few times, trying to process. “Okay…”
“We think Los Angeles could be a potential future location, but starting out, we’d like to choose a city that we feel would have the best chance of growth.”
“What city is that?” I keep my voice professional.
“Miami. And we would ask that you relocate to the city to oversee the development and the first five years of operations. From there, of course, you could relocate wherever you choose, and we could potentially build other similar complexes.”
I take a deep, steadying breath.Miami. Florida.
“We know it’s a lot to ask, but that’s where we feel it would thrive best at this point. Our options are limited right now on location.”
I swallow the acid rising in my throat. “I do understand that.”
“Here’s our proposal.” The blond slides across a thick packet, which I already know is an investment plan. “We’re looking at investing in a multimillion-dollar complex, plus hiring the individuals who would work there. We’ll fund the whole thing.”
I place my fingers on the contract, feeling the cold of the paper beneath my skin. Something about it sends prickles down my forearm beneath my blazer.
“You don’t have to sign or agree to it now,” he continues. “We assume you’ll want your team to look it over and ensure that it works best for you. But,” he pauses, looking me dead in the eye. “I canguarantee that we treat our partners with absolute integrity, and our goal is to be successful with you. We’re a team here. We’ll need to know your answer in twenty-four hours.”
I nod. “I will think about it, look it over, and get back to you by tomorrow morning.” My tone is bright, but my heart is pounding in my chest as I push back from the conference table. I shakily stand to my feet and pick up the contract, tucking it under my arm. “I’ll be in touch.”
“Thank you, Miss Farrarah.”
“Thank you,” I say, and then exit the conference room, my smile slipping from my face immediately.
It’s just Miami. It’d be an adventure.
But something about the idea of moving has my stomach churning enough to make me uncertain about the whole thing. I should be jumping up and down, but honestly, I was hoping to stay right here in Los Angeles…
As I exit into the perfectly sunny California weather, the late morning sun hits my face with the kind of warmth I think I’ve been taking for granted.
I sigh, pulling out the contract and flipping through the details. As I finish, Iknowit’s a good deal—areallygood deal. It’s just…
