"I'm going to take some time for myself." She looks up and into my face. "I'll go to Philadelphia to see some old friends this weekend. I'll catch a flight this afternoon."
I nod. I'm grateful for the brief reprieve, but the tension between us won't dissipate because she's leaving the state for a few days. "Stay as long as you need to. We'll discuss your future with Bishop when you return."
"You can't fire me, Julian," she says that with a chuckle. "I prepared my contract, remember? If I ever decide I want to leave, it's going to cost you."
I know and at this point, I'm willing to pay the price, however high it may be.
I haveno doubt that Maya witnessed Isadora's spontaneous public display of affection outside the door to my office.
It caught me completely off guard.
After I walked out of Isadora's office to head to my own, she called from behind me. I turned just as I approached the open door of my office. That's the moment when Isadora decided to race toward me to throw herself into my arms. Her lips met mine before I was able to turn away.
Maya was standing directly in my line of sight, her hands on her hips and her left eyebrow cocked in surprise.
I ushered Isadora into the empty office next to mine and told her to keep her hands off of me in the future. Her response was another 'fuck you, Julian,' before she stormed out.
I took a second to control my agitation before I walked into my office to greet Maya.
"You have a little lipstick right there." Maya's finger slides over the left corner of her mouth.
I wipe the back of my hand over my lips.
"No, wait." She leans forward to circle her finger in the air near my mouth. "It's on that side. My left. You're right."
Fuck.
I reach for a tissue from the table next to the window and gingerly wipe the entire area around my mouth. I glance down at the red streak before I bunch the tissue into a ball and toss it in the wastebasket.
"Please have a seat, Maya." I nod toward the two leather chairs in front of my desk. "I'm sorry you had to witness that."
"Love is a complicated thing," she says as she lowers herself into one of the chairs. "I've never worked with someone I cared about before."
"Isadora was out of line." I take the seat next to her after I unbutton my black suit jacket. "She's having difficulty adjusting to our break up."
She doesn't acknowledge those words with a response. Instead, she gets right down to business. "I'm hopeful that you asked to meet me to discuss the residential suites in Bishop Chelsea."
I lean back in my chair. "I did. The board has been considering several brokers, including you."
"I'm the most digitally connected broker in this city," she goes on confidently, "I have a large social media presence. That alone has helped me sell several properties in the past few months."
I'm well aware of that. I check her accounts on a daily basis. She engages her followers with professional quality photographs of the properties she's listed mixed in with personal images of her life in New York. She has a pulse on the future of real estate, which is why I pushed the board into giving her this chance.
I may have the final say but having the board's backing is essential on a project of this magnitude. The residential suites in Bishop Chelsea are an experiment of sorts. If they sell quickly and at the price I want, I expect to incorporate residences in every future hotel we launch.
"Your reputation precedes you." I smile. "I'm prepared to offer you the exclusive listing, Maya."
"You are?" She slides forward in her chair, her hands darting to her lap. "Thank you so much. Oh my god, thank you."
"There's one condition." I inch forward until my knees are almost brushing against hers.
"Of course." Her gaze trails over my body, stopping once her eyes meet mine. "What's the condition?"
That you have dinner with me. At my place, tonight. Clothing optional.
Those words dance on the tip of my tongue, but I push them back. I have no fucking idea how I'm going to work with this woman. I don't understand why Charlie Warton deserves her attention.
"The condition, Julian?" Her voice is soft. "Please tell me what it is."
