Evan:I confirm.
Ivy:Wait you have to see a picture first.
I was half looking out the window, my mind spinning about how to solve the real estate problem, when the picture came in. At first, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Ivy was wearing nothing but lacy white ruffly lingerie. The white panties-and-bra set accentuated her curves, and the lace gave me small peeks of her pink nipples and the slit between her legs. My pants were uncomfortably tight.
Ivy:Oops that wasn’t the dress.
Ivy:Here’s the dress.
A photo of Imogen’s wedding dress appeared on my phone.
Evan:Then what was that?
Ivy:It’s bridal lingerie. Sorry I forgot you don’t like weddings.
Evan:… I’ll like weddings a lot more if you’re going to show up wearing that.
Evan:Is this a subtle hint that you’d like to be the future Mrs. Harrington?
Ivy:I’m not saying I’m getting ready to plan a thousand-person wedding where everyone gets a unicorn, but I would like to try to see where you and me go.
I leaned against my desk, a grin spreading across my face. Ivy wanted me, not just for sex, though my dick did like that part of our arrangement. No, she wanted me in her life. Then I froze. She wasn’t going to want me once she realized I was evicting her.
You can fix this; you’re smart, and you’re a billionaire. Get it together, I told myself as I quickly ran a program to pull all the property data and owner records from the parcels that would help connect the development to the HighLine trail.
Most of them were owned by random LLCs. I ran another program to match the LLCs with their owners. Only two parcels came back as promising leads. They were even right next to Ivy’s apartment, so we would basically be shifting the connection over a parcel. It was perfect. I sent them over to Greg.
Evan:Would these work in exchange for Ivy’s building?
Greg:Yes. If you can secure those parcels in the next few days, your girlfriend can keep that roach-infested hovel.
Fortunately, I knew exactly which company owned the land.
* * *
The Holbrook Enterprisestower was a few streets up from the Svensson Investment tower. Wes Holbrook was waiting for me in his office.
“I thought the Svenssons would have instructed you not to speak to me,” Wes remarked, shaking my hand and motioning me to sit.
“I think you’re the one Holbrook they can actually stand,” I told him with a laugh.
“Speaking of the Svenssons,” I said. “Against the advice of those with better judgment, I am involved in a land deal with them.”
Wes swore when I gave him the rundown on what had happened with Camilla and her father and the property.
“I knew the Svenssons were cold-blooded, but they’re just going to kick your girlfriend out of her house?”
“They already started the eviction proceedings,” I said grimly. “I need to offer them a different property. I know you own two of the adjacent ones to the development. I’ll literally pay whatever you want for them.”
Wes waved me away. “I’ll take fair market value. They are too small to do much with. And besides,” he grinned happily. “My girlfriend Liz is pregnant!”
I clapped him on the shoulder. “Congrats, man, that’s amazing!”
He shushed me. “I haven’t told everyone yet. Liz wants to be engaged before she tells people and then married before the baby comes.”
“Oof,” I said, “You’re on a tight timeline.”
“Exactly. And she wants Weddings in the City to put on her wedding. Apparently, she ate some of that cake before Camilla smashed all of it and has been craving it ever since. She wants me to buy her a whole one that she can eat at her leisure. She also will periodically look at the gift bags that were given out with all the handmade candles, soaps, and whatnot, and cry because it’s so adorable. If Ivy gets evicted, Liz is going to be furious. She’s going to want everything as relaxing and perfect as possible, and a stressed-out, homeless wedding planner is not in the plan.”
