Page 21 of All The Ways to Miss You

As his jaw drops, I step off the curb to meet a stopped taxi and open the back door. Before I leave, I turn my backside to him, and then glance over my shoulder. “No panty lines, see?”

I don’t wait for his response. Instead, I swing my hips into the back seat, slip my feet inside, and slam the door. Shocked at my sudden confidence, I mutter the address to the driver. He sets his meter and takes off.

Eyes glazing over, I replay our conversation in my head. An unexpected burst of frenzied laughter escapes my lips, and I cover my mouth with my hand when the driver curiously glances back in the rearview mirror.

I stare out the window, replaying Evan’s shocked expression in my mind’s eye. I took control. I pushed back. For the first time since after, I’m discovering how much fun it is to flirt, and I think I like it.

ten

I sashay into the offices of Grayson & Wade on an empowered high. I don’t even know what’s happening. I don’t recognize myself. I’m a stranger wielding my newfound powers, and it’s exhilarating.

“Morning,” I sing as I drop my bag on the conference room table. I remove my sunglasses and slide out of my jacket.

Aggie glances up from prepping each seat with a bottled water, pen, notepad, and presentation booklet. “Why do you look like a goddess while I look like death? We drank together last night, didn’t we?”

“Must have been your other best friend.”

“Maybe.” She looks perplexed, but then cocks her head. “You’re wearing red. And you’re smiling. On a Monday. What’s going on?” She scurries closer to get a better look at me.

“It’s not black?” I glance down at myself.

“If that’s black, I did get wasted last night.”

I lean into my laptop and click through our presentation, refreshing my memory on the bullet points, even though I can recite them forward and backward. I find myself bobbing my head, turning them into a song in my mind.

“I guess I’ll blame Charlie,” she says.

I’m about to ask her to explain what she was doing with Charlie when she was fixated on Paul twenty-four hours before, but Linden struts in.

“Everything ready?”

We nod. Linden buttons his suit jacket like it’s his armor and he’s readying for battle. His features transform from tight to smiling, and he disappears to greet the executives who are gathering in the lobby.

I descend from my high when I remember the seriousness of today’s meeting. I’m Linden’s warrior, and I can’t let a personal victory with Evan throw off my workday. I adjust my own clothes and smooth my hair. Mentally preparing, I pace in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows.

If I can close the deal, it will be my job to find Lakeman, Shire and Black a new office space for their two-hundred-person law firm. A fifteen-year lease could mean millions for G&W and a substantial commission for me, enough for a down payment on Ozzy’s home.

The Lakeman execs settle around the conference table. Linden stands at the head, loosening everyone up with a few jokes. He’s a charming salesman, an expert storyteller, and everything I know about real estate, networking, and schmoozing, I learned from watching him. He introduces me when everyone’s prepped.

I unfurl my clenched hands, pumping them open and closed until I’m standing front and center. I glance around the faces in the room. My smile is bright and engaging even though I’m terrified. Today, I must convince each executive they can’t live without my expertise.

I present four properties. In this case, each space is either unfinished or vacated by another tenant. I showcase floor plans, specs, amenities, history, and area info. A carousel of photos projects on the wall, showing the current state of each space, the city skyline views, and for a finale, I wow them with beautiful 3-D renderings drawn by Charlie. The images represent how the spaces can be modernized and transformed to meet their specific needs.

The presentation is flawless, and one hour later, the meeting concludes with a deal for G&W to represent Lakeman. Everyone stands to mingle. A rumble of chatter fills the room. I take a deep breath, though I’m not ready to celebrate.

“Cait, have you met Mr. Henley?” Linden gestures to the man beside him.

“I haven’t. Nice to meet you.”

Mr. Henley is tall. Light brown hair with honey highlights touch his collar. His dark silver suit is distinguished, but he wears no tie, and his shirt spreads open at the neck in relaxed contrast. His pale blue eyes are intense, searing. Simply holding their attention heats my face, but still, I find myself moving closer.

“Please, call me James. Great presentation. Really interested in the State Street property.” His handshake is strong, and its warmth spreads from his grasp, transferring to my body.

“James will be your contact with Lakeman. He’ll visit the properties and work on the initial leasing details,” Linden adds.

“Wonderful.” I beam.

“I’ll leave you two to work out a schedule.” Linden moves to socialize with the other executives and see them out.