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It was obvious how much he wanted to sell to me over Cara. I felt sort of bad as she followed behind at our heels.
“This building is a steal for Brooklyn. Just shy of one million.”
“A million?!” Cara blustered.
Danny glared back at her. “Yes. Nine hundred ninety-five, to be exact.”
Cara wriggled in between us to face Danny. “But what about all the damage? Surely there’s some way that takes away from the price.”
He glanced at me with a condescending air, as if to say,Are you hearing this?“You’re paying for location, Cara. Brooklyn is prime real estate.”
“But you said —”
“I’m just showing you what I’ve got. And if it’s not in your budget, I’d be happy to continue this discussion with Mr. Taves, if he’s interested.” Danny smiled at me. It made me want to punch him.
I pursed my lips. I didn’t want to buy anything from this guy. He seemed like a money-hungry jerk. “Nah, I think I’m good. Thanks, Mr. Morden. Come on, Luce.”
As we walked toward the front door, I heard Cara and Danny squabble for a minute.
“Listen, Cara, I’m not looking to make you mad. How about we grab dinner tonight and we can smooth things over? Start fresh.”
That sounded like more than just a business meeting to me.
“No, thank you. I’m seeing my parents tonight, anyway.”
“Some other time, then.” Good for her. For some inexplicable reason, it caused me to bristle just thinking of her going out with a greaseball like Morden.
“Uh…sure.”
We all made our way outside. The gray January sky reflected the mood of the group. Danny said goodbye to both of us, assuring me that he’d find a property just perfect for my new venture. As soon as he was out of earshot in his little black sports car, I looked to Cara who was tip-tapping on her phone at breakneck pace. “Uh, Luce, head to the car, will you?”
I unlocked the car with the fob and watched Lucy skip down the block, waiting until she was safely inside to converse with Cara. “You know, if you’re going to get through to a guy like that, you need to be a bit savvier.”
Her head shot up, brown eyes blazing.Uh-oh. It looked like I would be on the receiving end of her next dress down. If I hadn’t been struck by her exquisite beauty, I might have been terrified. “Excuse me? What makes you think I’m looking for advice from you?”
I took a deep breath and smiled. “Just in negotiation. It’s an art form. It can be tough if you haven’t cut your teeth in the corporate world.”
Cara’s sour face mellowed. “Right. Maybe. I’m — I’m sorry. I was rude.”
“It’s alright.”
“I just…” She looked down at her phone and then sighed. “I just lost my nannying gig because the mother is a complete tyrant, and it was going to be the difference between me affording a down payment on the property loan or…”
Ding, ding, ding— a bell went off in my head. With Readly needing so much attention, I’d been starting to worry about Lucy. Though I didn’t like leaving her with other people, I couldn’t have her sitting in my office every night while I worked late on the project. “You’re a nanny?”
Cara wilted like a dying flower. “Yeah. Or was. I’m not sure anymore.” She looked up at the building. “I just felt so good about this place. I could really picture it all.”
She looked hopeful and determined all at once. The combination showed me she was more mature than I originally understood. It also stirred something in me that caught me by surprise.
I glanced over my shoulder at the car and then back to Cara. “Let’s meet for coffee.” I reached into my coat and pulled out one of my business cards. “Say, Monday morning.”
Cara took the card, her fingers brushing mine. I shivered involuntarily. I could chalk it up to the cold, but in reality, Cara’s slightest touch had electrified me. She stared at the card and then looked up at me, blinking her big brown eyes. “What for?”
I smiled. “Maybe we can help each other.”
Chapter3
Cara
