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“Sounds like the perfect pair of rooms for you and Jane to share.”
Caitlyn was taken aback by Becca’s inability to play along. “Hmph. That would be a cold day in hell. We like keeping Jane on the other side of the house.”
“From the sounds of things, we should have her and Cece set up on a matching pair over there. You’d never believe what we picked up at the doctor’s today.”
“Let me guess…” Caitlyn primped her hair before sashaying back toward the living area. “Birth control?”
“I see that I am behind in my knowledge, as usual.”
“I’m going to let you ladies take a look around while I make some calls out in the foyer,” Chara said while waving her phone. “Think up some questions for me, okay? Be right back!”
The door slammed shut behind her, the force echoing in the large, empty penthouse. Becca tightened her winter coat.Sure is drafty in here.There were no carpets anywhere in the penthouse, not even in the bedrooms.This place needs more than furniture and throw rugs.It probably needed new window insulation. Maybe a new HVAC upgrade to keep it from turning into a veritable icebox in the winter.
“I need to make a call of my own.” Jane remained leaning against the old windows while searching through her contact list. “How do we feel about this place, girls?”
Caitlyn shrugged. “It’s bigger than where we live now, but not as cozy.”
“More centrally located,” Becca offered, “but it’s not like traffic is a huge issue now.”
Only Cecelia was impressed with the accents, the original light fixtures, and the view that was prime for Instagram. She didn’t say anything, though. She probably knew that her opinion held the least weight.She has to move wherever we go, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want her being comfortable too.No matter how badly Becca wanted her own room again.
“Hel-lo, Damon! It is I, your Jane.” The way Jane turned on the pep once her friend answered the phone told Becca thatsomethingwas afoot. That something was mischief.That’s it. That’s all I know.“You will not believe where I am right now. Actually, maybe you can see me if you look out your office window.” Jane tapped against the glass beside her, chuckling. “Look toward Priscilla’s old place. That’s me up there in the window. Oooh, I can get this place for apence!For my whole family. How about that?”
Caitlyn decided she didn’t need to hear this and instead bet Cecelia that there was probably an original clawfoot bathtub somewhere on the premises. As they went to count square footage in the primary bedroom’s walk-in closet, Becca joined Jane at the window.You won’t catch me tempting the fates by leaning against it, though.Jane had more courage than sense.
“It really is the funniest thing,” She continued to tease her friend as she slowly paced in front of the windows. “Everyone is absolutely in love with this penthouse now that we can actually get inside.” She raised her fingers to her lips when Becca acted like she was going to protest.It’s nice, but I doubt we’re buying it.Ha! She said “we” like her money was involved at all! “And because of how much work it needs to make it more comfortable, they’re dumping the price. Those boys and girls over at The Boyle Group must bereallymotivated to sell now. I am told by our real estate guru that we are the first to hear this new priceand have first dibs. Wouldn’t it be a shame if this came off the market tomorrow, after you told me that you wanted to wait a bit before taking the icy cold plunge into expanding your kinky empire?”
Becca couldn’t hear what the man said on the other side of the line, but Jane liked where it was going based on the shit-eating grin on her face.
“No, no, we are actually interested in buying and moving in as soon as we can. But I also know that this place would meansomuch to you and your Alice. You have been planning such sweet things for it ever since I first heard about it. I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t give you a heads up. Because maybe we can strike a deal.”
Ah, yes, there it was.
“I know you have a shortlist of other places you were checking out.” Jane slid up next to Becca, wrapping an arm around her and not even trying to hide the not-so-surreptitious grabbing of her ass. “You have four-bedroom beauties on that list, Damon. I want the list.” Her voice dropped. “Give me the list, give me your real estate lawyer, and give me a good fucking deal on the perfect one… and I will makesureyou hear about this price drop as soon as my family walks out this door saying, ‘we will think about it.’”
Becca snorted in amusement when Jane hung up two minutes later. “That’s how you do it, love.” She shoved her phone in her pocket and pulled Becca in for a kiss. “Look at your Jane go. What a grand day.”
Becca was too busy laughing to complete the kiss without sputtering all over her partner’s face. When Jane stepped back, accepting defeat, the two of them held hands on their way to tell Caitlyn the news.
“That was really hot,” Becca whispered in Jane’s ear on the way to the back bedrooms. “I think we should definitely break this place in when the Monroes open ittheirway.”
“Stop reading my mind, love.”
Wasn’t that one of Becca’s jobs, though?Read their minds, anticipate their needs, and be there when they need me.At least it sounded good in her own mind.
And not too bad right now, when they revealed the plan to Caitlyn, who cackled at this lovely twist of fate.
Chapter 23
Jane
If there was one thing Jane knew how to do, it was call someone’s bluff. Damon had been annoyed with her for going behind his back to make clandestine dealings with Monica Warren, buthewas sitting on residential properties that he “didn’t know what to do with,” as if they couldwhoops!through the cracks and be forgotten until his business cut checks for the annual property taxes.Doesn’t he know there is a housing crisis going on?
Honestly, she didn’t care how supply and demandreallyfunctioned as long as her phone call to him accomplished two things: it got him off her ass about Monica, and she procured new and more accommodating housing for her family.
Damon was more than eager to cut her the deal if it meant he got the old Winchester penthouse for pennies on the dollar. By the following Monday morning, she and Caitlyn were sent a digital portfolio of every available four bedroom home theMonroes could connect them with. Caitlyn shut herself up in her office and spent the whole morning scrolling through listings nobody else could see. Jane was merely relieved that everyone was placated.
Within a week, they were touring a recently renovated single-family home near the marina. Caitlyn’s opinion of it was that it was “what she saw herself moving into one day” and that it “reminded her of the house in Des Moines, but with a pool.” Rebecca made a barrage of comments about how it was “too much house for them to take care of,” and “will we even be able to find each other in this mansion?” Jane was slightly perturbed that she had nevernotlived in high-rise. It was also farther away from work and traffic could be an issue.
