Saving Dallas Forever (Saving Dallas 3)

I arrived at the office before the sun was up, and began sorting my emails. Last night’s conversation had weighed heavily on my mind up until the point I had walked into my house. Just seeing the familiarity of everything and the smell of home put my mind at ease. Luke had texted late last night saying he was super busy, but that he loved me and would call me tomorrow. I felt guilty that I had no trouble falling asleep without him. It was like my need for him was drifting, until I woke up at three this morning, covered in sweat after dreaming about Frankie. He was not there to tell me it was okay, or hold me, and now I was fully aware of how dependent I had become on Luke. Usually, I wake from the dream and it fades before I fall back into a restful sleep, in Luke’s arms. This morning was different. I couldn’t shake it. I couldn’t get the sight of Frankie crawling from his grave toward me out of my mind. If the dreams didn’t stop soon, I would have to see a doctor. I thought back to how I never had them when I was with Charlie, and didn’t start having them again until we got to Luke’s. Was there a reason? I heard Lindsey’s voice ring out over the office and looked at the clock to find it was already almost eight. I had been at work for over three hours. Where had the time gone?

“Well, look at you,” Lindsey greeted, walking in, and placing a Starbuck’s coffee on my desk. “I figured after last night you needed a pick-me-up. What’s on the agenda for the day?” I loved how she was all business and didn’t hammer me with questions on the holes in the story that I had shared with her last night.

“I’ve sorted my emails, responded to the ones that required it, and now I’m organizing a meeting with all the office managers and staff. I was looking over the contracts yesterday, and it seems we are being forced to drop prices on top-of-the-range properties, due to the market. I think we should just sit on them a while. We can afford it, and, although we will suffer a loss now, I feel like we will gain more by not selling them for less than they’re worth. The market is in the process of a turnaround, but people are still milking it, trying to pinch every penny possible. But we don’t deal with penny-pinchers. We sell high-end real-estate to high-end clients. Whatever happened to paying top dollar for things and using it as bragging rights? Where have all the rich people gone?” I asked, taking a sip of my coffee.

“Now it’s cool to save money. Nobody wants high-rises in the city. They want small cottages in the woods. By saving on that, they can invest more money in charities and save the world operations. I’m telling you, this go-green shit is killing us. That and Pinterest.”

“What does Pinterest have to do with anything?”

“I’m just pissed because I spent seventy-five dollars on this cool-ass necklace and Pinterest has a blog about how you can make your own for five bucks. Now, when I say ‘hey look bitches, I can afford a seventy-five dollar necklace’ my friends say, ‘Yeah? I got the same one and I made it for five. You’re stupid.’”

“That sucks.”

“That’s the story of my life.”

“Well, I love your necklace and if it makes you feel better, I would have paid twice that for it,” I said, thinking that I wish I had found it before her.

“So, the meeting is to inform everyone that we are not dropping the price?” she asked, pulling out her diary, and making notes.

“Correct. We are going to see if we can manipulate the system. It will take time, but I’m confident it will work. I’m also arranging a meeting with some people about that land on 98. Let me ask you something, how beneficial do you think a natural gas pipeline running through there would be?”

“I think it would be just as beneficial if it was moved a mile south. Even if they had to curve it around that one particular area. What is that? A square mile? Two, at the most? That place is really starting to take off. It would kill some of those businesses to be shut down, even if it was for just a few months. I know the gas company will compensate them, but it won’t be enough. Think of Roman’s Muffler Shop. If he is closed for three months, then his customers will find somewhere else to go. By the time he reopens, it will be another six months before he can regain his clientele, and even then it’s not guaranteed.” This is why I had hired Lindsey, because she was passionate about her job and people loved her.