Checking Every Box

CHAPTER THREE

* Heather *

While Joel and Steve chatted in the conference room, I tried to release the twitchy, fluttery energy that was attempting to overtake me. Steve was so gorgeous that it was almost a bit uncomfortable to be too close to him.

As always, when I need to calm myself down, I made a list. Going through the emails and calendar events of the day, I saw that today’s workload would be fairly light.

Joel, along with Brad and David, the other two real estate agents at this company, all had off-site meetings for most of the day. This would leave me alone to answer the phones, respond to emails, and get super organized for the coming week.

I had just finished writing down a nice row of office tasks such as cleaning the break room and checking the office supply cupboard, when Joel appeared. “Heather, I’m going to need you to take a client on two property tours today.”

Instantly I shook my head. “I can’t do that. I’m just the assistant.”

He held up his hands, flashing that damn big brother grin that instantly told me everything was going to be alright. “You won’t have to do anything official,” he said. “You unlock the condo, walk around the space with him, tell him how fabulous it is, and leave. That’s it.”

“What if he has questions?”

“You write them all down, or you call me. If it goes well, we might be able to close today, and since the month-end is on Monday, this could be great for our numbers.”

It was physically difficult not to roll my eyes. Joel and his accountant always had some bizarrely complicated system of targets and goals to hit every month, and I didn’t understand a word of it. But Joel had built this place from the ground up, and obviously knew precisely what he was doing.

This was a big opportunity for me to help, and prove to him that I was ready to go further in this company and take on more responsibility.

I mentally ran through a quick list of why I’d be good at this, to give myself a pep talk. I could give him a woman’s view of the properties. I’d watched the agents working, and viewed so many property tour videos that I knew what to highlight and what to skim by. I was a visual person, so I could make suggestions for renovations if need be.

Taking a slow breath, I was about to agree when Steve came out of the conference room to stand over me. Listening to him explain how much he needed me to help him, I tried not to melt from the gaze of those piercing blue eyes.

“Okay,” I nodded.

Joel gave me the addresses, the keys, and I grabbed my purse. Steve escorted me through the lobby, and I was struck again by how tall he was. He was just larger than life. “I really appreciate this,” he said gently as we stepped into an empty elevator.

“Where are you moving here from?” I asked, trying to transfer the conversation to him immediately.

He shook his head. “That’s the thing. I haven’t had a home base in the past two years. I bounced around from New York to Chicago to LA, then spent the last three weeks in Dallas. “

As we walked through the lobby out onto the street, I said, “That’s terrible. I mean, I hope it’s good for your work, but it must be exhausting no

t having a place to come home to.”

He nodded. “Living out of hotels is amusing for about two days, then the shine wears off,” he chuckled. Steve looked up and down the street. “Shall I flag down a cab?”

“Sure, thank you.”

In just a few minutes we climbed out of the car in front of the grand entrance to a very prestigious condominium building. “Wow,” I muttered to myself.

Steve flashed a delighted grin. “Well, that’s a good sign. If the entrance impresses women, that might work out well for me, right?”

It was surprising how easily he made me laugh. It was shocking how comfortable I was with him, even as my belly fluttered with every glance and every little touch as he tapped my elbow escorting me through the door.

When we got into the elevator, it wasn’t just the high speed that made my stomach drop, but the way he stood close beside me even though we were the only people there.

I’d never been any good at reading men, likely because I’d never really tried. It wasn’t time yet. Now that I was so close to this huge, attractive man who might possibly be slightly interested, my stomach was fluttering and I was likely over-analyzing every single thing he did.

CHAPTER FOUR

* Steve *

I knew that I should be focused on the details of my potential new home. Yet all I could see was Heather’s lovely face as her eyes grew wide, looking around carefully the second we walked into the condo.