Checking Every Box

“That would be great,” she said.

“Well, I should probably let you go and check on the state of the kitchen,” I said. “All of the dishes that you selected are being washed and put away.”

“I can’t believe you went with all of my choices.”

“You have excellent taste. And I want you to be extremely comfortable in my home.”

“I think I already am,” she said. I could just picture her soft eyes looking up at me with that shy little smile.

“I’ll see you soon, sweetheart,” I said softly. “Miss you already.”

“Miss you too.”

After checking all of the activity in the kitchen and living room, and handing everyone a generous tip, I was alone in my charming, slightly extravagant, properly furnished condo. Strolling to the window, I could already tell that this corner was going to be my spot to watch the water and think.

There must be a way to ease the tension with Joel, and make him understand that I was a great match for Heather. Perhaps simply opening the door would help him give me a chance.

The next morning, I finished all of my work by three, then called Heather at work. “Highfield Real Estate Brokerage, Heather speaking, how may I help you?”

“Hello, Heather. This is Steve Oxford calling. I was wondering if Joel was in the office right now?”

“Oh. He’s in a meeting, but that should be finished up in about fifteen minutes.”

“Excellent. I’ll just be dropping by for a moment.”

She hesitated. “May I ask what this is pertaining to?”

“I simply wanted to thank him for his assistance,” I said. “Thank you, Heather. I’ll see you shortly.”

Fifteen minutes later, I walked into their office just as two men in dark blue suits were leaving. Joel looked surprised to see me, especially when he saw my hands were full.

“I’m sorry to barge in, but I wondered if you had just a few minutes?” I asked.

He nodded, leading me to his office. I paused at Heather’s desk. She was so pretty, in a crisp white blouse and dark blue skirt, her blonde hair elegantly pulled over one shoulder.

I placed a bouquet of pink daisies on Heather’s desk, giving her a wink as I closed Joel’s office door behind us. I handed him a gift box.

“What’s this for?” he asked.

“It’s a thank you gift,” I said. “Many other real estate agents would have puttered around for weeks, touring endless properties simply so that they could tell their clients how many times it had been shown. You didn’t waste my time. I ended up with precisely what I needed. I appreciate that.”

He looked a bit wary, but opened the box. It was a rare Irish whiskey, and I could see from the look on his face that he was extremely impressed. I may have done a little research last night on his social media page to find out that he was a fan of fine whiskey.

“Thank you, Steve, but this is a bit much.”

“Not at all. I hope that you enjoy it.”

I sat back in my chair a bit more. “I was also hoping that you had a moment to discuss something far more important.”

Joel’s eyes narrowed. “My sister. Don’t think you can bribe me in order to–”

I held up my hands. “I would never bribe a soul. This is simply a conversation.”

He gave me a flat stare. “Go ahead.”

“I completely understand the urge to be overprotective around a sweet young girl. I really do. If I were in your position, I would probably be giving the guy in this chair the same look.”

Rule number one of business negotiations was always to establish that everyone in the room was on the same team. He nodded, so I hoped it was working already.