Page 96 of Here & Now

Twenty-one

Bree was fuming. She would have marched next door the minute she got home, but Zane’s car wasn’t in the driveway.

She went inside and stripped off her clothes. The chocolate stain served as a glaring reminder of the evening, so instead of throwing the dress in the washer, she threw it in the trash. The dress was pale yellow, and she doubted the stain would have come out anyway.

It was only eight o’clock, but she put on her pajamas since she had no intention of going anywhere else tonight. She considered calling Ivy to vent but decided against it. Her sister was probably taking care of the baby or enjoying some well-deserved downtime with her husband, and she didn’t want to bother her.

Agitated, she paced across the living room floor and rehashed the events of the evening.

The meeting with Scott had begun innocently enough. He’d greeted her in the parking lot of the restaurant and given her an appreciative once-over. It had been fleeting, and she’d quickly dismissed it. His behavior was commonplace, and men weren’t the only ones guilty of it. Women sized each other up too.

He'd opened the restaurant door and motioned for her to go in first, a polite, gentlemanly gesture. Once they were seated, he asked if she liked wine. She considered opting for water instead but decided one glass wouldn’t hurt.

While they were waiting for their drinks, she perused the menu. When she looked up, he was staring at her. “Everything here is delicious. You really can’t go wrong.”

She nodded and went back to the menu. The waiter soon returned with their drinks and took their food orders.

After he left, she sipped her wine, expecting Scott to start talking business. Then she realized he hadn’t brought anything inside with him, such as a briefcase or folder.

“Tell me about yourself,” he said.

She blinked a few times.

“If we’re going to work together, I’d like to get to know you better.”

It wasn’t unreasonable, but she felt a flicker of discomfort. “I haven’t agreed to work with you yet,” she said lightly.

He chuckled. “Good point, but I hope you will.”

“Tell me why I should.”

Now he looked uncomfortable, but he quickly recovered. “Besides the fact that I’m the top-selling agent on the island?”

“I saw that on your website.”

He looked pleased that she’d checked him out beforehand. He leaned in, and she suddenly wished they’d been seated at a bigger table. The table for two with an ocean view seemed too intimate for a business meeting. She’d rather have been sitting there with Zane instead.

“If you sign with me, I promise you’ll be satisfied.”

She flinched at his choice of words. “Have you come up with a price?”

He sat back, picked up his wineglass, and swirled the liquid around. “Why don’t we enjoy the meal first, and then we’ll talk business?”

She was starting to get a bad feeling about this, but she squelched it. So he was a bit cocky. He wouldn’t have become a top seller without a host of satisfied clients to show for it, right?

She tried to relax.

“Tell me some more about your grandparents,” he said, changing tact.

His strategy worked because she’d rather talk about them than herself. She told him how long they’d lived in the house and how much they’d loved the island life.

“What’s not to love?” he said as he topped off their wine.

I don’t have to drink it all, she thought.

“Have you or your family considered keeping the cottage?”

She was somewhat surprised he’d asked, since that would negate his usefulness. He probably had plenty of high-dollar listings and didn’t need this one.