2. Linda #3
"It's an exceptionally good investment," Martin told her, a tight, controlled smile appearing on his lips before he quickly looked away toward the window.
Okay, now I absolutely have to know what is happening, Linda thought, her eyes darting between the two of them as the silent tension shifted.
Maggie checked the time on her phone and stood up, a loving, soft smile spreading across her face as she looked down at Michael. "We actually have to head out. We have a dinner date scheduled."
"Yes, we do," Michael agreed, rising from his chair to stretch his broad shoulders. He paused, his gaze filled with deep concern as he looked down at his sister. "But we can easily stay right here with you if you want us to. I know today has been extra tough on you."
"No, don't you dare cancel your plans," Linda told them, waving them toward the exit with a firm shake of her head. "I am perfectly fine. In fact, I really need some quiet time alone to clear my head."
Maggie and Michael both leaned down to hug her, reminding her that they were only a phone call away if she needed anything at all, before they finally stepped through the heavy oak door and closed it firmly behind them.
The second the latch clicked shut into the frame, Linda leaned forward across her desk, her eyes narrowing into a suspiciously sharp glare as she looked at the two remaining guests. "What exactly is going on between the two of you?"
"What?" Martin asked, the response coming out a bit too quickly as a guilty flush crept up his neck. He adjusted his glasses nervously, shifting his feet against the floor. "I'm simply acting as Penny’s temporary financial advisor."
"Yes, Martin helped me coordinate the initial paperwork for the property," Penny stated just as rapidly, her voice rising an octave as she began to ramble.
She adjusted the hem of her faded t-shirt, her words tumbling over one another.
"I was honestly starting to wonder if I'd made a massive mistake because I'd just purchased the estate, and then I literally ran into him while he was running past the front gates.
We just started speaking about local contractor costs. "
"I've been helping with the long-term finances and... uh... finding the best wholesale deals on regional building materials and stuff," Martin mumbled, his fingers coming up to fiddle uncomfortably with his collar.
"Yes, that's exactly right," Penny agreed, glancing down at her wristwatch with a look of sudden panic. "Goodness, look at the time. I should really go find Isabel and see how she’s holding up after what happened.”
She stood up clumsily, her knee catching the edge of the leather chair and sending it tilting backward.
Martin scrambled forward at the exact same instant to grab the chair's frame.
Their hands collided with a sharp smack over the leather, and they both pulled back as if they'd been burned.
The chair wobbled one way, Penny stumbled the other, losing her footing entirely on the slick tile floor.
Martin dashed forward, his arms reaching out to catch her before she could fall, pulling her firmly against his chest.
Linda watched the entire awkward physical display unfold between them from behind her desk.
Her eyebrows rose to their limits as a small, knowing smile tugged at her lips.
Martin held Penny securely, their eyes locking together in a heavy, silent gaze as if the rest of the office was completely fading away into the background.
"Right. Just basic finances and wholesale building materials," Linda drawled, her voice dry as she intentionally broke the spell.
They jumped apart instantly, their faces turning bright crimson as they began adjusting their clothes. Just then, a soft vibration rattled against Linda's thigh. She looked down at her lap to her phone, where a text message from an unknown number had just popped up on the black screen.
Are you coming?
Her fingers moved quickly across the glass as she typed out her response: Yes. Twenty minutes, where we agreed.
A second later, the screen blinked with a final line: I'll see you there.
"I actually have to head out myself," Linda told them, sliding her phone safely into her pocket as she stood up from behind the desk. She walked past the blushing pair, offering them a bright, affectionate smile as she reached for the doorknob.
"Martin, I'm genuinely glad you're helping Penny out with the mansion." Linda grinned over her shoulder, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Just remember, you might be my self-proclaimed older brother, but Penny is a very good friend of mine now. Don't go messing with her... finances."
With a massive, triumphant grin spreading across her face, Linda walked out of the private office and closed the door behind her.
It had truly been a bizarre day in Sweet Blossom Bay, but as she quickened her pace toward the rear exit, the tension in her chest began to shift into a focused, steady momentum as she headed for her destination.