2
He smiled as though he felt like he could ask me for the sun and he believed I could come through for him. That amount of belief in me did something to my ego.
“No. I know zhat you will find me what I need in a location zhat is suitably close to where I vill hold my business. I have a helicopter zhat I vill get zhe necessary paperwork for in order to fly into zhe city for work. So commute time is of no consequence to me.”
“A helicopter.” Because he couldn’t be serious.
“Yes. When I have it flown here I vill have to take you on an aerial tour of the city. Zhat might be zhe best way for us to scout locations.” He looked off into the distance as though he’d just realized how much merit his words held.
“You’re really serious aren’t you?”
Xerxes turned back to me, that smile on his face forcing me to think of sin instead of the mental catalog of properties that would fit his needs.
“Of course. I am not a man who limits myself based on the opinions of others. If I have somezing at my disposal zhat would make my life easier, I use it. If someone has an issue with it, zhey are more zhan welcome to come and speak to me about it. I don’t have zhe helicopter for a frivolous reason. It serves a business purpose to ensure zhat I get vhere I need to on time. My time is too valuable to miss out on a deal because of something as ridiculous as traffic.”
“Because that’s a poor person issue.” Cause I couldn’t lie, he sounded elitist as hell just then.
“I do not look down on people with limited resources. Zhat is disgusting behavior. I am where I am because of zhe luck of genetics. Both of my parents were wealzy before zhey had me and now are exponentially more so. I’m blessed, zhere is no reason for me to deny an easily researchable fact.”
This was the longest time he and I had ever spoken without the interference of someone else and I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Many people would see Xerxes and think he was bragging. That his words were meant to make you feel less than when really he was just explaining why things were what they were.
“Still don’t know if that was incredibly arrogant or just pragmatic.”
“Pick whichever descriptor makes you zhe happiest and we will go wiz zhat one.” He didn’t seem too bothered with what I might think of him and that unshakeable type of confidence was… attractive. Potentially addictive. Which is why I’d run away from this man like a rabbit from a lion. Only I wasn’t sure what would happen when I got caught. No, if not when. If.
Fuck, this is bad.
I swallowed as I watched him watching me with thinly veiled desire. Every movement I made was studied, his eyes moving almost near imperceptibly over my features like he was studying a masterpiece and found some additional aspects of it to adore with each viewing.
“Um… we need to… focus. Um, what style of house would you like?”
Heavily lashed brown eyes rose to mine brightening as the smile spread across his face again. “My mother is creole and my father is Persian. So putting it lightly, opulent.”
“Wait, creole how?” I was looking over his face hating that I was doing what so many people did to me. Frankie had made a big deal about telling me that Xerxes was Persian, but she didn’t say anything about him being anything else.
Like your light bright ass can talk, Vee.
“As in Louisiana creole.” His accent flattened slightly when he spoke like he was allowing one aspect of his heritage to shine over the other.
My God he’s the Black Aladdin.
Aladdin had always been my favorite kid’s movie. Even though I wasn’t supposed to watch it, I had snuck and experienced the magic that was Disney. I never wanted to be Jasmine, I wanted to be Aladdin. Someone who came from nothing and their good heart granted them the life they’d deserved. The life they’d earned because of their hard work and good deeds. I kinda felt like I was living that way now.
And now his real life iteration was sitting across from me looking like a god.
“As in your mama is Black? You don’t look—”
He barked a laugh and I had to wonder if it was the humorous kind or the offended kind. “You sit here wiz skin paler zhan hers, red hair and freckles zhe color of zhe sunset and you want to question how genetics express zhemselves?”
Hair the color of sunset…that was a new one. I liked it. More often, I got told my hair was the color of the flames of hell I would burn eternally in if I didn’t obey.
“I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just surprising. You don’t look like a Black man.” I regretted my words as soon as I said them because none of this was really my business. His eyes fluttered briefly before he kept an understanding smile on his face.
“Zhere have been plenty of blanc passe elders zhat have come before us. I’m sure Babette would be interested in hearing your take.”
I was trying to figure out what to say that wouldn’t leave me feeling like more of an asshole, but there wasn’t really much to say. “Your father’s genes are just incredibly strong.”
His smirk screamed that he’d heard that sentiment all of his life. “Much to her annoyance. She zhought I would at least get curlier hair but alas I am relegated to zhis. But let me cornrow it and you’ll be able to see zhe cheekbones our ancestors gave me.” He tossed his shoulder-length wavy brown hair back off his face and I couldn’t lie that when you took away the silky ass hair, he looked less Middle Eastern. Slightly.
“I didn’t mean to be offensive. I was just surprised.”
“I took no offense. I simply believe in you going into our arrangement with your eyes wide open. No secrets between us.”
“This is business. I don’t need to know your genetic make up—” he said something in another language that I couldn’t understand. The way his lids lowered into a seductive position and his nose flared, I could tell it wasn’t a threat. “Do I want to know?”
“Are you brave enough to ask?” His eyes did that hypnotic seducing look and his tongue darted out to skate briefly across his lips.
A challenge. I wasn’t sure why he always wanted to challenge me. I wasn’t sure if it was a test to see if I would fold or if he wanted to see how strong I was. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t like it either.
“What did you say?” I held my breath after the words left my lips like that would protect me from the effect his words would have on me.
“I said, you know I don’t mean somezing as simple as a business contract, beautiful. Our fates have long since been intertwined, I’m just waiting on you to realize it.”
“Mr. Cannon, that is something that I can’t have. I’ve fired clients for making advances—”
He sat forward abruptly and I pushed back away from my desk at the sudden movement. The cold heat was back again and the anger on his face scared the shit out of me.
“Give me a name and I will have zheir head waiting for you by zhe time you get home.”
That. That was the reason I had to stay away. This man was… well he was clearly comfortable with murder. And what the fuck was I supposed to do with that?
“That’s… tha.. that’s not necessary. I haven’t had any problems.”
Xerxes was leaned over my desk the rage in his eyes clear, body taut like he was ready to strike the next person who walked in the door if they so much as looked at me wrong.
“If you ever are in need, zibā , make sure I am the first person you call.” He looked around as though something had just dawned on him. “Are you here alone?”
I was but there was usually someone here with me today. I’d buzzed him in when I looked in the camera and saw who it was. “My assistant—”
“Is also a voman, yes?” He seemed to wait impatiently for my answer and I could feel the silent pressure for me to hurry up and give it.
“Well, yes, but—”
“Unacceptable. I vill have a guard here within zhe hour.” He reached into the breast pocket of his blazer and pulled out his phone.
I hopped up and I was so little of a threat to this man that he didn’t look up from his Phone. “I don’t need a guard. I don’t keep money here and there is literally nothing for people to steal. My doors lock automatically and you have to be buzzed in. I have taken the precautions necessary to ensure me and my employee are safe.”
“Is it impact resistant?”
“What?”
He stood taller, jaw set, dark brows quirked. I felt like I was under interrogation and failing. “Zhe glass? Is it impact resistant?” His hand was over his shoulder pointing to the glass that made up the front of my office.
“Mr. Cann—”
“Xerxes, Vanya. We are far too familiar now and will be even more so in the future for you to continue to keep zhis professional distance between us.”
My walls clenched as I relented especially since I had bigger battles to fight. “Xerxes—”
“If you don’t have impact resistant glass, zhen someone could kick zhe door in fairly easily. I am not trying to be high-handed, zibā , but I need you to understand zhat I vill protect you at all costs. If zhe guard is too much, allow me to handle zhis for you as a small token of my appreciation. I require excellence from everyone around me, and alzough I’m sure you’ll deliver, I want you to be as unbothered as possible while you put in your work in on my behalf. Now, should we talk about an exclusivity agreement?”
“Exclusivity?”
He nodded as he sat back down in his seat. “Yes, for zhe length of time I need your services I will require you to be on call at all times.”
I sat back down and booted up my laptop to pull up my service contract. “My service is already boutique—”
He smirked looking around before focusing on me again. “Cute. Boutique is for zhe rich. A place zhey can shop because zhey can afford zhe price tags. I am a man who doesn’t look at price tags when I want something. And zhe boutique comes to me no matter what country I’m in. Not to be arrogant, simply stating a fact. When I want somezing, I have no issue paying for the expense. So name your price. Are we looking at 40%?”
“Forty percent of what?”
“Of zhe purchase price.”
“No seller is going to pay me forty percent of a sale price to sell a property. They’d be losing out exponentially on the sale.” I was laughing at him but his face was just as serious as it had been before. Which made me uneasy for what he was going to say next.
“Zhat’s why I’m covering your fees.” His face remained blank but I couldn’t believe he was being serious.
“Xerxes!”
“I am doing my best to do zhis at your pace. Please do not call out my name in zhat breazless way. Zhe way zhat makes me zhink of passion. Of having you vhisper my name zhat way as I help you see heaven our first time togezher. My self-control is intact but you are temptation in its purest form.” He subtly shifted in his seat and I had to thank God I couldn’t see his lap over this desk.
“My standard fee is seven percent.”
“Far too low for zhe work you do.”
“You haven’t worked with me before so how do you know that?”
“If you are successful enough in zhis city to build a name for yourself large enough to be your own broker at such a young age then yes, you are grossly underpaid. If I had to guess, you kept your fees low to attract clients. And zhen once you established yourself, you zhought zhat raising it to seven percent would be a good median between practical and luxurious so you stayed zhere. Well now, I’m here to tell you it’s far too low. You can’t build an empire trying to please everyone. What is the lowest priced house you currently have listed?” It was obvious that Xerxes made deals everyday because he came prepared for any argument I seemed to have.
“It’s in the low fives.” It was a temporary home one of the players on the city’s football team had purchased before he met his wife. He was selling it now because I’d sold them their dream property in The Sanctuary.
“Fine. I will purchase zhe home so zhat you can clear your schedule.”
“Xerxes, the house is already under contract.”
He worked his jaw almost stubbornly at not being able to get his way immediately. “Zhen I ill pay zheir closing costs after zhe due diligence is performed so zhat we may get zhis expedited. Vanya, I am not a man who likes to have anyzing in his way when he has put his mind to somezing. I have put my mind to you. Having you.”
“Having me.”
“And your talent to assist me in finding what I need. Zhis is zhe type of project zhat can guarantee you win your award next year as well.”
“I can’t believe you remember that.”
“It was a cause to celebrate. Zhe fragrance was a gift of congratulations. You smell divine, by zhe way.” His eyes seemed to land on the spots where I’d sprayed his perfume.
“How can you tell? You’re not sniffing my neck.” I was trying to be flip, but he got that look in his eyes again.
“Is zhat an invitation?”
My hand went to my hair and I toyed nervously with one of the strands. “I’m kidding.”
“Perhaps. And only for now. But do zhe have an agreement?”
“I’m not sure how I can say no. My client will be very happy to hear about the closing costs.”
A grin dawned on his face as he stood up and re-buttoned his jacket. “Good. I’ll wire it into your account—”
I stood up along with him but I had to question what he meant. “How do you have my account information?”
Xerxes stared as though he found my underestimating him amusing.
“Zibā, you stick around long enough and you will find zhere is no stone I will leave unturned wiz learning everyzing zhere is to know about what I desire.”