Chapter 85
Iwake up early, feeling like everything is in place for the first time in weeks.
Dani chose me. She’s my girlfriend, and as I sneak out of bed, I’m intent on bringing her coffee before she wakes.
The cottage has no coffee, so I jog to a nearby shop, debating whether to get her usual black coffee or the dirty chai she ordered in Traverse City.
Dirty chai. This morning feels a lot like that weekend.
I bring the latte upstairs, but Dani’s already awake and on the phone. She holds a finger to her lips, gesturing for silence, and I sit beside her, placing the latte within reach.
“Her husband … she said his business partner was looking for a quiet place to spend the summer,” I hear a woman’s voice on speaker. She must be on the phone with her aunt.
“When did you sell the place to him?”
“He first contacted me about … last July—July twenty-fourth, and it closed on August twenty-sixth.”
“Why didn’t you tell us you sold the place?” Dani asks.
“Oh. Did you want it? I would have held on to it for a few more years if you wanted to use it. Sorry, Dani.” The woman’s voice sounds remorseful. “Adam said he fell in love with the house and made me an above-market offer. I was barely spending any time there.”
We both look at each other. Her aunt seemingly doesn’t know that Adam gave Dani the house.
“It’s all good. I just wanted to confirm,” she says. “I’ll let you get back to your day.” Dani hangs up. “Should I have told her I was dating him?” she asks me.
I shake my head. “You know … this gives me an idea.” I call Greg Wilson. As he answers, I put him on speaker.
“Gideon!” Greg’s voice booms.
“What do you think of being CEO of the fastest-growing real estate investment platform?” I ask, smiling at Dani as the words spill out while she stares at me, dumbfounded.
“Oh … that’s an interesting idea,” he says coyly. “Why do you ask?”
“I’m thinking of retiring.”
“How fucking magical can her pussy be?” Greg immediately responds, laughing at himself.
Dani flips off the phone with both hands. I almost laugh at her response. We smile at each other for a moment before I say, “That’s my girlfriend you’re talking about.”
“I have a potential conflict. But you could also make me an offer I can’t refuse.” Dani and I furrow our brows at each other, not understanding what his potential conflict could be. “Greg’s gotta eat too,” he says, and she makes a fake barf expression.
“Equity, comp, you tell me. I want to have the transition over in a year or less.”
“I’ll think on some ideas. Does Adam know you’re talking to me about this?”
“This is our secret for now,” I say, winking at Dani.
“I’ll think about it,” he says, then hangs up.
“Fucking Greg.” Dani scoffs. “What do you think the conflict is?”
“No idea. Obviously, he is working some angles.” I slide back into bed and put my arm around her shoulder.
Dani takes a sip of her latte while looking at her phone.
“Are you working?”
“It is a workday. I’ve been playing hooky all week,” she says, not looking up from her phone.
“Play hooky one more day,” I beg.
She looks up from her phone. “Wait, Real-ity paid the invoice. This isn’t like a pity thing, right?”
“Pity? No. I brought it up in the board meeting, and everyone approved. I should have been your client since March.”
“Exactly! Finally, you accept that!”