Page 65 of Negotiating Tactics

“I didn’t want to pry,” Birdie said.

“Pry? You’re my best friend.” I frowned at her.

“I know, but it was just…” She shrugged. “You’ve seemed so happy, and I didn’t want to do anything to upset that.”

I smiled at her. “Thank you, Birdie.”

“So…” Aunt Clem said

“So what…?” I asked.

“How is it?” Aunt Clem said, her eyes sparkling.

“It?” I asked, my mind refusing to accept what she was really asking.

Aunt Clem never blushed. But she was blushing now. “Well,” she finally said, her voice bubbly. “I wasn’t speaking about that, per se. I was just asking about the relationship, having a boyfriend and all that.”

I smiled, then laughed nervously and looked at Birdie, who shrugged.

I looked away dreamily, then sighed, sounding so lovesick it was disgusting. “It’s great. He’s great. And even though I’ve been working like crazy, it doesn’t seem to bother him at all.

“He doesn’t get mad when I can’t see him, and when I do see him, it’s just…easy. And nice,” I said.

“Not words I think of when I think of Noah,” Birdie said.

“I wouldn’t have thought that either. But it just is. Like, on Friday, I was working late, so he sent over dinner for the office. Or sometimes I’m so tired, I’ll fall asleep while he’s at my apartment, and he doesn’t get mad. He just sends me to bed, locks up, and texts me when he gets home,” I said.

It seemed so simple, but the way Noah cared for me was beyond anything I’d ever experienced.

“I’m so happy for you, Alex,” Birdie said.

I was happy too, more than I could say.

And as happy as Noah made me, he wasn’t the only thing that was going well.

Even though I wished I could spend more time with Noah, I was so very close to hitting my goal.

I’d saved fourteen thousand so far and knew that after a couple more closings and maybe another weekend doing notary work, I would have all the earnest money.

I tried to think of a time in my life had been going this well and couldn’t.

Finally, after what felt like years of being stagnant, I was moving forward.

And I was determined to enjoy every minute of it.

I cleared my throat and smiled at Aunt Clem and Birdie. “Well, ladies, I have to…”

“Go see your man?” Aunt Clem asked.

“No, Aunt Clem. I have some work I need to finish up,” I said.

Aunt Clem frowned. “It’s Sunday.”

“So it is, but duty calls,” I said.

Aunt Clem harumphed but didn’t say anything else, though her displeasure was clear.

I just smiled and hugged her and Birdie and then headed out.

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