Page 103 of Return To You

thirty-one

Grace

Earlier that day

*

After my ten o’clock hot stone massage with one of my oldest clients, I review Shanice’s training plan, then follow up with a few orders before taking a minute to check the realtor websites for any commercial leases.

No luck. As I tuck my phone back in my pocket and walk back to the reception to check in with Claudia, George Richardson comes in.

“I was just thinking about you.” I try to mask the sarcasm in my tone, but judging by his pursed lips, I’d call it a fail.

“A minute of your time?” he asks me.

A slew of snarky comebacks pop into my mind, but I choose to save my breath. I guide him to my small windowless office, which was originally a closet but is ample space for what I need: a computer and a minimal filing system. We sit on each side of my sleek glass desk.

“I wanted to pay you the courtesy of a visit, Ms. Harper.”

Seeing as I’ve learned from the grapevine about his intent to sell, and a realtor already showed the place, he’s way too late for a courtesy visit, but I let him talk anyway. It’s not in my interest to be confrontational, so I let him dole out his platitudes.

Finally, he gets to the reason he’s here. “I have an offer in hand.”

Already? My eyebrows shoot to my hairline, but I manage to smile. “Congratulations.”

“Sight unseen, if you can believe it.” He takes a deep breath. “It’s a cash offer, and I’m ready to accept it. I’d like to move quickly on this deal, and I’d appreciate it if you’d help me do so by formally expressing that you don’t intend to exercise your right of first refusal.”

Well, screw that. “What makes you think I don’t want to buy the building?”

He smirks. “I didn’t know spas were so profitable. I should look into that line of investment.”

Did he just assume I can’t afford the building?

Well—he’s right. But it’s insulting. “And why wouldn’t I exercise my right of first refusal?”

The smirk becomes intolerable. “To stay on my good side?”

“Let me recap. You’ve still not fixed the deck, which is a safety hazard to my clientele. You just now have informally informed me that I will be losing my place of business. And you want me to stay on your ‘good side’?” I air quote. I resist asking what being on his bad side looks like. I don’t have time or patience for rhetorical arguments. Instead, I stand. “I’ll have to think on it.”

He raps his fingers on my small desk. “How long?”

“I’ll have my lawyer look into the lease agreement.”

“See, that’s where people like you don’t understand business. You’re going to spend your hard-earned money on a lawyer who’ll just end up telling you there’s nothing you can do.”

I open the door. “Well, it’s my hard-earned money, isn’t it?”

He stands and smirks. “One last thing. The buyer would like a thorough visit. As is her right. And your obligation.”

I nod and shrug. “Of course.”

“Fine then. Miss Keller?”

I whip around to see Amy in the reception area, phone in hand, snapping pictures of every detail in the spa.

My heartbeat picks up, and I clench my jaw to keep myself from lashing out at her. Really? I take a deep breath. “Amy, so nice to see you again!” I take a few assured steps her way. “Claudia, why don’t you show Amy around? I have a few things to tend to.”

“I can show her,” Richardson says.

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