Page 57 of Beautiful Dreamer

“I could be a lot of trouble for you.”

Devyn laughed off the sentence, refusing to take it too seriously.She could handle Elizabeth and what they had going. If she was capable of amultimillion-dollar sellout in one of the largest cities in the nation,Elizabeth Draper was a walk in the park. And not just literally. “Nothing Ican’t handle.”

“Can you handle a ladybug? ’Cuz it’s the smallest one they haveand it would look very attractive right there,” she said, and touched a spot onDevyn’s cheekbone. That brief contact left her cheek warm and her stomachuncomfortable, making said ladybug hard to resist.

“Fine.”

Elizabeth beamed. “A small victory for the country mouse.”

“Does that make me the city mouse?”

She closed one eye. “A retired country mouse.”

Devyn balked. “I sound geriatric. I’m in the prime of my damn lifeand showed you so just the other day.”

“Shh,” Elizabeth said, leaning into her, but she was laughing,which only encouraged Devyn.

“Do you need another demonstration?”

Midge raised an amused eyebrow and made a point of looking awayrespectfully.

Elizabeth’s eyes danced. “I wouldn’t rule it out,” she saidquietly in Devyn’s ear.

That did it. Her “friend” Elizabeth had her wet and turned on in acrowd of hundreds with the day stretched out in front of them. Perfect. Thevery least she could do was submit to a ladybug on her cheek.

“I’m starving,” Elizabeth said thirty minutes later, showing offher newly sunflower-adorned cheek. Devyn snapped a photo.

“Think they have any salads?” Devyn asked, and received a deathstare.

“Everything you’re eating today will be fried. Prepare for that.”

“I’ll notify my arteries to prepare for battle.”

As they waited in line for fried Twinkies, Devyn received a callfrom one of her brokers, who was having trouble getting a potential buyer toput in an offer because the only floor they could afford at Twenty-Four Walkerdidn’t come with a stellar view. “Well, what have you tried?” she asked herguy, Damon.

He sighed. “Everything. I’ve pointed at the other perks the unitdoes have, the high ceilings and the chef’s kitchen, the one-of-a-kind designerfixtures—”

“Yeah, but they’re hung up on the views, right? You want toemphasize the bright spots the outdoor area does offer. Have you shown them theoutdoor living space?”

“In the initial showing.”

“Get them back into the unit, but not before you spend a littlemoney to get the outdoor area staged. Pipe in some music on the sound systemand have a sommelier there with a selection of wine. Tell Karen that Iauthorized the purchase. They’ll be putty in your hands.” She held up onefinger to Elizabeth, who stood there holding two cardboard trays with friedTwinkies and strawberry sauce. “Damon, I gotta go. Let me know what happenswith that offer. Don’t sleep until it’s done.”

Elizabeth quirked an eyebrow. “Don’t sleep? That seems strict.”

It was a phrase she’d said a number of times to her team, one thathad always seemed within bounds and status quo. Away from it all now, though,in the midst of others enjoying themselves and their Saturday, it did seem alittle extreme. She accepted her Twinkie from Elizabeth. “I suppose you don’tsay that to any of your On the Spot employees?”

“Can you imagine? Patch that tractor tire by midnight, KC, ornever talk to me again.”

“KC works for you? Best friends and coworkers?”

“Just here and there.” Elizabeth nodded. “I trust her implicitly.In fact,” she scanned the rows of booths, “she should be getting off her shiftabout now. The daycare hosts a funnel cake booth as a fund-raiser and theparents all take turns manning it. Over there. By the polka band.”

“A polka band? Well, hell, why didn’t you say so?” Devyn joked.

Elizabeth slid her a sideways glance. “You like all of this morethan you’re letting on.”

“Maybe,” Devyn said, through a mouthful of an amazing hot,battered Twinkie.

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