Page 72 of Out of the Shadow

These two questions bring me up short. “No. None of that.”

“Do you want to?”

Shit. Leave it to my oldest friend—Trevor doesn’t count anymore—to call me out. I clear my throat. “They both sound nice.”

“Dude, I didn’t think I’d ever see the day. But I’m happy for you. And I’m responsible! You two never would’ve met if I hadn’t cast you on the show. Hmm, maybe we should change the name to theReal Estate Matchmakers Get It On.”

I chuckle. “Asshole.”

He laughs. “Listen, I’m happy you’ve found the girl for you. I don’t know her well, but she seems awesome. Now I can’t wait to get out there for the final contest.” He pauses. “Soon, you and Angie’ll need to hire yourselves to buy your own dream house.”

His words have a hard landing. Rubbing my stubble, I steer our conversation to his little girls. Ten minutes later, we hang up. I better get a move on, as I still have some prep work to do for the final episode. Angie and I have competing Open Houses and the person who gets the highest rankings from the people who walk through the doors will win the contest, which will be weighted twice in the final tally. Whoever has the highest score for all the competitions wins the series and gets that big bonus check.

I can use that money.

But so can Angie.

I finish my protein shake and go online for gift ideas. What should I get Angie this time? I discard the lingerie idea from earlier and decide on jewelry. Yes. A pair of earrings will be the perfect gift. I do a quick wardrobe change and head out to the highest-rated jewelry store in town.

Jewelry box in hand, I park in the agency’s lot. A grin tugs at my mouth when I notice the huge banner over the door saying, “Congratulations, King!” I enter and take in the streamers and balloons around my desk.

“Nice decorations.”

Marlene smiles at me from the reception desk. I walk over to perform our morning ritual. “Thanks! I wanted to let the world know that you passed the real estate test.”

Something dims in me when I realize it was Marlene, and not Angie, who did all this for me. Still, it was a very nice gesture. “I really appreciate it, Marlene. It still doesn’t feel quite real to me.”

“When you get your first client yelling at you, believe me, you’ll know it’s real.”

“You’re probably right.” I glance over to Angie’s empty desk. “Is she in yet?”

She nods. “She was here before, but told me she was tired and went upstairs to take a catnap. She should be back down shortly.”

The knowledge that I was the one who made her tired makes me suppress a smile. I rap on the top of the reception desk. “Appreciate all your hard work around here.” And I do. We need to get her on the payroll.

We?

Yes. We.

I’m doing the final touches on my Open House for the taping when the interior door opens and Angie enters the office. Her hair is pulled up in a high ponytail and she’s wearing a pair of grey capris with a light pink top and flats. She’s adorable, if not exactly high fashion. And all mine.

Standing, I meet her at her desk and lean in for a kiss. At the last second, she turns her head and my lips graze her cheek. Her eyes flip to Marlene, who’s fussing with something on her desk, before settling back on me.

I stifle the urge to pull her in for a hug since she’s so aware of her cousin. “Are you ready for your Open House?”

She nods and walks around me to get to her desk chair. I follow her, the earrings burning a hole in my pocket. “The show gave me an amazing property to work with,” she says. “Get ready to lose.”

I wiggle my eyebrows. “I can say the same thing. At least they’re our clients now, so if we make a sale, the agency still gets the commission.”

“Split with Let’s Do It!”

“True. But half of something is better than all of nothing.”

She picks up her pen and pulls out a notepad that has writing scribbled on it. “I have to finish this up, King. Did you want to talk with me about anything else?”

Yes! Like when can we at least come out as a couple to Marlene? I clamp my mouth shut and fish the little box out of my pocket. Bending down, I whisper in her ear, “I’d love to be doing more than talking.” I give her lobe a bite and place my present for her on top of her desk. Without looking back, I amble back to my desk and pretend to search for something on the computer, all the while tracking her movements.

She picks up the tiny box, which she unwraps in her lap, out of Marlene’s field of vision. Tossing the wrapping paper into her garbage can, she pops the box open and her mouth forms a circle. She blinks one time, slowly, at me. I return the gesture. She stands and heads for the ladies’ room.

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