Chapter 13 : The Listing

Simone Rob called me that night and told me he'd had a slight change of plans. I immediately felt my heart sink, thinking he'd decided to go with a more experienced realtor. In reality, the opposite was true. While he'd been away, his listing agent had been arrested for not paying his taxes. Now Rob had no one to sell his house and was in desperate need of a new agent. Instead of trying to find someone else at the last minute, he'd immediately thought of me. "I'm already comfortable with you," he'd said. "I can't stand the idea of trying to find someone else at the last minute. Plus, I've been talking it over with my financial advisors, and they all agree that this is the best move. I know it's a lot of work, but you'll get double the commission. I think it's a win-win for all of us." Indeed, it was. Not only would I get a double commission from this one client, but I'd be able to rub it in Crystal's face. He didn't just trust me to find him his next home; he trusted me enough to sell his current home. Jake would be thrilled, and the idea of probation would be totally off the table. I felt like I could relax–finally. Even though Rob had just asked me to sell the house, he'd had it professionally cleaned and staged while he was gone. He wanted this process to go as quickly and smoothly as possible. It was a nice change to walk into a listing house and not have to do anything. I once had to spend an entire month trying to get a client's house ready for market. Rob's house had already been live on the market for a few days, but of course, nobody had been able to show it. The next day, I was officially the listing agent, and I already had several calls about the house. I was almost giddy. Finally, something in this business was easy. I agreed to meet with a couple that night. They were expecting their first baby and desperate to find a place as soon as possible. I arrived at the house an hour before our meeting and was thrilled to see that it was immaculate. Despite the professional cleaning and staging, I was sure that Rob was the kind of guy who didn't let a single speck of dust get out of place. He may not have the best style or the most confidence, but he was precise. He liked things a certain way. His home was stunning, but not very personal. It was exactly what a new buyer wanted to see so they could picture it their own way. The couple arrived, and they were absolutely lovely. She was already five months along, though you couldn't tell by looking at her. They were kind and excited and had a million questions about the house. I'd stayed up most of the night researching everything I could about the listing, so thankfully I could easily answer all of their questions. "Well, I guess there's only one thing left to ask," the woman said as we made our way back to the entryway. "How soon can we sign?" I was elated, lighter than air. I'd known the house would go fast, but I had no idea that the buyers would be the first couple that saw it. Not only that, but they were offering way over asking price–they definitely wanted to move in fast–and their terms were incredible. They would cover the closing fee, and they were waiving the inspection. They wanted to be moved in within six weeks. That was both great and stressful news. It was great that they'd put in such an incredible offer, but now I had less than six weeks to find Rob his next place. I told them that I would have to check with Rob, of course, and they could hope to hear from me in the next few days. If the deal went through, though, it would be a dream. I'd have my first big sale, and I'd finally feel like I was worthy of this position. I was packing up my things and getting ready to leave when Rob returned home. I hadn't seen him in nearly a month, and there was something imperceptibly different about him. His hair was still messy and out of place, his glasses were still too big for his face, but somehow he was sexier now. "Hey, Simone," he said happily. Gone was his awkwardness and self-consciousness. "It's really great to see you again!" "It's good to see you too," I smiled. "How did the showing go?" There was slightly more swagger in his step and an air of confidence that hadn't been there before. He certainly wasn't the guy who'd had to rehearse a speech before talking to me for the first time. "It was excellent!" I beamed at him. "They've already put in an offer!" He looked shocked. "Already? That's amazing, Simone!" He walked over to me and pulled me into a tight hug. I was surprised by how firm his muscles felt. He was generally thin, so I'd assumed he wasn't built. Yet, his body was hard against mine, and I was suddenly feeling a little breathless. He let go. "I know," I breathed out heavily. "This is really, really great news. You don't even understand how great this is." "Explain it to me," he said with self-assurance. "I'll make us dinner." Woah. Where had that come from? I didn't want to turn down his offer, especially since he'd just hand-delivered me my first sale. But I was suddenly put off-kilter by his new confidence. It wasn't uncomfortable, just surprising. Sure, he'd been hot before, but it was in a safe, nerdy way. He was shy and awkward and that felt safe. Now, I was seeing him with new eyes. He went into the kitchen and started throwing together some ingredients. If I'd thought he looked confident before, I was blown away by how he really shined in the kitchen. Unlike Michael, he was clearly a man who loved to cook. I couldn't help but stare as he worked, so surprised by this side of him. He turned to see me gaping and winked at me. When he was finished, he served us up plates and set them at the island counter. He'd made a complicated Indian dish that smelled amazing. My mouth watered at the sight. The spices smelled so strong and warm. "I wasn't sure if you'd like it spicy or not," he said with a small blush. There was the Rob I knew. I took a bite, and it was wonderful. Not too spicy, but still flavorful and delicious. I gave him a thumbs up of approval. "Where did you learn to make this?" I asked, genuinely curious about how a guy from Silicon Valley would learn to cook such amazing Indian food. He ducked his head and blushed a little more. "I'd love to tell you that I took a gap year and went to India to learn their secret cooking methods. The truth is, I couldn't find a good Indian restaurant in college, so I watched a YouTube video." I giggled at this. There was something sweet and unassuming about him. He had fortune and a lot of talent, but he was very humble and shy about it. He was the kind of guy who just wanted to blend into the background. He poured us wine, and I felt very warm and safe. I could have curled up on his couch and watched a movie with his arms folded around me. As if on cue, he suddenly asked if I'd like to watch a movie. "Sorry if that's forward," he said shyly. "I just don't have company often, and I'm not quite ready to give you up." My cheeks warmed, and I agreed to watch a movie with him. Before we got settled, he put his chef's talent to work and made some popcorn–on the stove, not in the microwave. I could get used to this kind of treatment. We snuggled up into the couch and he asked me to pick the movie; I went with a safe action flick instead of a romance or comedy; I was his agent, and even though that didn't seem to matter between me and Michael, I was going to do everything I could to keep this relationship professional. Although that was a tall order. Now that I was sitting next to him, the shy geek vibe disappeared and he wrapped his arm around me confidently. I smiled and took his hand; I watched as he locked his fingers around mine. I felt my cheeks flush hot. It was a whole different vibe than what I'd felt around Michael, but this was a different kind of attraction, and I felt myself wondering how it would feel to be in bed with Rob. No–I had to keep this professional. Or try, anyway. Two hours later, the movie was over and I didn't want to get up and leave the warmth and safety of his cuddles. "Thank you," I said. "That was a great movie and this was a lot of fun." "You need to take a break once in a while," he said. "You're a great real estate agent, but you need some work-life balance adjustments, I'm guessing." "It's that obvious?" I said. He shrugged. "You just seemed to need to relax," he said. "It has been a crazy few weeks," I said. "You mentioned something like that earlier. Everything okay?" Truthfully, I didn't want to spill my guts to Rob. It wasn't the professional thing to do. But his kindness and openness made me want to reciprocate. I really didn't have a lot of people to talk to besides Mandy. I couldn't help the tears that washed over me. "I'm so sorry," I said, suddenly sobbing uncontrollably. "This is so unprofessional. I'm just so overwhelmed." He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me against his chest. I thought, what the hell? How often do you get to vent with a sexy guy who's understanding, caring, and sensitive? He stroked my hair and rubbed my back as I cried. It was nice to have such an emotionally intimate moment with a man. Sure, sex with Michael was out of this world, but we weren't to this part of our relationship. It was all sexually charged touches, not sweet, quiet moments of relief. This was a release in its own way, and I needed it. "I just can't help but feel like I'm failing," I finally breathed out. "I've been at this job for an entire month and haven't sold anything." A dark look crossed his face. "Oh, shit," I said. "I'm not saying that to pressure you. I'm grateful for your business, and I want to make sure you find a house you love." He smiled, all the way up to his eyes. "We should go out," he said out of nowhere. "Now?" I asked. "It's getting pretty late, I should probably get home." He laughed nervously. "Sorry, no. I mean, like we should go out on a date. Or something? I just feel this crazy sense of peace with you. Sorry, shit. I'm rambling." He was so sexy–god, could he be any more adorable and gorgeous at the same time? I was in a bit of mild shock and didn't know how to react. What were the chances that my first two clients would ask me out? I struggled to fight back my urge to scream, "Yes!." Instead, I took a deep breath and said, "Rob, that's so sweet. Under different circumstances, I totally would, but I'm your real estate agent. It wouldn't be ethical." His face fell for a moment, then lit up again as if he'd had a brilliant idea. "I don't have to sell my house. I mean, I was only doing it because my business manager said it would be good to diversify my assets. I'll just take the house off the market, and then you could go out with me." He was rambling again, but this time, a wave of panic set in, and I was horrified. I could not lose another listing, especially one of this caliber. Trying to keep my libido under control with these hot clients was not easy. "No!" I yelled, then clapped my hand over my mouth. I was definitely coming off as desperate; I probably was, since I wanted to spend a lot more time with this gorgeous man. "I mean, if it's that important to you, I really don't mind. We can go out. It's really not that big of a deal." He looked worried. "Are you sure? I really didn't mean to pressure you. I do want to go out with you, and I want to buy a new house. But if I had to choose, I'd pick you." My face warmed again, and I felt butterflies flapping their wings in my stomach. "I'd love to go out with you," I told him honestly. Because, hell, I was already deep in this shit.