Chapter 17 : Shady Deals

Simone Weak sunlight filtered into the bedroom, and I felt warm and relaxed. I'd slept well. It was the perfect combination of intimacy and sex. I stretched with my eyes closed, relishing in every muscle that loosened. I felt refreshed in a way I hadn't felt in months. Maybe even years. I opened my eyes but quickly closed them again. I was looking at the wrong ceiling. I'd had my fair share of one-night stands. I'd woken up in many unfamiliar places and seen many different ceilings. But this ceiling was unfamiliar; I knew exactly where I was. In fact, I'd just shown a client this ceiling the other day. I sat up slowly and looked over to find a sleeping Rob next to me. I smiled. He was so sexy in his sleep. His face was open and happy. He was absolutely gorgeous. The panic that had started to build subsided, and all I could feel was safe and satisfied. Rob wasn't exactly the sex god that Michael was, but he was no slouch either. He was precise and careful, making sure that I was okay with every touch and movement. No man had ever treated me so well, and the end results were just as good. He'd been very adamant that I come before he did. He was so f*cking nice. But the guilt that he was a client came back to me, and I wanted to get home. I leaned down and placed a quick peck on his lips before getting up. I quickly dressed and wrote a quick note so he wouldn't think I'd left in shame. If anything, I was leaving in complete peace. That was just how I felt with him. I ordered an Uber and got back to my place with enough time for a quick shower and a large cup of coffee. Good sex or not, he was still a client, and I probably shouldn't have let go the way I had the night before. After everything that had happened yesterday, pre-Rob, and what happened last night, I absolutely didn't want to go into the office. F*cking adulthood. I downed my coffee and started the drive into the city, hoping that today would be a little happier in the office than yesterday. When I opened the door, I noticed Crystal wasn't at her desk. Already, I was experiencing a miracle. I guessed if you hoped for things enough, good things happened. I made another cup of coffee and got to work. There was a lot of paperwork to get through on Michael's new house. I phoned the listing agent to ask him to send the contract over with a few minor changes so she could have Michael sign it. "Simone, I'm so glad you've called," the agent said, though he didn't sound glad at all. He sounded like my high school guidance counselor when I told her I was dropping out of school–frustrated and disappointed, but mostly just done. "I'm sorry to tell you that unfortunately my client has decided to go in another direction," he said formally. "We've had a better offer late yesterday, and we're going to take it." The agent was cold and detached, completely different from the genial man I'd met when I first saw the house. I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. Michael had offered above the listing price, and we had a contract, even though there was a clause that let the seller get out of it. I knew that didn't set anything in stone until the closing papers were signed, but I was still one to think that an agreement ought to mean something. Besides his great offer, Michael was also paying cash. How on earth could someone scoop this place out from under him when it had been on the market for weeks? I hung up the phone and stared into space, feeling defeated. Mandy walked by, took one look at me, and realized I was about thirty seconds from a breakdown. "Who do I need to kill?" she asked seriously. When I told her what had happened, she looked suspicious. "Simone, that place has been on the market for weeks. There's been no movement whatsoever, and suddenly there's a higher offer? I smell a rat." I felt the same, but I figured I was being irrational. I'd really gotten my hopes up about this sale. Maybe this was a total coincidence and bad timing. But if I trusted anyone in the world, it was Mandy, and she was sure something was up. She was probably right. She got on the phone to the other brokerage and talked up the receptionist for a few minutes. Her voice was excited and cheerful. I called it her phone voice. She always used it when she was talking with clients or trying to get a man to agree to her plans. It was a brilliant manipulation tactic. Ten minutes later, she was back at my desk. "I was right!" she said victoriously. "Guess who put down the bid on the property," she said dramatically. I shrugged. "I genuinely have no idea." She rolled her eyes at my lack of enthusiasm. "It was Downtown Property Development." The name vaguely rang a bell, but I wasn't connecting the dots. She sighed dramatically. "Downtown Property Development is a huge firm that buys up shitty slums and turns them into high end apartment complexes and offices. They don't buy houses, and they certainly don't touch anything near the beach." I stared at her blankly, still not understanding. "Keep up, Simone!" she said, snapping her fingers in my face. "Before Crystal came to this firm, she worked for DPD. Her ex-boyfriend owns the firm! I'd bet you Michael's house, plus a million dollars, that she had something to do with this." My brain snapped into focus, and my blood boiled. "That bitch!" I screamed. Mandy nodded her head excitedly. "She's a f*cking nasty bitch," she responded in a cheer. "So let's beat her at her own game." I dialed Michael's number, only belatedly realizing that I was a little nervous to talk to him. After all, I'd woken up in another man's arms this morning. But that was personal, and this was business. "Hey, Michael," I said in my realtor voice. "I have some bad news about the Ocean Boulevard house. They got another last-minute offer." "No way!" he answered, upset. "Simone, that house was perfect. Isn't the contract signed already?" "From my understanding, the offer's been accepted, but they had a clause that lets them take a higher offer.. If you wanted to increase your price, I could call them back and propose a new deal." I could hear him breathing, as he was likely considering his options. "Okay," he finally said. "Outbid them, but start with a lowball. I'm willing to put up another million, but they don't need to know that. Work those negotiating skills and get it back!" "Yes, sir!" I mocked with a giggle. The line was quiet for a moment before he said, "Oh, we're definitely roleplaying a teacher, student scenario the next time we f*ck." I blushed as I hung up the phone. Mandy looked at me expectantly. "Well?" she demanded. "He said to do whatever it takes to get the house back." *** Mandy and I didn't bother calling the listing agent. Instead, we drove over to his office to have the meeting face to face. "My client wants to increase his offer," I told him. "He's not interested in a bidding war, but I think you'll like his terms. If you take this deal right now and get him the contract within an hour, he'll add another one-hundred grand and cover the closing costs." The agent looked me up and down, surprised. "You sure move fast at Owens Group," he smirked. "But I won't let it go for less than five hundred thousand above his current bid." "That ridiculous," Mandy chimed in, though she wasn't aware that Michael had offered a million more. "You're being a hard ass for the sake of being a hard ass. We've been here ten minutes, and you haven't even told your client about the new bid." He fixed her with a hard stare, and she knew she had him beat. "Now, Simone announced the deal yesterday, and our other co-worker is suspiciously absent today. I also happen to know that your client is out of the country on a spiritual retreat," she said. She pulled out her phone and showed the agent an Instagram picture of his client on the beach. "The caption says, 'Living free. Positive vibes only. Won't be taking calls for a few weeks.' Total douchebag talk for, 'I'm not taking calls from my realtor right now.'" She had him there. "He's probably sleeping in a cabana somewhere with no idea that his house has suddenly become so popular." The agent looked like he had steam coming out of his ears. Never in my life had I seen a human being turn that shade of red. "I'm working in the best interest of my client, and the current deal is in his best interest," he answered coldly. "I'm sorry that your petty office drama is bleeding into your sales figures, but I'm not giving you the house for less than five hundred thousand above asking." "Two fifty," I negotiated. "Four ninety-nine, and that's my final offer." I rolled my eyes at this man. I realized how small he was, not in stature, but in character. He was the worst kind of agent, a greedy, slimy, double-crossing– "Two ninety-nine, and I don't tell your wife you're texting college co-eds," Mandy challenged him. Had I mentioned that Mandy knew everything about everyone? She could access information quicker than the FBI. And by the look on the agent's face, she had him by the balls. "Fine," he finally sputtered. "Two ninety-nine plus closing costs, and your client has to agree to close in three weeks." "That's not a problem," I answered confidently. Mandy and I nodded at the man, then turned toward the door like the badass bitches we were. I imagined we were coolly walking away from an explosion like in an action movie. In some ways, we were. It was no surprise that when we returned to the office, Crystal was sitting at her desk looking smug. "Everything okay, princess?" she called to me. "You're looking a little sad. Though, if we're being honest, you always look sad." She must have felt like she was at the top of the world. She somehow thought she'd defeated me, but she had the wrong bitch. Elation filled my chest as I realized that I'd finally beat her. "You know what, I am a little sad. Because Michael had to up his offer on the house, and now I'm getting a higher commission. I'm going to be crying my way to the bank." Mandy chortled, but Crystal was fuming. I walked up to her desk and got in her face. "You want to know something about me?" I whispered dangerously. "I grew up in a f*cking trailer park. If you had a problem with someone, you took them to the basketball court and tried to beat the shit out of them. I don't play mind games. You want to f*ck with me and my money, just try it. I'll see you on the court." I expected her to be intimidated, but all the crazy bitch did was laugh and say, "Oh, I've just begun to start playing games with you, whore."