Page 83 of His North Star
“Anyway,” he said, “I got the listing.”
The roller fumbled in my hand, splattering paint everywhere. “You’re going to help our competitor?”
“Help them sell the business. I’m not helping them steal customers from you.”
“If the new owners come in and update everything, then yeah, they’re going to steal business and ruin ours.”
“Whether or not I’m the selling agent, that might still happen. I don’t understand why it can’t be me. This is the shot I’ve been waiting for.”
I whispered, “Because it feels like you’re choosing them over us.”Like how you choose every other woman over me.
He looked at me. “I’m not, but I understand why you see it that way. Do you want me to pass on representing The Peaks?”
Was I really asking that? Forcing Ty to give up his dream of moving into commercial real estate for me? As he said, even if another agent was the one handling the sale, it was being turned over to new owners no matter what.
I sighed. “It’s ironic you’re selling the property that took our business in the past and might hurt us in the future, but this is epic, Ty. You should take it. You’ll make top five for sure.”
“This is the big leagues.” His brow furrowed. “I’ve never done commercial before. What if I can’t sell it?”
Aw. Insecure Ty was too cute for words. He walked around in life knowing exactly who he was. Rarely did he show this side of himself—the vulnerable, doubting part that we all had but pretended we didn’t.
I put the roller back in the paint pan. Time for me to be his voice of reason. His cheerleader. “You started out four years ago selling condos, and look where you’re at now. You were made to do this.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
“Am I?” I challenged.
He shook his head. “August thirty-first, there will be a dozen investors here. We’re talking billionaires and business moguls coming to look at the property. This is huge. And extremely terrifying.”
Whoa. I gulped back my nerves on behalf of Ty. Terrifying was almost too humble a word to describe what that situation would be like. But Ty had this.
“Are you fractions-in-fifth-grade scared or innertube-popping-on-Swan-River scared?”
He immediately shot out, “Swan River.”
Total heart attack level.
When we were in sixth grade, our parents took us to Swan River for a picnic, fishing, and a float down the river. Ty and I grew impatient waiting to go tubing, so we took off on our own. We didn’t know there was one section of the river you had to get out and walk along the bank for. Ty’s tube had popped on a sharp rock at the start of a class-three rapid section. The part we were to avoid.
He’d been tossed about like a leaf in a windstorm. His body was sucked under and spat out over and over. As I somehow passed by on my tube, he’d grabbed onto my hand, and we’d made it through. But just barely. It was one of the reasons why I’d been so hesitant to go with James. Since Ty didn’t let it keep him from river rafting, I tried not to as well. He was more confident, whereas I became a Nervous Nellie.
Even if facing a room full of investors was equivalent to a near-death experience, Ty would come out in the end, and not only survive, I’d bet he’d be victorious.
“What’s your game plan?” I asked.
“Well, Jen from the firm is helping me, since it’s my first time with this big of a listing. But can I practice the presentation with you?”
Jen? The stunning, blonde-haired, legs-for-days woman Ty practically swooned over when she started at his firm last year? Lovely. “Yeah. I can help you with any questions about running a hospitality business.” Even if betrayal stabbed at my subconscious.
“Thank you.” He sighed. “One minute I can’t believe I’m doing this and the next I want to move to South America.”
“Listen. You are absolutely incredible at public speaking. You can do this. Okay?” I nodded.
He nodded back.
I continued, “But most importantly. . .”
“Yeah?”
