Page 4 of Meant for Two

“Tomato,tomato. The result is the same. But think about it. If you hadn’t left his firm, you never would have started your own company, and we never would be where we are today,” Avery shot back.

“You always make lemonade out of lemons, Avery. It’s one of your best traits.”

Her assistant laughed. “Gee, thanks. I thought my best trait was my amazing eye for design.”

Blair smiled. “You have many best traits.”

“Why thank you.”

Feeling less anxious, Blair stood. “You are right. I need to speak to the men directly. There is no use going to Drew and whining about things. That would be unprofessional.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” Avery asked.

While it might be smart to have the emotional backup, if Zane, who had the reputation for being the lady’s man started flirting with Avery, it might piss Blair off. If she let her snarky mouth take over, Blair might be kissing this job goodbye.

“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll go alone. I think this house is done anyway. How about heading over to the Ranchero Model and keep working on that?”

Avery stood. “You got it. Don’t be too harsh on the men. I bet they know what they’re doing.”

That was the problem. What if Blair was totally off base here? Her insecurities might be getting the best of her. After saying goodbye, Blair hopped into her car and headed toward town.

Blair had never been to their store or warehouse before, but if she wanted to sell houses, she needed to be more knowledgeable about their systems. An agent who couldn’t explain the products in a home could lose a sale quickly.

When she pulled up to the showroom, Blair was impressed with the clean lines and contemporary design. Their architect should be commended. The professional-looking building had large glass windows with the company logo prominently displayed. High-tech products were on display, arranged in a pleasing and sophisticated manner.

Blair shut off her Mercedes and stepped onto the pavered driveway. When she entered their storefront, she had a hard time taking in everything they had to offer. She’d expected a small showroom, not this large space. Not only were there rows and rows of products, there were also offices off the main room, as well as several employees taking care of business.

A gentleman spotted her, smiled, and came over to her. “May I help you?”

His nametag read Edward Smithers, a classy man with gray hair and glasses, who was around sixty or so. Blair was about to ask if Jeff or Zane was around, but she decided she should have a better idea of what they had to offer before she did. Embarrassing herself was something she didn’t want to do. “I’m Blair Gibson.”

She explained her job for Woodland Estates.

“Then you are familiar with many of our projects.”

“For the most part. Would you mind if I look around?”

He smiled. “Not at all. If you have any questions, just ask.”

“Thanks.”

As Blair walked around, she appreciated how the neutral color palette had pops of the company branding, creating a cohesive look.

Informational displays sat at each of the aisles’ endcaps, which she thought was a nice touch. One wall had a line of touch screens that appeared to have videos on many of the products. If she’d had more time, Blair would have liked to have studied them. One could never learn too much.

Off to the side was a glass-walled conference room that she suspected was for discussing what a client wanted and needed.

After doing a quick survey of the men’s business, she returned to Edward. “I’m working on a job with Jeff and Zane. Are either around?”

“Yes, ma’am. Come with me.”

Blair followed him to the door in the back. When he opened it, her breath caught at the massive size of the workshop. Several men were assembling security systems. It took her a moment to find Zane and Jeff. When she did, Blair carefully headed over to them. High heels weren’t meant for warehouses, but it's what she had to wear to work.

Jeff looked up first, but his expression quickly changed from one of surprise to irritation.Darn. If she wanted this meeting to go smoothly, she had to change her attitude. Both of them were cut from the same cloth—aggressive and stubborn.

“Blair,” Zane said with a welcoming smile. “How nice to see you. Did we have an appointment I forgot to write down?”

He was being polite. “No. I came because I wanted to see your operation. It’s very impressive.”

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