“Chris, how are you?” I ask when I get out of the car. “Thanks again for the tip.”
He’s waiting for me outside and shakes my hand warmly.
“No worries, Val. It’s a stunner of a property, you’re gonna love it. The owner has done it all up himself over the past few years and he’s done an amazing job. You won’t find anything of this value in that location. Is your buyer serious?”
“Would I be here if he wasn’t?” I retort. Chris smirks at me.
“Just had to ask,” he winks. I grab the keys from him and turn towards my car.
“You shouldn’t doubt me, Chris. They don’t call me the SoHo shark for nothing!” I grin at him. “I’d better head down there. All good for 11 o’clock with the owner?”
“I’m just waiting on a call back now, he hasn’t answered his phone. We confirmed yesterday and there were no issues.”
“And you’re giving me shit about my buyer being serious,” I say to him, rolling my eyes in an exaggerated motion. He laughs and waves me away.
I make it down to SoHo in time to have that coffee. I savour it on the small chair outside the cafe, waiting for my buyer to show up. I pull out my phone and text Chris.
Got that confirmation from the owner yet?
A minute later my phone buzzes
All good.
I finish the last few sips of my coffee when my buyer arrives. He pulls up in his white Lamborghini, parking directly in front of me like the spot was held for him. Some people are just lucky, I think. The driver’s side door opens and Marino steps out.
He looks like he could be in the Sopranos, with slicked back hair and a pale pink button-down shirt with one too many buttons undone. His neck is adorned with a gold chain, and his protruding stomach betrays one too many pasta meals.
“Val!” He says with his arms outstretched in greeting, million-dollar smile plastered all over his face. He swings his arm forward and grabs my outstretched hand in an enthusiastic handshake. Pumping my hand up and down a few times he smiles again.
“Looking gorgeous as always, Miss Brooks,” he continues. “So what’s this place like anyways?”
“It’s not even on the market yet. I’m really excited about this one, I thought of you right away when I came across it. I think it would be a perfect little investment property for you.”
We cross the road and head towards the building. I fumble with the keys that Chris gave me, trying two before getting the right one for the front door. We step through into a wide lobby.
“So the building only has four units, and this one takes up the entire top floor on the third storey. It’s been refurbished beautifully over the past few years.”
I keep talking, pointing out features as we walk towards the elevator. It comes easily to me, talking and selling and keeping people interested. We get into the elevator and I use the swipe key to get access to the top floor. The doors close and we start going up. My heart is beating unusually fast. I’m excited for this sale.
Marino is one of my best buyers, always on the lookout for another investment property. He’s looking around with a knowing eye. He’s quiet, but I’ve come to learn that that’s a good thing. I’m glad that the owner confirmed the viewing this morning, Marino can be very fickle and I know it would have annoyed him to reschedule.
The elevator door dings and we step through.
“It’s just through here,” I say, fumbling with the keys again.
We’re standing in a long corridor, the walls are an old exposed brick. The door has been painted a sleek black colour with a simple number “4” hanging at eye level. There’s only one key left to use, so I slide it into the lock. It clicks effortlessly and I open the door, getting out of the way for Marino to step through.
“Ladies first,” he says with a wink. Never heard that one before, I think with a tight smile. I step through to a large loft space.
Chris wasn’t kidding, it’s been refurbished beautifully. The exposed brick runs along the entire side of the wall, and the front of the room is floor to ceiling windows. Bright white sun streams into the apartment, showing off the sleek and modern decor.
It’s a large open plan space with the kitchen directly to the right and a living area straight ahead. Everything is white, sleek, granite, stainless steel. Exactly what you’d want if you were buying an upmarket loft in SoHo. Exactly my kind of place. I would love to live in a place like this, and I’m guessing whoever owns it is sad to see it go. I walk in and step aside, letting the property speak for itself.
A few steps take me towards the living area. I notice a few dirty glasses on the coffee table and frown. As I get closer I notice an empty bottle of whiskey lying on the floor next to the couch and my heart drops to my stomach. So much for the property being ready for viewing.
The anger is bubbling up inside me and I make a mental note to mention it to Chris. If I’m going to be bringing through my best clients, the property needs to be spotless. Anything less than perfect is completely unacceptable. The buyers for these kinds of properties are turned off by the slightest imperfection, and it reflects badly on me as a professional.
We walk around and Marino inspects the kitchen. He looks at me and nods.
“It’s nice,” he says. He glances at the dirty dishes on the living room table. “And it’s… lived in,” he says with a chuckle. My cheeks burn slightly.
“Sorry about that, the seller’s agent confirmed it was ready this morning, maybe the owner was in a hurry.”
“It’s no problem Val, a few dishes doesn’t detract from the look of the place. I could definitely turn this into a moneymaker. There’s a separate bedroom?”
“Separate bedroom with a huge bathroom and walk-in closet. You’re going to love it.”
We take a few steps towards the closed bedroom door. My palms are sweating and my heart is beating unusually fast. Typically people don’t leave their doors closed for a viewing, but this owner could just have different habits. Still, I’m more nervous than usual. I take a breath and plaster a smile all over my face for Marino’s benefit. I turn the handle and step through the door in one fluid motion.
Oh.
My.
God.
The scene that greets me is not the pristine multi-million dollar bedroom I was expecting. It’s a disaster. My eyes circle around the room and take in the scene. Marino is close behind me and I hear him make a wordless exclamation under his breath.
There are clothes everywhere, like someone stumbled home and took all their clothes off and left them wherever they fell. The bed is a mess. There are pillows strewn all over the floor and it hasn’t been made. The room smells stuffy and is dark with the blinds closed. I take another step in. The horror spreads from my stomach up to my throat as the blankets start moving.
Someone is in the bed.
I’m frozen still, watching as the person starts waking up. My shock turns to anger. I am seething. White hot fury is ripping through me. Chris lied to me! There’s no way he got confirmation the property was ready. I’m waiting for this good-for-nothing hungover irresponsible owner to wake up and see us. I can’t believe this. He’s going to ruin this sale for me. I can’t even turn away to look at Marino, my eyes are glued to the bed.
Whoever is in it is moving a bit more now, clearly waking up. All of a sudden he makes a noise and jumps up, sitting in bed looking at us.
“Who the fuck are you! Shit!”
My jaw flies open. It can’t be him. I can’t believe this is happening. He’s rubbing his eyes and temples, clearly very, very hungover. Finally I take a deep breath and say the name that’s been at the front of my mind all week.
“Doctor O’Neill?!”
Chapter 16 – Clay
“Val. What are you doing here?!”
I’m dreaming of her again, except it’s not a dream this time. She’s fucking standing in my bedroom with some slick Sopranos wanna be. Why is she here?
�
��Do you guys know each other?” Tony Soprano says in the exact meathead voice I expected of him.
My head is pounding and I’m having trouble processing what’s going on. Valerie Brooks is standing in my bedroom with some guy. I feel a pang of jealousy seeing her there with him. She turns towards him and I can’t take my eyes off her. She looks so good, like that skirt was painted on her ass. She reaches up and touches his forearm and the anger flashes through me. I can’t think straight. What the fuck is going on!
“Marino I am so, so sorry about this. I got the confirmation from his agent this morning it was ready to show but he obviously didn’t do his homework. I’m really embarrassed right now but if you’re still interested we can definitely reschedule.”
The viewing. I completely forgot. The realisation hits me like a train going at full speed. I try to get out of bed but stumble as I get up. I think I’m still a bit drunk because the floor wasn’t where I thought it would be.
“Look, Val, I’m really sorry I completely forgot about this I’ll get out of your way you guys can have a look around,” I blurt out as I I try to get up.
“Oh my God!” she exclaims as she looks at me and then turns away suddenly. Tony Soprano starts laughing. As if things are moving in slow motion, my confusion starts clearing when I feel the cold breeze over my ass. I look down and realise too late that I’m completely naked. My hands fly to cover my crotch and I stand frozen. I can feel the embarrassment burning through my body as I stand in front of them completely exposed.
Valerie takes the meathead by the arm and ushers him out of my room. She grabs the doorknob and before she closes the door behind her she glances back at me. The fire burning in her eyes is pure anger.
I can’t help but think about how good she looks, or how I wish she would look at me like that again. She slams the door behind her and I hear both their voices trail off as they leave the apartment. I lay back down in bed and put my hand on my forehead. My head is splitting. I feel like I’ve been run over. What the fuck just happened!
My phone is on the bedside table and I see seven missed calls from Chris. I’ve never felt like such an idiot. I turn my phone around and lay back in bed.
If I ever thought I had a chance with Valerie I’ve definitely blown it now. She’ll never look at me again. I groan and turn around in bed, trying to forget this morning ever happened. At least I’ve passed her file on to Sherry and I won’t have to see her at the office again.
Still, I secretly hope I do run into her. Maybe she’ll be wearing a skirt like she was today and I can watch her walk down the hallway and imagine what that ass would feel like in my hands.
I groan at the thought of standing in front of her, hungover and naked.
I try to piece together what happened last night. I remember Dave leaving me on my own at the bar, and just drinking one after another after another. I couldn’t stop thinking of Valerie and it was making me crazy. I couldn’t look at any other girls let alone talk to them. I sat on my own at the bar for ages.
I have no idea how or when I got home, but by the look of my bedroom I wasn’t in great shape. As my eyes sweep across my room I feel another wave of embarrassment and shame wash over me. She was here, right in front of me and I’ve acted like the biggest screw up in town. She’s seen me like this. Look at the fucking state of me!
Her face was dripping with disgust when she looked at me and she didn’t even say a word to me, just turned around and walked out. At least I got to watch her walk away in that skirt for a few seconds. The thought of her face and the anger in her eyes makes my cock twinge.
Maybe I can make it up to her. I’ve got to do something. I can get her phone number from her file at the office and apologise. That’s what I’ll do. I feel a bit better with a plan, so I lay back and try to close my eyes. The pounding in my head is not getting any better.
Today is turning out to be a lot worse than I could have imagined.
Chapter 17 – Valerie
Marino just drove off in his Lamborghini and I let out a sigh. What a disaster. He wasn’t happy, clearly annoyed that his time was being wasted, and I don’t blame him. I tried to hold it together while he was here but the anger that I was controlling is about to erupt. I can feel my blood boiling as I think about what has just happened.
The first call is going to Chris. He picks up on the first ring and answers with a cheerful voice that pisses me off even more.
“How did it go? Didn’t I tell you it was – “
“Shut up Chris,” I interrupt. “You have no idea what the fuck you’ve just done. You told me the property was ready! You’ve just cost me this sale with your sloppiness!”
“Wait what? Wasn’t it ready? I got the confirmation from the owner, was it dirty?”
“You’re lying. You most definitely did NOT get the confirmation from the owner because I witnessed him waking up.” There’s silence on the line so I continue. “Yes, it was dirty. Bottles and glasses all over the place. He’d been out all night drinking by the look of him. Not a fucking stitch of clothing on him either, Chris. Do you understand what I’m saying? I took my best client through a property only to find a drunken, naked man in the bedroom I’m trying to sell. How could you put me in that kind of position?!”
“Val, I..”
“Chris, just save it. That was my best client and you’ve just made me look like a fucking amateur. I cannot believe you’ve put me in that position. You know what, I gotta go.”
I hang up the phone without waiting for a response. I’m shaking. How dare he lie to my face like that! If he was in front of me I could slap him. And the doctor! What a fucking state he was in! Drunk, naked, confused, completely irresponsible!
I’m trying not to think about how good his body looked when he was standing there naked, better than I could have imagined. His chest and abs were chiseled and his arms look thick and strong. They looked like they’d feel really nice wrapped around me. And his cock… well, I don’t even want to think about that right now.
I inhale and try to get the image out of my head. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that he’s cost me the biggest sale of the month and my spot as top sales agent. Not to mention my commission.
I look over at the building, glancing up at the wall of windows. I’m still holding the keys. I look down at the keychain in my hand and can feel my resolve strengthening. I’m still seething with anger, and he needs to know what he’s just done. He needs to understand that his actions have consequences, he’s not some college frat boy anymore. He’s a doctor, for crying out loud! How irresponsible can you be!
My righteous anger demolishes any hint of shyness in me. I march across the street and let myself into his building. He’s not getting away with this without getting a piece of my mind.
Chapter 18 – Clay
I must have dozed off into a half-sleeping hungover state because I jump at the sound of banging on my front door. It stops, so I sit up and listen for a few seconds. It starts again and I hear her voice.
“Doctor O’Neill! Open the door.”
More banging.
“Doctor O’Neill! I need to talk to you. Now!”
She came back? I jump out of bed and pull on some boxers, hopping from foot to foot to get them on. I’m still pulling them up when I get to the front door. With a deep breath I turn the knob and open the door.
She bursts past me in a flurry of anger and blonde hair. I catch the sweet smell of her perfume, the same one she was wearing at her appointment. I close the door and turn around. She’s squaring off in front of me. Her eyes are shooting daggers at me and her fists are balled up.
I can’t help but look her up and down and notice how good her body looks in that suit. She takes a deep breath and I wait for the yelling. She surprises me by speaking in a low, even voice. It’s almost worse than getting yelled at.
“How dare you,” she starts. “Do you have any idea what you’ve just done? What you’ve cost me?
”
Her eyes are blazing, burning holes through me. Suddenly I wish I was wearing more than just my boxers.
“Val, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t fucking call me Val,” she snaps. “My name is Valerie. Miss Brooks to you. We are absolutely not on familiar terms.”
Her blonde hair is bouncing with every word. Her cheeks are flushed and I’m finding it hard to look away from her eyes. It’s the same determination I saw in my office when she told me she had never had an orgasm. Except this time, her look is spiked with vitriol, and it’s directed fully at me.
“I would expect a professional like yourself to understand the importance of keeping appointments,” she spits at me. “You’ve just cost me my most important client, and for what! To go out partying all night?! How old are you?!”
She pauses and I wait for her to speak again. My silence seems to enrage her even more. Then she sighs and her shoulders seem to deflate. She turns around and marches to my sofa, collapsing down onto it. She lifts those long legs and places her feet on my coffee table. Her head is in her hand as she looks out the window at the street below us.
I don’t know what to say, so I walk over slowly and pick up the glasses and bottle that Dave and I left here last night. She’s right, this is completely embarrassing and unprofessional. She has a right to be mad.
I bring the glasses to the kitchen and get us both glasses of water. When I hand it to her she accepts it without a word and takes a gulp. I sit down on the couch across from her.
“Listen, Valerie.” I pause. “Miss Brooks. I don’t know what to say.” How could I begin to tell her I tried to get obliterated last night just to get her out of my head? That’s going to sound like total bullshit if I try to explain. She’s got those blue eyes drilled on me now and all I want to do is pull her over to my sofa and crush my lips against hers. I want to rip that skirt off her and grab her perfect ass.
“I have no excuse, and I’m sorry,” I continue. “If there’s anything I can do to – “ She takes a deep breath and holds up her hand.
“Look, thanks. I don’t even know why I’m here. I’m sorry to barge in like this.” Her voice is softer and she looks away from me, staring off out the window again. Her neck is long and graceful, and the way the sun is hitting her face makes it look like she’s glowing. I’ve never seen a woman like this before.
Second Chance: A Rockstar Romance in North Korea Page 16