The Property Brokers by Sandi Lynn
Chapter 4
Bella
I was a nervous wreck, and I shouldn’t have been. So what if I was seeing the guy who took my virginity, stole my heart, promised to call me and never did. The same guy who made me feel like a woman but also shattered my heart.
He stared at me with the same dreamy brown eyes. His face taut as he shifted his body.
“Hello, Grant.”
“Bella?” His brows furrowed.
“Yeah.” I managed a small smile.
“My God. I can’t believe this. What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to sell this penthouse for you.”
“I didn’t know you lived in the city.”
“Grant, Nelson needs to speak with you,” a man spoke as he approached us.
“Yeah. Okay. Tom, this is Bella Marcus. Bella, this is Tom Thompson, my brilliant assistant.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Tom.” I extended my hand.
“The pleasure is mine, Bella.”
“Take Miss Marcus and get her a glass of champagne. I’m ready to start the tour and then we can talk after.”
“Okay.” I gave him a nod.
I followed Tom to the kitchen, and he handed me a glass of champagne.
“So, are you an agent or a broker?” Tom asked. “I don’t remember ever seeing you at any of our open houses.”
“I’m a broker, and I just moved here from Los Angeles.”
“Wow. An L.A. girl. Nice.” He smiled.
I glanced over at Grant as he stood talking to another man. He still looked the same, only older. He went from a hot and sexy boy to a hot and sexy man who grew an inch or two. His hair was still the same. Dark, shorter on the sides, and a medium length wavy textured top. He sported a light mustache and a thick five o’clock shadow that graced his masculine jawline. He was slender, but muscular, and his boy body had turned into a man’s body. I remembered one day we went to the fitness center in the hotel, and he put a pair of five-pound weights in my hand and taught me how to do bicep curls. He’d told me working out made a strong mind. I hadn’t stopped since.
A group of us followed Grant around the 4,109 square foot, four-bedroom and six bath penthouse. It was gorgeous and perfect for my client. After everyone started to leave, I stayed back to talk business with Grant.
“Would you mind if I did a virtual tour with my client? They’re in Germany and I think this is perfect for them and exactly what they’re looking for.”
“No. Not at all. Go ahead. I’ll stay out of your way.”
I sent a text message to them first to make sure they were home. Within seconds, they Facetimed me.
“Hi.” I grinned as I saw Dan and Riley on my screen.
“Hey, Bella. We’re really excited to see the place.”
I took them on a tour, starting with the upstairs and made my way to the beautifully designed kitchen, saving the private wrap around terrace for last.
“The penthouse includes one parking space and two large storage units. What do you think?”
“I think we love it.” Riley grinned.
“It’s totally turn-key ready and just waiting for you to move in.” I smiled.
After discussing the price, I ended the call and went back inside.
“Well?” Grant spoke as he walked towards me with one hand tucked in his pants pockets.
“They want to make an offer.” The corners of my mouth curved upward.
“YES! What’s their offer? Please tell me it’s full asking price.”
“No. They’re offering $11.5 million.”
“The owner won’t accept a penny less than listing price.”
“You do realize in today’s market it’s overpriced. Right?”
“He won’t budge. He made it very clear.”
“I’ve done my research, Grant. This place has been on the market for over a year. It’s overpriced for this area.”
“I know. But he’s the client.”
“Just call him and tell him the offer and see if he comes back with a counter.”
“If I call him with anything less than $13.5, he’ll fire me on the spot.”
“I see. He’s one of those.” I narrowed my eye.
“One of what?”
“I want to meet him. I’ll present the offer to him.”
“No way. He won’t meet you. He’s a very busy man and he doesn’t like people wasting his time. I’m already in deep shit with him as it is.”
“Call him right now and put him on speaker.”
“Bella, I—”
“Call him, Grant,” I spoke in a stern tone.
After letting out a long sigh, he pulled out his phone, dialed his client and put it on speaker.
“You better be calling me with an offer,” Pete spoke.
“Actually, I do have an offer, Pete.”
I grabbed the phone from him.
“Hi, Pete. This is Bella Marcus. I’m a broker who just showed your beautiful penthouse to one of my clients, and we have an offer for you. But I want to give it to you in person.”
“What the hell is going on, Grant? Is this some kind of joke?”
“This is no joke, Pete,” I spoke.
“Listen lady, I don’t know who the hell you think you—”
“I’m the lady who’s going to sell your penthouse that has been on the market for over a year and won’t sell. So, you can either meet with me tomorrow to discuss the offer, or your penthouse can sit on the market for another year or possibly two. All the while you’re losing money.”
“Do you know who you’re speaking to?” he shouted.
“I know exactly whom I’m speaking to.”
He went silent for a few moments, and I glanced at Grant with a smile.
“You know what? I’ll agree to meet you, and only because you have some balls doing what you’re doing. Tomorrow morning, eight a.m. at the penthouse.”
“Excellent. Bring the coffee, please. I take mine black.”
Click.
I handed Grant his phone.
“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow morning at eight a.m.” I smiled as I walked to the elevator.
“Wait a second!” he shouted. “I have no idea what just happened, but you,” he pointed his finger at me, “just cost me this listing.”
“We’ll see.” I gave him a smirk as I stepped into the elevator and the doors closed.
