city as you know, and although we are governed externally, we’re a self-sustaining economy. The small scale of that economy has its drawbacks in that our revenue base is smaller. It makes us more sensitive to change in any industry. Unlike a lot of other small economies, our largest industry isn’t agriculture—it’s real estate. So, Mr Hartly, the riskiest course of action—for Bluff City and for a realty company—would be for us to do nothing. We need business to continue being a business.”
Ferocious though she looked, her words rang of truth this time. While my training surrounded international business, I’d heard my grandmother and her friends talk enough on the subject to know Katerina was correct about the drawbacks of an economy of our size.
Mr Hartly glanced around the room. “I bought this home with my late wife. We raised three children here. None of them live in Bluff City anymore though, and this place is too big for me to take care of. I have to hire gardeners and cleaners to keep up with things. I mean, I have savings, but the pension isn’t big enough to cover all the costs, you know? I need to sell…”
I knew what he wanted to say. Katerina’s Cheshire smile was making him hesitate.
She’d told me to keep quiet, but I couldn’t. “You don’t want your home to become involved in anything bad.”
Blue beams trained on the side of my face. Eek.
Mr Hartly faced me.
“Yes,” he whispered. “How do I know this isn’t a scam? I’ve never heard of a real estate company buying up properties out of the goodness of their heart. It’s like that email I got last week—some Norwegian prince who wanted to give me a million dollars.”
I cracked a grin. “I get those too.”
The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened.
My heart raced under Katerina’s attention. Bracing myself, I turned to her, managing not to flinch under her blazing look. She didn’t appreciate my impromptu script, I could gather.
Who cares? I wasn’t sticking around, and I wouldn’t let her bully this man into a sale.
“What can you tell me about Live Right Realty?” the man asked, darting a look at Katerina, who’d smoothed her expression into pleasant blandness at his attention.
I could fill a book with my experience. “Not much, I’m afraid. I only started yesterday.”
The blue beams were back on me. Was she displeased I hadn’t lied?
Well, Katerina could join her boss in the act of sitting and rotating.
“But,” I added—because I also didn’t want to swim with the fishes, “the staff all have nice cars. Which I guess means they’re good at their job.”
The man scratched his chin. “I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing. Where are you from?”
The estates. “Orange,” I answered.
He hadn’t pegged me as rich?
Day made.
“A nice, honest girl then.” He nodded as if that had confirmed his opinion of me.
I guessed girls from the estates were mean and dishonest then. Which was fairly accurate, really. I just liked to believe I wasn’t one.
“I try my best,” I said, casting my gaze downward.
He shifted his focus to Katerina, who I could feel simmering beneath her smile. “Live Right hired a girl from Orange?”
Katerina leaped at the chance. “If a person possesses the professionalism we pride ourselves on at Live Right, they get the job, Mr Hartly. We don’t discriminate.”
Sure. Anyone with messed up eyes and teeth was welcome.
His lips pursed. He was considering her offer, I could tell.
Katerina could too.
“Last time we spoke, you decided to have your house valued privately. Can I ask if you went through with that?”
“Sure did,” he said, opening a small drawer in the table between us.
He extracted a file. “Bought this place for sixty thousand in the eighties. It was worth ten times that amount two years ago—now it’s worth eight. This was always our retirement plan.” His eyes misted.
Old people nearly crying was a new one for me. The elderly in my life were fucking ferocious on every front. The idea of them crying was almost laughable.
He passed the folder to Katerina, and she scanned the contents.
“All is in order here. Our own evaluation returned a figure of four hundred and fifty.”
“If I’m selling to you, I’ll be taking five hundred and ten thousand,” he said, setting his jaw. He paled again when she stilled.
“Five hundred and ten thousand?” she repeated in a low voice.
I darted a look between them, wondering if I’d have to leap in the middle and save Mr Hartly’s