hadn’t unleashed the Kiss Keeper Curse on her when she was thirteen.
The bright side. At least, she wasn’t living at the bottom of a well.
Tera gestured with her chin toward the front of the room. “Hey, Principal Lutz said he’s got a big announcement.”
Nat pushed her Kiss Keeper Curse worries away and focused on the rest of the man’s speech.
“Finally, we’re here today to celebrate an end to a wonderful school year and the many teachers who worked so hard to ensure that our students continue to love learning, and I’ve got some terrific news, folks,” Principal Lutz began.
Natalie downed the rest of her punch. She couldn’t have a dry, cracked voice when she thanked the principal for offering her a full-time, vested position as the school’s official art teacher.
Mr. Lutz smiled broadly. “That grant came in for us, and we have the funds to put in a brand-new play structure.”
The staff erupted into cheers as side conversations broke out, and Principal Lutz melted into the crowd of educators.
Natalie forced herself to take a breath.
Okay, that wasn’t a bad thing. The school could use a new playground.
But what about the art teacher position?
She glanced at Tera.
Her friend patted her arm. “Heads up. Lutz is coming your way.”
“Miss Callahan, may I have a word with you in the hall?”
Oh, no!
In school-speak, a word in the hallway was never good. But it couldn’t always be bad. Perhaps, he wanted privacy when offering her the art teacher position. He was just being a gentleman in case she was so overcome with excitement she fainted.
Nat’s pulse kicked into overdrive.
OMG! This wasn’t a Victorian novella.
She shared a nervous look with Tera, then followed the man out into the dreaded hallway.
“Miss Callahan, you’ve been such an asset to our staff.”
This was a good start.
Natalie gave him her best Mary Poppins, lover of children and spoons full of sugar smile. “It’s been such an honor teaching here. You’ve got an amazing staff, and the children and their families have been wonderful to work with.”
Mr. Lutz’s expression softened. “That’s what makes telling you this so hard, Miss Callahan.”
The district pulled our arts funding.
I wish we could keep you, but we don’t have the money in the budget.
Despite nodding and putting on a brave face, Natalie didn’t hear much more as the image of the Kiss Keeper’s well flashed through her mind, and the dream of finding a permanent teaching position spiraled down the drain.
2
Jake
Jake Teller glanced out at the packed auditorium, took note of the blonde with the killer cleavage in the front row, then strode across the stage. His long legs consumed the space as the spotlight lit his enviable physique in golden light.
“Guilt and remorse have no place in the world of business. Bullshit thoughts of karma and yin and yang only serve to hold you back. Take my advice. Work every angle you’ve got and stick to the black and white. The numbers, the statistics, the reports. Anybody who tells you that they go by their gut alone when it comes to buying multi-million-dollar commercial real estate is a damn fool and should not be someone you choose to keep in your confidence.”
He watched as the participants eagerly took notes, many holding up cell phones and recording his talk. He’d be the first to admit that industry symposiums and speaking events were one percent substance and ninety-nine percent fluff. But it looked good to have his name, and the name of the company he worked for, Linton Holdings, splashed all over the industry he was itching to conquer.
There was an ethical line, sure, but nothing in the realm of real estate negotiations was carved into stone. He lived his life a breath away from that tipping point, teetering on the edge. Careful to keep his hands just clean enough.
He stopped and stared out at the crowd. “And never fall in love with a property. Attachment is an emotion best left to the weak,” he added as the click of hundreds of people typing his words verbatim onto their laptops crackled and popped through the cavernous space.
At twenty-eight years old, he was the youngest development VP at Linton. And more important than that, a favorite of the founder himself, billionaire hotel and real estate developer, Charlie Linton.
Eager to prove himself to the self-made tycoon who’d been in the game for fifty years, he’d traveled the globe, procuring the perfect properties for an even better price. Dubai, Hong Kong, Montenegro, it didn’t matter the country or continent.