The Man Who Has No Heart - Victoria Quinn Page 0,17
were with Valerie. But Cleo knew everything about my life…and she never judged me.
She stared at me for a few seconds before she grabbed the top paper and turned it toward me. “Based on her budget, this is the best thing I could find. It’s only a few blocks away, it’s between you and Tucker, and it has a parking garage so she can have a car. It’s three bedrooms with lots of space. Normally, this unit would be gone in less than a day, but I know the owner and—”
“You know everyone.” I lifted my gaze and smiled at her.
“Yeah, I kinda do.”
I turned back to the paper.
“So, I have it on hold for seventy-two hours. When did your mother say she was flying out?”
“She didn’t.”
“Well, if we can get her here to see the place, maybe we can close quickly so she’ll only have to stay with you for a week or so.”
Even a week was too long.
She must have seen the dread in my eyes, because she added, “Think about it this way. This is the last time you’ll have an opportunity to spend time with her in this way, in this kind of environment. You can dread it…or appreciate it.”
Cleo was the only person in the world I had these kinds of conversations with. With everyone else, including my mother, it was just rough. I struggled to understand the meaning behind their words, felt suffocated by their proximity. It was like living with Valerie again. I stayed at the lab or spent my time in the office upstairs just to have privacy.
“If you need some space, you can always rent a hotel room for the day, just to spend the evening by yourself. You could even come to my place if you want. I usually work late, so I’m not even there.”
“You would offer that?” I asked in surprise.
“Of course.” She grabbed her plate. “You’ve opened your home to me. I can open my home to you.”
She made me feel better, calmed me, chased away the anxiety. “Sometimes I think Tucker did it on purpose, said how amazing you are so she’d want to stay with me instead of him.”
“Wouldn’t put it past him.”
“Asshole,” I said with a chuckle. “I let him live here if he agreed to house our mother, but he found a loophole.”
She finished her food, wiping her plate clean.
“You like my cooking?”
She laughed loudly, like I’d made a joke.
I stared at her with the same serious gaze, unsure what just happened.
She noticed my expression. “I laughed because your question is ridiculous. Of course, I like your cooking. I don’t get to eat like this at home.”
“Why?”
“Mainly, I don’t have the time.”
“Well, if you ever want to join me for dinner, my door is always open.”
Her eyes softened as she pulled her laptop close to her. She hit the keys so the screen would brighten. “Here are some photos. Let me know what you think.”
I pulled the laptop close and clicked through the pictures.
Cleo dropped her gaze to her paperwork, absentmindedly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Her eyelashes were down toward her cheek, and her short-sleeved blouse showed the small muscles of her arms, the beautiful color of her skin.
I stopped clicking and stared.
She grabbed her pen and made a note in her pretty handwriting.
When my stare went on too long, I forced myself to look at the computer again. I clicked through the pictures until the end. “She’ll like it.”
“Great.” She lifted her chin and took the laptop back. “I’ll work on finding her an assistant.”
“I’m sure you’ll get the right person.”
“Well…” She gathered her papers and her laptop before placing them in her bag. “Let me know when she gets here. I’ll make all the arrangements to make this as smooth as possible. And if she likes the place, I’ll get the inspections done immediately so we can close fast.”
“Thank you.” I needed this to happen at the speed of light.
“Thank you for dinner, Deacon.”
I got to my feet and walked her to the door.
“You don’t need to do that, Deacon. I can let myself out.”
I ignored what she said and opened the door for her.
She crossed the threshold and smiled at me. “By the way, I got those tickets you asked for.”
“You did?” I asked in surprise.
“Yeah. I’ll drop them off tomorrow with the bill.”
“Thanks. Tucker will love that.”
“You’re a very thoughtful man.” She waved before she walked down the hallway.