among three other businesses in a colorful row of shops. “More organic,” he said. “I like it. But how big is it?”
We went through the specs, plus looked at two other properties, each of which he liked better than anything I’d shown him up to this point.
“We’re getting closer,” he said. “I’m still not sure any of those is exactly right, but I guess it’s like you said: maybe when I go see them, I’ll know for sure either way.”
“You don’t want to be in the Bywater?” Dave asked. “It’s the next up-and-coming arts district.”
“Really?” Miles looked surprised by this, and I tried not to shoot Dave murder glares. “Bywater was still rough when I was growing up.”
“It’s gentrifying,” Dave said. “I assumed Elle must have already shown you some properties there because she’s our Bywater specialist. Grew up there, even.”
Yeah, and it made me protective as hell of it. Shut up, Dave. But I only smiled and said, “Let’s take a look at these Marigny properties tomorrow, and go from there, yeah? I’ll make some calls.”
“Sounds good.”
I rose and took a step toward the door. “We’ll find something great.” It was Miles’s signal to leave so I could settle down to work.
“Uh, I drove you here. Am I stranding you?”
“Not at all. I’ll bribe one of the other agents to give me a ride home.” I needed him out of my space. I’d been resentful and keyed up every time he’d been around until lunch today. Something had shifted, and I wasn’t sure what I thought of him now, but I knew I needed some distance to pin it down. “I’ll walk you out.”
“Great, because I have something for you.”
What could he possibly have? I followed him out to the parking lot, guessing the whole time. An autographed head-shot? A CD of his latest album no one had heard of? Were CDs even a thing now?
Instead, he reached into his backseat and handed me a charcoal gray shopping bag with the store name embossed in gold. “Thought I’d try to replace the shirt I ruined. You can return it if it’s the wrong size or something.”
“You got me a Billy Reid shirt?” It was the most expensive boutique in New Orleans.
“My mom said that was the best place to go, and this one looks like yours from the other day.”
I rustled through the tissue and pulled out a white shirt, which was, in fact, very similar to my ruined one—if my ruined one had been made of cashmere and not cotton and had cost five times as much.
It called to me. I very much wanted to keep it. I wasn’t sure I’d ever owned a three-hundred-dollar shirt before. But I folded it and put it back in the bag. “I can’t accept this.”
“It’s the right size. I’m good at stuff like that.” He said it with a hint of a smile, the first whiff of cockiness I’d seen from him.
Why was that sexy? Ugh.
“No, I meant this is too much. I’ll stop by Banana Republic and get a new shirt, but it was nice of you to think of me.”
He leaned against the car and folded his arms across his chest, then sighed. “There’s never a way not to sound like a douchebag, but if it makes you feel any better, this is both nothing and the least I can do.”
What would it be like for a three-hundred-dollar shirt to be “nothing”?
I dropped the bag down to my side since he wasn’t going to take it. “All right, then. Thank you. That was thoughtful. And so was the coffee you were trying to give me yesterday.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll wait for a text about appointments tomorrow?”
“Yeah. I’ll set up some stuff and let you know.”
“Sounds good, but can you make it before lunch?”
I tilted my head to study him. I wouldn’t have expected a request for early slots. “Anybody ever tell you those aren’t rock star hours?”
He smiled. “Yeah. Aaron, constantly. That’s why I leave him behind on half the business stuff I do. Too hard to get him up in the morning. But my afternoon is tied up, so before noon would be good.”
I promised to see what I could do and walked back toward the building as he got into his car. I’d definitely be booking some appointments in the Marigny. But I’d also be doing a deep dive into the Miles Crowe of the last five years. Because the guy I’d spent time with today was nothing