the gamble. I didn’t want to have to fend off one of the bigger restaurant groups looking to expand their brand.
I printed it out and ran it downstairs to Miss Mary. “What do you think?”
She read it over and grabbed a pen. “Looks good but add some adjectives. Rich history, bright future. Oh, profound respect. That’ll sound good.” She read it again. “So now what?”
“Now I post it and we hope for nibbles.”
She nodded. “How’s it going with finding a place for Miles?”
“All right. He likes a spot on Gallier.”
“Is it the right spot?”
“Could be.” I folded the printout and gave it a sharp crease. “It’ll take a great designer, but there’s potential.”
“He mentioned the other day that he’d love a spot like this. That was before I even told you I was retiring.” She watched me closely. “Did you think about him for this lease?”
“For two seconds. But I don’t want him living under me.”
“Why not? Does it bother you to have me down here?”
“Of course not.” I knew where she was going with this, and I didn’t want to get into it. “But you make me coffee every morning. I better go get this posted.”
“I’m just saying if it doesn’t matter to you about living over one tenant, shouldn’t matter about living over another.”
“He and I have way different history.”
“Ancient history. Thought you guys called truce.”
“We did.” I glanced around the space that had looked the same for as long as I could remember it. “Anyway, can you really imagine a jazz club in here?”
She did a quick survey too. “I don’t know. Maybe. I’d be open to considering it.” Jerome poked his head from the kitchen and called for her. “Worth thinking about some more,” she said, already heading back to see what was needed.
I went upstairs and made her edits, then hit “post” and headed out to a professional networking brunch to do some prospecting for new listings. It went well, and I had a feeling at least one of them would call to follow up, so I walked into the office with a smile on my face.
“Hey, Jay,” I said, pushing through the doors.
“Hey, Elle. You have a—”
“Need a visionary?”
I turned at the sound of Miles’s voice to find him walking from my desk with an expression I couldn’t pin down. He didn’t seem angry, exactly. More like someone was holding him on a leash and he was out at the end of it. He looked broody, like in his “Skin So Deep” video, and it was irritatingly sexy to have that focused on me.
I gave him my most professional smile. “Miles? What are you doing here?”
“Thought I’d drop in and find out how I’d failed the visionary test. Or if I’d somehow led you to believe that I don’t, what was it—” he checked something on his phone—“‘have a profound respect for the past’?”
Jay shot me a wide-eyed look.
Obviously, Miles had seen the listing for the café space. Obviously, he wasn’t thrilled about it.
“Why don’t we go sit at my desk and talk about this?” I said, leading him toward it. Except he wasn’t following. I turned around to face him. “It’s this way,” I offered with an idiotic finger point.
“I’m too wound up to sit.”
A few of the other agents were watching but trying to look like they weren’t. Except for Dave, who was openly staring. I hadn’t felt so exposed since...
Well, since my crying clip had gone viral.
“All right, how would you feel about a short drive and then a walk and talk?”
His jaw ground back and forth a couple of times. “That’s fine. I’ll drive.”
Then he brushed past me and walked out the door. Or not brushed past me. He didn’t even touch me, but the intensity of his energy prickled on my skin.
I turned to follow him, and Jay asked, “Wait, do you want to do that? Dude looks big mad.”
“He is. But he won’t hurt me. I’ll be fine.” I was sure of it.
“Okay, but I’m calling you in twenty minutes, and if you don’t answer, I’m calling the police. These shoes are too expensive for me to be wandering on the riverbank looking for your body.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Thanks for the concern, but I’ll be fine. For real.”
“Twenty. Minutes.”
I flashed him a thumbs up and headed down to the parking lot.
Miles was standing beside the Mustang, the passenger door open and waiting for me.
“My receptionist has asked me to confirm that getting into your car