company going belly up. But don’t take my word for it,” I tack on at the end.
“I wouldn’t dare, I can assure you.”
“For what it’s worth, I don’t trust you either.”
“You shouldn’t.” The menacing glint in his eyes makes me shiver despite the rising heat as day breaks.
“Okay, quit stalling. We don’t need further delays.” A peek at my watch tells me we’ve already been dragging out this process for fifteen minutes.
“Quite the contrary, sugar. I’m ready to get this over with.” He motions at the entrance with a flick of his wrist.
I grab the folder with all the listing details from my purse. “If that’s the case, you could let the owners handle this menial task. Then you could vacate the premises.”
“Trying to get rid of me?”
I paste on my sweetest grin, holding the pose until my cheeks ache. “Just trying to make the customer happy. Is anyone else joining us?”
“Not unless you’re expecting a guest.” He crosses his arms, remaining firmly rooted in place even as I stride to the door. If I didn’t know better, I’d assume he’s trying to postpone us on purpose with all this back-and-forth bullshit.
I find myself, once again, wondering why this company is handing control over to him so effortlessly. “Aren’t Paul, Betty, and Riley”—yes, I remember their names—“interested to see where the money is going?”
“For your information, this site isn’t for Sunny Skies. It would make a fine distribution center for another project I’m involved in.”
“Don’t those owners want to be included?”
“No.” That brisk definitive suggests I drop the subject.
I’d be more open to accepting Landon’s vague responses if he hadn’t given me reason to be wary upon arrival. “Are you actually interested in purchasing this building? Or is this some warped ploy to waste my time?”
“I wouldn’t put in nearly this much effort just to fuck with you, Savannah.” He waves a sloppy palm to the side. “There’s no reason more than one person needs to be present for this step. It’s just a factory layout. They’re all the same. Any major issues will be weeded out by the assigned services once we reach that point.”
“So, why bother even looking at them in person? You could do this from your office in Chicago.”
“Call me old-fashioned.” His explanation is weak at best, but I don’t push harder.
“Fine, whatever. I’ll make the tour quick since you’re in a hurry.” I enter my temporary passcode into the security pad. The screen flashes green as the click from the lock disengaging interrupts our silence.
“That’d be much appreciated.” His slinky response does nothing to lower my suspicions. Pretend all he wants, his relaxed posture and body language don’t suggest we’re racing against a deadline.
I push open the door and motion him inside. “By all means, please go first.”
“Afraid of the boogieman?” But he strides across the dark threshold without pause.
“Can’t be any scarier than you,” I mutter. The lights in the foyer are on a motion sensor, flicking on as we walk into the empty lobby. Stale air greets us, reminding me that no one has been in residence for quite a while. I whip off my sunglasses while scanning the room from floor to ceiling. “This is the front of house for any administrative staff you plan to employ.”
Landon barely spares a glance at the office area. “Thanks for stating the obvious. The current owner is willing to just let us waltz in unattended like we own the place?”
I wrinkle my nose against the musky aroma. “Sure, why not? It’s just standing vacant. They’re motivated to get rid of it. Plus, my job and reputation are on the line if anything goes wrong.”
“Ah, yes. This is what’s considered exciting for your chosen career path.”
There’s only so much mockery I’m capable of juggling this early. “Isn’t there someone more suitable for this task? I imagine your priceless insight could be better spent elsewhere.”
“That goes without saying, but that doesn’t mean I’m required to follow standard protocol. There are people responsible for every aspect within my company. It can run fine in my absence for a week or two. Plus, I’m in constant communication with my staff.” His dull tone conveys boredom beyond measure, yet he’s making no move to leave.
“You sound inconsequential,” I note with my own nod to indifference.
“Or the big boss sprawled on his throne at the top of a very tall and efficient corporate ladder,” he fires back.
“I haven’t forgotten about your ego, don’t worry.”