Worth It - Lisa Oliver Page 0,75
little mistake on the paperwork, a perfectly understandable one if you think about it, and one that can be rectified in under an hour. If you’d just stay here, I’ll contact my office girl and she can…”
“Don’t you have same sex marriages in this place?” Zeus’s tone dropped and Paulie knew that was a dangerous sign.
Carl shrugged. “I’m sure it’s legal, yes, but you would be the first in this specific community. We’re very selective here, more family orientated, devoted to good works, and fostering positive relationships with our neighbors. I’m sure you’ll fit right in though, eventually,” he added in a rush, probably seeing the way Zeus’s eyebrows lowered. “I’ll talk to my wife, she’s on the welcome committee, and I’m sure once she understands…”
“They have a fucking welcome committee.” Zeus clenched his fists, his jaw tight. “Paulie…”
“We’ll be leaving now, Carl.” Paulie tugged on his mate’s arm that was like trying to shift a slab of granite. “We don’t believe that family values, fostering positive relationships with our neighbors, and doing good works are limited to heterosexual couples. My husband and I are specifically house hunting because we’re eagerly awaiting the birth of our first child – creating our family unit. Your careless mistake could be overlooked but the reasons behind that mistake, assuming my partner left a letter out of his own wife’s name and refusing to even consider my husband’s partner might be male… And then your added insistence you’d have to explain to your wife on the welcoming committee – about what? Your lost commission? Because consider that gone. Z…Dias, come on, we’re leaving.”
“The things I want to do…” Zeus grumbled dangerously, refusing to move.
“What you want to do is phone your lawyers, babe,” Paulie said firmly. “Americans love to sue each other.” He bent down, picking up the torn-up pieces of paper and then plucked the notepaper with Paulie’s name on it off the table. “You’ll want your money back that you’ve already paid for the house, and then I’m sure your legal team can come up with some creative ways of making this person pay for his insulting behavior. It’s probably a discriminatory thing, but your lawyers would know better. Even if you don’t win, imagine how much fun your lawyers will have tying up this guy in one court case after another, investigating him, going through all his business history and his personal life. You can afford their fees easily, and face it, something like this could go on for years.”
“I’m reduced to court cases now?” Zeus didn’t look impressed but at least his fists had unclenched.
“Neither of us need to be spending money on lawyers.” Carl had given up smoothing his tie, and was now loosening its knot, and then running his fingers through his dark greasy hair. “It was a teeny, tiny little mistake – like with autocorrect. Yes, that’s what it was, an autocorrect error. You know how much of a nuisance those things are.”
“And as an agent it was up to you to pick up the mistake, before you presented us with the papers.” Paulie managed to move Zeus’s arm so it was draped over his shoulder. He’d carry his mate out if he had to. “It would probably do your case a lot of good if you immediately refunded the money my husband paid for this house. Five million is not a small amount of money.”
“The sellers are counting on that money.” Carl fell back in his seat. “I’m going to have to phone George and tell him the sale has fallen through. My wife is having lunch with his wife tomorrow and oh, no.” He buried his face in his hands. “We’ve got the committee ball on Saturday. Everyone will know.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Paulie strained against Zeus’s shoulder trying to get his angry mate to move. “You’ve spent all this time fostering good relations with your neighbors. That has to count for something, right? I’m sure they’ll be very supportive. Babe, come on. I want to go!”
Zeus’s feet finally started moving and they were almost at the door when it was Paulie who stopped. It was hard not to hear Carl’s whining.
“I’ll get fired, she’ll divorce me, and she’ll get the house. None of my friends will want anything to do with me when I’m homeless and out of money.”
Homeless. Paulie froze. If any word could be considered a trigger word for him, it was that. And it seemed Zeus knew it too.
“Don’t go