worked for him when they were building that. I did some of the landscaping work. That was when I was working for Dreamscape.”
Sasha was a landscape designer who specialized in rooftop gardens now that she had her own business. Of course she would know of a big property developer like Raff.
“Why?” Emma asked. “I’ve never heard of him, but what do I know?”
“I’ve heard of him,” Mallory said. “In the news. I think he spoke at a Chamber of Commerce lunch I went to once, years ago. He’s a very successful businessman.”
Paige nodded. “Okay, so here’s what happened. I found a commercial space that I really liked and I contacted the property manager of the building and arranged to go see it. Raff was there.”
“Raff?” Sasha lifted an eyebrow and gave a tiny smirk.
Paige grimaced and continued. “I slipped and fell on some ice outside the front door. I was fine. I just got a little dirt on my coat and pants. Raff told me to send Brad, the guy I was dealing with, the dry cleaning bill. Anyway, turned out the showing was for nothing because they’d already leased the place, or almost for sure had, that morning. And I was all disappointed because it was so perfect. Then, that afternoon a delivery arrived and it was—get this—a brand-new red Donna Karan coat and a pair of black wool dress pants. Both in my size.”
“Whoa.” Emma and Mallory spoke in unison.
“I sent them back, of course,” Paige added. “It was crazy. Then the next morning I got a call from Brad saying they had space available in another of their buildings, but it would be a week before I could see it because they had to clean it up or something. Then, Raff showed up at my office with the damn coat again, insisting that I keep it. He’s very…determined.”
Sasha smiled.
“Oh, and I forgot to say that when I met him that first day, he asked me out for dinner to make it up to me for slipping. I turned him down.”
“That was a significant detail to omit,” Mallory said.
Paige waved a hand. “Whatever. When he brought the coat back, he asked me out again. I said no again. And again. Like I said…determined. In the end he gave up and left.”
“Why did you say no?” Sasha leaned forward. “He’s very good-looking. Rich. Single. Cripes.”
Paige ran her fingers through her hair, looking down again. “He scares me.”
Mallory touched her arm, briefly but warmly. “Scares you?”
“He reminds me of Delmer too much.”
“Shit,” Mallory muttered. Paige saw Emma and Sasha exchange glances.
“Anyway, like I said, he doesn’t give up. When I went to look at this other space on Thursday, he was there instead of Brad. They’re giving me an incredible deal on the rent and it’s even nicer than the first one I saw.”
All three women looked at Paige, smiling. “So what’s the problem?” Mallory asked.
“I can’t do that! He’s giving me that deal because he wants…”
“He wants you?” Mallory grinned.
“Yes. And what does that make me then?”
“Oh, honey. Don’t be silly.”
“I get that,” Sasha said.
“Thank you. He admitted he wanted something in exchange. He wants to take me on a date. One date.”
Sasha’s forehead creased and Emma said, “Huh.”
“But then when I asked him if I had to go out with him to get the deal, he said no. Which confused me. I could have that beautiful space for a crazy-low rent and not have to do anything. But he did say he wouldn’t give up trying to get me to go out with him.”
Sasha started laughing. “This is too funny.”
“Why?” Paige turned her gaze on Sasha. “I don’t find it funny at all.”
“Aw, Paige, sweetie. It’s just reminding me of Jack. Did I ever tell you that he stalked me?”
Paige’s mouth dropped open.
“Well, it wasn’t really stalking. But he was a little obsessed with me. For years. He came back to Chicago to get me, and he wasn’t going to give up either, even though I at first said no. Raff sounds a lot
Sasha was a landscape designer who specialized in rooftop gardens now that she had her own business. Of course she would know of a big property developer like Raff.
“Why?” Emma asked. “I’ve never heard of him, but what do I know?”
“I’ve heard of him,” Mallory said. “In the news. I think he spoke at a Chamber of Commerce lunch I went to once, years ago. He’s a very successful businessman.”
Paige nodded. “Okay, so here’s what happened. I found a commercial space that I really liked and I contacted the property manager of the building and arranged to go see it. Raff was there.”
“Raff?” Sasha lifted an eyebrow and gave a tiny smirk.
Paige grimaced and continued. “I slipped and fell on some ice outside the front door. I was fine. I just got a little dirt on my coat and pants. Raff told me to send Brad, the guy I was dealing with, the dry cleaning bill. Anyway, turned out the showing was for nothing because they’d already leased the place, or almost for sure had, that morning. And I was all disappointed because it was so perfect. Then, that afternoon a delivery arrived and it was—get this—a brand-new red Donna Karan coat and a pair of black wool dress pants. Both in my size.”
“Whoa.” Emma and Mallory spoke in unison.
“I sent them back, of course,” Paige added. “It was crazy. Then the next morning I got a call from Brad saying they had space available in another of their buildings, but it would be a week before I could see it because they had to clean it up or something. Then, Raff showed up at my office with the damn coat again, insisting that I keep it. He’s very…determined.”
Sasha smiled.
“Oh, and I forgot to say that when I met him that first day, he asked me out for dinner to make it up to me for slipping. I turned him down.”
“That was a significant detail to omit,” Mallory said.
Paige waved a hand. “Whatever. When he brought the coat back, he asked me out again. I said no again. And again. Like I said…determined. In the end he gave up and left.”
“Why did you say no?” Sasha leaned forward. “He’s very good-looking. Rich. Single. Cripes.”
Paige ran her fingers through her hair, looking down again. “He scares me.”
Mallory touched her arm, briefly but warmly. “Scares you?”
“He reminds me of Delmer too much.”
“Shit,” Mallory muttered. Paige saw Emma and Sasha exchange glances.
“Anyway, like I said, he doesn’t give up. When I went to look at this other space on Thursday, he was there instead of Brad. They’re giving me an incredible deal on the rent and it’s even nicer than the first one I saw.”
All three women looked at Paige, smiling. “So what’s the problem?” Mallory asked.
“I can’t do that! He’s giving me that deal because he wants…”
“He wants you?” Mallory grinned.
“Yes. And what does that make me then?”
“Oh, honey. Don’t be silly.”
“I get that,” Sasha said.
“Thank you. He admitted he wanted something in exchange. He wants to take me on a date. One date.”
Sasha’s forehead creased and Emma said, “Huh.”
“But then when I asked him if I had to go out with him to get the deal, he said no. Which confused me. I could have that beautiful space for a crazy-low rent and not have to do anything. But he did say he wouldn’t give up trying to get me to go out with him.”
Sasha started laughing. “This is too funny.”
“Why?” Paige turned her gaze on Sasha. “I don’t find it funny at all.”
“Aw, Paige, sweetie. It’s just reminding me of Jack. Did I ever tell you that he stalked me?”
Paige’s mouth dropped open.
“Well, it wasn’t really stalking. But he was a little obsessed with me. For years. He came back to Chicago to get me, and he wasn’t going to give up either, even though I at first said no. Raff sounds a lot
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