“Seriously?” Christian grinned. “That’s rather ironic, isn’t it? The one woman you finally fall for hasn’t fallen for you.”
Callan brushed off the dark feeling provoked by his friend’s words. “Yeah. I should have figured that when this time came, it would be with a woman who challenges me.”
“Something tells me you’re up for that challenge.”
“I’m sure aiming to be.”
* * *
At five minutes to five—he was actually early for a change—Callan tugged open the door to Arnie Daulton & Associates. If possible, the strip mall where it was located looked even shabbier in the daytime. The only plus was that the plaza was bustling with foot and vehicular traffic at that time of day, so it felt less like a probable homicide scene.
The office itself had an open layout. Through the glass front door, he could clearly see four different desks, including the one Roxy had been sitting at the first time he visited. He released a chime with the opening of the door and stepped into the tiled entry. In a quick scan, he took in three empty desks, a hallway in the back of the office leading somewhere he couldn’t see, and a single door to the left revealing a small break room.
The only person in the office was sitting at the desk Roxy had been using. The willowy brunette rose when he entered and gave him a polite smile.
“Hi there,” she said, coming out from behind the desk. “How can I help you?”
He didn’t fail to notice the thorough scan she gave him. Her eyes touched on his shoes, his clothes, and his watch before meeting his. Her smile then was much more interested than polite, telling him she had gauged his social status and it met with her approval.
“Hi,” he said. “I’m supposed to be meeting Roxy.”
“Oh, I see. I’m afraid she’s not back from her showing yet, but you’re welcome to wait for her if you’d like. I’m Darcy Moore, by the way.”
Since she extended her hand, he reached out to accept the shake. “Callan Murphy.”
“Ah, yes. I’ve seen a few of Roxy’s notes about her work with you, Mr. Murphy. We share a desk,” she explained when he gave her a questioning look.
He pulled his hand away from the uncomfortably long handshake. “Ah. Yeah. We have an appointment to see some houses this evening, actually.”
“How fun. Why don’t you have a seat?” she said, waving towards the two guest chairs facing her desk.
“Sure.”
“Can I get you anything to drink? We have water, Coke, Diet Coke, coffee…” She trailed off as though waiting for his response.
“No, thanks.”
“All right.” She returned to her seat on the other side of the desk. “So, how did you find Roxy?”
He frowned. “Sorry?”
“We track how our clients find us,” she clarified with her smile still in place. “It helps us fine tune our marketing efforts when we learn what works and what doesn’t.”
“Ah.” He wasn’t sure how much Roxy had shared about their connection with her coworkers, but knowing her, she hadn’t said much. “Roxy and I met through a mutual acquaintance.”
“Very nice. We love referrals.” Darcy leaned back in her chair and folded her hands over her waist. “If I’m remembering correctly, you’re interested in homes in the northern suburbs, is that right?”
“Ideally, yes.”
“It’s a beautiful area. You can’t go wrong investing in property up there.”
He made a sound of agreement and fought the urge to look at his watch. Her efforts at polite conversation were making him antsy, though he couldn’t say why.
“How have you found your house-hunting experience so far?” she asked.
He shrugged. “It’s been good. Roxy has shown me some incredible properties. We just haven’t found the right one yet.”
Darcy clucked her tongue and leaned forward. “It can be so frustrating, can’t it?” She braced her elbows on her desk and leaned even closer, as though drawing him into a confidential conversation. “Finding the perfect home is often about timing. The right agent with the right connections can find their client the perfect home before it ever hits the market.”
Callan caught movement over Darcy’s shoulder and almost lifted his eyes before he caught Roxy’s warning signal to act like she wasn’t there. He realized she must have entered through the back of the office. He hadn’t even heard her come in.
For a brief moment, he wondered why she didn’t want him to clue Darcy into her presence. Then he considered what Darcy had said and where it appeared to be leading.
And his blood cooled.
“I can see how that would be helpful,” he said to Darcy, giving her his most charming smile. He leaned closer to add to the sense of intimacy she seemed to be trying to create between them. “It’s funny that you mentioned it, because I’ve actually been wondering about that. Do you think I’d have more success with another agent?”
“It’s always possible,” she said. “We all have different connections. The more experience we have, the better those connections tend to be.”
His jaw tightened and released as he predicted where she was going, but he forced himself to play along. “I’ve signed a contract with Roxy, though.”
“If your agent isn’t meeting your needs, contracts can always be terminated,” she said.
“Very interesting,” he managed to say in a normal voice. “Are you offering your services?”
She lifted her hands and eased back. “Oh, no. I wouldn’t dream of putting you in such an awkward position.”
Just when he started to wonder if he had misinterpreted her approach, she continued, “But I do know an agent with another brokerage who has an exceptional reputation and extensive portfolio of available properties not listed on the MLS. He’s quite selective about the clients he takes on, but if I talk to him and make the introduction, I’m sure he would work with you.”
“Do you think so?” he said as though he was considering it.
“Absolutely. He would likely even offer you a break on his commission percentage. We could all use a little extra spending money, am I right?” she said with a wink that turned his stomach.
“I’m not sure that’s very fair to Roxy. She’s already put in a lot of work with me.”
Darcy waved away that concern. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll be sure she gets a portion of the sale.”
“You deceitful, thieving bitch,” Roxy seethed, storming fully into the room.
Darcy leaped up from her seat and turned to face her. “Roxy! I didn’t—where did—”
“Is that what you told all those leads of mine that you sent to Bentley and his agents?” Roxy demanded, advancing on Darcy with a murderous expression. “Did you tell everyone that I’d get a cut and that they’d be saving me time and effort by signing with those other agents? Because I sure haven’t seen any fucking money!”
Callan also got to his feet. Darcy circled around towards the front door to keep the desk between her and Roxy.
“Now, Roxy, just calm down,” Darcy said.