Don’t laugh, Cora!You’ll only encourage him to continue using Machiavellian tactics. “You’re right, of course. And where are we going for the site visit?”
“You’ll have to wait,” he said mysteriously. With his hands in his pants pockets, he swung around and sauntered into his office. He might as well have whistled.
Twenty minutes later, I was climbing into Jake’s Bentley. “We’re not going to have Carl drive us?” I would have preferred to have another person in the car with us.
“Nope.” He started the car and drove out of the garage.
We crossed Michigan Avenue Bridge to River North and pulled into the underground garage of a towering apartment building.
“Jake, what are we doing here?” I stepped out of the car and looked at the rows of luxury cars parked in the garage.
He took my elbow. “We’re meeting with the property manager later in this building, but I thought we’d park here and walk to lunch.”
It was a good plan since parking in downtown Chicago was a nightmare. We took the elevator up to the ground floor and walked out into the posh lobby.
“Wow, this place is gorgeous.” I slowed down my pace to admire the beautiful Art Deco details. As magnificent as Chicago’s architecture was, this building was still a gem. “Jake, what is the meeting about? I would have liked to be better prepared.”
“Hmm… it’s nothing too complicated. Now let’s get something to eat. I’m starving. How does Mexican sound?” He clasped my hand tightly and pulled me out into the bright sunlight.
Spring in Chicago was mercurial. It could be bright and sunny one day and dank and gray the next. Today, it was nice and warm and everyone seemed to be in better spirits. I closed my eyes and lifted my face to enjoy the warmth of the sun. I was glad I had worn my cap-sleeved blouse and knee-length jersey skirt.
A shadow fell over me and then I felt Jake’s lips touch mine gently, almost reverently. My eyes popped open and he pulled away, his mouth tugging on my upper lip.
“You’re so beautiful, baby.”
“Jake,” I sighed, forgetting why I was fighting him when he gazed at me with those gorgeous eyes.
He kissed me again, this time lingering for a while, disregarding all the annoyed passersby who had to walk around us. There was none of the urgency I’d previously experienced. Breaking away, he smiled down at me. “I like this look on you. Soft and compliant.”
I frowned at him, not liking the sound of that. I wasn’t a soft and compliant sort of girl.
His dimple made an appearance as he laughed at me. “Although you’re cute when you growl and snarl at me… like a wet kitten.”
My frown grew fiercer and that seemed to feed his amusement. He laced his fingers with mine and started to walk down the crowded street.
Instead of a fancy restaurant like La Cocina, the Mexican eatery he took me to was low-key and inexpensive. The food was incredible– spicy and flavorful. The place was teeming with customers, making it impossible to have a conversation without screaming. It gave me some time to figure out what the hell I was doing. This was obviously not a business lunch and Jake was not treating me like his assistant. Although to be fair, he hadn’t treated me like a mere assistant ever since we kissed in the stairwell.
As soon as we left the restaurant, Jake slung his arm over shoulder. “Stop thinking so hard, Cora.”
I stopped and faced him. “Jake, I don’t know what we’re doing.”
“We’re dating.”
“Pardon?” I stared at him in disbelief. “I didn’t remember agreeing to go on a date with you!”
“Well, what else would you call this? We’ve had a nice meal together. We’ve kissed. We’re holding hands.” He leaned down and stared into my stunned face. “And since going out at night is a challenge because of Marcus, we have to make do with lunch dates.”
I sputtered, unable to think of a comeback.
He grabbed my hand and started walking briskly. “We’ve got to go. Appointment with the manager is in ten minutes.”
Struck dumb, I followed behind him, my brain churning through everything. I couldn’t deny I didn’t resist him when he kissed me. I stared at our joined hands. Nor did I try to yank my hand away. I watched him as he deftly navigated through the packed sidewalk, pulling me into his body whenever someone stepped too close. And I really enjoyed spending time with Jake.
Was I really going to stop resisting him?
By the time we arrived at the property manager’s office, I was no closer to understanding my own behavior.
Linda Mueller was a friendly woman in her fifties who emanated patience and serenity. I imagined those qualities came in handy when dealing with demanding tenants.
“Linda, I’d like to see the two units we discussed over the phone.”
“Of course, Mr. Weston.” She walked behind her desk and took out two keys. “The cleaners just finished with them earlier this week.”
I leaned over to Jake. “What are we looking for?”
“The overall condition of the space. Whether we need to upgrade anything.”
“Jake, shouldn’t we have asked the contractor to come?” I didn’t voice that this seemed too menial a task for the CEO. I’ve learned that Jake liked to be involved in all levels of the business.
“We just need to make some notes. Come on.”
Linda smiled at me as we got into the elevator. “The first unit is on the thirty-third floor. It’s a bit roomier than the second one.”
“How many floors are there?” I asked.
“Sixty. Any floor above the thirtieth offers a nice view of the city or the river. It’s really quite a wonderful building.” She shared a little of its colorful history.
“The Art Deco work is quite breathtaking,” I said, admiring the stylized lighting sconces as we walked down the hallway.
She smiled in agreement. She unlocked the unit and swung open the door.
Jake and I walked around the apartment, inspecting the space. It had all the luxuries a building like this would afford. State-of-the-art climate control. Sparkling hardwood floors. Modern appliances. Views of Chicago’s distinctive skyline.
I couldn’t help thinking I would never be able to afford a place like this. Our current apartment would fit into the living room. “Well, everything looks almost new. Did you notice anything that needed to be fixed, Jake?” I had taken out my phone to take notes, but so far, there was nothing on the list of needed repairs.
“No, let’s go see the other one.”
We took the elevator to the forty-eighth floor.
“This is unit forty eight twenty. It has some very nice views of the Chicago River. There are two bedrooms with en-suites. The kitchen was remodeled last year.”
I stepped into the apartment and gasped. The view was stunning, overlooking the city and the glimpse of dark green river below. I walked over and pressed my palms against the glass.
A warm hand settled on my shoulder. “Like the view?”
“Uh-huh… hmm.” The view from hundreds of feet above the ground looked unreal, like an architectural model.
“Let’s check out the rest of the space.”
Reminded of our reason for the visit, I tore myself away from the window and walked through the rest of the apartment with Jake. Like the other unit, everything was shiny and new.
“Well, everything looks good. There doesn’t seem to be anything that needs updating in either unit,” I said.
Linda beamed. “I’m glad both meet with your approval.”
I frowned at the strange way she phrased her comment. Why would my approval matter?
“Thank you for your time today, Linda. We’ll see ourselves out. I’ll give you a call tomorrow.”
“It was my pleasure, Mr. Weston. The door locks behind you.” With a firm handshake and a smile, she left.
“Jake, is there something else we need to do here?” I looked at the time on my phone and frowned. “We should head back to the office.”
Instead of answering me, he pulled me over to the window. “What do you think of the apartments?”