Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 90899 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 454(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90899 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 454(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
“Nothing’s going to happen to me,” I say. “He would never hurt me like that, Syd. Never.”
She arches a brow. “You sound pretty sure about that.”
“I am,” I say, a different kind of suspicion prickling across my skin.
Maybe I’ve overreacted. Anthony at least deserves the chance to explain himself before I jump to damning conclusions. He’s earned that with every perfect moment we shared before this morning.
Sydney nods as if she can read my thoughts.
But we’ve been friends for so long, she usually can.
“Then you should go talk this through with him,” she says. “In the meantime, I’ll make a few phone calls. If you’re open to going into the deal with a partner, we might still be able to make it work.” She holds up a hand, stopping me before I can respond. “Not me. I know you don’t want me to save you, but my bestie from high school, Noelle, has a friend who’s part of a purchasing collective. They buy distressed properties, renovate using as much elbow grease as possible, then sell them off. I’m pretty sure they’ve only bought single unit properties so far, but they might be ready to tackle a bigger project. It’s worth a shot, anyway. I know they have a solid legal framework in place to protect each person’s investment stake, so you wouldn’t be jumping into a completely unvetted situation. There would still be risks, but…worth a shot, right?”
I nod, hope flickering to life inside me again for the first time since this morning. “Yes. Thank you. I would appreciate that so much. I don’t close until Friday, so there might still be time to meet with them tomorrow. Or, if they’re not ready to move that quickly, I might be able to get the closing pushed back.”
“Okay, good,” she says as we rise from our seats and shrug back into our coats and scarves. “I’ll let you know as soon as I know.” She reaches out, giving my arm a squeeze. “And you’d better text me the second you get the real story from this man. Don’t settle for anything less. If he’s really The One, he’ll see how upset you are and do whatever it takes to make it right.”
The One…
As we hug goodbye outside Oscar Wilde and go our separate ways—me downtown to the Village and Sydney uptown to have dinner with her dad at the penthouse where she grew up—every moment of the past five days with Anthony plays in my head.
The montage is overwhelmingly wonderful and romantic.
And sexy.
And sweet.
And…real.
This is real. It has to be real, right? I mean, I’m naïve, but I’m not an idiot.
But you have been pretty drunk on orgasms, and I don’t think that makes you the most reliable judge of character. Pretty sure sex isn’t known for enhancing your rational side.
Good point, Inner Voice.
As soon as I emerge from the subway station near Anthony’s place, I pull out my phone, planning to call him and ask if he wants to meet at the coffee shop around the corner. I’ll be much less likely to fall prey to his sex vibe if we’re in public with cappuccinos.
But when I glance at the screen, I see a missed call and a voicemail from my lender…
My heart begins to race as I step off the sidewalk, huddling against the brick wall of a local grocery store in the late afternoon chill. Pushing my fingers to one ear to block out the hum of traffic and the shouts of kids playing at the small park across the street, I strain to hear the soft voice of Mary, my loan officer.
“Hello, Ms. Swallows. So sorry I missed you. I hate to leave this in a voicemail, but I’m headed out for the day and wanted you to know what’s happening as soon as possible. You’ll have an email in your inbox explaining all this as well, but unfortunately, we’ve run into a snag on our end. During our final review, we discovered a discrepancy in the property’s appraisal value compared to recent sales in the area. The comps from the past month are really throwing a wrench in things.”
Oh no.
Oh no, no, no…
I bite my bottom lip hard enough to send pain flashing through my jaw, starting to feel like I’m cursed.
Mary sighs, clearly hating every word of the bad news she’s compelled to deliver. “But they are what they are, and given the extent of the necessary repairs, we’re going to need an additional twenty thousand down to process the loan. The lender is no longer comfortable with the lower amount of leverage. I’m so sorry to deliver this kind of update so late in the process, but the good news is that I can get your closing pushed to next week. That’s no problem. That’ll give you more time to get creative with your finances.”