wants.”
Twenty minutes later, Connor drove through Juliana’s neighborhood, ready to take a look at what might be his new office space. The house was in a nice neighborhood, one well established enough there wouldn’t be a Homeowners’ Association. That would be a plus if they were going to run their office out of Juliana’s house.
When he’d picked her up, Connor had given the place only a cursory inspection. He’d been much more interested in Juliana than her home. Then again, he hadn’t known this would be his new office.
It was a nice redbrick ranch. Mature trees. Large lot. Her two-car garage was now the office of Wilson-Kelley—correction, Kelley-Wilson—Realty. He’d agreed to her choice of name since that was a small skirmish in what might end up being an epic war.
He was going to choose his battles carefully.
After he pulled his SUV into the driveway, he killed the engine. Although he’d intended to go around and open the door for her, she let herself out and met him at the entrance to the office, keys already in her hand.
“It’s not perfect yet,” she said as she opened the dead bolt. “But I think it’ll work for us, especially if your place is still a mess.”
“ ‘Mess’ is an understatement.” He held the door after she opened it, waiting for her to step inside. Then he followed.
He only needed a quick glance around to know that despite what she’d said, the office
was
perfect. The walls were painted a pleasant, soft green, and the floors were a dark-stained laminate. The décor was limited to framed prints of the Chicago skyline and a large shamrock that had been painted on the farthest wall. Tasteful, but still a good representation of her personality.
There were two chairs and a coffee table in a waiting area. She’d even thought to leave out a few magazines. Behind a half wall that served as a formal division of the office space, two desks faced each other, although only one had a computer.
“Two desks?” Connor asked. “Were you expecting to have a partner?”
“Nah. Nothing like that. Bought them both in a used furniture sale at the school. Twenty-five bucks each. The chairs were only five. Figured it made the office look busier if people thought there were two agents.”
So she was frugal, a good quality in a partner, especially when the money he had available to put into this venture was pretty skimpy. “Good thinking. I take it I get the one without the computer.”
“Of course.” She pulled out the chair and dropped her big purse on the seat. “I’m still waiting to hear that inside information, Connor. You made it all the way through dinner without showing me the ace you’re hiding up your sleeve.”
Connor went to his new desk, gave it a good look, and then took his seat. “Comfy.”
“Glad you approve,” she drawled as she leaned a hip against his desk. “Details now?”
He dropped his bomb. “Hudson County is about to get a new Barrett Foods factory.”
“A what?”
“A new factory that produces a bunch of Barrett products—anything from Tempt Me candy bars to Skinny Minnie frozen meals. Rumor has it that it’ll create a minimum of a couple thousand jobs in and around Cloverleaf.”
“Holy shit.” A slow smile spread over her face. “Houses will sell like hotcakes.”
“See? I knew you were a smart lady.”
“How did you find out about this? Isn’t that like insider trading or something?” Juliana asked.
He couldn’t help but smile when the tone of her question wasn’t the least contrite. She was every bit as ready to make some money as he was. “It’s not a stock or anything. Just land. Besides, the Barrett CEO hasn’t made it a secret she’s looking for someplace in the Midwest. Her main factories are on the coasts, and she’s not a California or New York kind of girl. She wants to get back to her roots, which happen to be in Indiana.”
“Why don’t more people know about it?”
“She’s had her people buying up
Twenty minutes later, Connor drove through Juliana’s neighborhood, ready to take a look at what might be his new office space. The house was in a nice neighborhood, one well established enough there wouldn’t be a Homeowners’ Association. That would be a plus if they were going to run their office out of Juliana’s house.
When he’d picked her up, Connor had given the place only a cursory inspection. He’d been much more interested in Juliana than her home. Then again, he hadn’t known this would be his new office.
It was a nice redbrick ranch. Mature trees. Large lot. Her two-car garage was now the office of Wilson-Kelley—correction, Kelley-Wilson—Realty. He’d agreed to her choice of name since that was a small skirmish in what might end up being an epic war.
He was going to choose his battles carefully.
After he pulled his SUV into the driveway, he killed the engine. Although he’d intended to go around and open the door for her, she let herself out and met him at the entrance to the office, keys already in her hand.
“It’s not perfect yet,” she said as she opened the dead bolt. “But I think it’ll work for us, especially if your place is still a mess.”
“ ‘Mess’ is an understatement.” He held the door after she opened it, waiting for her to step inside. Then he followed.
He only needed a quick glance around to know that despite what she’d said, the office
was
perfect. The walls were painted a pleasant, soft green, and the floors were a dark-stained laminate. The décor was limited to framed prints of the Chicago skyline and a large shamrock that had been painted on the farthest wall. Tasteful, but still a good representation of her personality.
There were two chairs and a coffee table in a waiting area. She’d even thought to leave out a few magazines. Behind a half wall that served as a formal division of the office space, two desks faced each other, although only one had a computer.
“Two desks?” Connor asked. “Were you expecting to have a partner?”
“Nah. Nothing like that. Bought them both in a used furniture sale at the school. Twenty-five bucks each. The chairs were only five. Figured it made the office look busier if people thought there were two agents.”
So she was frugal, a good quality in a partner, especially when the money he had available to put into this venture was pretty skimpy. “Good thinking. I take it I get the one without the computer.”
“Of course.” She pulled out the chair and dropped her big purse on the seat. “I’m still waiting to hear that inside information, Connor. You made it all the way through dinner without showing me the ace you’re hiding up your sleeve.”
Connor went to his new desk, gave it a good look, and then took his seat. “Comfy.”
“Glad you approve,” she drawled as she leaned a hip against his desk. “Details now?”
He dropped his bomb. “Hudson County is about to get a new Barrett Foods factory.”
“A what?”
“A new factory that produces a bunch of Barrett products—anything from Tempt Me candy bars to Skinny Minnie frozen meals. Rumor has it that it’ll create a minimum of a couple thousand jobs in and around Cloverleaf.”
“Holy shit.” A slow smile spread over her face. “Houses will sell like hotcakes.”
“See? I knew you were a smart lady.”
“How did you find out about this? Isn’t that like insider trading or something?” Juliana asked.
He couldn’t help but smile when the tone of her question wasn’t the least contrite. She was every bit as ready to make some money as he was. “It’s not a stock or anything. Just land. Besides, the Barrett CEO hasn’t made it a secret she’s looking for someplace in the Midwest. Her main factories are on the coasts, and she’s not a California or New York kind of girl. She wants to get back to her roots, which happen to be in Indiana.”
“Why don’t more people know about it?”
“She’s had her people buying up
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