“I can’t actually fire anyone,” Josh replied.
“Sure you can. Say you’re me. I don’t know what my schedule looks like for the day but cancel it. Call one of the other salespeople to get to the tower and handle this.”
“I’ll do what I can,” he said.
I ended the call, took the first right, and hauled ass to the tower. I needed to sell these units. I couldn’t afford to have the potential buyers stood up. They’d walk away. It was unprofessional.
I made it to the building and took my reserved spot in the underground parking. I made it to the sales office in nine minutes from the time Josh called.
“Hello,” I greeted the middle-aged couple that was waiting for me. “My name is Reese Bancroft. I understand you’re interested in one of our penthouses?”
“Yes,” the husband said. “I’m Carl, this is Judy.”
“Were you here for the grand opening?” I asked.
“No, but we heard about it,” Carl answered.
“Well, why don’t we get started with a tour of the property?” I said with a smile. “We’ll start in the coffee shop and grab a drink.”
We started the tour with cappuccinos in hand. I took my time hitting the highlights before taking them up to one of the available penthouses. I wasn’t necessarily a realtor, but I had shown and sold properties in the past. I knew when a buyer was impressed.
Judy fell in love with the kitchen almost immediately. They always did. It was why the kitchen was just inside the front door and to the right of the foyer. I showed them around the penthouse and made sure they knew all about the perks that came with owning a unit in our building.
“I think you know we’re interested,” Carl said.
“Do you want to see one of the other units?” I asked.
“No, this was the floorplan we liked,” Judy said.
“Why don’t we go downstairs and get started on some paperwork?” I said with a big smile. I could be a little pushy when necessary.
They exchanged a look. I saw the hesitation. “Why don’t I give you two a minute? I’ll meet you in the sales office.”
I left the penthouse and headed back to the sales office. There was a sophisticated woman sitting in one of the four chairs just outside the sales office. “Hello,” I said.
She held up a finger. She said something and then looked at me. “Sorry,” she said and pulled an airpod from her ears. “I’m Karen Diamond. I’m supposed to be meeting with someone about one of the apartments.”
“Ah, yes, that would be me,” I said again. This was a sticky situation. I was certain I could get the penthouse deal closed. I just needed five minutes. “I have a couple coming down to do some paperwork. Why don’t I buy you a coffee and I’ll be with you in just a few minutes?”
She looked me up and down. “Fine, but only because you’re hot.” She winked.
I was used to that. “I’ll take it,” I said.
I led her to the coffee shop and set her up with a muffin and coffee before rushing back to the office. Carl and Judy were just coming into the area. The smile on Judy’s face told me I had just scored the deal.
“What do you think?” I asked.
“We’d like to put in an offer,” Carl said.
“Great! Let’s get started!”
While we were filling out paperwork, I grabbed one of the brochures for Thea’s shelter. “We are a pet friendly building. I personally know the operator of this shelter. She does a great job pairing animals with the right people.”
“Oh, Carl, we could get a cat,” she cooed.
Carl didn’t look pleased, but the wife did. After the paperwork was filled out, I promised to be in touch soon. As soon as I walked them out, I rushed back to the coffee shop to find Karen. Once again, I gave the tour and showed her a couple different units. I had a feeling she was stalling in order to stay with me a little longer. Ultimately, she decided she needed to think on the situation.
The backup salesperson showed up just as I was walking Karen out. With the position filled, I headed for the office. I checked my phone to see if there had been a return call from Clark. There was nothing. I found myself checking my phone more often these days. Usually, I was always trying to ignore the damn thing. Now, I couldn’t get anyone to call me back.