"Would that be so bad?"
Amanda shrugged, not entirely sure how to answer that. "She'd know I was lying. I practically said you were only a client. Which, actually, was also a lie."
"It doesn't have to be."
His tone had changed from teasing to serious, and she studied him as he concentrated on backing out of the driveway. When they were back on Riverside Drive, she asked him what he meant.
"I want to buy a condo. And I need a real estate agent who can narrow down potential properties when I'm not around. Funny thing is, I could only think of one person I want to work with."
"Seriously? Here?"
"This is your market, right?"
"Well, yes. But why? Are you moving here?"
He shook his head, and though Amanda knew she should be relieved, she could feel a tiny knot of disappointment forming in her gut.
"Since the boutique division may be dead in the water, I'm taking over as the director of North American operations."
"Sounds important."
He grinned. "It's not shabby. But it involves a lot of travel. I already have a place in Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago. I want one here, too. The room we've been using is a corporate room, so I can't leave personal things there."
She nodded, thinking how nice it must be to just buy a condo wherever you needed one. "Well, I'm happy to help." She meant it, too. She'd thought it would be weird to seek out work, but having Derek hand it to her on a platter was something entirely different.
"I thought maybe you could scope out the market then shoot me some possibilities. I'm thinking a two bedroom, two bath. Even if I don't keep it, that's better for resale than a studio."
"You got it. Budget?"
"I only poked around a bit into the Austin market, but I think a cap of three mil should work?"
"I can find you something exceptional for that. And probably for significantly less if we keep our eyes open."
"Fair enough. You keep your eyes on the market, and I'll keep mine on you."
She caught herself smiling. "That's a plan I can live with."
With a sigh, she leaned back, enjoying the drive. They'd decided to take advantage of the rest of the day and stroll through the botanical gardens, and it took no time at all for them to reach Zilker Park. Soon they were walking among the greenery, and when Derek took her hand, Amanda didn't protest.
She did, however, start thinking about those other towns. Those other condos. And as they approached the Japanese garden, she pulled her hand away and shoved it into her pocket.
"So you've got condos all over the place already? How come? You're just now getting this new North American job, right?"
He glanced at her, but she couldn't see his eyes behind his sunglasses. "My work has always required a lot of travel. But I don't actually own all of the properties. The Chicago one is my mother's, although she's never there. Mellie and I share it."
That had to be a relative, but even so, a green-tinted demon poked her in the gut, forcing her to blurt out the words and make a fool of herself. "Who's Mellie?"
Now his mouth twitched, and she was certain he was reading her mind. "My sister."
"Oh." She really should Google this man.
"Anything else you want to ask me?"
"No. Yes." Shit. "I was just wondering if there were other girls like me. I mean, how many cities have Winston Hotels with corporate rooms?"
Had she really said that? If it were possible, she'd knock that damn demon to the ground and crush him dead under the heel of her sneaker.
"Ah, the answer to that would be all of them."