firm because, as the listing agent, Brenda would earn a double commission.
Who knew? Maybe these were exactly the kinds of polished places Miles was looking for. I snuck a glance down at him to gauge his reaction. His dark blue eyes were crinkled like he was listening intently, but I couldn’t tell one way or the other what he thought.
Brenda brought her presentation to a close. “I think you’ll agree that each of these properties has unique advantages. It just depends on what you want to prioritize.”
“That second one looks good,” Miles’s business manager, Aaron, said.
“The one near the Sonesta.” Brenda nodded. “It would be an excellent option.”
“You’d share parking with the hotel,” Dave added. This is what we were here for. To jump in and hype the properties.
“Parking is a huge deal in the city,” Donna added. “Subleasing rights from the hotel is one of the easiest ways to solve that.”
Other agents jumped in as well, each repeating features they liked about the property. I kept quiet because they had it handled.
“I don’t know if it’s the right vibe,” Miles finally said, after hearing them all out. It gave me a jolt to hear him use the same word I’d been thinking. “I think I need something...scruffier.” His voice had deepened since high school, but it still had a round, mellow tone to it, like if I could taste his words, I’d pick up a faint trace of honey.
Not that I was thinking about that.
“You can certainly adapt the interiors to reflect your aesthetic,” Brenda reassured him. “Let’s take a look at Poydras Street again.” And she was off and running on why the first property would be perfect.
I kept my eyes on my folder and prayed that the other agents would help a tiny bit less so this meeting could end faster.
“Elle?”
I glanced up when Brenda called my name to find everyone looking at me expectantly, and warmth spread from the back of my neck to my cheeks. I hated the way my skin prickled. “I’m sorry?”
“Miles asked what you thought of these properties.”
I looked down the table to where he sat.
He smiled. “You haven’t said much. I wondered if you had a different opinion.”
I didn’t hesitate. “Brenda knows this market better than anyone.”
He gave a slow nod. “Thanks.”
“How about if we schedule some onsite visits?” Brenda asked.
“Yeah, sure.” Miles didn’t seem too excited about the idea, but his manager pulled out his phone like he was checking his schedule.
“Great. We’ll let the rest of these folks get back to their other clients while we set something up. Thanks for your help, team.”
We all rose as she admonished us to be sure to grab some of the refreshments. I held my satchel across my chest as I made my way out, trying to angle my body so that Miles saw even less of me before I left.
I dropped it at my desk and beelined for the restroom. I’d almost made it when Brenda called my name from the conference room door.
“Elle, can you come join us, please?”
I half-turned. “Yeah, in a second.” I had to get this powdered sugar off first.
“We don’t want to keep Miles waiting.” Her voice was firm and a touch cool.
I hesitated, debating whether I should leave the sugar as it was or try to brush it off.
Brush if off, I decided. At least they would realize I knew it was there.
I made a few ineffective swipes at it as I headed toward the conference room, smudging it as badly as I expected to. “Sorry about this,” I said, looking down at the mess so I wouldn’t have to meet Miles’s eyes.
“Been there,” he said, and I glanced up at the note of humor in his tone. “Not sure who even orders beignets for a business meeting anyway.”
“I did,” Brenda said even more stiffly than she’d called my name.
Crap. I didn’t want to get on her bad side. “My fault for eating them. I should have known I didn’t have the skills to outsmart a beignet.”
“You sure this is the agent you want?” Aaron asked.
“Ignore him,” Miles said.
“Um, what?” I wasn’t totally sure I’d heard Aaron right.
Brenda offered me a professional smile. “Seems Miles would prefer to work with you on finding the right property for his club.”
“Oh.” I quit brushing at my boobs and let my hands fall to my sides. “That’s not the way to go here. Like I said in the meeting, Brenda knows this market better than anyone. You’ll be