Maya

 

 

"I have a new listing appointment in an hour." I tap my fingertip against the face of the antique silver wristwatch I'm wearing.

It doesn't work. Most of the vintage watches I've picked up over the years can't keep time. I don't buy them to help keep me punctual.  I'm always on time. My phone keeps me on track with its calendar app and the multitude of alarms that all signal different, but equally important, events.

The wind chime I just heard is a reminder of a meeting I have with a potential client on the Upper West Side.

"Your watch is running two hours slow, Maya." Charlie cranes his neck so he can get a better view of my wrist. "You know that it's two o'clock and not noon, right?"

"I know," I say impatiently. "I'm wearing it because I like the style. That's the only reason I ever wear a watch."

"I like you, Maya. You're different."

I smile in a way that says thank you. I know he meant it as a compliment. If he were more my type, I'd be inclined to accept the third date invitation that he's about to offer me.

I've been involved with enough men to know when one is interested. Charlie has strolled past my office door every day since we went to the Bishop party. I kept expecting him to stop to make small talk, but he hasn’t until today.

"Do you want to have dinner with me tomorrow night?" he asks as he drags his hand through his brown hair.

I hate lying. It's useless to do it at work because when I have, I inevitably trip over my own words. I'm always caught in the untruth and whoever I was trying to deceive will either be hurt or pissed off at me, and neither of those scenarios works well in a business setting.

"I should clarify that it wouldn't be dinner with just me," Charlie says quietly, his light green eyes pinned to my face. "My dad and his wife invited us to dinner at the Axel location in Tribeca."

"Your parents want us to have dinner with them?"

My mind races as I wait for him to confirm what he just said to me. He wants me to meet his parents? We've gone out twice. We haven't even kissed. In my world, that means I'm not ready to meet his doorman yet, let alone his parents.

"He called me twenty minutes ago to invite us. I told him about you last week. I didn't have a chance to explain that we're not officially a couple." He shrugs that off as his gaze drops. "It's just that he's thinking of selling his apartment and I know you'd be the right broker for the job."

"Your parents are moving?"

He visibly cringes at my question. "My mom lives in Arizona. My dad lives here with his third wife."

I nod, not wanting to waste time by delving into the finer points of the uncomfortable dynamics of the Warton clan, I ask the obvious question. "Where does your dad live?"

"Central Park West."

My chest tightens as my heart pumps faster. The listing price of any property located on that street comes with so many zeroes that I feel like my head is about to spin around from pure excitement.

I don't want to string Charlie along, but it's just a dinner. There's no reason why we can't share a nice meal and good conversation with his dad and his stepmom. On the way home from the restaurant I'll let him down gently by telling him that I'd make a better friend than a girlfriend for him.

They're not just empty words. I do think that Charlie and I would make great friends.

"I think we should go to that dinner."

His head whips up in surprise. "You'll go with me?"

I nod. "I'd love to meet your dad and his wife."

He fingers the edge of the frame of his eyeglasses as he contemplates my response. "I'll call him back and tell him we'll be there."

I glance down at my phone's screen. "I need to get to my listing appointment."

"I'll find you tomorrow so we can coordinate the pick-up plan."

"The pick-up plan?"

"The plan for when I pick you up at your place for our date," he says that with a grin. "Dinner's at eight. If you want I can come by at six for a pre-dinner drink."

"I have a showing at five tomorrow afternoon, but I'll be ready to go by seven-thirty."

I don't see an ounce of disappointment in his expression. "Good luck with the listing appointment. You don't need luck to get the job though. Who could resist you?"

My lip twitches in an almost smile.  "You sure know how to boost a girl's ego, Charlie. I'll see you tomorrow night."

"If not before, Maya." He bows and waves his arm in the air.

He's everything I should want in a guy, but the only man I can think about is the one who holds the keys to the twelve residential suites in the new Bishop hotel in his hands.

It's been days since Julian said he'd be in touch. I've left two messages with his assistant and still I've heard nothing back.

As I head out the office door, I make a note in my phone's calendar to stop by the Bishop corporate offices the day after tomorrow if my calls still aren't returned. A little initiative is never a bad thing in this industry. Besides, I'll take any chance I can get to see Julian in person.

 

***

 

"I happen to think Charlie is a catch." My younger sister, Matilda, pours a splash of cream into her coffee cup before she snaps the plastic lid back on. "He's cute, he's got a great job, and he treats you right. What more could you ask for, Maya?"

Sparks? A pounding heartbeat when I look at him? Wet panties when he looks at me?

"He's a nice guy, Tilly," I acquiesce as I take a sip of the herbal tea I ordered. I reached my self-imposed limit of three cups of coffee before noon today. If I hope to get any sleep tonight, I have to stick to non-caffeinated beverages for the rest of the evening. "He's just not my type."

Her blue eyes widen as she smiles. "You say that every time a guy is interested in you. There are only so many types of men walking the face of this earth. Sooner or later, you'll have to decide which type is right for you."

"So maybe I don't have a type." I wrinkle my nose. "I want a man who is different than anyone I've ever met before."

"You and me both." She taps her cup to mine. "I have another blind date tomorrow night."

This is the third one this month. I give Tilly credit for actively chasing after the happily-ever-after she wants. As adventurous as she is when it comes to dating, she's just as cautious.

"I can't be your bodyguard tomorrow night." I look over my shoulder at the entrance to the café. I'm meeting a client here in ten minutes to present an offer on her apartment. It may be seven p.m. but my day isn't over yet.

"The meeting the parents thing with Charlie is tomorrow?" Her dark brows lift. I can tell she's surprised. The first words out of her mouth when I met her here was a question about how my date with Charlie had gone. Since she helped me get ready for the Bishop Hotel party, she deserved to know every boring detail. I didn't stop there. I also clued her in about Charlie's invitation to have dinner with his folks. "Promise me you'll at least keep an open mind. Third dates are almost always better than first and second dates. You know what they say about the third time being a charm."

I'm not about to tell her that the man I'm most excited to see tomorrow night isn't the one picking me up. It's his father. Tilly is a veterinary assistant. She's devoted her life to caring for animals and managing the feelings of the people who own them. She doesn't understand how ruthless a person has to be in real estate.

"I agreed to have dinner with him, didn't I?" I smile. "You'll be alright on your date, won't you? I'm sorry I can't be there spying on you while I drink a martini and you sit a few feet away pretending you don't know me."

She laughs. "You know how much I appreciate you watching over me when I meet strange men. Knowing you're close makes me feel safe."

"Where are you meeting this mystery man?"

She looks around the crowded café. "I think I'll ask him to meet me here. I doubt like hell he'd try anything while I'm holding a hot cup of coffee."

"Good plan." I look back when I hear the door open. I wave to my client as soon as she makes eye contact with me. "It's time for me to work. Text me after your date tomorrow, or don't if you decide to take him home with you."

She pushes her long brown hair back over her shoulder. "I'll text you when I'm home. Good luck with Charlie. Remember what I said about third dates, Maya. Your life might change tomorrow night."

I'm counting on it. If all goes well, by this time next week, I'll be selling an apartment on Central Park West.