Her smile tightens as she shakes her head. “Loretta won’t sell. Lori was in contact with her earlier this year.”
I glance down at my lap. Sitting right on top of my stack of papers is a list of creative ways to show Loretta’s house when we put it on the market. It’s now obviously worthless. I stuff the paper at the back of the pile and then remember my last potential client.
“Cameron Carr spoke with me last week about purchasing an investment property.”
“Good. Have you had contact with him since?”
“Err, well, he’s been a bit difficult to nail down this week. I’ve left him two voicemails and sent him an email. I could try to call him again today, but I don’t want to spook him or anything.”
She leans back and steeples her fingers. “You can never be too aggressive. For instance, it’s not out of the question for Lori to create seemingly happenstance moments for her to run into her more stubborn clients.”
I grunt, thinking back to her attendance at the puppy training class. “Yes, I know.”
“I take it you aren’t comfortable with that?”
“Oh, I didn’t say that!” I scurry to cover my tracks. Helen loves Lori. In Helen’s eyes, Lori can do no wrong. Meanwhile, I’m the agent on probation. If Lori stalks her clients until they give in and work with her, then maybe it’s not such a bad idea. It’s clearly working for her—her bell has chimed three times this week while mine has collected another layer of dust, much like my love life.
I open my mouth, prepared to tell Helen I’m fully prepared to go into stalker mode, but right then, my cell phone starts to ring. Unlike most work environments, we’re encouraged to have our phones on us at all times in case a client is calling. Helen wants us available 24/7, and that includes now. She waves for me to answer it and I glance down at the unknown number.
Unknown numbers are good. While 50% of them are scam calls from Nigerian princes or credit card companies, some of them (okay, there’s only been one) are clients trying to get ahold of me. My heart soars with the possibility that it’s the latter. I excuse myself from Helen’s office and swipe my screen to answer the call.
“Hello, Madeleine Thatcher speaking.”
“Madeleine, hey. It’s Adam.”
I rack my brain trying to think of an Adam I’ve been in contact with at the agency lately. I usually only have a handful of clients, but I like to treat each of them as if they’re my only client. I like to be up to date with every email, every phone call. If I’ve been in talks with an Adam lately, it does not ring a bell. Still, I play it cool.
“Mr. Adam! Of course, nice to hear from you.”
It’s a good, neutral greeting.
“Um, right. Can you talk for a second? I’m sure you’re at work.”
I frown, confused.
“Yes, I’m at the agency, but I’m definitely available to chat.”
Then he laughs and I freeze. Have I said something wrong? Usually clients find me courteous and professional.
“You have no clue who this is, do you?”
I laugh, if only to join him and make it less awkward. “Of course I do. It’s Adam!”
Meanwhile, I’m sprinting to my cubicle so I can pull up my recent email history. Adam. Adam. There’s an Adam Keller I tried to work with last year, but that can’t be—
And then it clicks.
“Ohhhhh, the vet! The puppy man!”
He laughs again. “Yeah, most people just call me Adam.”
I blush. “Of course. Sorry. I’m just a little surprised you called. How did you get this number?”
My work phone number is listed on our agency’s website, but he called my cell phone.
“I might have found it on the puppy training waiver.”
I relax in my chair. “Wow.”
“Sorry for the breach in privacy.”
I shake my head, though he can’t see me through the phone. “No, it’s not that. I’m just surprised to hear from you.” He seems remarkably happy to be chatting with me on the phone now considering the last time I was around him he wanted nothing more to do with me, except to maybe—
“Oh god, are you kicking me out of the training class because of what I did last week? I know that was out of line, but I swear I won’t pester you about real estate anymore. You have my word.”
“No, it’s not that. Actually, I’d like to apologize for how I handled that situation. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that.”
My eyebrows hit the ceiling. “Oh. Wow. Okay.” Then I think for a second. “Is that why you’re calling? To…um, apologize?”
There’s a pause, and for a second, I think the call cut off. I move it away from my face and see the call time ticking away. By the time I press it back to my ear, I catch the tail end of a sigh.