and Daphne had given the romance their best
shot, but after about six months they were forced to admit that the
chemistry wasn’t right. “I can’t help it, Daphne,” Paul had
confessed, “but I think of you as a sister. I’m really
sorry.”
Daphne had been sorry too, at the
time. Now, many months later, she was beginning to sense that it
was her lot in life to be thought of as a sister by every
interesting man she met, and she was doing her best to accept it.
Despite the fact that their relationship never caught fire, Daphne
and Paul enjoyed each other’s company, and they frequently saw each
other when they were both free. That Daphne was free more often
than Paul made her only the slightest bit jealous.
“Sometimes he’s safe and sometimes
he isn’t,” Daphne said. “You can judge for yourself Saturday night.
I’ve got to go. The guest of honor is drooling all over listings.”
She said the last part loudly for Brad’s benefit. He glanced up
from her computer screen, grinned and stuck out his tongue,
pretending to pant.
“He’s there now?” Phyllis
exclaimed. “Give him a kiss for me, Daffy. I’ll see you in a couple
of days.”
Daphne said goodbye and hung up the
phone. “Phyllis asked me to give you a kiss,” Daphne
related.
Brad’s grin widened. “On her
behalf, or your own?”
Daphne considered an assortment of
answers before opting for honesty. “Hers,” she replied. “But I’ll
let you wait until Saturday. Kisses should never be delivered by
middlemen.”
“Spoilsport,” Brad teased before
turning his focus back to the monitor. “I’m almost at the end of
the West Caldwell listings,” he told her.
“Have you found anything you want
to look at?” she asked.
He shook his head. “What I’ve found
is that you’ve already shown me the best properties. But this is
informative. Give me one more minute, okay?”
She’d already set up a few
appointments before he arrived at her office a half hour ago. But
she always encouraged her clients to peruse the listings, just in
case she overlooked a property they might wish to see. Before he’d
begun viewing the listings, Brad had asked her to educate him on
real estate lingo. She had explained to him that “a cozy little
charmer” meant the house wasn’t much bigger than a tool shed, that
“very special” meant the floors were uneven and a mismatched wing
had been added off the garage, and that “this one won’t last” meant
the house had been on the market for over a year.
Daphne wasn’t sure what had
happened between yesterday and today, what had changed between them
to make her feel more comfortable in Brad’s company. Perhaps it was
simply that he seemed more comfortable around her.
Shortly after he’d arrived at the
office, Brad told her about the dinner he’d had with his father the
night before, during which his father had referred to New Jersey as
a wasteland. He told her that he really liked the expanded cape
she’d shown him the previous day, the one priced at $560,000, and
that he’d like to see it again if they had time that afternoon. He
told her he’d stopped by his new office that morning to shake a few
hands, and his associates there swore that, while they didn’t want
to pressure him, they sure hoped he’d settle in soon because they
could really use him at his desk. He’d also mentioned the party
Andrea and Eric were hosting in his honor.
Brad was undoubtedly used to being
needed and feted, Daphne thought as he scrolled through the last of
the West Caldwell listings. He hadn’t sounded boastful when he’d
mentioned the party or the warm reception he’d received at the
office. Instead, he’d sounded at home, as if he were confiding in
an old friend.
Daphne was hardly Brad’s old
friend. Yet she greatly preferred his mood today to his gruff
demeanor yesterday. While she usually didn’t like to mix business
with pleasure, she saw no reason to reject Brad’s
friendship.
“Nothing,” he
shot, but after about six months they were forced to admit that the
chemistry wasn’t right. “I can’t help it, Daphne,” Paul had
confessed, “but I think of you as a sister. I’m really
sorry.”
Daphne had been sorry too, at the
time. Now, many months later, she was beginning to sense that it
was her lot in life to be thought of as a sister by every
interesting man she met, and she was doing her best to accept it.
Despite the fact that their relationship never caught fire, Daphne
and Paul enjoyed each other’s company, and they frequently saw each
other when they were both free. That Daphne was free more often
than Paul made her only the slightest bit jealous.
“Sometimes he’s safe and sometimes
he isn’t,” Daphne said. “You can judge for yourself Saturday night.
I’ve got to go. The guest of honor is drooling all over listings.”
She said the last part loudly for Brad’s benefit. He glanced up
from her computer screen, grinned and stuck out his tongue,
pretending to pant.
“He’s there now?” Phyllis
exclaimed. “Give him a kiss for me, Daffy. I’ll see you in a couple
of days.”
Daphne said goodbye and hung up the
phone. “Phyllis asked me to give you a kiss,” Daphne
related.
Brad’s grin widened. “On her
behalf, or your own?”
Daphne considered an assortment of
answers before opting for honesty. “Hers,” she replied. “But I’ll
let you wait until Saturday. Kisses should never be delivered by
middlemen.”
“Spoilsport,” Brad teased before
turning his focus back to the monitor. “I’m almost at the end of
the West Caldwell listings,” he told her.
“Have you found anything you want
to look at?” she asked.
He shook his head. “What I’ve found
is that you’ve already shown me the best properties. But this is
informative. Give me one more minute, okay?”
She’d already set up a few
appointments before he arrived at her office a half hour ago. But
she always encouraged her clients to peruse the listings, just in
case she overlooked a property they might wish to see. Before he’d
begun viewing the listings, Brad had asked her to educate him on
real estate lingo. She had explained to him that “a cozy little
charmer” meant the house wasn’t much bigger than a tool shed, that
“very special” meant the floors were uneven and a mismatched wing
had been added off the garage, and that “this one won’t last” meant
the house had been on the market for over a year.
Daphne wasn’t sure what had
happened between yesterday and today, what had changed between them
to make her feel more comfortable in Brad’s company. Perhaps it was
simply that he seemed more comfortable around her.
Shortly after he’d arrived at the
office, Brad told her about the dinner he’d had with his father the
night before, during which his father had referred to New Jersey as
a wasteland. He told her that he really liked the expanded cape
she’d shown him the previous day, the one priced at $560,000, and
that he’d like to see it again if they had time that afternoon. He
told her he’d stopped by his new office that morning to shake a few
hands, and his associates there swore that, while they didn’t want
to pressure him, they sure hoped he’d settle in soon because they
could really use him at his desk. He’d also mentioned the party
Andrea and Eric were hosting in his honor.
Brad was undoubtedly used to being
needed and feted, Daphne thought as he scrolled through the last of
the West Caldwell listings. He hadn’t sounded boastful when he’d
mentioned the party or the warm reception he’d received at the
office. Instead, he’d sounded at home, as if he were confiding in
an old friend.
Daphne was hardly Brad’s old
friend. Yet she greatly preferred his mood today to his gruff
demeanor yesterday. While she usually didn’t like to mix business
with pleasure, she saw no reason to reject Brad’s
friendship.
“Nothing,” he
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