Risking It All by Ambrielle Kirk Read Free Book Online Page B

Enchiladas?”
    She stirred one half a teaspoon of sugar and two tablespoons of half-and-half in the coffee mug. Michael liked the measurements to be exact. He would know if they weren’t.
    Julissa handed him the mg. “Then Mexican it is.” She made a mental note to take a break from work to run to the grocery store to pick up the items for Mexican food. Then she remembered that she had promised Quinton to show him a couple properties that afternoon. “What time will you be home tonight?”
    Michael had his back to her on the way out the door.
    “Five,” he called over her should er and left .
    She could do this. She could do last week’s laundry, wash and change the old bed sheets, mop and sweep the first floor, prepare for listing several new properties for posting at midnight tonight, answer many emails and a dozen phone calls, research properties that would be of interest to Quinton, go to the grocery to grab the ingredients for tonight’s dinner, go meet and show Quinton a few properties on his list, and then come back home before five and have dinner ready on the table f or Michael before six. She’d run around like a chicken with its head cut-off before to get things accomplished and she would again.
     
    **
     
    It was about eleven when her business cell rang. She placed the digital camera she had been fumbling with on her desk. Without looking at the caller id, she took the call. “Julissa Lorenzo.”
    “Hi, Beautiful.”
    Her heart jumped and the phone almost fell from her hand when she heard Quinton’s voice. Even though, she was expecting his call, she was so caught up in getting the new properties listed that she ha d almost forgotten about her plans with him . It appeared that he had no problems researching her company in the phone book and obtaining the number to her direct office line.
    “You still there?”
    “Uh…yes…”
    “If I caught you at a bad time, let me know. I can call you back or give you my cell number and you can call me when you’re less occupied.”
    Quinton’s voice sounded so refreshing. She only wished that she could see his face right now.
    “No…now’s a good time. Actually, I need to know what you’re interested in, so I can check the properties and contact the owners, if necessary.”
    “How’s the housing market here in Atlanta? I was thinking about starting out with a duplex or small apartment building or something like that. Possibly a property with tenants already on site.”
    “Any particular side of town?”
    “An up and coming, growing area.”
    “Great! I’ll make a couple phone calls and make it happen. I have a few friends that close on properties like these all the time, so I’ll call them about some listings.” Julissa jotted some notes down on the pad in front of her. “Can you me et me at the same hotel at about two?”
    “Yes, I’m there.”
    “Alri ght, see you then.” Julissa prepared to hang up.
    “Wait a minute, baby. Are you t rying to run me off the phone?”
    “No…I didn’t know you had something else to say.”
    “How has your morning been going? Are you doing alright?”
    “It’s been a busy morning, but I’m getting things done. Thanks for asking. And yours?”
    “Okay so far . Got some work done earlier this morning at the hotel, beli eve it or not. It’s good to hear your voice again. You left out kind of early on Saturday.”
    “Oh. I was a little exhausted.”
    “Me, too. Well, guess I’ll see you here around two.”
    “See you, then.” When Julissa hung up, she held the cell phone in her hand for a long time staring into space. She ceased daydreaming when the sound of her computer ringing informed her that she had a new email message.
    Smiling, she started with her next task—searching property listings for the afternoon ahead.
     
    **
     
    Feeling surprisingly nervous, she pulled into the parking lot of the hotel where Christina had just had her wedding on Saturday. Julissa hadn’t felt this nervous in a