11| No interruptions

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The next morning is both better and worse. Better because I'm out of my funk, ready to put yesterday's disasters behind me and blow the socks off these new clients. Worse, because with everything riding on this one single night, I'm nervous as hell.

I'm up bright and early, perfecting my hair and makeup before scanning my wardrobe for something to wear. I settle on another dress, give Mulan her food, and then gulp down two cups of coffee before making my way to the office. Today will be a good day, I can feel it; it has to be.

The whole ride there, I can't stop thinking about that kiss. I don't know why I'm thinking about Milo when I should be thinking about my viewing tonight, but I am. I keep replaying that line over and over in my head.

What if I hadn't? What if we'd continued where we'd left off that night?

He wants me to answer, but the truth is, I don't know the answer, either. Where would we be? Where are we now? Everything is so confusing that thinking about it just leaves me with a headache. I need to get this promotion out of the way, find out one way or another who's heading to seven, and then maybe.

Maybe.

The second my heels touch the polished floors of the lobby, I'm back on my A game. All thoughts of Milo disappear, replaced with a mental list of what needs to get done before my viewing. I stride toward the elevator like I mean business, stepping inside with a two and a three, who stand on either side of me.

For some reason, despite it breaking every one of Laurelle's unspoken rules, I feel compelled to say, "Have a good day," as Two steps onto her floor. Three turns to look at me, gawping as though I've just killed his firstborn baby, and I quickly avert my gaze. Sometimes, caught up in the passion of doing something I love, it's easy to forget how toxic this place can be.

Jess is already at her desk when I walk into Six. She lifts her head briefly, smiles, and gets right back to typing at a supersonic speed. With Christmas around the corner, now is the time when everyone stresses and tries to tie up loose ends before the holidays. I shake off my coat and slip into my desk before switching on my monitor.

Milo is at his desk, too, looking serious. His eyebrows are furrowed as he peers at his screen, and I can't help but notice how ridiculously sexy it looks. He's wearing a pale blue shirt with a navy tie, on the bottom of which is Stitch from Lilo and Stitch. Briefly, I'm reminded of the day he'd pretended to be my boyfriend, and he'd picked up the stuffed Stitch toy and held it above my head.

Suddenly, I'm imagining it now, him being mine, us being an us. I imagine what it's like to wake up to him in the morning, whether he's an early bird or someone who likes to sleep in. Countless scenarios fill my head, a thousand elevator trysts, and now my heart is pounding like a drum. Just the idea of him sets my skin on fire; I hate it.

"Okay," Jess says, and she finally looks up. "I'm officially taking a break." She looks around now like maybe Laurelle heard her.

Despite the fact we're entitled to breaks, Laurelle doesn't like us to look like we're not working, which is why there is rarely ever anyone in the staffroom. Our breaks are always taken at our desk on the off chance she appears on our floor, and we can hurry back to work.

"You can breathe," I say. "She's not here."

"I can never breathe when I'm at work," she says, and the sad thing is she's right.

For about a millisecond, I glance at Milo and wonder if seven will even be worth it. More hours, different people, working closer to Laurelle – it doesn't exactly sound like a fairytale ending, and yet despite all rhyme and reason, I want it. I want to be up there at the top, selling amazing properties and doing what I love, which is helping to match people with their dream homes. It's why I got into real estate in the first place, and it's why after all of these years, I'm still here.

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