My phone rings.
Shit.
I glance at the caller ID.
“Excuse me, I need to take this,” I say regretfully, taking one last glance at her simmering gaze.“Drew Carrington.”
“Drew.Daniel Dufort.”His deep voice booms down the line.
“Hey Daniel.”I was expecting a call from the hotel tycoon.
The Dufort family has hotels all around the world.At the last black-tie fundraiser, he mentioned he’d be in the market for more real estate soon.I told him to call me when he was ready.
“Heard you acquired the Open Leaf business from the Fords.”
I bet he did.
Word gets around fast in this town.
“Did you know Anthony Ford?
“Met him once.Him and his wife.”
I almost groan.
Why the fuck am I so possessive of this woman?I need to get a handle on this.
“What are you looking for?”
“Tell me you didn’t rip her off, Carrington,” Daniel says.“I’m not buying a building from a grieving widow and having my wife hate me for the next ten years.
I smile, walking a few feet away.
“Don’t worry, I wasn’t an asshole.Of course she has an emotional attachment to the company, so we won’t be including Mrs.Ford in any discussions at that level.”
I wait while Daniel speaks to someone in the background.His assistant, I’d assume.
“Sorry, Drew.”
“No problem.”
“So, what cities are we talking?”Daniel continues.
“Right now, we could sell the Chicago and Atlanta buildings, but I’ll know more in the coming weeks.”
Those stores have been competing heavily with BooksNow and are churning through profits.I need to shut them quickly, but not if we don’t have a buyer for the building.
There are mortgages on them.
Anthony Ford made some very silly decisions.
BooksNow is the largest bookstore in the country, dominating the market.If Ford had been smart, he would have shut the store years ago.
Instead, he took out a loan and bought the fucking building.It’s mind boggling how stupid that move was.
And it’s not the only one.
“Send me the details and I’ll have my team look at it.”Daniel says.