The ride back to the office was enveloped in an awkward silence, thick with unspoken words and unresolved tension. Reese stared out the window, watching the world pass by in a blur of colors, her thoughts tangled in a mess of emotions she wasn't quite ready to confront. Her relationship with her brother Scott had always been close, but recently, something had shifted. The distance between them was growing, and it left a bitter taste in her mouth. It wasn't something she liked talking about, especially because Naomi, her best friend, was now caught in the middle.

Naomi, for her part, was trying her best to bridge the gap between Reese and Scott, but it was a delicate situation. Reese knew her friend meant well, but sometimes it felt like Naomi was prying too much, pushing for answers that Reese herself wasn't sure she had. And it wasn't fair to blame Naomi; after all, she was in love with Scott, and naturally, she wanted everything to be perfect between the two most important people in her life. But the reality was more complicated than that, and Reese wasn't sure how to navigate it.

The tension hung in the air as they sat in traffic, the sounds of the city around them muted by the weight of their unspoken words. Seven minutes of silence felt like an eternity, each second stretching out longer than the last. The only sounds were the soft hum of the car engine and the occasional honk from the vehicles around them.

Finally, as they pulled into the office parking lot, Naomi broke the silence. "Hey, I didn't mean to pry," she said, her voice soft and apologetic.

Reese blinked, her thoughts snapping back to the present. "What was that?" she asked, feigning ignorance as she focused on finding a parking spot.

"About you and Scott," Naomi clarified, her tone a little more hesitant now. "I just love you both, obviously, and I know something is going on. I ju—"

"You don't have to apologize," Reese interrupted, her voice tinged with exhaustion. "Honestly, it's me. I need to talk to him and stop avoiding him."

Naomi smiled gently, relieved that Reese was opening up, even if just a little. "So, you were avoiding us," she teased, nudging Reese playfully in the arm.

Reese let out a small, reluctant laugh. "Kind of. Not you two together," she stammered, trying to clarify. "Just him. I'll talk to him."

"That's good to hear," Naomi said, her smile widening as she sensed a small victory.

The two women exited the car, the tension between them easing slightly as they walked towards the office building. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows on the pavement, and the cool breeze carried the faint scent of the nearby ocean. Inside, the office was buzzing with activity as usual, the phones ringing and the steady hum of conversations filling the air.

Reese and Naomi went their separate ways, heading to their respective offices. Reese's mind was already shifting back to work as she settled into her chair, glancing over the information for the Melrose listing. She knew she had to make the call, but a small part of her dreaded the conversation. Mr. Grey had already left a lasting impression on her, and she wasn't sure she wanted to deal with someone so brusque and dismissive.

With a deep breath, Reese picked up the phone and dialed the number that Victor had obtained from Mr. Grey. She listened to the phone ring, the sound filling her ear as she mentally prepared herself for what was to come. It was late in the afternoon, and she assumed she'd just end up leaving a voicemail to set up an appointment. Lunch had carried on longer than expected, and she was sure Mr. Grey would be busy.

But to her surprise, the phone clicked, and a voice answered. "Hello?"

Reese blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "Hello. Is this Mr. Grey?"

"It is," the voice replied, firm and direct. "To whom am I speaking?"

"This is Reese Sutherlin from the Redwood Group. How are you?" Reese asked, trying to maintain a professional tone despite the nerves that fluttered in her stomach.

"A little frazzled," Mr. Grey responded, his tone suddenly lightening with a hint of humor. "Someone broke into my home this morning."

Reese's heart sank as she realized he was referring to her unannounced visit. "Again, I really do apologize for that," she stammered, her voice tinged with guilt. "I wasn't expecting any—"

"I'm joking," Mr. Grey interrupted, his tone shifting again, this time to something more playful yet still tinged with that sharp edge. "I know how these things work. You people hear there's a new property getting ready to come on the market, and you're like a bitch in heat."

Reese's eyes widened at his choice of words, her professionalism momentarily faltering. "Excuse me?"

"I understand that you're interested in listing my property," he said abruptly, cutting through the awkwardness like a knife. "You saw it. What do you think it's valued at?"

Reese took a deep breath, regaining her composure. "Mr. Grey, I'd really rather come and have a thorough look at the property and formally meet you in person so that I can give you my professional opinion...discuss marketing and all of that."

"I'm a busy man," he replied, his tone clipped and impatient.

"I understand, and I'm fine with working around your schedule," Reese said, her voice steady despite the rising tension. "You just let me know what works best for you."

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line, and Reese could almost hear Mr. Grey weighing his options. Finally, he spoke. "Be here in twenty minutes." Then the line went dead with a sharp click.

Reese sat in stunned silence, the phone still pressed to her ear. She couldn't believe what had just happened. Mr. Grey had rudely hung up on her, and now she had less than twenty minutes to get to the property. She questioned if the million-dollar commission was really worth dealing with such a brash individual. But after a quick internal debate, she grabbed her purse and headed out of her office.

As she rushed out, she bumped into Naomi, who was just returning from the break room. "Hey, where are you going?" Naomi asked, noticing the hurried look on Reese's face.

"Melrose. Have you seen Victor?" Reese asked, already rummaging through her purse for her keys.

"Nope," Naomi replied quickly, her curiosity piqued. "Why? What's going on?"

"I'm about to meet with Mr. Grey. I'll just text Victor," Reese said, already pulling out her phone.

"Are you coming back?" Naomi asked, watching as Reese quickly typed out a message.

"Probably not," Reese replied, her mind already on the meeting. "You know how bad traffic gets."

"That's true," Naomi agreed, nodding. "Well, let me know how it goes."

"I will," Reese said, flashing a quick smile before rushing out the door.

As she made her way to the parking lot, she typed out a quick text to Victor.

2:45 PM Reese: About to meet with Mr. Grey about Melrose listing

By the time she reached her car, a reply had already come through.

2:47 PM Victor: Good. Let me know how it goes.

Reese slid into the driver's seat, her mind racing with a mix of anticipation and anxiety. She wasn't sure what to expect from this meeting, but one thing was clear: she needed to be on her A-game. Mr. Grey was not someone who tolerated anything less than perfection, and Reese knew that this could be a turning point in her career.

As she pulled out of the parking lot and merged into traffic, her thoughts drifted back to Scott and the unresolved tension between them. She needed to fix things, to have that conversation she'd been avoiding for so long. But for now, all she could focus on was the task at hand: securing the Melrose listing and proving to herself—and to everyone else—that she was more than capable of handling whatever challenges came her way.