Falling for June: A Novel Read Online Free PDF Page B

somewhere, in one of the bedrooms or something. That would really make my job harder. I was trying to think of a gentle way to ask him her whereabouts, but he beat me to it with his own rather personal question.
    “Do you get paid commission, Elliot?”
    I had been asked this before, so I gave him my customary answer. “I get a base salary.” I usually left it at that too, but thenhe raised one bushy eyebrow and looked at me kind of quizzically, so I added, “And I get commission, yes.”
    “How much commission?” he asked.
    “I’m sorry, sir, but that’s kind of a confidential matter.”
    “So says the man from the bank with my financial obituary in his lap. And one who just asked me about my wife jumping off of a building too.”
    I remember thinking right then that he was a sharp old dodger, and he sure did turn out to be. I warned myself to be on my game with him when it came time to negotiate. But for some reason I kind of liked him. Plus, I think I might have been in a good mood too—on account of being so far away from the city, and the fresh air, and it being my birthday and all. I decided to answer his question.
    “I earn about fifteen hundred for each deal,” I finally said. “Sometimes more if it doesn’t cost us too much to get the homeowner to leave.”
    He nodded. “Thank you. I appreciate your honesty, Elliot.” And he did seem to genuinely appreciate it, but of course he hit me right away with another personal question. “And what will you do with mine, if you don’t mind my asking? Assuming I agree to leave.”
    “Your commission?” I said, knowing full well that’s what he meant, but asking it anyway to buy myself a minute. I briefly considered making up some worthy cause for the funds but decided instead to just tell the truth. It was usually easier. “Add it to my savings, most likely,” I said.
    “And what are you saving for?”
    I felt like the meeting was heading in the wrong direction, like our roles were reversed or something. Wasn’t I supposed to be asking the questions? Then again, it was nice to have someone taking an interest in my plans.
    “I’m saving a down payment for a condo in Miami.”
    He laughed so hard I worried he might start coughing again, but he didn’t. “Why of all the places on God’s green earth would you want to live in Miami?” he asked.
    It was a silly question, so I gave it a silly answer.
    “Because it’s the Sunshine State.”
    “Filled with crowded beaches,” he shot back. “And too much sunshine.”
    Now I was kind of getting irritated, I’ll admit it.
    “You can’t have too much sunshine,” I said.
    “Sure you can,” he retorted right away, obviously disagreeing with me just because he hated Florida for some reason. Then he doubled down. “The sun is nothing but a weapon without clouds and trees to shade you from it.”
    “If that’s how you feel, I guess,” I said.
    “I’m missing a chunk of my nose to prove it.”
    “That aside, you’d feel differently if you grew up in Belfair, where I did. I don’t think I knew what the sun was until I left town at nineteen.”
    “Well, forget about the sun for a minute then,” he said. “What about the bugs and humidity? They’ve got alligators down there too. And snakes that swallow dogs. And brain-eating amoebas. I’ve seen it all myself on cable news.”
    “Cable news. Geez. I’ll tell you what, if you keep crapping on my dream, maybe I’ll send your friend Wolf Blitzer down here to deal with your delinquent loan himself, instead of me, Mr. Hadley.”
    As soon as I mentioned the delinquent loan, he straightened a little in his chair and the twinkle sort of disappeared from his eyes. Suddenly everything seemed more formal between us than when I had first arrived even. Looking back, it really wasn’t fair of me to change the subject off of Florida by bringing up his loan. It was a cheap trick and I knew it. Sometimes I could be a jerk.
    “I’m sorry,” I said. “I was