Mesmerized and Attached

Chapter 8 Bumping into James

Stella's POV:

Elliott smiled. "Selling houses can be tough work. Can you handle it? Stella, why not come work for me? I'll definitely offer you a deal way better than this. Remember, our families go way back. You are like a little sister to me. How could I bear to see you struggle like this?"

Elliott always had a bad reputation, a real ladies' man.

Upon hearing what he said, I knew that he was still the same as before.

I frowned in disgust. "No, thanks. I'm quite comfortable here."

"Well, well, I won't force you. Anyway, since I have seen you here, I gotta help you out. Which area are your listings in? Take me to have a look. I'll take two, boost your performance a bit." Elliott looked cheerful.

I had to admit, I was tempted.

I looked at Andrea in embarrassment. Sure enough, her eyes turned venomous in an instant. I quickly avoided her gaze and looked back at Elliott. "I'm sorry, it's company policy not to switch consultants midway. You should buy from Andrea here."

Elliott turned to look at Andrea. "Do you mind?"

Andrea forced a smile. "No, of course not, Mr. Cooper. You've helped me with several deals before. How could I possibly mind?"

Elliott nodded. "Okay, go tell your superior that I'm the client who wants to change the consultant. Andrea, don't worry. I'll make it up to you. Next time, I will recommend a few more of my friends to you."

"Okay, Mr. Cooper." Andrea glared at me before leaving.

That look could chill bones.

I took Elliott to view some properties.

Thinking of what he and Andrea had just done in the model home earlier, I only showed him listings in popular areas, with potential buyers coming in constantly.

After watching three houses in a row, Elliott was pleased with all of them.

When I went to get the contracts, he answered a phone call with an anxious look on his face. After hanging up, he looked at me and said, "Stella, something urgent came up. Could you do me a favor? Don't worry, once I sort this out, I'll come back to sign for these three properties."

My heart skipped a beat, but I still asked, "What happened? Is there anything I can do for you?"

Elliott said sincerely, "It's my mom's birthday today. I forgot about it. My sister just yelled at me on the phone, saying that my mom got mad at me, scolding me for being heartless at home. She told me to bring a gift back. I have no clue what to get her. Can you come with me to the mall and help me pick something?"

It didn't seem like a big deal, and helping him out would mean he'd buy three properties from me, which would be a win for me.

After a twenty-minute drive, we arrived at Union Square, San Francisco's largest mall. We walked in together to choose a gift for his mother.

I took him directly to the jewelry store.

Giving jewelry to a woman might be a bit cliché, but women loved it, and it couldn't go wrong.

Elliott picked a ruby bracelet.

When the shopping guide was about to wrap it, she suddenly greeted sweetly the person at the door with a charming smile. "Hello, Mr. Laurent!"

The words "Mr. Laurent" made me freeze.

I dared not to look back, reassuring myself that there were many people with the surname Laurent. It couldn't be him.

However, the familiar deep, velvety voice behind me shattered my self-reassurance.

"Hi. Carry on with your business. I'm just browsing." As soon as James finished speaking, Elliott came over and greeted attentively, "Mr. Laurent? Didn't expect to meet you here. Are you here for a routine inspection?"

Elliott's words reminded me that the Union Square chain was owned by the Laurent family.

What bad luck that I ran into him when I was just helping Elliott pick out a gift.

I kept my head down, pretending to browse the jewelry, ignoring the two of them as they chatted away.

James drawled lazily, "I just came here to take a look, not an inspection. Are you buying something for your girlfriend, Mr. Cooper?"

Even though I was quite far from them, I always felt like someone's gaze was piercing right through me.

As soon as James finished speaking, Elliott put his arm around my shoulder and said jokingly, "Mr. Laurent, she's not my girlfriend but just an old friend. I do want to pursue her, but I don't know if she has any feelings for me."

Now, there was no escaping this.

I straightened up, nodding slightly at James, murmuring softly, "Mr. Laurent."

James had a smile on his handsome face, but his voice was full of sarcasm and anger. "So you came shopping during work hours. Stella, do the company rules mean nothing to you?"

Before I could answer, Elliott slapped his forehead and explained, "Oh, it's my fault. I actually forgot that Stella is now an employee of your real estate company. She is indeed on duty now, but I dragged her out here. Utilizing the house viewing time to help me out with shopping. I'll buy a few houses from you soon. Please, Mr. Laurent, cut her some slack, considering she's just helping me out."

With Elliott speaking up for me, I decided to stay silent, playing dumb with my head bowed.

James chuckled, "Customer first, as my employee here has said. She's willing to go to great lengths for a deal. As long as it brings in revenue, I won't blame her."

Elliott smiled. "I'm glad you don't mind."

The shopping guide had already packed the ruby bracelet. Elliott took the box, pulling me along as we prepared to say goodbye to James.

Unexpectedly, James said, "Mr. Cooper, we rarely get a chance like this. Heard that you are good at playing billiards. I'm itching for a game right now. How about heading up to the billiard room for a few rounds?"