**Aria POV

“It’s unprofessional to contact me directly,” I said calmly into the phone, keeping my tone as neutral and businesslike as possible. “We work through brokers for a reason.”

“I know, I know,” Chris’s voice chimed though, charming and playful as usual. “I just thought that you and I were practically friends now, so a personal call wouldn’t do much harm.”

“Still,” I said, “it’s not what I’m used to. But if we‘re ...