“No angle. I actually like not being at odds with you. Granite will be your insurance provider until such time as you’re a better risk. I’ll help you be a better risk by finishing this side of the street off. Fully occupied, all profitable—the sky’s the limit across the street if this is the model.”
Libby was trying to think like Stone Stirling. He’d failed at taking over Irish Hills and bulldozing it to turn it into a highway exit. Now, he seemed to be trying to take over in a whole new way from the inside out.
“I’m perfectly able to find a tenant.”
“Right, yet here it sits, vacant. And as confident as you seem to be, one tenant is your friend who’s a restauranteur, and another is your daughter’s friend who is a home décor shop owner. You seem to be running out of friends. If you could have rented this space, you would have.”
“How is me tapping into my network to get businesses off the ground any different from you tapping into yours?”
“Hmm, no different, really, no criticism.”
“What, you’re going to put a turkey of a business in here, bring down the whole block?”
“That’s ridiculous. I like making money, not losing it.”
“I still cannot figure you out.”
“Let me take this lease. You have full occupancy, your projects look more attractive, and you won't even need Granite Insurance next year when the insurance issue comes up again.”
“And if I say no?”
“You say no, but you know, Granite’s contract is up, and what if, say, the executives there don’t want to renew, based on the fact that this place isn’t complete, and the repairs are wildly behind schedule and over budget across the street?”
“You just said you’re Granite.” Libby was furious; he’d beat her, and she hadn’t even seen it coming.
“Oops, yes, I guess I am. Can I tell you the truth?”
“I don’t know. I think this is some sort of long game way to do what you always wanted here, take over Irish Hills and turn into, ugh, I have no idea.”
“I’m not sure how many things I need to say and do to convince you I’m on your side now. I want Irish Hills to succeed. The truth is, I like this place. Sure, I want to own a business or two, but be hands on. I want to be in this as a community member. Not someone who choppers in and out.”
“You sound sincere, but why do I feel like you’re trapping me in some flipping spider web?”
“You’re very dramatic. There’s no trap, no web, just a guy standing in front of a community developer asking her to lease him a retail space.”
“Ha, ha.” She couldn’t help but laugh. She turned so he wouldn’t see her actually break. He did seem sincere. But she needed her game face.
“Okay, here’s the condition. I decide what goes in here.”
“What?”
“Yeah, so you don’t put a clunker in here that brings down the block. I can see you putting in a dollar store or a dispensary.”
“You’re acting like I run vape stores and strip clubs.”
She knew he didn’t, but what if that was the play? She agrees to let him take this space, and he intentionally ruins it?No way!
“Well, what do you have in mind? You haven’t said.”
“Actually, I don’t know. I was just hoping, believe it or not, to help you get this project finished. Maybe one national chain here, something that’s tasteful, a little cutting edge? That wouldn’t be the worst thing for this town.”
Libby wasn’t against big chains, but she didn’t like it for downtown. She wanted to keep the local and unique feel here as much as possible. Her mind raced over what would work for the last spot on this stretch of shops.
And then it hit her, a way to keep an eye on Stone and keep her friend in town, at least for a little bit.
“We need a salon.”
“What?”
