“Sure. What’re you thinking?”
“I can’t make it bigger, obviously, but maybe more inviting?”
“We could remove that secondary screen around the pool. That would give you more space. Some deck furniture.” He walked over to the edge of the pool. “This is nice. It’s one of those sun shelves. A couple of loungers go right here.” He pointed to the shallow ledge around the edge of the pool.
“That sounds good. Think we could fit in a fire pit?”
“Not by the pool, but we can do one of those long table ones there.” He pointed back up to the patio. “You don’t have width, but you do have plenty of length. You could put a small outdoor kitchen there. Grill and a cabinet with a bit of counter space.”
“Can we put a drink fridge there, too? That would be better than traipsing in and out of the house for a refill.”
“Yes. This will be nice, Vince. You have a spectacular view. That’s what you paid for here. Might as well show it off.”
He wasn’t wrong about that. From the patio, I could even see the high rises across the water on Bayshore Blvd in the distance. “Everything you’ve said sounds perfect.”
“Great. I’ll get some details and numbers for you, then we’ll meet and go over it.”
“Thank you.” We shook hands, then walked back to the front of the house. Things were moving fast, and I was excited. The new chapter of my life was taking shape.
Now I needed to ensure I could continue living like this. I chuckled at myself since I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to run out of money any time soon. Grant had given me the name of a broker with some great investment opportunities who lived in the area. I was ready to meet with him.
Larry Henderson. But business wasn’t really the purpose of the connection. Grant had been worried I’d be lonely here without knowing anyone. And maybe he was right. I didn’t want to go stir crazy. So, I called him, and he agreed to meet me for lunch with his business associate and friend, Hudson Cooper. Grant said these were people to get involved with.
There was a new farm-to-table restaurant on the south tip of the mainland just across the channel where we met. I was most interested in tasting meals made from only local farms in Florida, but some were sourced from Georgia as well. Inside the restaurant, it was very industrial and bare bones with little seating. We ordered at the counter and sat at the one empty table.
Larry was taller but he didn’t tower over me. He had a nice smile and looked professional in a golf shirt and slacks. We shook hands and sat on opposite sides of the table with Hudson sitting beside him. He had a real Bradley Cooper vibe going on with piercing blue eyes, messy hair, and at least two days’ growth of beard, all wrapped up in an award-winning smile. Though hewasn’t dressed much differently from Larry, his clothes dripped with the wealth of designer brands. “Glad to meet you, Vincent.”
“Please, it’s Vince.”
They both nodded, and Larry tapped on the table. “Grant’s a great guy, known him for years. We’ve done some business together. How do you know him? I mean, he said you were friends, but that was about it.”
I snorted. “That’s just like him. I’ve known him for a long time. We used to race together.”
“Race?” Larry’s piercing blue eyes went wide. “I didn’t know he raced. Formula One? For real?”
“Yes, that was a long time ago, and he didn’t really have the talent for it.” I laughed, remembering some of his antics. “Or the temperament. He was much better suited to manage my career and let me do the driving.”
Hudson nodded. “Oh, so he was your manager?”
“Yes. But now I’m retired. Moved here. Pretty much the whole story.”
Before we could get further into the conversation, our orders were up. Since it was lunch, I had a seasonal salad with grilled chicken and fresh strawberries from Plant City, a few towns to the east.
“How do you two know each other?” I asked, diving into my meal.
“College.” Larry bumped shoulders with Hudson. “We were roomies for a bit, but this guy snores like a giant sloth bear.”
Hudson rolled his eyes. “What the hell does a giant sloth bear even sound like? I mean. What the hell is a giant sloth bear?”
Larry swallowed his bite and rolled his fork around in the air over his salad. “You know. Prehistoric giant mammal period. Sloth bear.” He took another bite.
Hudson sipped his sweet tea. “Was it a sloth or a bear?”
“Sloth. No, bear. Fuck I don’t know.”
I laughed at their back-and-forth. They certainly seemed more like brothers than simply friends, and I might have thought they were a couple if I didn’t know better, but I did. Grant mentioned their partners, though I couldn’t recall any names.
“I’ll have to ask Levi about that. He’s always watching the no-shit channels,” Hudson said.
