Jaxon full on belly laughs. “Yes, yes, she is. Ask Dom. She tried to take him down one day. It was hilarious, riding his back like a spider monkey.”
“Oh, I’m aware. I had the same experience,” I say with a chuckle. “But umm, I actually wanted to talk to you about the stairs. There are a few broken boards, and Spencer took a little spill on his way down last night.”
“WHAT?” Jaxon jumps to his feet in concern. “Is he okay? That kid! I told him he needed to let me know if any maintenance needed to be done in the back alley and that I would take care of it. Between school and running the bookstore, he has to be running thin.” He hangs his head with a shake. “His mother would kill me,” he mumbles.
“He’s fine. I think he just sprained his ankle. I was just about to walk into the apartment when I heard him fall, but I rushed back down the stairs. Again, I think it’s just a sprain. I helped him get back up the stairs and got him into his apartment.”
“Thank you for that. I saw it the other day, but I did not realize it was that bad,” he says with guilt laced in his voice.
“I thought I could grab some supplies and fix them, if you don’t mind? It should be an easy fix and won’t take me that long.” I’m sure Jaxon is busy with running a business and all. I’m going to have plenty of time when I’m not working. It’s not like I have a social life to keep me occupied at the moment. There is no other reason than that, I tell myself.
“Finn, that would be really great. If I can get away, we can head over on our lunch. If not, I’ll give you the business credit card to buy the supplies. There is a hardware store just down the street. I’ll let Bill know when you’re coming. They should be able to deliver everything.”
I would never take advantage of Jaxon and the use of the company credit card, not even back in LA. It’s just hard to wrap my brain around it sometimes. I know I’m jaded. My trust in people is simply not there, and I know his faith in me stems from Beckett. But maybe, just maybe, I can trust people again. That was one reason I uprooted my life.
All these people around me are proof. Even the crazy haired, klutzy man next door makes me hope a better life is here.
CHAPTER5
Spencer
The last coupleof days have been busy. I need to work on payroll and schedules. Any spare time I have goes to studying for finals. Just one more week and I will have one less thing to worry about and I'll be one step closer to legally owning Dragonfly Books.
Today I’m going to take a major step towards my future. Standing in front of Bloom Law Offices—oh, the jokes we gays have made. My hats off to you, Mr. Sivan—I gather my courage and head inside to plead my case.
Walking through the front door is like a time warp. The carpet is burnt orange and the walls are brown, with the same fake tree sitting in the corner that has been there since I was in high school. I have known Phil since I was eight. He helped my mom open Dragonfly Books, and he is in charge of my trust fund.
“Hey Spencer,” Phil says, walking out of his office. He is a short older man, with a killer comb over. He is wearing his signature brown suit that, if I had to guess, was from the seventies. Phil should be long retired by now. He doesn’t say it, but I’m pretty sure I’m the reason he is still holding on. Mom’s death hit him hard. Just like everyone else in this town, he loved her. As a single mother with no family, he was like a father figure to her, giving him his nickname.
“Hey Pops, how are you doing?”
“I’m doing good, son. Take a seat. What’s on your mind?”
I take a seat at the old desk telling its age in coffee cup rings. Doubt creeps in and out of my thoughts, and I am nervous. I don’t know why. This is all a formality, anyway. The trust gets handed over to me in a couple of months when I turn 24. Even so, I want his opinion, and I guess I’m also hoping for his support.
“I wanna talk about the bookstore.”
“Okay, shoot! What have ya got?”
“As you know, the bookstore has been struggling to compete with the tech world. We started selling ebooks and accessories, which has helped, and I have some other ideas too, but it is not enough. Unless I do something drastic, I don’t think the store can sustain where it is.”
“I don’t disagree with you Spencer, but how drastic are we talking?”
“Well…” My legs bounce and my hands twist in my lap with nerves. “Mom always had a bigger dream for the bookstore. You and I both know that. She used to talk about it all the time…” Mom was a dreamer. No dream was too small or too big. “I see her vision, and I want to bring it to life.”
Here it goes… “I want to add a cafe to the Dragonfly!”
Pops smiles deep and gives an old timer chuckle. “That was her dream alright. Are you sure you want to take this on now?”
“With Tom moving his insurance company to the strip mall on the edge of town, the building next to the bookstore is for sale. If I want to do this, I’m gonna need the space. The timing is almost perfect.”
“There is enough in the trust,” Pops says, “but it will take a sizable chunk out of it.”
“I know, and I think there is a bunch of stuff I can do myself that will help with cost, too. I want to do this!”
“Okay, I’ll contact the realtor and inquire about the building and research what licenses you will need to be able to serve food and stuff like that. Please keep me informed about what your plan is.”
“Thanks. Do you think they might let me go over and look around?”
