Adrian looked at the upstairs apartment.
“Yeah, that’s not an option either, I’m afraid.”Jamie could feel his face heat up.“It’s crammed full of all the stuff from my apartment in Atlanta.”
“I see.Not to worry.Right here will be fine.”Payton Manley opened his briefcase and took out a folder.He looked at Adrian.“I think that will be all, Mr.Jackson.Thank you for arranging this meeting and showing me the way here.My office will be in contact if there is any other pending business.”
Jamie could see that Adrian was flustered as he stood up.
“Of course.”He shook hands with Payton, then Jamie.“Jamie, please let me know if you need anything.Anything at all.”
“Will do, Adrian.Have a good rest of the day.Please say hello to Sarah for me.Tell her I’ll call as soon as I have time.”
“I sure will.”Adrian smiled and walked away.
Payton Manley watched as Adrian walked around the corner of the diner.“Now then, Mr.Throneaux,” he said, sitting back down and opening the manila folder in front of him.
“Please, call me Jamie.”
“Then you must call me Payton.”He smiled.“I have to say...I was pretty anxious to meet with you.Your grandfather spoke very highly of you and was not at all surprised when I told him that you were the best chef in Atlanta.He barely nodded when I told him that, he only mumbled, ‘of course he is.’”
“Well...my grandfather...”Jamie looked down at his hands resting on the table.“My grandfather was a one of a kind.He played with his cards close to the vest, as they say.”
Payton laughed.“That, I dare say, is an understatement.There are very few men who put me through my paces as well as he did.”
Jamie smiled, thinking of his thin, elderly grandfather working Payton Manley over with financial details.“I can’t even imagine...”Jamie said, smiling.
“To be honest, after seeing his bookkeeping, I’d have hired him.”
“Wow.That’s saying something.”
“Now, down to business.”Payton opened the folder, and all the paperwork faced Jamie.
“This first page is a quick summary of all the accounts.”Payton tapped the first page.It was then that Jamie noticed the national championship ring that he was wearing.“There is a detailed accounting report for each account, in order as they appear on the summary.”
Jamie looked at Payton.“What do you mean by accounts?There is more than one?”
“Your grandfather insisted on multiple and varied accounts.”Payton shook his head.“And this is why I would have hired Solan Puckett.”Payton pointed to the first line.“This was the primary account, which was for you.If you go into the detailed account, you’ll notice that there are some long-term investments, and a few that could be considered ‘at risk,’” he explained.“In the short term, they probably wouldn’t do very much, but in the long term, we feel that they will reap good benefits.”
Jamie’s mouth fell open when he saw the account balance.He pointed to the number.“Is that for real?”He couldn’t move his eyes from the dollar amount.
“Yes, very much so.”Payton moved his finger down to the next one.“This account was for both of your grandparents.Which of course is now yours according to their wills, which I was given copies of, via your grandfather.He wanted to make sure that things were taken care of for you.I believe that there could have been an issue regarding your mother.That was his main concern.”
Jamie had to blink a few times.He tried to focus on the number, but his eyes felt...blurred.He could only nod.
“Now, this next account is a little tricky.”Again, Payton moved his finger down the page.“Your grandparents started a retirement fund for the diner’s employees upon their individual retirement dates.Each employee has to have worked at the diner for at least ten years to be vested, or to qualify to receive a Mattie’s Diner pension.My firm has been appointed trustee.”He tapped his finger once.“Now they are listed individually, but the account has been pooled so that the maximum benefits can be achieved.”
Jamie read down the list.Each employee was named, with apendingdollar amount by their name.He looked up at Payton as a tear escaped his eye.“They don’t even know, do they?”
Payton shook his head.“They, your grandparents, were good people, even though I only met your grandmother once.”
Jamie made himself focus on the names and numbers.“So...if I’m reading this correctly, they have to be at least sixty-two to retire and have worked for the diner for ten years.”
“That is correct.As it stands, as of today, four of the staff are fully vested, having been with the diner for ten years or more.Two can retire at any time.Hazel can retire at any time but will have to wait until she is sixty-two to claim a pension, as will Minnie.”
“They did this for them.”Jamie was talking mostly to himself.
“Yes,” Payton answered, his voice soft.“Mind if I ask where they are while you’re doing the renovation?”
Jamie smiled, wiping his face with the back of his left hand.“I sent them all on a month-long vacation.”
