“Do what?”Jamie looked hard at his friend.“I am not.”
“Pfft.”Joesph took a dainty sip of his coffee, all the while looking at Jamie over the rim.“When was the last timeyougot good and properly laid?”
“That is none of your business.”Jamie went back to tapping and clicking on his laptop.
“Wow, is it like this every morning between you two?”Salzy asked.
“Pretty much.”Joesph set his coffee down.“Now, what about you?”He smiled sweetly at Salzy.“Are we to see more of Ms.Terry Hanson?”
Jamie glanced up, seeing Salzy turning red.“Well?”
“Well, what?”Salzy asked.
“One, are we going to see more of Terry?”Jamie asked, “And two, how does it feel to be on the other side of Joesph’s sword of love?”
“You make it soundsovulgar,” Joesph quipped, with a slight eye roll.
Salzy looked down at his coffee.“I like her.”He looked up at Jamie.“I like her a lot.She’s beautiful, smart, funny, and not...too girly, I guess.It’s hard to explain.”
Joesph leaned forward, his elbow on the table, his cup of coffee in hand.“Try.”
“Well...”Salzy sighed.“I’ve never really gone for those types of girls who are always worried about their hair or tons of makeup.Or if they are going to worry about a post on Insta.If they look just the right way.I like women to be themselves without all...that.”
Jamie chuckled.“Well, Terry Hanson isn’t that type of girl, I admit.I also think she’s beautiful, and part of that is because she’s so real.There isn’t any pretence in that girl.I wouldn’t want to cross her either.”
Salzy smiled.“She is beautiful.”
* * * * *
“Does Jamie know aboutthis?”Mike asked Joesph as they sat looking at the screen on Joesph’s laptop.
“No, and don’t you go telling him either.”Joesph pointed at a spot on the screen.“What I want to know is if this is possible and how much trouble would it be?”
“Yes, it’s possible.”Mike leaned in closer.“The beams here”—he pointed with the tip of a pen—“would need to be a lot bigger to carry that kind of load.These pilings or pillars would also need to be beefed up.I like it.”He looked at Joesph again.“You’re really good at this.Maybe you should have been an architect.”
“Thank you.That’s a nice compliment.Now, I just need to get Jamie on board.”
“I don’t know.”Mike rubbed his jawline.“He seemed a bit stressed out last night, to be honest.”
“I know.”Joesph sighed heavily.“I can only stay down here for so long.My office is already starting to complain about me being here.And I’m basically working for free and that is a major issue at work too.”
“Have you given any more thought about starting up your own business in Columbus?”
“I have.”Joesph leaned back in his chair.“I’ve thought about it a lot, actually.It would be a major change for me, but...”
“But?”Mike asked sipping his coffee “Where is Jamie now?”
“He’s off with Salzy.I sent them to the hardware store.”
“What’s holding you back about moving here?”
“First off, it would cost a fortune to start a business and set up a showroom.It would take all my savings, 401(k), and I’d still have to get a loan.”Joesph leaned forward and closed his laptop.
“Yeah, I get that.I also have the feeling that once people see your work from the diner, you’d have no issue in getting clients, especially business clients.And you already have a fan base and friends here.”Mike said and he grinned.“Your best friend.”
Joesph looked at Mike.“Youarethe devil,aren’tyou?”
Mike waggled his eyebrows.
