“Yes, please.”Jamie smiled as Joesph refilled his mug.“Maybe do a deal like my grandfather did for the other businesses around here.You can rent the finished building at a reduced rate for ten years, and then when you’re up and running, we can negotiate a fair price for rent, and I still can be a shareholder?What do you think about something like that?”
“That means...”Joesph sat back down, his brows furrowed.He looked directly at Jamie.“That means I could design the entire building to my specifications.”
Jamie nodded.“That’s exactly what it means.”
“What about a second story with an apartment like you have here?”
“Sure.Sounds good to me.”Jamie took a sip of his coffee.
“And...”Joesph narrowed his eyes at Jamie.“It also means that I’m going to do something about this apartment.It’s just...awful.”
Jamie let out a deep sigh.“You’re right.I keep looking at that bathroom, and it’s really starting to annoy me.”He pointed to the stack of boxes piled up in front of the one rear window that looked out over the veranda.“I need more room.Not sure how to manage that.”
“Ohhoney, I’m so far ahead of you.”Joesph cackled.“I’ve already designed it and even got Mike’s approval.”
“Mike’s approval?What about my approval?”Jamie glowered at his friend.
“Now don’t go getting all huffy with me!I got Mike’s approval about the structure.That’s all.”
“The...structure?”Jamie was confused.“As in?”
Joesph opened his laptop.“I’ll show you.”
Jamie stood up and went around the table to see what Joesph had come up with.When Joesph opened the files up on his computer and set it up to do a slide show, Jamie had the lean against the counter at his back.
“Oh.My.God,” was his only comment.
“Good morning, is there coffee?”Salzy asked from the screen door.
“Yes, there is coffee,” Joesph answered.“Come in.”
“What’cha looking at?”Salzy meandered over next to Jamie.
“Wow, what’s that?It’s really nice.”Salzy reached behind Jamie to get a mug and pour himself some coffee.“It looks really expensive.”
“It’s Jamie’s new home,” Joesph answered.“I designed it when there was some downtime on the diner.”
“No way!”Salzy leaned in closer.“It seems a lot bigger.”
“That’s because it is.”
Jamie stood there saying nothing.
“Wow,” was Salzy’s only comment.
“But...how?”Jamie asked finally.
“We can go over all the details later.”Joesph turned to look at Jamie over his shoulder.“The big question is, do you like it?”
Jamie blinked a few times.“Yes.I really like it.I love it.”
“Now that was the response I was looking for.”Joesph closed the files.“I think it suits you and your lifestyle.”
“Perfectly.”Jamie smiled and nodded.“It’s perfect.”
“With everything you’re doing,” Salzy slurped his coffee.“This is gonna become a high-rent district.I mean, just doing up the diner is one thing, but if you add this...”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Jamie said.He looked down at Joesph, smiling.“And adding a new building just up the street is going to add even more value.”
