"Great." Her appearance didn't match her answer.
She looked tired and definitely worried, like the rest of us. Her skin was pale, and though her graying hair was in a ponytail,it looked stringy and greasy as if she hadn't washed it in weeks. "I heard Blossom got engaged. Congratulations."
"Thank you. She's getting married pretty quickly, in less than three months."
"Oh my," Shelley said.
"I know. It's been a whirlwind, believe me, but we found her dress last weekend. One task is completed." I made a check mark in the air.
"Good. Planning a wedding is stressful, especially with a short turnaround."
"Tell me about it," I laughed, edging my way toward the front where Mrs. Chen sat with her purse on her lap.
As I sat down beside her, she leaned over. "I am worried."
I patted her hand. "I'm sure we'll be fine."
Tyler Morris, who owned a UPS-style store offering print, copy, and shipping services, had called the meeting by distributing flyers to all of us. Tyler always had the scoop on everything and everyone. We knew the building was going on the market before the owner notified us because Tyler had already told us. He also informed us when it had sold, days before we received correspondence from the new owner.
Leslie, who ran the coffee shop, stood near the front, hands crossed behind her back, her brown face framed by a cute reddish-blonde pixie. She changed her appearance often with wigs, and every single time they were flattering. She had been in business less than a year and, as far as I could tell, was having success. Whenever I came up to the second floor, she had a steady flow of customers from the professionals upstairs—accountants, consultants, and service providers with predictable incomes who didn't rely on walk-in traffic the way we did on the two lower levels.
Tyler walked to the front and cleared his throat, a few papers in his hands. The hum of conversation in the room died, and everyone paid attention to him.
In his late fifties, his thinning hair was carefully combed over a widening bald spot. He wore wire-rim glasses that constantly slid down his nose, and his shirt was tucked in too tightly, as if he wanted to impress us with a display of authority, though his shoulders curved forward from years of hunching over printing presses.
"I appreciate everyone coming after hours," Tyler said, twisting the stack of papers into a tube.
Not a good sign. He seemed agitated.
"As you know, Freedom Capital Real Estate finalized the buyout last month and renamed the building right away." He rolled his eyes, and soft laughter rippled through the room. "Since the buyout, I've noticed contractors walking the building. Inspectors. People measuring and asking questions."
Zia, who owned a vintage consignment shop, spoke up. "Someone came into my store to inspect the restroom. They might finally fix the toilet I've been complaining about for months."
"Could be good and bad," Tyler said ominously.
My stomach tightened with dread.
"I did some digging," he continued. "Freedom Capital Real Estate has bought up properties in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. Same pattern every time. They buy in up-and-coming areas and renovate enough to justify rent increases. As low as twenty-five percent. As high as fifty percent."
The room erupted into gasps and panicked conversations.
"Fifty?"
"Impossible."
"They can't do that!" someone yelled from the back.
Mrs. Chen glanced at me, her hands tightening on her purse. I had no reassuring words to offer. What he had said was definitely bad news.
"I can't afford such a sharp increase," Shelley said. I glanced over my shoulder and saw her push to her feet. "A twenty-five percent increase would cripple my business. Fifty percent would tank it. We'd have to close up shop. Sales have declined for us every year for the past five years, and we don't know what to do. We tried branching out into edibles to help cover costs, but folks around here aren't interested." She shrugged helplessly and sat down.
A few sympathetic nods followed.
I felt bad for Shelley. Her cakes and breads were delicious. I had no idea she had been struggling with revenue to such a degree. I resolved to talk to Blossom. She hadn't picked a bakery for her wedding cake yet. I'd suggest Shelley's shop.
A male voice piped up from the back.
"Rent increases kind of come with growth, though, right?"
