“Well, if you go by how much we both currently put into it, I guess you could say I own a larger portion ofthe building.”
Her face hardened and he ran his hand down the soft skin of her arm to calm her.
“How about we put your funds into a joint account that we both have access to?”
“You want me to give you access to all my money? Right.Not happening.”
“Let me tell you how construction works. When I need supplies, I either have to fill out copious amounts of paperwork then wait for the bank to approve the request, or I pay for it myself and get reimbursed whenever they get around to looking through the forms.”
“That won’t happen if we use my money to pay forthe supplies.”
Why had he agreed to this partnership? Stupid mistake. Rich people didn’t know how to compromise. “Sure, but I don’t want to wait around until after you’ve gotten your hair and nails done. Delays cost time and money. I have to pay the sub-contractors whether they have the needed materials or not.”
Oh, yeah, she had a retort on her lips all ready to zip by him. Taking a deep breath, she started typing again.
“Fine, but we use my bank for the account, and you have to run every purchase by me.”
His jaw hardened. “Before I make them?”
“Simply send me a list of what you’re buying as soon as you know you need it. Is that more palatable?”
“Sure. Once I get in and take a good look around, I’ll know most of what I need. But sometimes things crop up that you aren’t expecting.”
The waiter appeared with their appetizer but Heather kept her eyes on the computer screen. She tapped a few more times with a flourish then closed the laptop.
“There. I sent you the details of the agreement. Look it over and let me know if there’s anything that needs to be adjusted. I’ll have my lawyer draw it up, then we can sign it.”
Once she stored her computer back in her bag, she pulled the plate of nachos toward her and grabbed one oozing with cheese.
“What kind of shops were you planning on putting in there? Something that sells fancywomen’s shoes?”
“What do you know about fancy shoes?” Cheese dripped from her finger and Scott had the desire to suck the digit in his mouth and lick it off.
“I know enough.”
“Says the man who wears work boots twenty-four seven.”
“Hey, I wore dress shoes for Jack and Callie’s wedding. And I know what I like in a woman’s fancy shoe. The ones you have on right now make your legslook amazing.”
Her cheeks turned pink as she shoved another nacho into her mouth. “Let’s get back to business.”
Opening the file she’d had earlier, she showed him the plans she’d made.
“I was thinking one large store for the central space, then half a dozen smaller ones surrounding it. I’d love to get a nice coffee or sandwich shop in there. Doing so could lure people over to the building, plus anyone working or living there would have a convenientplace to eat.”
Her ideas were sound and sensible, though he hated to admit it.
“What were you thinking for condos?”
Pulling out his phone, he scrolled through to the preliminary drawings.
“Did you do these?” Her eyebrow rose as she glanced at the pictures.
“Yes, I took a few drafting classes in college. What’s wrong with them?”
“Nothing. They’re quite good.”
“Surprising, huh? Holland Construction was started by my dad and Jack’s. My uncle ran it after my dad died. We both inherited the company, but Jack went straight to Quantico when he got his discharge so it fell to meto take over.”
