‘That’s an idea.’ Noah slowed down, and then carefully manoeuvred his car into a parking space. Then, he turned back to Ruby. ‘Sorry I’ve been a bit distracted again. Got a lot on my mind.’
‘When have you not?’ Ruby’s eyes rolled briefly. ‘Anything I can help with?’
‘Possibly,’ Noah replied. ‘I’m thinking I’d like to expand the business, but I need to think about a few things first.’
‘Expansion? Are we ready?’
‘That’s what I need to think about!’
‘In London?’
‘Perhaps.’ Noah paused. Ruby was his second-in-command, and he’d always discussed the trajectory of the business with her; from the first week he’d taken her on, he’d wanted her to be in the loop as much as possible. But this idea of his was still nascent, and he needed to think things through before he shared it.
‘Do you think we’re ready to expand? It’s a bit of a risk in this current climate.’
‘I’m not sure yet,’ Noah conceded. ‘I need to do some research. But… if it came to it, how would you feel about taking on the Fulham branch on your own?’
Ruby’s face lit up. ‘You know I’d love it. But what about you?’
‘That’s what I need to work out.’ Noah glanced behind him to make sure nothing was driving past before he pushed open the car door. ‘For now, though, we’ve got a client to meet.’ In the five seconds between car and kerb, he had his salesman’s head back on. If he was serious about expansion, he’d better bloody well put the work in on the business he already had.
Later that evening, sitting at his desk, Noah was doing some sums. The agency had had a good couple of years, that was for sure, but was it enough to take on a second branch? Ruby had quite rightly been excited at the prospect of running the flagship branch, and Noah knew he could trust her, but could he trust himself? Was he ready to take another risk? What if it failed? Sighing, he pushed back his office chair and stood up, looking out of the window to the uninspiring view of the bins and the brick-walled yard. He suddenly wished he was back in Lower Brambleton, sitting out in Jack’s garden, enjoying the last of the sun’s rays before a balmy, sweet night gently fell.
If you take a chance and open a second branch, you could go home there every night.
Noah shook his head. If only it was as simple as that. While retail space would be cheaper in the countryside, it was still going to be a hefty outlay, and he had enough real estate savvy to know that bricks and mortar shops were a riskier and riskier proposition these days. He only had to think back to his conversation with Mollie and Bella about the Purrfect Paws charity shop to know that.
Then it hit him. His knees went weak as adrenaline, spiked by the thought, flooded his system. He leaned on the windowsill of his small office, taking in once again the uninspiring sight of the yard, and drew a deep breath. It was a mad idea, and there were a lot of potential creases he’d have to iron out, but if he thought it through properly, and presented a good case, then he might have hit upon a way to solve not only his problems, but Mollie’s as well. Sitting back in his seat, he drafted an email to Ruby and Violet, requesting a meeting early the next morning.
56
‘Are you sure about this, Boss?’ Back in the office, Ruby leaned back in her chair and regarded Noah curiously. ‘It’s quite a leap you’re proposing. Are you sure you’re doing it for the right reasons?’
‘It might not even happen at all,’ Noah conceded. ‘It depends if the landlord’ll go for it, and Mollie, of course.’
‘Don’t get me wrong, Noah, I can see what’s in it for Noah Hathaway, but I’m struggling to see the benefit for Noah Hathaway Estates. Why would you move out of London to the back end of beyond? Is there going to be a market down in the arse end of Somerset for our particular clients?’
‘More than you think,’ Noah replied. ‘For the past five years, people have been moving out of the capital to rural areas. I’d gamble that’s not going to change any time soon, with so many people choosing to work from home. What I’m proposing is a medium-risk leap into a market that’s still going strong.’
‘And I don’t suppose this has anything to do with your granddad’s cottage being in the West Country?’ Violet chipped in wryly. ‘I mean, you could make that argument about anywhere north, east or west of the capital right now.’
‘My grandfather’s cottage would make a good test project,’ Noah conceded. ‘I have to sell it, and rather than hand it over to a local estate agency, it makes sense to handle it under the Noah Hathaway Estates banner.’
‘But you don’t need a satellite office to do that,’ Violet replied. ‘You could just as easily add it to our books here in Fulham. No offence, Noah, but I don’t think you’re going to be inundated with viewings. You could probably do them all in a single weekend if you popped down there.’
‘True, but it’s not just about Grandpa’s house.’ Noah paused. ‘You know I trust you both. You’ve proven to me again and again that I was right to hire you. So, I’m levelling with you now. I’m bored of selling houses in London. And I’m tired, too. A lot of things have been put into perspective for me this year, and I think the time is right to expand the business, but in a way that will give me a bit of distance from here. I love what we do, but I want to do it somewhere else now. I need a new challenge, but on my terms. This is the way for me to do it.’
‘So have you run the numbers?’ Ruby, ever the financial pragmatist, asked.
‘I’ve made a start.’ Noah stifled a yawn. ‘I couldn’t sleep last night. There’s a way to go, but theoretically, it could work.’ He paused. ‘The real question is, if I do decide to go ahead, are the two of you up for running this branch between you?’
Ruby, who’d been briefed by Noah the day before, nodded. Violet, to whom this was all decidedly new, looked shocked. ‘Us?’
‘Well, Ruby would take over my role, and you’d be second-in-command, if you want to be.’
Violet’s expression went from excitement to apprehension and back again in half a second flat. ‘Do you think we can handle it?’
‘I wouldn’t be offering it to you if I didn’t.’
