“Hi, Will,” the man said, offering his hand.
“Hey, Mitch.” Turning to Tom, Will said, “Tom, this is Mitch Reynolds, Finn’s brother. Mitch, this is my boyfriend, Tom Dawson.”
“Nice to meet you, Tom,” Mitch said. “You’re just the guys I wanted to see.”
“Huh?” Will’s face scrunched up. “Why were you looking for us?”
“Clay told me you were looking for an apartment, Tom,” Mitch explained. “I might just have something for you.”
“Really? Where?”
“Above my shop.”
“Mitch owns the Cask and Larder, Tom,” Will explained. “Mitch, I didn’t realize there was an apartment up there.”
“Well, it hasn’t been used as one since I opened the shop,” Mitch told them. “I didn’t need it since I have a house a few streets over from here. When I bought the place, I focused on remodeling the shop so I could open it up. I originally had planned on fixing up the apartment so I could rent it out, but frankly, I just never got around to it.”
“But you want to rent it out now?” Tom asked.
“Well,” Mitch started, “to be honest, it needs some work. Nothing major, just a good cleaning and maybe a fresh coat of paint here and there. And it’s not very big. Part of the upstairs space is a storage area for the shop.”
“I don’t need a lot of space, and I’d be happy to clean it and even paint if I need to,” Tom said, his voice rising in pitch. “How much would the rent be?”
“Well, as I understand it, you’re a starving college student, and if you’re willing to clean it up yourself …” He named an amount, and Tom’s eyes practically bugged out.
“Really?” He was incredulous. “That’s all?”
“I look at it this way: it’s going unused at this point, and Clay pretty much thinks of Will as part of the family, which in turn makes you part of the family. So yeah, I’m willing to give you a break,” Mitch explained, smiling. “And you’re saving me from having to hire someone to clean the space, put ads in the paper and online, and interview prospective tenants. But before you agree to moving in, why don’t you take a look at it first? After all, you wanna make sure you like the place, right?”
“Okay, yeah, sure,” Tom agreed. “Can we do that this week? Since school’s out, I’m picking up more hours at the Whale, so I could easily stop by.”
“Sure. How about tomorrow morning? The shop opens at ten, but I’ll be there by nine to get things ready.”
“I can do that. I don’t have to be at the Whale until eleven tomorrow,” Tom said, enthusiasm clear in his voice. “Will, wanna come with me?”
“Sure,” Will agreed. “And if you do take the place, I’ll help you with the cleaning and painting.”
“I admit it’s been a while since I really looked in the place, but if memory serves, there may be a few pieces of furniture there too,” Mitch said. “I don’t know what condition the stuff might be in, but you’re welcome to whatever you find up there.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Tom
Since they wereboth working later that day, Tom and Will agreed to meet at Cuppa Joe’s for breakfast at eight thirty, then walk over to the Cask and Larder to see Mitch and take a look at the apartment.
Tom arrived first—okay, maybe he was just a little excited about the possibility of getting his own apartment—and after ordering a cappuccino and a ham-and-cheese croissant, he snagged a small table along the back wall.
Will walked in a few minutes later, got his own food, and joined Tom, giving him a quick kiss before sitting down. “Are you ready?” he asked, shrugging out of his coat.
“I sure am!” Tom said, practically bouncing in his seat. “Let’s hurry up and eat so we can go.”
Will chuckled and said, “Sure,” before biting into his blueberry-streusel muffin. They scarfed down their food and were soon on their way up the street.
The door to the gourmet food shop was still closed, so Tom knocked, and a moment later, Mitch let them in. “Good morning, guys. Either of you want coffee? I just made a pot.”
“I’m good,” Tom replied.
“No thanks,” said Will.
