Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 59659 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 298(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59659 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 298(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
“Honestly, I think that’s brilliant,” I said. “I love the idea, and it would be a wildly unique thing just to Brewer’s Grocery that no one else would have.”
“That was the idea,” she said, chomping on a cucumber.
“You know, I’ve been doing some thinking too,” I said. “It’s why I called you over. I wanted to talk to you about this in private.”
She got a pained expression on her face, like she had been dreading the conversation we were about to have.
“I see,” she said, seeming resigned.
“I wanted to talk to you about the future of the store. Specifically, the ownership of it.” She seemed to brighten. “My reasons for investing were dual, like I told you. Part of it was for the purpose of investing because it’s what I do, but also, I wanted to give back to the community that raised me. So, I figured once we have these renovations done and things are goings well, maybe I can sell a portion of what I own back to you.”
“So, I would be in control of it again? Officially?” she asked, her face brightening with hope on each word. I nodded.
“That was the idea. I thought it might take a couple of years before everything is upgraded, but then once it is, if we can make a consistent profit, which I believe we can, then I will gradually sell off enough of my investment to you that you will be in control of the future of the company, and I will retain a minor stake just for investment purposes. What do you think?”
She shook her head, tears pinching the corners of her eyes. She looked away briefly and picked up the water bottle she had brought in with her and took a sip. As she sat it down, she looked back over at me with a softness in her eyes that I hadn’t seen before.
“I think that would be amazing,” she said. “Absolutely amazing. Thank you.”
I smiled.
“Don’t thank me yet,” I said. “We have a lot of work ahead of us before then. But I believe we can get there. We will get there.”
I was struck again by how pretty she was as she shook her head and tried to gain composure of herself. How was she single? It didn’t make any sense. Men should be throwing themselves at each other to compete for her. She could have her pick of any man in Murdock, if she only knew.
“These are damn good sandwiches,” she said after a while.
I laughed.
“I thought so,” I said. “Here, let me do this.”
I went into the dining room and brought the entire tray out and sat it on the coffee table in front of her. Then I went back into the kitchen and grabbed a few drinks. Bringing them back with me, I sat them on the table too, then sat beside her. There was a little space between us, so it wasn’t like I was crowding her, but I felt like I wanted to be closer. I was drawn to be closer to her. She was magnetic in that way.
We ate as we continued to go over some of the changes we wanted to make, each tossing in ideas that built on the others. Just like the night before, it felt like our minds were connecting on a level I had never felt before, and with each exciting plan, we seemed to draw closer. Her demeanor changed from the peppy but guarded way she had entered my home to a more flirtatious one. She was being silly and sarcastic with me like we had been last night, and I felt the heat rising between us again.
I wondered if she felt it too. She had to. It was so intense.
“You think it could work?” she asked.
I shrugged.
“I do,” I said. “It depends on how the customers handle it, honestly. But I like the idea.”
“It would just remind me of how it used to be when I was a little girl. Before the big chains moved in,” she said, looking wistful for a moment.
“Sure,” I said. “I remember it that way too. People have just gotten so used to the way things are, it might take a transition period.”
“It would be worth it,” she said, clearly still in her memories. “Having that wall was so fun.”
I laughed.
The Wall of Deals had been a thing her father had done for years. When you first walked in the store, a portion of the side wall would be stuffed with various items that he would have slashed the prices of, but only for that day. I assumed now, looking back, that it was how he dealt with overstock or with items that needed to sell to make room for others. But he also would just stick stuff on there that he had to be taking a bit of a loss on, just to make it fun and to keep people interested.