“Not much really. Some new appliances, a couple rooms left to paint, but overall, it's just about done.”
“So, what's the plan then? Do we sell or rent?”
Twisting to face him, I pull a folded piece of newspaper from my back pocket. “We rent, and then we buy the place five buildings down. It's a rundown office building. I say we do what we did here. We renovate and rent it out. We can build up this part of the community, start making it better. What do you think?”
“I think you're on to something.”
“I hired a couple new guys, too. George and Tim. They'll start Monday.”
We're going to need extra hands with all this work. And if we're going to be investing in the community, we might as well start by giving jobs to the people who live here. George and Tim currently live in one of the finished units. The two men are no longer homeless. And they have jobs now, starting Monday.
Grey taps his chin as he opens the door on unit one and sticks his head in. “Beige was a good choice for the walls.”
“That was Heather's idea.”
“Smart lady you got there.”
“Speaking of which,” I say, checking the time on my watch. “I got to run. I'm supposed to meet her in fifteen minutes.”
“Go, I'll talk to you later and we can discuss the other property.”
“Thanks man.” Giving him a slap on his shoulder, I leave the apartment and drive across town.
Pulling into the driveway, I rest against the hood of my car and wait for Heather. Looking around, I'm really loving the neighborhood. There's space between the houses, with scattered trees and grassy yards, flowers in windows, and swings in the backyards.
It's perfect.
Her music career is starting to bud. She's been meeting with different agencies, and might be working with one soon. Diamond set her up with a woman who's going to help her develop her brand.
Everything is falling together. It's almost too perfect.
Heather pulls in the driveway. Walking to her door, I open it for her. “Hey, you found the place okay?” I ask.
“Yeah, it wasn't bad at all.” She climbs out and gives me a quick kiss. “This is a lot nicer than I expected Ian.”
Taking her hand, I lead her to the front door. “Looks can be deceiving. What's that saying? Don't judge a book by its cover? It needs some updates and renovations inside.”
“Did you show Grey yet? You think he'll go for buying this as a rental?”
“I don't know. I mentioned the other building briefly this morning, and he didn't shoot it down. He wants to talk more about it, so we'll see.”
“That's great!” She swings our arms back and forth excitedly. “I'm happy you guys might take this step, a new direction for your business. You already know the business, now it's just making it a reality.”
“Yeah, me too. Come on, you got to see the inside. There's so much potential, and we'll need your input for staging.”
She's got no idea.
I'm doing everything I can to keep my smile under control and excitement level low. This is a big deal for both of us, and she doesn't have a clue.
“Is the agent here?”
“No, they couldn't make it, but I was able to stop and grab the key from the office. The agent said the previous owners moved out already, and we were good to go in.”
“Nice, that works.” Heather doesn't question me at all. She trusts me completely, and that's an amazing feeling.
Opening the front door, I let her go in first. Her eyes grow wide as she spins in a circle, taking the place in.
“You're kidding me, right?” Her eyes fall to mine. “I imagined the inside would be a mess. This looks like a brand-new house, Ian. What renovations could you possibly do?”
“Let me show you,” I say, nodding my head for her to follow. We walk down the hall to a set of stairs that lead to the lower level. “Down here.”
“Ian, I can't imagine anything in this place needing more than a new light bulb. The kitchen has beautiful white granite, and those gray cupboards with the crackle look are stunning. This isn't what I expected. I expected a crooked foundation and walls with giant holes. Maybe mold and seventies tiles. How are you going to convince Grey?”
“Don't worry about him, I just want to see what you think first.” Reaching the bottom, I stop at a door on my left. “This is what I want you to see.”
Pushing the door open, I flip the light on. Heather takes a step in, her eyes sparkling as she sees the glass window.
“Is this. . . Was this a. . .” Pausing, she turns back to look at me.
Shaking my head yes, I say, “A recording studio. Well, it was a recording studio. The bones are here, it just needs the equipment. But it has the singing booth, and speakers that are already hardwired in.”