Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“Nope. Don’t even see any damage from the rats, so I don’t think they’ve been around for long.”
That was good news.
This was the nerve-racking stage of opening a new club—finally getting inside the building and going over it with a fine-tooth comb to make sure you catch even the smallest of problems before they turned into a bigger ones in the future.
Early on, I’d hired a subpar contractor and private inspector who both somehow missed a slow leak in one of the bathrooms. Until, one day, during a busy night, the floor collapsed.
Thankfully, no one was hurt. But the whole place had to be shut down until it could be fixed.
With that experience under my belt—and a much more skilled and thorough crew working on my projects—I made sure nothing got past us. Even if it meant adding on a few weeks or thousands of dollars.
“You sure you want us to save this?” Gav, the contractor, asked as he gestured to one of the boards covering one of the windows.
Saff had mentioned liking it when we’d toured the place. It did, like she said, definitely look vaguely vaginal.
It wouldn’t fit the club décor.
But I was going to get it sealed and then hang it on the wall in the office for Saff.
“Yes. Store it in the office for the time being.”
Technically, the windows could stay boarded up for a few more weeks while the work was being done. But hoping to stir up neighborhood interest, I’d opted to get blackout window panels with Coming Soon printed on them.
No one would be able to see inside.
Everyone would be curious about what was coming to their neighborhood.
I glanced up and down the street, feeling a sinking sensation in my chest as I realized Saff wasn’t anywhere in sight.
Not that I could expect her. She’d said nothing about being around for the beginning stages of the project.
That didn’t stop me from wishing she would turn up, though.
Both at the job site… and my doorstep.
After the elevator, I’d been so sure she would want to give in to what was clearly between us.
The paperwork was all officially signed.
There was no way for things to blow up now.
There was nothing to lose.
And a lot of mutual enjoyment to gain.
“You weren’t kidding,” a familiar voice said, appearing at my side as I stared at the building, lost in my own thoughts.
“Saff,” I said, turning to find her standing there in simple black jeans and a white tee. So different from her usual style. Yet it seemed to suit her better. “Kidding about what?”
“Getting things going right away,” she said, holding out a cup of coffee toward me. “It’s the best in the neighborhood,” she explained. “Right there on the corner,” she added, jerking her chin toward the building.
“Good to know. Thanks. Were you coming to check on me?”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I was heading to the bookstore and saw all the hubbub. Figured I should come over and see what’s going on.”
Everything about her was more relaxed, authentic.
“Extermination,” I explained. “And the contractor and inspectors checking things out, so they can give me—us a list of everything that needs to be done.”
To that, she nodded, looking at the men walking in and out of the front door. “What’s the timeframe?”
“Barring no major structural issues, I’m hoping for under six months.”
“That feels ambitious. Haven’t you heard all the jokes about construction in the city?”
“I find if you toss enough money at things, you get what you want when you want it. I think the thing that might take the longest is the elevator since it isn’t a replacement but a full frame out and build. The company for that will be coming tomorrow, if you want to be here to hear about that from the horse’s mouth.”
“How many different crews will there be?”
“That should be it,” I said. “That’s Gav. He’s the contractor. If we need any other guys, he will handle it.”
“Do you come to the site every day during renovations?”
“It depends. If things are going smoothly, not usually. But if we keep hitting roadblocks, it makes sense to be here so no one has to wait a half an hour to an hour for me to get down here to check things out and make a decision.”
“Makes sense.”
“But Gav seems optimistic, so here’s hoping it’s one of the few projects without an issue.”
“That’d be nice. Opening in the fall seems ideal. People will be looking for inside places to go to again.”
“Exactly.” I glanced back at her as she took a sip, gaze moving to the fingers holding the cup, the knuckles all cut open, little red slivers running perfectly across them. “What’s this?” I asked, reaching for her wrist.
“What’s wha—oh,” she said, brows scrunching. Almost like she hadn’t even noticed the cuts. But who could overlook them? “Word to the wise,” she said, words stunted, like she was struggling to find them. “Be careful with box cutters.”