Read Online Loving Again: Book 2 in the Second Chance series (Crimson Romance) by Peggy Bird - Free Book Online
Authors: Peggy Bird
Ads: Link
with her forefinger, which she licked clean. “Yum. Okay, now — business. What do you want to talk about?”
He poured the last of the wine into his glass and sat back in the chair. “The extension you gave me of Tom Webster’s lease is about up and I was wondering what you plan to do about it.”
“What I want is for us to reach an agreement so you can continue to run your restaurant. What do you need to make that happen?” She took a second cupcake from the container and nibbled at the edges.
“A good deal. I was wondering if we could extend the current lease for six months. After that, you can up the rent at regular intervals by whatever it takes to reach market rate over a three-year lease.”
“That doesn’t sound unreasonable. Let me review the old lease and talk to my accountant. I know things are tough for restaurants right now. I don’t want to make it hard for you.”
“Do you have the old lease here? We could look … ”
“It’s at home.”
“Oh, you have a safe there, too?”
“No, why would you think I have a safe?”
“There are two safes at the restaurant. I figured anyone who’d have two in a commercial property she owned would have one at home.”
“I knew there was one there. Tommy must have put the other one in.”
One of Amanda’s studio mates stuck his head in the door of the office. “Amanda, something weird is going on with one of the kilns; it’s heating up too fast. Can you … ?” He stopped, his face registering the lunch scene. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“It’s okay. We’re finished.” She got up and headed for the door. “I’ll be back as soon as I see what’s going on, Drake.”
“It’s okay. Take your time. I’ll just clean up here.”
When she returned from checking the kiln she found Drake looking through the cupboards along the wall behind the desk. “Can I help you find something?” she asked.
“Just looking for a plate to put the rest of these cupcakes on.”
“There’s nothing up there but office supplies. What you want is here.” From a cabinet along the opposite wall she pulled out a plate and handed it to him. “Thank you, from all of us but especially from me. That was the best lunch I’ve had in ages. I’ll call my accountant this afternoon and get back to you about your lease as soon as I talk to him. If he says it’s a reasonable approach, which I imagine he will, I’ll have my lawyer draw up the papers.”
“I appreciate the positive response. Not that I expected anything else from the best landlord in Portland. Please come in for dinner soon. If you give me some advance notice, I’ll even join you, if you wouldn’t mind.”
“You don’t have to go to all that trouble, Drake.”
“It’s no trouble. You’re not only the best landlord but the most beautiful one. It would be my pleasure.” He kissed her on the cheek again, this time lingering a bit longer.
• • •
In spite of the wine and gourmet lunch, Amanda’s afternoon was productive. That is, until she got one last phone call. It was from Margo Keyes.
“Amanda, have you hired a lawyer yet?” she asked.
“I have but I don’t think he’s heard anything back from Kane’s attorney.”
“Well, you might want to tell him Kane’s been trolling the DA’s office trying to get one of us to bite on his claim there’s intellectual property theft going on under our noses. He says we’re not doing anything about it because the thief is a prominent artist who’s being protected. It doesn’t take a mental giant to figure out who he’s referring to.”
“Oh, dear God. The point of hiring an attorney was to keep this under control. It’s not working. What am I going to do? My reputation can’t take too many hits like this. This will ruin me.”
“Kane’s reputation is the one at risk here. Call your lawyer. He’ll tell Kane’s lawyer to get his client under control.”
“I’m not so sure Mr. Kane has anything to lose here. But
He poured the last of the wine into his glass and sat back in the chair. “The extension you gave me of Tom Webster’s lease is about up and I was wondering what you plan to do about it.”
“What I want is for us to reach an agreement so you can continue to run your restaurant. What do you need to make that happen?” She took a second cupcake from the container and nibbled at the edges.
“A good deal. I was wondering if we could extend the current lease for six months. After that, you can up the rent at regular intervals by whatever it takes to reach market rate over a three-year lease.”
“That doesn’t sound unreasonable. Let me review the old lease and talk to my accountant. I know things are tough for restaurants right now. I don’t want to make it hard for you.”
“Do you have the old lease here? We could look … ”
“It’s at home.”
“Oh, you have a safe there, too?”
“No, why would you think I have a safe?”
“There are two safes at the restaurant. I figured anyone who’d have two in a commercial property she owned would have one at home.”
“I knew there was one there. Tommy must have put the other one in.”
One of Amanda’s studio mates stuck his head in the door of the office. “Amanda, something weird is going on with one of the kilns; it’s heating up too fast. Can you … ?” He stopped, his face registering the lunch scene. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“It’s okay. We’re finished.” She got up and headed for the door. “I’ll be back as soon as I see what’s going on, Drake.”
“It’s okay. Take your time. I’ll just clean up here.”
When she returned from checking the kiln she found Drake looking through the cupboards along the wall behind the desk. “Can I help you find something?” she asked.
“Just looking for a plate to put the rest of these cupcakes on.”
“There’s nothing up there but office supplies. What you want is here.” From a cabinet along the opposite wall she pulled out a plate and handed it to him. “Thank you, from all of us but especially from me. That was the best lunch I’ve had in ages. I’ll call my accountant this afternoon and get back to you about your lease as soon as I talk to him. If he says it’s a reasonable approach, which I imagine he will, I’ll have my lawyer draw up the papers.”
“I appreciate the positive response. Not that I expected anything else from the best landlord in Portland. Please come in for dinner soon. If you give me some advance notice, I’ll even join you, if you wouldn’t mind.”
“You don’t have to go to all that trouble, Drake.”
“It’s no trouble. You’re not only the best landlord but the most beautiful one. It would be my pleasure.” He kissed her on the cheek again, this time lingering a bit longer.
• • •
In spite of the wine and gourmet lunch, Amanda’s afternoon was productive. That is, until she got one last phone call. It was from Margo Keyes.
“Amanda, have you hired a lawyer yet?” she asked.
“I have but I don’t think he’s heard anything back from Kane’s attorney.”
“Well, you might want to tell him Kane’s been trolling the DA’s office trying to get one of us to bite on his claim there’s intellectual property theft going on under our noses. He says we’re not doing anything about it because the thief is a prominent artist who’s being protected. It doesn’t take a mental giant to figure out who he’s referring to.”
“Oh, dear God. The point of hiring an attorney was to keep this under control. It’s not working. What am I going to do? My reputation can’t take too many hits like this. This will ruin me.”
“Kane’s reputation is the one at risk here. Call your lawyer. He’ll tell Kane’s lawyer to get his client under control.”
“I’m not so sure Mr. Kane has anything to lose here. But
Similar Books
