Lila mutters something under her breath that I can’t quite catch, but I have a feeling it’s about wanting my sister to be home. Lila can get away with a lot around her mother these days.
While I finish up, my brain keeps looping the conversation I had with Sarah. The chat I had with Max even before he ordered his coffee was easy and fun. Comfortable.
But it means nothing. He’s a tourist, and I’ve got a lot on my plate.
I finish wiping the tables and wait to help Lila pick up the pile of dust and other foreign materials. We finish up and turn off the lights on our way upstairs.
It’s not much, but it means a lot to have this place running. Now I just need to bring in the customers.
8
MAX
Ibreathe heavily as I run across the sand. It’s been a while since I’ve had a good workout, and I’m finding that I don’t have much to do when I’m not constantly bombarded with emails. I’m hoping for some kind of rest along with something to do.
I went in search of the buildings I own yesterday. There’s one large high-rise building at the end of the road along the beach, and it definitely hasn’t been maintained. From what I could see, it’s a full building of apartments, but they’ll probably have to be gutted and redone. I thought it was already in the process with the money Aiden had paid the contractor.
The second building was a few streets away and is a small townhouse complex. The yard looks like someone took a rake to it and never set it right again. The exterior of the townhomes looks like someone sprayed it with mud and even the rain couldn’t wash it away.
I’ll have to talk with Aiden about the state of these buildings. Now I’m wondering which ones my friends bought, and if Aiden stuck me with the worst ones just because we’re such good friends.
The third building was the supermarket, which, while not at the top of my scale of things that look appealing, it was better than the last two buildings I saw. Figures Aiden would give me the grocery store, since that’s my area of expertise.
The last building houses the coffee shop. I finish my run in front of it, walking back and forth for a few minutes until my breathing returns to normal.
I take a step back, trying to figure out what I’m going to do with the small commercial space on the other side. It looks like the upstairs holds three floors of apartments, but from what little I can see through the windows, it’s just a bunch of exposed lumber.
Did the bills I paid only go to the coffee shop construction? Or did the money get siphoned out and no one checked the work?
Aiden is the last person in the world who would scam anyone, which is the reason it took him so long to get his business running where it is today.
I was hoping for easy and low stress when I came to Penrose Beach. Obviously that’s gone out the window with the projects before me.
The frustration swells a bit, and then I let it out one slow breath at a time. I used to let my temper have free reign at times, but once I realized I could lead better through example and through explaining what people need or what I’m hoping for, the company runs so much better. It’s one of those things where I grew up in the business watching my father and grandfather push and yell and pull their weight around, and then realized quickly that wasn’t the most effective way to do business.
If only my father could understand that now. It’s his belief that everything he put into place allowed the company to reach the heights that it is right now—going from three grocery stores in Germany to fifteen when my father took over from GrandpaBauer. He had dabbled in getting some franchises set up in Italy, but nothing global, and nothing on the scale we have it today.
Numbers can prove a lot of things, and since I took over the company, production is up, sales are up, and employee turnover is the lowest it’s ever been. Of course, I’m not all to congratulate, as I’ve been able to hire a superior team behind me, which makes an enormous difference in my life. To be honest, it’s the only reason I felt like I could escape these past few days without putting the company in jeopardy.
I take off my shirt and use it to wipe the sweat from my forehead. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to work out in the afternoon, let alone feel the heat since it’s been cold back east.
Of all the buildings I own, this one seems to be at the top of the list of Things to Fix First.
The townhouses look like they’re being lived in, and the enormous building at the end of this road will take a significant amount of renovation to get it up to where it needs to be.
But with The Season being so important in the townspeople’s minds, several apartments for rent or to put on a shared hosting site would be beneficial. Not that every investment needs to have a return, but it’s not doing any good in the state it’s in right now.
If there’s one thing I know, it’s that a community can live or die by its economy. Having more places for people to stay and being this close to the beach will make a big impact on how sales go this summer. More people close to town equals more people eating at the restaurants and going to the grocery store and taking part in the events that the people in this town have. All of it is a big cycle, and it needs to work together to be successful.
Am I up to hiring people to renovate the apartments? I’m not sure about that yet since there’s a lot that goes into it. I remember helping my maternal grandfather for severalsummers, as he was a home contractor in Germany. Of course, the codes and rules of building are a bit different here, but the basic concept of having electrical, heating, and plumbing are important, along with drywall and painting.
Maybe this is how I can pay it forward.
That thought makes me think of Avery. I wonder if she’s in the coffee shop now, or if it’s closed. With the mirror-like paper on the windows and no sign that says whether they’re open or not makes it difficult for any business to run.
Why am I worrying about something like this when I’m just now seeing it after owning it for two years?
I can’t go anywhere until I see at least some progress on this. I turn my attention to my phone.
