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“I’ve told you before that I’ve acquired the Ludwig Center on Broadway, right?”
“Yeah. I believe so.”
“We’re in the final stage of renovation. If everything goes according to plan, we set to have a grand opening next spring. Currently, we’ve booked ninety-nine percent of occupancy and half a dozen more have been put on the waiting list. But I have reserved a special spot for you, Juliette, should you be interested in expanding your business. Think about a boutique chain. Small, elegant, and classy. People can get their sweet tooth fix anywhere, but they will come to you because you offer them something special. We want to sell exclusivity. Think about Dominique Ansel. “Remember that craze a while back? People lined up for hours to buy the cronuts. Some even paid strangers to wait in line for them. If you adopt that business model, you don’t need to up the production just to fill the demands. Therefore, you can control the quality of your products. By limiting the size of the order to each customer—again, exclusivity—you’ll drive the value of the market up. People’ll go crazy for products that aren’t easily obtained. It’s in the human nature. They want something that others can’t or don’t have. Of course, it would help that you have superior products to begin with.” Wilhelm plucked his phone from his suit pocket. He swiped the screen and presented Juliette with a blueprint of his new building. “The space is located at the ground floor, two thousand square feet of prime spot with endless money-making possibility. It would be the first store that people would see as soon as they enter the lobby. This unit is already fitted with a state-of-the-art refrigeration system and rotating convection ovens. It is in move-in-ready condition should you decided to take me up on my offer.”
Juliette examined the blueprint by scrolling it back and forth. Whoa. Tempting. Very tempting. She really liked the dynamic layout of the working space that flowed into the retail area. It looked like her dream kitchen. Whoever designed this had put a lot of thought and knowledge of the industry into it.
“Your offer is very interesting, but as I said before, I like my shop just the way it is.”
He didn’t give up. He never did. “If it’s capital you’re worried about, I’d be happy to offer an exclusive partnership. I feel deeply that this business venture will benefit both of us. With your talents and my business savvy, I think we’ll make a very profitable partnership. Ludwig Center had been my pet project for years. When people walk into my building, I want them to be greeted by the delicious aroma of your pastries and sweets. Personally, I find the experience is incredibly soothing. Just the kind of pick-me-up I need in the morning.” More of his dazzling smile. His eyes twinkled with it.
“Really?” Juliette commented randomly to distract herself from him.
“Can I let you in on a little secret?” Wilhelm leaned forward. “I have two prospective leasees who represent national brands competing in a bidding war over this particular unit. I hold this one with you in mind, Juliette.”
“I’m flattered, Wilhelm, but—”
He held up his palms. “Would you at least sleep on it a little? You only gave it two seconds of consideration before you said no.”
“Because I only needed two seconds.”
He drank the rest of his tea. “As a favor to me, think about it.” He extracted a thick envelope from inside his suit jacket. “My business proposal. Please examine it at your leisure. Once you read it, you’ll see how great of an opportunity it is for both of us.”
“Fine.” The least she could do was to read it even though she was sure her answer wouldn’t change.
“See you tomorrow, Juliette.”
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“Have a nice day.”
Wilhelm left a twenty on the table. Juliette watched him walk out the door with interest. Celibate or not, she still appreciated a fine male like him. And he was lucky he was handsome and charming because if he kept pushing this expansion idea, she was going to lose her patience fast and kick him out of her establishment.
The morning crowd came and went, and almost everything Juliette and her helpers had made that morning was gone before noon. People knew if they wanted fresh pastries, morning was the time to come, as the afternoon was mostly reserved for handmade chocolates and confections. Pastries were fine, but Juliette preferred making candies, one more reason she didn’t care about the morning pastry-eaters who might be waiting downtown.
She took a break when the mail came at one o’clock and had a light lunch while she opened it. She almost didn’t get a swallow of her sandwich down around the growl that bubbled up inside her when she read a letter from Wilhelm’s property management company informing her that her rent was going to almost double in two months.
“That son of a bitch!” Juliette fumed in her tiny office, a spot she fashioned in the storage area.
“Which one? The ex, the alpha, the nerd, or the handsome one?” Noelle yelled from the counter.
“Is the landlord the handsome one?” Juliette yelled back. There was no customer in the shop at the moment so yelling was permitted.
“Totally, but he’s not my type.”
“Yeah that one.”
Andy and Noelle crowded the cramped space curious about what was happening. Juliette showed them the letter.
“I didn’t hear anything about them raising the price. You know my roommate works at the management office. She’d have told me if something like this happened,” said Noelle.
“This is kind of fishy. Don’t they require them to inform the tenants in advance if they’re raising the rent?” asked Andy. “Should we worry about this, Juliette? Will this put us in the red?”
Juliette understood his concern. Andy was supporting his elderly mother, a widowed sister, and a nephew. They were counting on his paycheck every week. Juliette waved her hand. “We’re good, don’t you worry. Our loyal customers keep us in business. I just don’t understand why Wilhelm did this.” She pondered why he proposed a business partnership that morning. He knew she’d get the letter that day about raising her rent—did he think she would want to take him up on his offer of financing the expansion? If this was his fumbling attempt at blackmail, she wasn’t going to have it. “I’m going to get to the bottom of this.” She lifted her office phone to call him, but decided that what she had to say was probably best said in person. She turned to her employees. “You kids watch the shop while I’m out.”
“Yes, mom!” said Andy.
“Oui, oui,” said Noelle.
