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I hum as I put the truck in park and turn it off. “This is his vacation house.”
“Can he adopt me?” he jokes.
We both climb out and climb the ten concrete steps to the front door. As we press the doorbell, the tune of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”by Israel Kamakawiwo’olefills the house. Seriously, I don’t think he does anything small.
“Hey, guys,” Marc says as he opens the door. “Come on in.”
He leads us through the house and into the backyard, where his own personal oasis looks like a tropical vacation. Cam may be onto something. I wonder if he would adoptme.
“Have a seat.” He gestures toward the two seats with contracts in front of them. “Did you get a chance to talk it over?”
I nod. “We did, and we agreed that the surf shop is the perfect place for the bar we want to open, if you’re still offering it.”
“I am, but I’m also offering something else.” He folds his hands on his lap. “Being in the hospitality industry, I have knowledge and expertise that could be invaluable to you. There’s a lot that goes into something like this, and if you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s easy to end up in over your head.”
“We’d definitely appreciate the guidance,” Cam confirms, and I nod in agreement.
Marc smiles. “I’m prepared to offer you one better. Hayes, you have come a long way since the troubled kid I first met. And over the years, you’ve become a cherished member of my family. I hope you know that.”
“I do,” I tell him. “And I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me and my family.”
The underlying meaning is only received by him, and he smiles as he realizes that I know. It’s a secret he and my mom would never let get out, but when my dad first left, my mom almost lost the house. I remember seeing the foreclosure notices come in the mail. And then one day, they just stopped, and everything was fine. I thought she had just managed to catch up on things with some extra overtime. It wasn’t until I was older that I learned it was Marc.
He paid off my mother’s mortgage, making sure we kept a roof over our heads. And he did so while asking for nothing in return. Because of that, the man sitting in front of me will always have the utmost respect from me.
“Anytime,” he says, then gets back to business. “I made a few calls and did my due diligence, and this is what I’m willing to do. I willgiveyou the surf shop—my gift for you taking such good care of it over the years. But I’d like you to consider taking me on as a silent partner while you two get this started.
“The legalities of this sort of thing can be overwhelming, and I’m afraid your age will make people try to take advantage or dick you guys around. I already have most of the right pieces in place, and I’m willing to take the brunt of the setup costs. You two will be responsible for the renovations. This isyourvision, after all. But if you do end up running short, let me know and we will reevaluate terms.”
I’m not seeing a single flaw in the deal. Ever since he drilled me with questions the other day, I’ve been doing more research on it, and the legalities involved look like a pain in the ass. You wouldn’t hear a single complaint out of me about not needing to deal with it.
“Why do I feel like we’re on an episode ofShark Tank?” Cam quips. “What’s the catch?”
Marc chuckles and shrugs. “No catch. I had to work my way to where I am today, and while I think it taught me a lot, there’s something to be said about giving a couple young men the support they deserve.”
“So, what? We’d each own a third of the bar?” I ask.
“No, I don’t want to be that involved,” he answers. “The only thing I’d like in return is ten percent of the profits for the first year. After that year, I will sign the bar over to the both of you. I just want to be able to keep an eye on things for the first year. But this is your business. Your venture. I’m just the helping hand.”
I turn to my left to look at Cam, and he grins back at me.
“I think you have yourself a deal,” I tell Marc.
He looks happy with our answer. “Great. I really believe in you both. In front of you are the contracts just stating the terms, so we can get things moving. Read them over. If you feel you want to have a lawyer look at them, please do so.”
I snicker as I pick up the small packet. “I don’t think that’ll be necessary.”
Everything is cut and dry anyway. It’s not filled with a bunch of complex words I’ve never heard before. It basically just states everything he explained to us. And when I sign my name on the line, I take a picture and send it to Laiken.
“I’m looking forward to this,” Marc tells me as I hand him the signed contract. “I think you’re really going to thrive, and it’ll be a sight to see.”
“Thank you,” I reply. “Seriously. I really appreciate you.”
He tears up as he nods. “You’re a great guy, Hayes. You were just dealt a couple shitty cards.”
“Can’t argue with you there,” I chuckle.
Cam gets done reading everything over and signs his copy before handing it to Marc. They shake hands as Cam thanks him as well.
