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I took a deep breath. Obviously, I’d heal. Not next week, but sooner rather than later, I’d be back at 100%.
The longer-term problem was clear, “Leighton? Have you examined any of my kitchen equipment?”
Leighton got quiet. I forgot that I was presenting yet another problem to my solutions guy.
We had talked about it. Davie and Leighton said they’d look everything over with a professional technician. A sort of inspector, he said.
Leighton got all pensive.
He had to know better than I did what shape the kitchen and shop were in. Even though he had said nothing and I hadn’t seen it, he and Davie had. I knew: It wasn’t pretty.
Even after the pros had come in and done two deep cleanings, the place had to look like a tornado had gone through it.
He nodded. Absent. Lost in his thoughts. Nodded again. Still silent.
I just sat for a minute. I was starting to worry that my bakery was defunct. Gone. A thing of the past.
Out of business before I’d even built a business.
Then Leighton reminded me, “Remember when we talked about the building on the other side of mine? The one I bought?”
I nodded.
“And remember that my family was considering buying the bakery property last winter, too?”
I nodded again. Uh-oh. Where was he going with this?
“Well, the inspection showed that all your equipment needs to be 86’ed. It’s not recoverable. None of it.”
Gasping, I grabbed the arm of my wheelchair. I feared it. But this was confirmation.
“I’ll never have the funds toreplaceallof it. I could lease, but …”
Leighton came over and kneeled in front of me in the wheelchair. He lifted my chin with a finger. His eyes bore through me. His deep, dark eyes on mine, he kissed me with a gentleness that melted me.
“Darlin’. I got you,” he whispered in his deep bass.
He wasn’t done, “How about this? I buy the bakery property. You just say Bye-Bye to it. Then, how ‘bout we change the design of the street-level floor of theotherbuilding, and move The Baker’s Dozen and More to that other building … permanently?”
I was stunned. Not sure I understood. “So you’re saying …?”
“I’ll buy out your lease as part of our bakery building purchase deal. You close the business for the time it takes to design and trick out the other building. There’s time to modify that floor plan for you. That way you can work with the architect—if you want to!!—and have your dream layout.”
“But Alex and A …?!”
“Don’t worry. I know you love Amy and Alex. They will still have jobs—and some paid vacation until the other place is available and equipped with your dream machines. Or … Well, they might decide to leave for other jobs. You can’t control that. It’s their life, right?”
I nodded but wasn’t happy.
“Sure, darlin’, you built the business with them. But look at it this way: You’ll stillhavea business because all your currentcustomers will easily see you two doors down the sidewalk. And the neighborhood will still have the best bakery in the city.”
I’d chosen the location for two reasons. Price. It was what I could afford. And location. In a two-to-three-city-block radius, there were thousands of employees in dozens of office buildings. Plus a fair number of apartment buildings.
That wouldn’t change if I moved two buildings away on the same street. Right.
Hmm. “Speak to me, oh great solutions guy! Details!”
He talked for another half hour and I was sold.
