Undone by Her Two Masters(16)
He pulled the company credit card out of his wallet, handed it to her and said, “Take each car for a test drive before you buy it and demand to drive on a dirt track as well as on the road.”
She gave him a long stare, and then put the card in her wallet. “Okay.”
York got out his cell phone while she put her laptop away again. “Do you know what the local taxi company is called?”
Bronx shook his head. “Try Pine Corner Taxis.”
Nevis laughed then laughed again when York said, “Pine Corner Taxi Service.”
The taxi arrived less than five minutes later, and Bronx was just watching it and his partners disappear down the road, when a truck with “Sam’s Fencing” painted on the door pulled up in his parking lot.
“Hey there, I’m Sam. We’re a bit early but we saw the whirlybird go over so we knew you’d arrived already. Now, show me where you want this fence.”
Bronx was really glad he hadn’t decided to risk going with York and Nevis. “I was thinking to enclose the entire property with a fence say, nine feet high. I don’t want kids climbing in thinking it’d be fun to drive a big truck, then wrecking it for me.”
“Nine foot ain’t going to stop nobody. Now a nice bit of razor wire at the top, that’d be a deterrent,” said Sam.
They walked the boundaries of the property, worked out where the gates would be, and Sam quoted him a price that was less than he’d feared the fence might cost. They shook hands on the deal, and Sam said he’d start work in two days.
“I have to go pick up the big rig, and clean out my old apartment. I’ll be here tomorrow then gone for a few days to do that,” said Bronx.
“Not a problem. I’ll buy the materials tomorrow, then get the post-hole digger in the day after. By the time you get back with your truck it should be near enough to done. Having your business here will be good for the town. Right now, any time we want to ship something we’ve got to go to Jerseyville. It’ll be much better with you right here. My sister has an antique furniture business. She’s been talking about advertising on the web, and with you here that’d solve all her shipping issues. Her name’s Cherice. Go talk to her once you’re open for business.”
“Thank you. I will.” Bronx shook Sam’s hand and waved as he pulled out of the parking lot. He scribbled Cherice’s name on the back of the fencing paperwork, and then walked over to the trailer.
Bronx flung the door open wide and then opened all the windows as well to air the double-wide. He paced out the first room. By the time he got his desk, file cabinet, a table for the printer and other gear, and a couple of customer’s chairs in there, there wouldn’t be a lot of space left, but it would do. On the right was a large closet and on the left a small bathroom. Next came the living area with a functional kitchen and plenty of space for a couch, TV, and a small dining table and chairs.
The final room was the bedroom. It was big enough for a large bed and had a closet that extended the entire length of the side wall, which should hold all their in-season clothing. Storage wasn’t going to be a problem because they had an entire warehouse, but as a combined living area and office, the trailer wasn’t particularly large.
He walked outside pacing around the back of the building. A large concrete square, adjacent to the living area, attracted his gaze. He’d noticed it when he and Sam were walking the fence line, but he hadn’t really paid attention to it. However, it was the obvious place to extend the trailer, effectively doubling the size of the living room. And if he laid concrete to the end of the building he could double the size of the bedroom as well. Then their home would be more than adequate.
Of course, the office was still going to be small, but that was really just for show anyway. He liked the way Mike did business in a local café. Likely he’d do that too. Although not in the French cake shop. Hell, he’d be fatter than Mike in a week if he did.
Bronx sat on the front step of the trailer.
Would Nevis feel on edge if she was in the trailer and there were customers in the office? This was going to be her home and he didn’t want her to feel she had to be out of it all day. He really needed to check the local restaurants.
Bronx walked back inside and stared at the short hallway from the office past the closet and bathroom. The bedroom opened directly out of the living room. What if he put a door across the hallway to close off the living room? She could lock it from the other side if she wanted to. That would solve any privacy issues.
Next he looked at the closet. They didn’t really need that. They had an entire warehouse to store their things in. If he pulled down the hall wall and closet wall on the office side, that would make the office much less cramped.