Page 15 of Bargain With the Boss

“What’s the point to street tacos without getting messy?”

Finally, she picked out the perfect chip before loading it with more of the guac and mole sauce until the chip was ready to break. After the dam broke we demolished the whole tray with very little conversation. The sound of the water lapping over the rocks below us unfurled the rest of my frustration.

She sat back with her soda and gestured she was done.I picked up the last messy pork taco and scooped up a healthy dollop of guacamole onto my plate to dip it in.

“Where do you put it?”

I laughed. “My sister used to say I had a hollow leg backup for my stomach.”

“Luna, right?”

I nodded as I tried to clean myself up with napkins. “Research me?”

She dipped into her Mary Poppins bag for a slim pack of wet wipes, offering me one. “Once Jude told me about your…company, I needed to know what he was getting into.”

I took one and cleaned up. “Don’t trust him?”

She dropped her used wipe onto the top of the tray. “It’s not about trust. He was blindsided by news of our mother’s previous marriage and family. He wasn’t thinking straight.”

“Seemed fine to me. Perhaps he found what he needed here like a lot of people.”

“Or he was being overly emotional.”

“And you aren’t emotional, are you Syd?”

She clutched her hands in her lap. “Not about business. You have to have a cool head and research every angle.”

“Or maybe you stumble on something amazing.”

She pursed her lips. “You would say that. But look at what you’ve been dealing with. Even if you’re working off the whim of the moment, wouldn’t this tell you that it’s not meant to be?”

“No.” The pleasure of the water and company slid out of me. “It tells me it’s worth it even more because Maitland wants it so badly. We’re onto something.”

“Or you’re stubborn and shortsighted. The rebuild and the insurance on this property alone is staggering. You’ll be taking a loss for at least a year or two. Probably three.”

“Look around. This is prime real estate. Even Max Chapel agrees. He’s agreed to invest with future expansions if it works out like we think it will.”

“Max?” Her eyes widened.

“He’s a friend of Jude’s.” The tech billionaire from Seattle was a good contact to have. He wanted to expand his real estate portfolio to the East Coast, and we liked using his money. It was a win-win.

“And one of mine,” she said quietly.

“So, you know we’ve done our research. Our property is right near the food trucks, and we have one of the best beaches on the lake. It’s perfect for foot traffic and families. I already have a line on two people interested in the storefronts.”

“And what will you be doing? Fighting against the food trucks?”

“No. Not directly. A small grocery on the corner where the gallery used to be. Which will be perfect for the people who live over it.”

“And would people who are paying prime apartment prices be excited to smell food all the time?”

“Have you ever lived alone?”

“I do.”

“How many times do you want to cook for yourself?”

She tapped one long finger against her clenched fingers. “I have a cook who makes my dinners.”