Page 92 of For All It's Worth
“Charlie, are you asking me to move in with you?”
“You noticed that, huh?” He gave me an almost shy grin. “Yes. I want us to live together. I’d be happy to wake up to you anywhere, but doing this, buying the building for us, keeps your business safe and allows me to start mine knowing you are nearby if I need you. What do you think?”
“Have you run the numbers? What does Alex think?”
Rolling his eyes he said, “Of course, I’ve run them. I worked in finance before, remember? I’ve seen your accounts and you’re doing pretty good. There’s room for improvement of course, but maybe we could freshen up the place or play around with the layout when we own it.”
“You keep saying we.” I point out, “But you’d be paying for this. It’d be your building.”
“Ours. Your name goes on it, too. The money you pay for rent will pay the loan and will be considered as your investment. I want this to be a partnership.”
“But I don’t bring anything to the table here,” I protested, worry filling me.
“Max, you’ve built up a business from scratch and kept it running successfully for nearly four years now. You’ve got the experience that I need about building a business from scratch. In the clubs, I had managers that had done it all before. They were established, all I had to do was improve them.”
I didn’t want him to downplay his success, he’d done great things with his clubs and it had suited him at the time. I wanted to say something but he carried on, giving me reason after reason why he felt that this would work.
“You’ve had to deal with staff in a way that I’ve never had to do. I’m a long way off from needing some help in the studio but you know how to market yourself. I wish you wouldn’t downplay what you have to offer.” He reached for my hand. “I have all this money and I need somewhere long-term to live. I can’t live with Henry forever. What better place is there than an apartment with the man I love and my best friend? Especially if it helps you.”
“You love me, huh?” I grinned at the easy way that he’d admitted his feelings while I got up and went over to his chair and clambered into his lap. I pressed a kiss to his lips and thanked the universe for giving me such a good man to love. I ran my fingers through his hair and he leaned into the touch.
“You know I do. I know you love me, too. It’s in everything you’ve done for me. I just didn’t see it before.” he said quietly as we basked in this precious moment.
He squeezed my hand before pulling it back to rifle through the binder. “Unfortunately, we are in a time crunch. We have to decide today.” He put the folder down again, giving me a hug and another kiss.
“So you’re serious about this?” I asked as I returned to my chair and sat back, thinking about the possibilities. A clear mental picture forming. “And Alex thinks it’s a good idea?”
“Alex thinks it’s a solid investment but thinks we need a prenup.”
We both make a face of disgust at the idea of marriage.
“I don’t want to get married,” I said firmly. “That might change, but I don’t right now. I love you, Charlie, so much, and I’m starting to picture what you want to build. I have to admit, it’s gorgeous. Us living above the bookstore. Your studio above the café.” Pausing, I thought my words through. “I don’t think that we need to be married for that though. Is there some sort of contract that we can sign for if things go wrong?”
Charlie laughed and drew out a thinner folder from the binder he had left on the desk between us. “We’re on the same page. I knew we would be. This is what Alex suggests. This,” he passed me the document, “is for if we don’t marry and have a prenup. Basically, it’s a document stating that you’d be my tenant and have a share in the ownership of the building. Books & Biscuits would operate as yours and the rest as mine but we really need to go to a lawyer to go through all the finer details. I just need your go-ahead so we can put in an offer. Since you’re the only tenant just now, we get the first refusal. You just have to acknowledge that I’m acting for you.”
This was our defining moment. I could feel it. If I said no to this, to something he clearly wanted, then it would show a lack of faith in him. He’d clearly done his research and he was so excited by the prospect of us moving forward with it. His eyes were lit with infectious joy and I knew I’d agree to anything to never see that dim because of me.
“Make the call. Let’s do this.”
