Continuing down that same hallway we came upon a room that was approximately 600 square feet in measure and I immediately thought of a billiard room.
I was in love! From the outside, it didn’t appear as spacious as what I was witnessing. It offered tons more than I imagined. The possibilities seemed endless, and a hundred other possibilities circulated at full speed.
I always knew that once I connected with a space, the vision would play out before my very eyes, and the moment had arrived.
Numbers, please be something I can work with and not have to sell my soul to do it!
“So, Gabriella…you’ve been really quiet. Taking it all in, I assume?”
“You assume correctly,” I responded, still looking around to see if I missed anything. “There is so much character to the space,” I said slowly allowing it all to absorb.”
“Is it what you expected? You were so much more fired up earlier when we spoke.”
Mya sounded disappointed. I didn’t blame her. I had gone mute, and was probably close to impossible for her to read.
“It’s more than I expected,” I said in near whisper. It was the only voice I could find. “I love it. It meets my expectations…and then some. Please forgive me for checking out on you. It’s just that I had a vision for my club for a long time, yet I didn’t have the physical space to see it clearly. Now it’s right here. I can touch it. I’m standing inside of it and it makes all the difference in the world.”
“I understand,” Mya empathized. “What type of business is it that you have in mind?”
Her question brought a smile to my face.
“Well, the best way for me to describe it is as a couples’ café.”
“Okay…” she said slightly squinting her eye. “Couples on the menu?” she said jokingly. “I’m trying to picture that. Sounds enticing.”
“Kinda…” I laughed, “but not exactly,” I said realizing she had a sense of humor. “I wanted to have a place for couples only. An exclusive club – reservation style, where couples can be with one another, in an intimate setting. Unlike a regular club, here would be just couples, all with a common goal…to spend quality time together and re-familiarize themselves. Helping to put the spice back – or get it ignited, in some cases. I have so many plans for them! Movie night, pool, karaoke and a bunch of other activities. I want this to be the place for couples to come and feel at home.”
“That…is amazing. Nice. I would absolutely come with my man, without a doubt. I like the idea and I’m sure many will flock once you’re up and running. You are the exact type of tenant the owner is looking for. Someone whose passion breathes life into what they do.”
“Thank you. Passionate is the exact word to describe it.”
“So, let me just tell you this,” she began, “…The owner has owned this building for 10 years and has only ever leased it once on a short term lease. Per his instruction, I was to feel the person out and if they were to my liking…which you are, I’m supposed to offer them a 1-year lease at the rate of $1200 per month.”
My mouth flew open! Big enough for a family of flies to cohabitate!
“1200 dollars?” I managed, “In this area? Are you serious?”
They could get three times that amount!
Mya wore a half smile, but didn’t look to be kidding in the least. I was prepared to pay a lot more so I was in shock.
“Yes, I’m very serious,” she said. “His main focus was getting someone that would take care of the place like their own – until it is their own. He’s a very generous man and doesn’t believe in ripping people off. He’s a rare breed.”
“He sounds amazing…”
“He is. I’ve worked for him for 15 years and he’s never changed. Always been this way and it’s why I will never leave his employ. He has commercial property all over the San Francisco Bay Area and I manage most of them so I’m used to dealing with all types. I’m confident that you’re the right fit.”
“Wow. Thank you, Mya.”
I took a deep breath and felt weight lift from my shoulders that I hadn’t noticed was there.
“So…do we have a deal, Ms. Gabriella?”
“Hell yes! Oh my god! Of course!”
Her eyes grew in size before she let out a tickled laugh.
“Please excuse my language, but I am kinda unable to contain my excitement.”
“Gabriella, please don’t apologize. You neither said, nor did anything wrong. And if you had, I wore my big girl panties today,” she kidded.
“Whew!” I exclaimed, holding my chest. I would hate to have the offer rescinded before the ink was even dry.
The sky is the limit.
I stuck my hand out to her to shake on the deal.
“Well, partner…I am highly honored to be in business with you both, and am ready to meet and sign papers whenever the time is good. The sooner the better.”
“Sounds good to me. Why don’t we meet tomorrow morning at my office to finalize all the paperwork and get you your keys?”
“That sounds like a plan to me!”
When the building was locked and we were walking to our cars, instead of a final handshake, I hugged her. It was the natural thing to do.
“I did it!” I yelled to myself in the car on the drive home, with tears streaming down my face. I would have preferred to wait on the tears but they had other plans and before I knew it, I was crying like a baby.
Success had made a grand entrance into my life. It wasn’t the first time, it was just different.
It wasn’t like when I graduated from one of the top universities in the country – at the top of my business class or when I bought my house, or when I made the six-figure club with Romantica, or even when I opened Goodie Bagg.
I had set goals for myself and hadn’t stopped until they were met. I always had high aspirations, but never did I imagine them to unfold into something as large as what I had accomplished.
I wanted to shout it from rooftop of the highest building but I made the decision to refrain from divulging until I had the keys in my hand.
Until then I had to remain in the company of the butterflies overcrowding and doing a dance in my stomach.
CHAPTER 24
~*~*~
When I walked into my house that night, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I was filled to the brim with nervous energy.
I completed two walkthroughs, up and down the halls, in and out the rooms, up and down the stairs, even out to look at the pool. I felt like some kind of home inspector.
I was on a mission to figure out what I could do to simmer down.
I had a way too many thoughts running through my mind about what I could do to pass the time.
Do I call a man over? No. I’ll probably be too distracted to fully enjoy him. Do I jump in the pool for a bit? Nah, not really in the mood for that. Do I call my mama? Hell No! I would be putting myself at risk of telling her about the surprise. Uh-uh. Do I go to sleep? No! Not tired, in the least.
So what did I end up doing? What I did best… I got comfortable in my office and went to work.
The emails that I left in my inbox that morning had grown by about twenty.
There was an email from Daniel, my realtor; with more locations he wanted me to take a look at. Too late, buddy! I already had my space, thank you very much! And with no help from you!
It was his fault for being lazy and consistently showing me property that I felt was a waste of time. As a matter of fact, if there was one thing he was consistent about it was producing null results.
How had 427 Harper not even crossed his radar? He was an idiot as far as I was concerned. He failed at the listening – the most important part of our dealings – and for so long I forced myself to believe it had nothing to do with a man doing business with a woman, but it probably had more to do with that, than not.
There was a point in time when we were discussing a particular property, and he’d commented, “Okay so it may not be appealing to you,
but have you thought of thinking about this from your patron’s point of view?”
I looked him straight in his eyes, and said, “I want what I want and if you can’t deliver without questioning whether I know what I’m doing…let me know now.”
It shut him up, but it didn’t stop him from having me show up to places that were mediocre to downright, what the hell?
So I hadn’t decided whether I would call him about my new space. Maybe I would. Maybe I wouldn’t. I owed him nothing. Done deal. I kept scrolling.
I had emails from both Valentina and Natalia that I decided I would check in the morning when I had time and clarity, to send back lengthy responses.
I was surprised when I came upon an email from Victor, who was my first Paraiso Belo guest. He was on his way to the States and wanted to know if he could see me.
I placed his email into follow up. I needed to think long and hard about whether I wanted my two lives meeting on the same soil and I was leaning toward a firm “No.”
My thought was that it could be risky inviting him into my life at that level.
His email caused me to reflect on how long he had been in my life. For the past six years, I had been entertaining Victor.
As enjoyable as he was in bed, I was content with seeing him on my visits to Brazil – I didn’t have an urge to see him in an environment outside of that one.
Victor held a special place in my heart since he was my first tryst, and I really liked him as a person. But thanks to Valentina, I always had something delicious and satisfying awaiting me. So while we did have history, there were no emotional attachments.
Whether I joined him or not depended highly upon where he would be staying during his visit. I would find that out later, but decided in the meantime to let the inquiry marinate a bit before responding.
A second glance at Valentina’s email, revealed attachments. I loved when they sent pictures because it kept me in the loop so I proceeded opening them one at a time.
In the subject field was, “Paraiso Belo II…a remodelação!!”
The images were of the new structure, and from the few pictures I had seen, it was coming along beautifully.
Just when I thought that place couldn’t get any more amazing, on the screen sat dazzle! Valentina stated in her message that the completion was less than one month away.
If I weren’t in the process of heading into my own construction project, I would loved to have been there.
By my calculations, I estimated the work on my space would take anywhere from two to six months particularly, because my location was already built, and needed only minimal design. Once my personal touch was on it, spectacular wouldn’t fall too far behind.
I wanted something fierce that would be the topic of many conversations and I knew the perfect two individuals to pull that off. They’d find out soon enough, and I knew they wouldn’t turn me down.
I was honest enough with myself to know that the entire project couldn’t be handled solo and the two of them, being so good at parties and décor, were the logical choices.
I couldn’t wait to share with them after the handing off of the keys.
After getting enough of a fix with Valentina’s pictures, contemplating Victor’s offer, and allowing my thoughts to trail off to the club’s design, I concluded that I wasn’t going to get any work done on the computer. Sitting there didn’t provide enough of a distraction at all.
I had to face the fact that there was no amount of anything that could bottle the excitement I felt about getting the keys to my future.
I logged off my computer, and headed to my bed where I counted sheep until there were no more sheep to count.
~*~*~
The next morning when I arrived at Mya’s office to sign the leasing paperwork, I gifted her with a purple and orange organic flower arrangement to show my gratitude.
I also brought a thank you card with a Starbuck’s gift certificate for the owner, who I had yet to meet but was equally grateful to.
“Awww, how sweet are you?” Mya gushed, taking the flowers in her hands. “These are beautiful, Gabriella.”
“I’m glad you like them. It’s the least I can do.
I glanced around, trying to get a better feel for who Mya, the person was, and noticed pictures everywhere. Tasteful, not overdone, but there were many. It was clear that her life was filled with plenty of family and friends.
“You see all the pictures, huh?” she stated as she clicked around on her computer. “The family is pretty big and I don’t get to see them nearly as much as I would like to with all he hours I work. So it’s comforting to have the faces to look at.”
I wanted a closer look at the ones facing the opposite direction.
“Would it be okay for me to come around and see the pictures of your babies?”
I had assumed that the pictures were of her children.
“Whoa! No babies yet! Don’t know if I’m ready for that. I have two nieces and a nephew when the urge kicks in and once it’s passed, I can load them up and drive them back to their lovely homes.”
“Ohhh, come on, Mya, they’re not that bad. I have six of my own!”
She let out a cough, and stopped mid-signature on one of my lease forms.
“Come again…”
“I’m kidding!” I broke into a belly laugh. “I just wanted to see how you’d take that news.”
“You’re a mean lady, Gabriella!”
“So I’ve been told! That look on your face was priceless!” I said, poking fun at her.
She stood up from her desk, adjusted her dress and smiled.
“Okay, girl…” she started, and showing that she had reached a comfort level with me. “Come on over here so I can give you a tour of the family, get your papers signed and keys in hand so you can leave my office.”
She started laughing, and proceeded to tell me about everyone.
Turned out she had a sister and a brother. The brother had a son, and her sister had two girls. All three of them were adorable, and looked more like siblings than cousins.
There were strong genes in that family! When she pointed out the picture of her parents on the bookcase behind her, dad was clearly the winner of the strong gene pool contest.
Mya’s entire family was nice looking, not to mention her brother was extremely gorgeous, as well as two other guys she pointed out who were her first cousins.
Damn. They would all fit in nicely at Paraiso Belo.
“Is everyone in the Bay Area? Or are you guys spread out?” I asked fishing for information on relationship status, when in fact my mind should have been 100% on business.
“We’re all here, and all within close proximity of one another. We’re spread out in different parts of Oakland, Berkeley, with the parents in San Francisco.”
“Is this your honey?” I asked pointing to the picture that sat closest to her computer monitor.
“That is,” she said with a look and smile that spoke volumes. “He is my baby love.”
There was something familiar about his face, but there was no way I would allude to the fact with “I think I know him from somewhere,” or even “what’s his name,” when I hadn’t asked anyone else’s. That would have killed our budding friendship on the spot. No doubt about that. Uh-uh…not doing it.
When a woman says something like that to another woman, thoughts of her man’s past come rushing in like an unwanted guest, ready to crash not just the party, but faces too, so I chose to leave that one alone.
“How long have you guys been married?”
“Michael and I have been married for one year, two months, and six days,” she stated proudly.
“Newlyweds, huh? That’s beautiful.”
“Thank you! Now you see why I was rooting for your club so devotedly.”
“It would explain some things,” I offered with a smile.
“We’re always looking for things to do outside of home. It will be refreshing to have a spot to go to that is solely for
couples. I hope we will have first dibs on reservations,” she kidded.
“Duh! Why of course you will!”
Before I left her office Mya and I agreed to meet up for drinks soon, and I placed the invitation on her desk to my upcoming pleasure party.
I liked her. She seemed to be good people. I just hoped she wasn’t caught up in that whole all work, and no play mode, and that she knew the importance of maintaining a balance of work and play.
If she was neglecting home, she might want to reassess her pattern because that method of operation worked for people who weren’t necessarily trying to keep home on solid ground…not married ones who proudly referred to their mates as, “baby love...”
As soon as I got in my car, I began debating with myself about when I was going to tell my newest friend that I indeed knew her husband. That although it had been well over seven years, he used to date one of my good friends – one who is still in my life.
Joi would be equally shocked to find out that her high school sweetheart was two degrees of separation from her inner circle.
She probably couldn’t care less, but it deserved mentioning because they would all most likely be at my opening, and I didn’t need, nor want, any awkward beginnings. Things were going too well.
Knowing how near Mike was caused me to briefly think about Kenny and what he might have been up to. At a few times over the years, I had checked on his career, but the last time I knew he suffered an injury and fell behind the scenes working with the NFL. After that, I had no idea.
For all I knew, he could have been married to a friend of Mya’s. Sometimes love and hookup stuff happened in pairs, though I didn’t see any pictures in her office when I was being nosy.
But that wasn’t saying too much. Shit, I barely noticed the one of Mike with the way he had matured. It was very possible any of the other pictures I skimmed by were of Kenny.
Such a small world.
Just as quickly as the thoughts infiltrated my mind, they disappeared.
CHAPTER 25
~*~*~
The next destination was my new space, Club Rendezvous to take “before” pictures!
Revolving Doors Page 12