19. Felix

19

Felix

I was determined to look out for Garret, no matter what. He wasn't thinking straight, and he needed a voice of reason in his life. It was my job to be the most incredible partner I could be to him, and make sure that he didn't sabotage his entire career with poor choices.

The next day, I told Garret I needed to go home and take care of some things, but what he didn't know, was that I had planned a meeting with my architect friend, Adam Jones. Adam was the best in the business, an expert in the field, and incredibly talented at commercial building designs.

As an architect, he had contacts and knew the ins and outs of the business when it came to dealing with developers. He even knew a few who would be excited to build on the land outside the city that I had inherited from my uncle.

Garret knew none of this. I hated keeping things from him, but this was a big secret that I felt could benefit him in the end, and I needed to have all my ducks in a row before proposing any ideas to him.

Garret was the type of guy who needed all the facts laid out for him. He wasn't going to wait and watch me dawdle. If I was going to propose something to him, I needed to be one hundred and ten percent ready for the task. I couldn't leave one stone unturned.

Adam and I were set to meet at the site of my land. It was an empty lot that would work perfectly as Garret's new club. It was just outside the city limits, but it was still within a reasonable distance to keep some of the existing club members. He could even gain some new ones that lived in the up and coming neighborhood.

Adam showed up at the site with his developer friend Rhett Woods. They both looked eager and determined to help me get out of this unfortunate situation with the current club location.

"Thanks for agreeing to meet me on such short notice," I said as I enthusiastically shook their hands.

"Are you kidding? I was happy to help out an old friend," Adam said with a gleam in his eye.

"That's great," I said. "Well, as you know, this is my land, and I was going to sell it, but I now have the perfect opportunity to build a commercial structure on it if everything works out. It's for my… partner who also lives in the area. He's potentially looking to relocate his current business and I feel that this is going to be the perfect spot."

"Where is he?" Rhett looked confused as he glanced towards our parked cars on the side of the street.

"He had other obligations and couldn't make the meeting today," I said.

It wasn't a total lie, just a slight bending of the truth.

The two men didn't seem fazed by my explanation, and we quickly jumped into the plans that Adam had worked up on a program on his phone.

He pulled out his tablet and began scrolling through mock-up pictures that he had created on my behalf.

"I have to tell you, Adam, these look absolutely amazing." I glanced up at him and beamed.

"Thank you." Adam nodded humbly, but there was a flicker of pride in his eyes.

"I'm seriously impressed," I said as he pulled up another program with a 3D model of how the building could look.

Even the most minute details were included, like outlets, exits, and everything to present as up to code for a commercial building of this size.

"I can email you the plans, so you can show them to Garret," Adam suggested.

"That would be wonderful," I said.

"And for a building of this size, you have the perfect plot of land here. I can have it bulldozed and leveled, with permits for construction before you know it," Rhett mentioned.

"You guys are going to seriously be our saving grace," I admitted.

Rhett handed me a manila envelope with papers in it. "If you take these to City Hall, they will begin to start the process of permits and permissions if you decide to build here."

"Thank you so much." I owed them a debt of gratitude that I felt I could never repay.

We wrapped up the meeting at the land site and I rushed straight to City Hall. I didn't want to waste any time because I had no idea when Nelson might strike again. I had to beat him at his own game, but I still needed to convince Garret to sell first. I knew that with Garret's mentality, it was just a matter of principle, but he couldn't afford to choose pride over his life and wellbeing in this situation. Nelson Sanderson was a serious threat, and I was afraid that Garret was too blinded by his own stubbornness to see exactly how dangerous Nelson really was.

After visiting City Hall, I parked my car in front of the club. Bubba was already there, cleaning the windows and preparing for the opening later.

"Hey man," I said and nodded to him in greeting.

"Hey, Felix. Garret's in his office," Bubba said.

"Thanks."

I walked upstairs. My heart pounded every step of the way. I had the information in hand to present to Garret, but I had no idea how he was going to react. It was my duty to try, and that was exactly what I intended to do. If I failed, at least I could say I'd done everything in my power to steer him in the right direction.

Carol wasn't in her office, much to my relief. I needed to have privacy in talking with Garret. Things could get heated, and I didn't want her involved in that.

I stood outside his door, pausing to prepare myself for an argument I knew was probably coming. After several seconds, I rapped my knuckles against the wood.

"Who is it?" Garret's muffled voice called out from the other side.

"It's… me," I said with some slight hesitation.

"Oh good, come in, Felix." I was relieved when the sound of his voice chimed a little peppier.

I opened the door and gave him my most sincere smile. I wanted him to trust me right from the start and feel comfortable before the conversation even began.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and kissed him. The spark was still there. Instead of fading away each time we kissed, our chemistry became even more intense, in the most sensational way.

"I've been out on some errands and I wanted to discuss a few things with you," I said. I kept my voice casual because I didn't want to make him immediately suspicious.

Garret smiled. "Have a seat," he said in a friendly tone.

His smile was so sincere that it made me feel guilty about going behind his back to get all this information, but it had to be done. Sometimes, people needed tough love to gain the insight that they really needed.

"Where have you been?" Garret asked with casual innocence. "I missed you."

I swallowed hard and nodded, glancing at the manila folder and my tablet in my lap. The guilt in my mind was overwhelming.

"I missed you too," I said and clicked on the monitor of the tablet. "I had a meeting with my architect friend and a developer. Then, I went to City Hall."

I forced myself to bravely glance up at Garret. He was no longer smiling, but he had a receptive look on his face.

"What were you doing there?" he asked flatly.

"Please don't be upset with me," I began. "Just know that I did all of this for you."

"For me?" His tone dripped with sarcasm. "How very sweet of you."

"Just hear me out," I said carefully.

Garret's features softened somewhat. He leaned back in his chair and sized me up, staring at me.

"Fine," he said in a sharp tone.

I took a deep breath and reached over the desk so that he could see the screen. "I have all the building specs, right here on this app. This is what my architect friend drew up, the building plan and blueprints. If you are willing to take a look at them, I think you'll be impressed. I sure was. He even put in the details about all the codes that you'll have to meet. He did all the work, Garret. All you will have to do is move in."

Garret stared at me. My heart was in my throat.

"And City Hall? Why did you go there?" Garret quizzed.

"Well, that was where the developer came into play. I had to go to City Hall to discuss the construction permits."

Garret didn't say anything for an agonizingly long amount of time. After what felt like an eternity, he finally opened his mouth.

"And just where am I supposed to build this brand-new club?" he asked doubtfully.

"On my land," I said, dropping the bombshell.

Garret didn't know anything about my inherited land, until now. He knew that my uncle had left me his estate, but that was it.

Garret firmed his jaw and his bottom lip twitched. He looked like he was going to lash out at me.

"I wanted to tell you; I just didn't have the perfect opportunity yet—"

Garret didn't speak.

"I wanted to make sure I had everything ready for you before I came to you with the proposal. I swear that this was the first meeting I've had with them. They just made it so easy and seamless."

"How so?" Garret pitched a cynical eyebrow.

"Everyone is willing to be speedy with complying about getting the permits," I said. "If you decide that building a new club is the best option for you."

Garret stared at the blueprints for the new building, then lifted his gaze to stare at me skeptically.

"I don't want you to rush into it," I said. "Just think about it. There is no pressure." I chuckled at the irony of my statement. "Well, there is pressure, because who knows what tricks Nelson has up his sleeve next, but I don't want you to jump into something you aren't comfortable with."

Garret pondered. He swayed back and forth in his swivel chair and it made a squeaky noise that sliced through the otherwise quiet room.

"I guess… I could think about it."

I breathed out a deep sigh of relief. My tactic to approach the subject gently had worked. It was clear that as long as Garret didn't feel backed into a corner and patronized, he was willing to yield. As long as he bent a little bit, I was grateful for the progress.

"Thank you. That's all I'm asking for." I gave him a heartfelt smile and squeezed his hand from across the desk.

He didn't pull away, but he did flinch slightly, bruising my ego.

"You had this land… you got it from your uncle?"

"Yes." I nodded.

"And you're willing to give it… to me?" He cast me a doubtful glance. "No strings attached?"

"I want to do everything in my power to help you get yourself out of this mess," I said. It was the open and honest truth.

Garret smirked. "It sounds like you pity me."

My heart plummeted into my stomach and sat there like a heavy rock. I vigorously shook my head. My cheeks felt hot.

"No, that's not it at all—"

"I don't need to be anyone's charity case," Garret said. His eyes were red when he looked away.

"Garret," I whispered, feeling compelled to tell him exactly how I felt, whether he was ready to hear it or not. The time had come, and I couldn't keep my emotions contained another second.

"What?" His eyes were bloodshot with unshed tears.

I knew he was fuming that I had offered him my land. Garret was a proud person. He didn't want to take any handouts. It was something in his character that I admired but now wasn't the time for him to prove a point.

"I offered you the land because I want to be your equal partner, not just in this, but in all things. I want to do life with you." I locked eyes with him and refused to look away.

As determined as he was to save face and stand up to bullies, I was equally determined to get through to him about how important he was to me.

"Garret, don't you get it?" My eyes stung with tears and my nose burned. "I am doing all these things to help you because I'm in love with you."

There, I had said it. I had laid it all out on the line and the relief was tremendous.

Garret's eyes flashed with both surprise and acknowledgment. His cheeks turned pink and he leaned across the desk, giving me a charismatic stare filled to the brim with wonderment.

"I… love you too," he confessed.

"You… do?" I was so overjoyed that I felt like I was floating outside of my body for a moment or two.

"Yes." He nodded, chuckling as he clutched my hands with his.

We both stood up and walked around the desk to bridge the gap between us.

"I love you so much, and you have no idea how good it feels to release that into the world," I said as Garret wrapped his arms around me.

Our eyes locked and we kissed. It was the most sensual moment of my life. It was as if his fingers left welts of pleasure on my skin every time he grazed up against me.

"Me too," he said. "I didn't even realize that was how I felt until you said it out loud."

I grinned and stroked his stubbly cheek. "Thank you for reciprocating. Even if you hadn't, it wouldn't have changed the way I feel about you."

Garret's demeanor shifted instantly. It was as if a fog had lifted and there was no longer a heavy cloak draped over us.

We had reached a milestone moment where Garret finally understood and had seen the light. I was hopeful that from that point forward, he would be able to let go of his current club's location. We could build a new club together, where our lives were joined instead of parallel. I wanted to be unified in everything we did. The new club was more than just a business, it was a fresh start for both of us.