“Hello Mr. Scott,” Jamie said when he
heard the man answer. “This is Jamie
Weaver, Teresa from the quilt shop next door nephew.”
“You’d be the one she gave the shop
to.” Reese Scott said. “She told me all about you and your boyfriend who’s the
chef. He want to buy my café?”
“Well that is sort of why I called.”
Jamie said starting to lose his nerve. “Neither of us can buy the café, but I
was wondering if you’d rent it to Darren?”
“I don’t know about that I’ll have to
think about that and call you later in the week.” And he rang off.
“Well I tried.” Jamie said to himself
as he pocketed his phone. He turn to go back into his shop and found his way
blocked. “Aunt Teresa!”
“So, is this any way to run a business,
standing out here on the phone?” she asked before noticing the for sale sign,
“Oh, I figured he’d do that. His heart just wasn’t in it without her.”
“Business has been good, there’s only
been a few who’ve had a problem with me running to place.” Jamie said as they
went back inside.
“Narrow minded pin heads; they’re probably the
same who ones gave me grief.” Teresa said looking around noting the subtle
changes he had made.
“Oh, there was one who claims she was a
partner and that by rights the shop was hers. She was here last Friday.” Jamie
said moving over to the counter to get the paper the woman had forced him to
take.”
“What,” Teresa said taking the paper
from him and glancing it over. “Silly cow, I bought her out years ago.” She
turned and started for the back of the store, but turn back towards him. “Have
you cleaned upstairs or thrown anything out yet?”
"Haven’t touched anything up there.”
Jamie said wondering what she was up to.
“Good.” Was all she said as she turned
back and went into the back room and up the stairs. He could hear her moving around upstairs. The
front door chime drew his attention and he noticed the woman from last Friday
was back, and not alone.
“Lee Brown of Mendez and Brown, my
client states that as part owner she has legal rights to this place,” the guy
said handing Jamie his card but before Jamie could respond his aunt was back down
with documents clearly stating ownership. Lee Brown was a bit annoyed. He left
with the woman following him. Putting and end to the whole business about
ownership. Jamie then spent the rest of the day working in the shop as well as
visiting with his aunt, who left on Thursday.
Reese Scott called Thursday afternoon and he wanted to meet with Jamie
and Darren on Friday. Jamie had to
explain that Darren wouldn’t be back until late Friday night and asked if they
could meet on Saturday. This was not possible Reese Scott was leaving Saturday
morning, a last minute trip, so it would have to be Friday or wait a month. So
Jamie said he would be able to meet with him, and have Darren on the phone, not
the best solution, but it was what he had to work with.
~*~
Darren
stared out at the night sky, it was pushing on towards one-thirty in the
morning and he was dead tired. He’d taken Friday and Monday as vacation days
giving him four days off. He could have just gone home and started out in the
morning, but he wanted to surprise Jamie by letting him wake up with him,
Darren lying next to him. Ten minutes later he was pulling up to the house they
rented leaving his bag in the car. He headed up to the door unlocked it and
silently slipped in and up to the bedroom, pulled off his clothes and climb
into bed, he was out all most as soon as his head hit the pillow.
In the morning Jamie woke to the
knowledge that he was not alone in bed, and started to panic until he saw it
was Darren. He wanted to grab a hold of him and kiss him awake, but thought of
him arriving late and therefore needing his sleep. So he quietly got out of bed
and headed to the bathroom, taking the clothes he was going to wear with him.
Darren woke to the smell of coffee and
rolled out of bed and headed down to the kitchen where he found Jamie getting
ready to head out. He wrapped his arms around Jamie pulled him in tight.
“You don’t know how hard it was to not
wake you when I found you in bed this morning.” Jamie said turning around in
Darren’s arms so they could kiss. “It was a great start to the morning.”
“I wouldn’t have minded if you did, I
took today and Monday of to give us more time together.” Darren said rubbing
his hands on Jamie’s back, and wishing it were bare skin he was touching. “I
could have caught up on sleep while you’re at the shop.”
“Well, no you couldn’t.” Jamie said
stepping out of the embrace. “I hope you won’t get mad, but I call Mr. Scott,
about the café, and asked him if he could rent to us.”
“Why would I be mad? I think it great
idea.” Darren said as he pulled Jamie back into for a kissed him softly on the
lips. “So what did he say?”
“Well at first he said he’d need to
think about it, which was last Monday, then yesterday he called and said he
wanted to meet today. I tried to get him to meet tomorrow, but he’ll be out of
town. So I figured when I met with him I’d get you on the phone, but now that
you are here… it will just be better, you’ll know what to ask .”
“Hay this will be new territory for me
too.” Darren said, he didn’t want to let go of Jamie, but knew he’d have to,
and so let go of him. “Where, and what time are we to meet with him?”
“At
the quilt shop at around one.” Jamie said looking at the clock. “Got to head
out. “See you then.” he start to leave, but was stopped by Darren who pulled
him for one last kiss.
~*~
After the initial
introductions Darren and Reese Scott went to the café because the shop was
having a busy afternoon, which kept Jamie busy right up till closing. He was
going over the day’s receipts when Darren came in.
“How did it go, what did he say?”
Darren pulled him for a brief hug
before stepping back, in case someone came in.
“He given me ninety days rent free to
see if I can pull off running the place. His only request that I hire back all
of the staff that wants to come back.”
“Well I guess that’s fair, and you’ll
need a staff,” Jamie said, continuing with closing out for the evening. “Now
what?”
“Well
I’ve been on the phone to the rental agent for the apartment; I have to be out
by June thirtieth. I’ve also talked Sara, my boss, whose life I’ve made so much
easier with this news.”
“How does your quitting make her life
easier?” Jamie cut in. as he took the money out of the till and placed it in
deposit folder.
“Because she’d been told to trim staff,
so it was either Aaron, or me. This way I get severance pay. Now lock up, and
will swing by the bank before heading out for dinner.”
~*~
The fourth
of July dawned, bright and warm, the perfect day for the street fair and
parade. Darren, with Jamie’s help set up a table out front of the newly named
Patchwork Café. Darren, along with Will and Amy, two of the returning staff would be serving up Sandwiches to customers at
the fair as well as handing out samples off the new menu along with answering
question regarding the grand reopening the following Monday.
Jamie had his own table, with ninety-nine cent
fat quarters, baskets of thread, one for machine and one for hand quilting as
well as a few kits featuring red, white and blue fabric. The big draw at his
table was the quilt raffle to be held at the end of the fair.
Darren’s
samples went fast as many said they would be coming in when it opened next
week, if the sandwich sale were anything to go by, he was going to do just
fine.
~*~
A year
after his wife had died so did Reese Scott, leaving the Café to Darren and Jamie
in his will. A portrait Of the Scotts was hung in the dining area of the café,
with a patchwork frame of course.
THE END
Please Note Little Bit Tales will return in September
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