Chapter 5 : Partner in Crime

Ethan's POV

Mayor Pippins asked if we could meet at his office this morning. I reluctantly obliged, and we agreed to meet at ten. I was hoping to have some alone time to rest, but he was insistent that we meet.

Hector, my driver, was waiting for me just outside the hotel. He opened my door for me and gave me a polite nod as I approached the car.

Hector was more of the silent type. I never quite knew what he was thinking, but to be honest, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. I liked our quiet relationship of respectful nods and hushed car rides. It was like we were completely comfortable with each other.

On our way, I managed to secure another property across the ocean, this time in England. I will need to pay a visit to the location sometime soon to ensure all is in order, but the property was worth it.

Another email from the hospital showed the extensive list of expenses for Lily’s treatment. I clicked and authorized all the payments; everything I do is for her. I was about to close my laptop when another email caught my attention; one of my lawyers shared information of what it was needed for me to get rid of the board and to become completely independent from them. Perhaps I can scare them a bit, trim the team, make it smaller and more effective. They were not all that bad.

I arrived at Mayor Pippins’ office a few minutes later and Hector opened my door for me. I told him I’d be no longer than an hour and to stay close. Hector nodded and disappeared back inside the car.

The front of the city hall building looked clean and pristine, and I could tell they were spending good money on their landscaping. I entered through the front doors and found a woman sitting at the front desk.

“Hello.” She greeted me. “How can I help you?”

“I have a meeting with Mayor Pippins.” I said.

The woman gave me a flirty smile and told me to have a seat while she made a call to confirm my appointment. I smiled back, feeling somewhat aroused as I found a chair in the corner of the lobby and took a seat.

I looked around at the interior decor. It wasn’t too bad, but it was definitely not my style. Everything just looked predictable. It was your average lobby and it lacked something unique. I imagined how I could elevate the space. A fresh paint job and new carpet would do wonders for a place like this.

“Sir?” The woman at the front desk called out to me.

“Yes?” I snapped out of my daydream.

“Mayor Pippins will see you now.” She said, with a playful smile. “Just walk through the double doors and it’s the last office on your right.”

“Thank you.” I winked at her as I rose to my feet.

I followed her instructions and found my way to Mayor Pippins’ office. His name placard was poorly glued to his door and the door frame looked like it needed to be replaced. I knocked twice before I heard him say to come in.

“Mr. Black!” Mayor Pippins said as I entered. “Great to see you.”

“You as well.” I politely nodded, taking a seat across from him at his desk.

Mayor Pippins’ office was quite large. There was enough space to hold a large desk, two tall bookcases, and extra large cushioned chairs in the corners of the room. I pulled my chair in and waited to hear what he had to say.

“Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice.” Mayor Pippins began. “I wanted to discuss the future of Greenbrooke with you. I know you’re considering investing here, and I just wanted to follow up about that. Have you thought any more about the library?”

“Actually, I have.” I leaned forward. “And I think my investment would be better served in another property.”

“I see.” Mayor Pippins said, disappointed. “May I ask why?”

His eyes were now locked on mine as I replied. “I think the library is too special to tear down. I’d love to see it stay open. I’d even be happy to fund some renovations for it if you’d like.”

“Oh.” He was surprised, but interested. “Well, I suppose that’s very kind of you.”

I nodded and stood to my feet, preparing to leave, thinking that the hour-long meeting was going to be extra short.

“Mr. Black, wait!” Mayor Pippins gasped. “If you don’t mind me asking, where in Greenbrooke do you plan to invest?”

“I’ve got my eye on a few places.” I said, heading toward the door. “I’ll let you know when I’ve found the perfect one.”

“Fair enough.” I could see he was still confused but he was not going to bother me for more information if he knew what was good for him.

Hector was already waiting by the car when I exited city hall. He promptly opened the door for me and asked me where to next.

“Back to the Greenbrooke Hotel.” I answered, sliding into the backseat.

I watched the people on the street as we drove through the city. Greenbrooke was such a quaint little town. It felt like I had been dropped inside a fictional story. I watched a mother and father swing their giggling toddler over a puddle. Two old men played chess in the park, while another old woman fed the birds. It was all so magical.

We arrived at the hotel and Hector got my door for me. I made my way up to my hotel suite and eagerly let myself into my room so I could decompress. Once I was inside, I marched right to my bed and plopped right in the center of it.

I don’t remember falling asleep but I awoke an hour later, feeling rested and full of new energy. I made my way to my bathroom and ran a hot shower for myself. I stepped in and let the hot water soothe me. I was exhausted, but the water was refreshing. Before I could even enjoy my alone time, I heard the telephone ring.

I reached for a towel and wrapped it around me. I stepped out of the shower and the cold air tingled on my skin. I got to the phone by the side of my bed just before the last ring and answered.

“Yes, hello this is Ethan Black.” I sat on the bed in my towel.

“Hello, Mr. Black.” A polite voice said. “You have a visitor in the lobby. Shall we send them up?”

“Who is it?” I asked, wondering who it could be.

“One moment.” The polite voice said. A few seconds later the voice replied. “A Mr. Ryan Parker.”

“Ah, yes.” I remembered we were supposed to have a meeting. “No need to send him up, I’ll come down.”

“Yes, Mr. Black.” The voice said. “I’ll let him know.”

I thanked the attendant and hung up. I raced to put on clothes so I could meet Ryan downstairs. Ryan Parker was my best friend and business partner. He lived in New York and was supposed to meet me here in Greenbrooke so we could discuss new properties to potentially invest in.

I made my way to the elevator and rode it down in silence. When I got to the lobby, Ryan was sitting on a couch in the corner. He looked dapper as always, wearing a custom tailored suit with a Rolex watch and premium leather shoes.

“Ethan!” He threw his hands up when he saw me.

“Ryan.” I was happy to see him. “I thought you weren’t flying in until tonight.”

“I decided to fly in early.” Ryan said. “I wanted to get a feel for the town on my own first.”

“Well, what do you think?” I asked, eager to hear his opinion.

“It’s perfect.” Ryan smiled.

We sat down at a nearby table so we could talk. I told Ryan all about Mayor Pippins and his desperate need to bring more money into the town. I explained that the long term goal would be to find a building or plot of land large enough to turn into a shopping outlet.

“I love the idea already.” Ryan said. “So I assume you’ve already checked out a few places, right?”

“Sort of.” I admitted. “Mayor Pippins showed me the town library. It’s huge. The only problem is, it’s too beautiful to turn into a mall.”

“Oh, God,” Ryan teased, rolling his eyes. “Are you hung up on it because of the books?”

I nodded guiltily. “There are plenty of other good places.” I urged. “Why tear down a perfectly good library in the center of town?”

“I’ll give you three reasons.” Ryan said, putting three fingers up. “Location, location, location!”

“I know, I know.” I laughed. “You’ve just got to trust me on this one. The library has to stay.”

Ryan nodded. “Fine. But remember, we’re here to make money, not fall in love with old buildings.”

“Historical buildings.” I added and Ryan shrugged.

We talked for another half hour about Greenbrooke and all it had to offer. I went on and on about all the unique quirks about the town and how lovely all the people were. Ryan was kind enough to listen to all my ramblings but I knew he didn’t care as much as I did.

“So how are things back in New York?” I asked, taking the hint.

“Alright.” Ryan answered. “I sold a couple condos, but other than that, it’s been nothing special. How’s your family?”

“Okay.” I shrugged, not wanting to talk about them. “My mom and dad are just trying to cope with everything.”

He waited a few seconds then spoke again. “I’m sorry,” he said and I nodded in appreciation. “How’s Lily doing these days?” He asked.

I sighed. “Not too good.” was my answer. “She keeps getting sick and the doctors say she might be nearing the end.”

“If there’s anything I can do, just let me know. I want to be there for you.” I really appreciated his support, we always got along as business partners, but he knew how much Lily’s illness had taken an emotional toll on me.

“I know.” I nodded. “Unfortunately, there’s not much that can be done right now.”

We both sat quietly for some more seconds, allowing ourselves to take in everything, then my partner stared straight into my eyes and lifted a finger.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” Ryan changed the subject.

There was a small hint in his tone of voice that warned me about the topic he was going to bring back up. “Sure.” I said, sitting forward.

“When we spoke the other day, you were so excited to put down roots here and start investing. What made you change your mind about the library? I mean, I know you love books and everything, but I’ve never seen you give up on a good building if it had the right potential. What changed?”

“Honestly?” I said, smiling and almost chuckling. “I met a girl.”