Wed April 10

Bobbie was getting accustomed to having Johnny around. He was up early today to go to a soccer camp he was holding for potential junior soccer players. She wondered if Sid would be among the recruits. Johnny hadn’t said anything so she was staying out of it. She tidied up the kitchen and put some grocery items on her list on the fridge. She liked some of the gluten free crackers but was still learning how to deal with gluten free bread and pasta. She was eating gluten free along with Johnny because she was worried about contaminating his food. She took some meat sauce out of the fridge and looked skeptically at the gluten free lasagna noodles. She would make lasagna later.

She grabbed her coffee and went to look out the dining room windows. The front, west facing side, still looked over the river but the north facing window looked at the new building’s window. Trixie messaged that she was setting up her offices and Bobbie should come over.

From her door she could see the first glow of sunlight as it came over mountains. The view of the river at the bottom of the road was marred a bit by the larger parking lot but the mountain view was breathtaking. She walked over the new stone patio that connected the buildings and entered through the main door. Bobbie liked the space, she appreciated the architecture and how the there managed to be so much natural light from the high windows on all sides. The big corner window looked both at the restaurant/pub and the parking lot/river. The view from the pub on Bobbies’ side was now into the new reception area and out over the parking lot, with the river below.

Bobbie greeted Quinn, who was setting up the motel reception area. Bobbie could see that Lorne had moved in all the furniture. It had a grouping of 4 club chairs around a low table on a pretty rug. The table had 4 electrical outlets and 4 charging ports in a centre hub. There were a pair of sofas with a table in the middle on a large brightly coloured Persian styled rug. There were 3 taller tables that had the central electrical hubs too along the window with bar height chairs. The actual reception desk was a long counter facing the window wall. Lacy’s art gallery main desk was located right beside it with about a 6 foot space between them that allowed people to pass to washrooms behind the reception area where the ceiling was single height. Greg had arranged for one extra washroom that had an outside door next to the pool. The other space behind the desks had open shelves for display. Lacey was planning to sell local pottery and other gallery souvenirs. Bobbie was thinking they could order travel mugs and water bottles with the Wagon Wheel logo and sell those too.

Lacey was busy organizing her Art Gallery. One of the two main walls of the gallery was wallpapered velvety black. It had rows of large picture rails that were almost shelves. Each shelf was fitted with track lighting that was totally customizable. The other wall was set up with the rails but was wallpapered white. They were double high walls and to maximize art placement, had very tall windows. A large wrought iron chandler with simple candle like bulbs hung from the ceiling. It was set up to raise and lower with a large pulley system that was almost art in itself. On a pretty rug under the chandelier were 4 club chairs in a circle back to back pointing at the walls so you could relax and study the art.

“Hi Lacey, did you bring art from your house? I recognize that statue in the curve of the stairs it looks good there.”

“Yes, I wanted to have a couple things here. I’m lining up some artists but I have to start somewhere.”

Like her apartment, the second floor had a better view. The grand curved staircase ran along the northwest side of the interior. The second story spanned half of the building. The main gallery and reception area had double high ceilings and that big double high window. the upstairs had offices along the back wall and the two boardrooms had glass walls that overlooked the gallery and had a view of the river out of the big windows.

Trixie came partly down the stairs. “Hi Bobbie, this place turned out pretty well didn’t it?”

“It sure did! I keep thinking about the small reception area I used to have. This is beyond my expectations. I can’t thank Greg enough.”

“Don’t tell him that Bobbie he’ll get a swelled head.”

Lacey laughed. “You’re too late.”

Upstairs, there were 4 offices on one side, a hallway and the boardrooms. The offices had windows that looked over the pool and beyond that, they looked down the coast and road that ran along shore with a few maintain views thrown in. “These picture windows are really picture windows!” Said Bobbie as she followed Trixie into one of the 2 corner offices.

“They’re so great aren’t they Bobbie? They are better than I expected. Who knew this little run down motel had such great potential? I’m going to use three offices eventually, I’ll have some staff and Greg wants the other corner office when he’s in town, although he as a pretty grand office set up at Thurston house; I think he just wants to be near the action.”

“The motel isn’t that run down any more.” Bobbie said, a little defensively. “Alex and I dreamed about barns, chickens and twinkle lights; maybe I’m not doing justice to our vision.”

“I don’t know Bobbie, you couldn’t have done a better job managing this, you spent money wisely but you have used a lot of your investments. You had almost 3 million after the sale of your house. Part of that success is because Alex always directed me to buy tech stock. When he bought was cripto currency, I had reservations. It looked like funny money to me; like a pyramid scheme or something. I convinced him to sell it right when the value of the stock skyrocketed and he made a killing. Anyway your principle has been whittled away and your interest income is getting lower. We have to build up your portfolio.”

“Trixie, I was lucky we didn’t have any costly hidden problems. I could have spent much more without all the help from Joan, with the restaurant equipment and Lorne. I didn’t realize how much it would add up.”

“You are starting to get more guests and things are ramping up so there is light at the end of the tunnel Bobbie.”

For the rest of the morning they unpacked Trixie’s things and Bobbie helped her set up her computers and other hardware. Trixie said she was glad she could finally print things but had been paperless for a while and didn’t want to go back. They decided to take a break for lunch and Bobbie mentioned she had some leftovers in the fridge.

Trixie said. “Great but we really have to get a lunch menu at the bar.”

They were standing on the patio looking at the pub as they discussed it. Bobbie stopped. “Wait a minute, we could have a nice lunch patio out here. This court yard could have something permanent. We just have to leave some sight lines and access to all the doors. It would have the view the pool and a view of the mountains on one side and look over the parking lot to the river on the other. It would look like a beer commercial. With heaters we could use it 3 seasons.”

Trixie laughed. “You’re nuts, you just can’t stop spending money! But you’re right. I’ll call Rocco. He’s been winding down construction and may have a few guys that could build this. The good weather is coming. I’ll also tell Lorne, he’ll have design ideas too.”

“I should warn Mark that we’re expanding the menu and thinking of a patio and we may need to hire a server for the larger space.”

They started back up the stairs and Trixi said. “Hey Bobbie why don’t you come to Thurston Manor for Easter Sunday dinner.”

“Sure, Mum’s not having everyone over until Monday and I have to help her with the ham and scalloped potatoes then.”