Frank meeting Friday Aug 9

Friday Morning Bobbie found Johnny in the restaurant, nursing his coffee and talking on the phone. He waved at her as she got coffee and moved over to freshen his cup. She took the pot back to the buffet and returned with some fresh muffins and some ham and cheese and fruit for Johnny. He was hanging up the phone.

“You sure got me thinking about my homestead the other night. I did a bit more research on natural pools and I think they are a lot of work to set up. I have to admit, I don’t have the time. I just got off the phone with Jean Swinnimer of Swinnimer Swimming Pools (SSP) though.”

“Who could forget the name of that pool company? What did you find out?”

“I used to fix Jean’s car and I actually went on a few dates with her. We are still friends so I’ve been picking her brain about swimming pools.”

“I hope we didn’t pressure you Johnny…”

“No worries; I love going for a swim on a hot afternoon and I love a good pool party, second only to a good beach campfire party but I’m getting older. I want a pool now. Your pool is nice but it is always being used by the hotel guests and soon, I won’t even be a guest anymore. I asked Brenda about pouring a pool and deck and foundation at the same time and she started talking about expansion joints and concrete densities and it was clearly not something I can DIY.”

“That’s too bad Johnny. Even if your not a guest, you know you’re always welcome at the motel pool.”

“I can dig my holes, pour the concrete for the house and have Swinn Pools come right after and do their thing to pour the pool concrete. It won’t affect the construction timeline and Brenda thinks she can give me a good rate because it’s a new build, simple design, not very big and we’ll already have a hole.”

“That’s great Johnny, you’ll get the place you want.”

“I can’t decide if I want direct access to the pool and live on the first floor or live on the second floor and have the views.”

“I’ve been thinking about that Johnny. You’ll have a kitchenette in the studio and you’ll have a stairway from the studio to the apartment inside the structure. Then you can just bring a tray of food or drinks or whatever down the stairs and serve them from the kitchenette. This gives good access to the pool. I have to go down outside stairs to get to the motel pool and it’s ok but it could be better.”

“I’d just lock the door of my apartment at the top of the stairs like you do.”

“It sounds like things are clicking in place. Are you all ready for the financial meeting with Frank?”

“I think so, we’ll meet in the other building I guess.”

“I’ll see you at 10.”

Bobbie grabbed the dishes and moved in back to the kitchen. “Hi guys I hope everything is going well today.”

Mark was on his tablet and Rose was washing dishes and Sipho was there preparing bread in a big mixer.

“You dug out the big mixer with the bread hook. Does it work as well as hand needing.”

Mark looked up from his tablet. “We just needed so much more bread now that we have the market. Sipho has become the best bread maker.”

Sipho nodded. “I never knew how satisfying bread making was and I’m fascinated with the sour dough and starter.”

Mark clapped him on the back. “Music to my ears.”

Bobbie smiled with appreciation. “I actually wanted to talk to you guys about having a fancy Sunday Brunch. I remember, back in the eighties, the hotels in Cit City had brunch from about 11 to 2 and they set up a buffet with carved ham, bacon, sometimes a hip of beef and salad and veggies of all kinds and a big omelette bar and a dessert table with cheesecakes and trifle, most of the stuff we get from the bakeries now for high tea.

Rose looked troubled. “I’m sorry Bobbie but Sunday morning My Aunt Jane and I go to church. We usually don’t finish until around 1. Sunday is usually my day off.”

Mark looked up. “Bobbie, that sounds like a breakfast, high tea and dinner rolled into one, I’m not sure we can pull it all off.”

“This is good. Rose, I would never ask you to change your day off. We can figure the dishes out. I may have to imagine how a 1980’s buffet translates to 2019. How about we focus on a killer salad bar and an omelette station. We can use some of the same veggies in the omelette’s that are in the salad bar. Then we have a coffee and tea and a couple of things from high tea.”

Mark winked at Bobbie. “I’ll work on a spreadsheet and get back to you.”

“Excellent. Have a good one guys”

She went back up to her apartment and figured to check her financials before the meeting. She puttered around her office, making sure she had all her documentation in order and made her way next door to the meeting.

Bobbie already spoke to Frank about meeting Johnny too and they all met in the reception area.

“Greg is sorry he’s not here but he had to get back to Cap City. I’m pleased to meet you. I’m Bobbie Orlov and this is Johnny Gold.

Frank was a shorter man with thick brown hair, a wide face and an easy toothy smile. I’m pleased to meet you too. Greg and Marshall have told me all about you. Quite a nice place ya got here, lets go see this boardroom.

They followed him upstairs. He did have an infectious good energy. Bobbie thought, he’ll be fun to work with.

“This is nice up here, so this is the kitchenette and this is the boardroom and here is Greg’s office.” He continued down the hall. “And this must have been Trixie’s, beside another office for an assistant. It’s a great place to set up shop. A quiet office and access to a boardroom. I’ve mentioned to Greg that I was looking for an office to rent and am hoping you agree because I like it here.”

Bobbie smiled. Frank sure talked a lot. “It would be great to have you so close, you might find me bugging you too much though.”

“My door will always be open.”

They moved into the boardroom and started organizing their things.

Johnny looked up from his papers. “Thanks for agreeing to see me. Maybe we could start with me because I’d like Bobbie to sit in on the meeting. We’ve got no secrets and I might miss something. Then I could skedaddle you could meet with Bobbie after lunch.”

Sounds good Johnny, can I call you Johnny? We’re all on a first name basis?”

Bobbie and Johnny nodded.

“So, Johnny, I’ve gone over your files and see you’ve got a big RRSP and you have a lot of money, essentially in your bank account; Just parked there.

“I want to start building and was thinking I could get two separate credit cards, one for my house and one for the business. I can pay them off regularly with the money, in my account, from selling my business.”

“Credit cards are really high interest but they are one way to keep costs separate, I suppose. Let’s get that money in your bank account working and see if we can use some capital gains instead of just spending your principle.”

“I also have a buddy, Rick, who inherited a house up by the university and he’s thinking of leaving Crow Harbour and he wants to sell.”

“I saw that this was Rick’s last week. He doesn’t have much holding him here.”

“I think he wants “tabula rasa”, somewhere else”

Frank nodded. “More property is a good investment; I see you have one rental property already.”

“I never pictured myself as a landlord. I want to treat people fairly if they stay in one of my houses.”

“We could call your business Golden Rule Holdings. It would cover all your buildings, the ones you are building and the ones you own and the music and small engine repair are sub categories. Do you think you will ever hire anyone?”

“That’s a lot to think about. I suppose I will have to.”

“You can think about that stuff later. In the mean time I’ll get a business plan together and get Golden Rule Holdings on the books. I love the name.” He laughed. “When you buy the property, come to me and we’ll figure out how to pay for it.”

Thanks Frank, you’ve given me an awful lot to consider. Maybe I can hire a contactor to upgrade Rick’s house before I rent it. Let’s get lunch.”

Johnny picked up his papers and left the boardroom and Bobbie and Frank followed him. They went over to the SPOKES patio and sat down.

Mink spied them and glided over. “Hello, who do we have here Bobbie? And what would you like for lunch? For the specials today, chef is working on a retro shrimp salad and garden grown spinach salad.”

“That sounds delicious Mink. This is Frank Jones; he is my new financial manager and will be setting up his office in Trixi’s old office.”

“Mink may need a new financial manager too sometime. What would you like for lunch?

They all dined on shrimp salad and spinach salad and a carafe of white wine. They learned that Frank’s wife Brenda was a pilot and was taking a job on land at the Crow Harbour Airport.

Frank offered to pay the tab and Jonney thanked him and excused himself and Bobbie and Frank made their way back to the boardroom.

“My finances aren’t nearly as exciting as Johnny’s. Trixi’s got me mostly sorted. They went through her paperwork and Frank made some suggestions and they were done by about 3.

“So, if you still want it, this is your office. You can work it out with Greg when you see him. I’ll see you Monday.”

“I’ll see you later Bobbie.”