“I’m just here in an advisory capacity,” Jamie said without looking up from the lease.
With an effort, Marcus shook himself free of the jealousy and nodded. “What he said.”
“This says his working hours mustn’t begin before nine o’clock in the morning, but our clientele will be freakishly motivated fitness enthusiasts, so we’ll need that amended to six.”
The landlord stopped chewing and started again. “I can do that.”
“Why are you requiring a four-month security deposit?”
He shrugged. “I like security.”
Jamie’s eyes ticked to Marcus. “Was that stated in the advertisement or agreed to over the phone?”
“No.”
Back to Mr. Han. “We can do two months.”
Marcus watched with fascination as Jamie and Mr. Han eyeballed each other across the table, Mr. Han chewing slowly, Jamie seemingly bored with the proceedings. “Three months.”
Jamie shrugged. “As long as we can write in a ten-day grace period on the rent.”
“I suppose that’s fair.”
“Extermination services are included in the rent, I assume?”
Mr. Han took an extremely large bite of his sandwich, then shoved the remainder of it away. “Half the cost.”
“Fine. But let’s knock two percent off these yearly rent increases. The Castle Gate’s rent goes up in smaller increments and we’re on the busier end of the boardwalk.”
“Oh, the Castle Gate, hmm?” Mr. Han looked impression. “You have good sandwiches.”
Jamie grinned. “The best.”
Marcus pointed at Mr. Han’s lunch. “Are you going to finish that?”
Half an hour later, Marcus and Jamie walked out of the management office with two shiny sets of keys and a rental agreement tucked into a manila envelope. They walked in silence down to the vacant space Marcus had leased and stopped, their reflections staring back at them from the glass window.
“I want you to have a set,” Marcus said, pressing the ring of keys into Jamie’s hand, electricity zipping up his arm when their fingers brushed. “That was really something, Jamie. You’re just…really something, you know? I wouldn’t have thought to ask about the grace period or any of that stuff.”
Jamie looked down at the keys in his palm. “Andrew or Rory could have done the same. When our father—” He broke off for a beat. “When he left, we had to go over every line of the Castle Gate lease and figure out what wasn’t working. Getting a leg up on the landlord is kind of second nature now.”
“Yeah, but they didn’t do it. You did.” Marcus swallowed. “Thanks.”
They traded fleeting eye contact. “You don’t have to give me a set of keys.”
“Please take them?”
Jamie nodded once and stowed them in his pocket. “Should we go inside?”
Marcus shook himself out of the satisfaction-induced haze that had descended when Jamie accepted the keys and unlocked the door. “Hell yeah we should. The sooner we start planning the better. I—” As soon as he stepped over the threshold, he ran smack into a wall of heat. “Christ, the AC hasn’t been running. I didn’t think of that.”
“Is there a back door we can open?” Jamie asked, coming in behind Marcus and wincing. “This reminds me of the first and last time I went to Florida.”
They managed to prop open both doors and get some air flow, but considering Long Beach was hovering at a strict eighty-five degrees, the crosswind didn’t help much. “I’ll call the electric company and get the power turned on. I won’t have you working in here and getting baked, Jamie.”
The words had flowed naturally off Marcus’s tongue, but when he glanced over, Jamie was frowning at him. “You, Rory, Andrew.” He shook his head. “What is it about me that brings out everyone’s protective side?”
“Probably the fear of being without you,” Marcus said without hesitation.
Jamie started. “I’m not sure friends say things like that to each other, Diesel.”
“Maybe this friend does,” he said, his stomach suddenly full of helium. “Maybe it means I’m your best friend.”
The untrained eye wouldn’t have noticed Jamie softening, but Marcus saw the strain lessen around his eyes, his lips parting just a hint. “Maybe it does.”
Remember you could hurt him. Marcus transferred his attention to the ground as fast as he could. Why couldn’t Marcus stop swimming to the deep end with Jamie when he knew he’d only swim back to the shallows afterward and leave Jamie feeling shitty? “So, uh…” He cleared his throat. “What do you think of the place?”
Jamie, who’d been watching Marcus steadily as if he could read his thoughts, took a walk around the small commercial space. Marcus turned in a circle, trying to see it through Jamie’s eyes at the same time. There was an exposed brick wall on one side and that’s where he envisioned the high tops. A long partition and counter was already in place from when it was a smoothie shop and it took up most of the space, leaving only a small area to order and wait. But Marcus’s absolute favorite part was the ceiling. The original tin ceilings made the place modern and old fashioned all at once.