“Watching TV in the lounge with Annie, I hope,” replied Lori, accepting the large white cardboard box from him. “We’ll have to sit in the dining room. Hope that’s ok”
“Fine by me,” said Townes, gazing round. “This is a fabulous apartment, Mrs Power.”
“Thank you,” replied Lori with a smile. “Now, if you’re going to be taking over from David, we need to get one thing straight. Drop the Mrs Power. It’s Lori.”
Blushing slightly, Townes repeated, “Lori.”
“How do you take your coffee?”
“Black. One sugar,” he replied.
“David, show Townes through to the dining room while I take some pastries through to the kids,” suggested Lori. “Then I’ll bring our coffees through.”
Paperwork was scattered across her mahogany dining table when she came through with the coffees. It took her two trips but, with Townes’s assistance, the three of them were soon seated at the table and ready to start their meeting. Together, they pored over her personal accounts and the Mz Hyde business accounts. The figures were looking excellent, her personal investments were performing well and her Mz Hyde work was returning a handsome profit. After questioning a few deductions, Lori happily signed off on them then asked to see the JJL and JJL West figures.
Both Dr Marrs and Jason were pressing her to expand the JJL family of studios and had argued long and hard that they should acquire a newly built studio complex on the outskirts of Nashville. Like JJL, this property had a linked house to accompany the main studio and two large rehearsal studios. There was also an adjoining storage facility.
“So, what’s the gut feel about this new venture?” asked Lori, scanning the projected earnings forecast.
“Townes,” prompted David, deferring to his would-be successor.
“Competitive market place,” began the younger man slowly. “I took the liberty of researching other available facilities in the area to determine its unique selling potential. I’m no expert in the music industry but there are a lot of studios available to hire in that town.”
“That was my primary concern too,” said Lori, glancing down at the proposition.
“Lori, if I may be so bold,” continued the younger man. “May I suggest an alternative location?”
“Go for it,” Lori encouraged, warming to his easy Southern charm.
“There’s a property for sale near Cave City, Kentucky. It’s set in a few acres. There’s an access road off Route 65. Studio. Six-bedroom farmhouse. Potential to develop two existing barns into rehearsal space. There’s a stable block that could be converted into flexible sized storage units. It’s also half the price.”
“Interesting,” mused Lori, looking thoughtful. “Prepare a counter-proposal to put to Jason and Dr Marrs by Monday. You might want to look at the Atlanta area too or further south into Florida. In principle, I’m in favour of expanding JJL but I’m not sold on Nashville as the place to expand into. Doesn’t feel like the right fit for us.”
“Consider it done.”
“Thanks, Townes,” she replied with a smile.
“How long are you in town for, my dear?” quizzed David casually. “Do you want Townes to courier the paperwork over here on Monday?”
Lori shook her head, “Email it to me, please. I’m driving home on Sunday. Melody has to be back for school on Monday. I already took her out for two days. She needs to get back into her routine.”
“Speaking of Miss Melody,” began David. “Where is my favourite surrogate granddaughter?”
“Go on through to the lounge,” Lori suggested. “I think we’re about done here anyway.”
Almost an hour later, David and Townes prepared to leave. Much to Lori’s amusement, Townes had proved to be good with kids and had soon been sitting on the rug beside Jesse helping him with the construction of his train tracks. It wasn’t like the little boy to warm to a stranger so quickly and Lori took it as a good omen.
“How was the latest Silver Lake design received?” asked David as Lori walked them both towards the front door.
“Very well by all accounts. I got a text from Grey last night. Maddy emailed to request some changes to the merchandise ideas and to request two different backdrops rather than one.”
“Usual terms?” checked David.
Lori nodded, “Same deal as usual. They’re family.”
“I’ll get the invoices prepared.”
“Thanks,” she said warmly. “Townes, you’ll need to come down to the beach house sometime. Come out to JJL too.”
“I’d like that.”
“I think our next quarterly meeting will need to be held down there or done via Skype. I’m not planning on travelling too far from home after New Year,” she explained, rubbing her baby bump.
“That’s understandable. If you don’t mind me asking, when is the baby due?” asked Townes with a gentle curiosity. “You’re looking fabulously healthy.”
“Spring. Early April,” revealed Lori, feeling her cheeks flush at his compliment.
“Come on, charming,” teased David. “We’ve an eleven o’clock with audit.”
“See you both soon,” promised Lori as they headed towards the waiting elevator.
Standing in front of her wardrobe for the second time in as many days, Lori was deliberating what to wear to Garrett’s album launch when her cell rang. Maddy’s number lit up the screen.
“Hi,” greeted Lori brightly, still casually browsing her limited clothing options.
“Morning!” called Maddy shrilly. “Just checking you’re still coming tonight?”
“I’ll be there,” promised Lori, lifting down a black tunic with a split back.
“What time?”
“I’ll sneak in about seven-thirty or eight,” replied Lori, her stomach already in knots at the thought of seeing Jake.
“You are going to talk to Jake, aren’t you?”
“Afterwards,” promised Lori quietly. “I don’t want anything to spoil Garrett’s night. He must be a nervous wreck about this show. How Jethro talked him into it I’ll never know!”
“That silver-tongued devil could talk anyone into anything,” laughed Maddy.
“Will I have any issues
