The postman makes his usual stop, but before he can place today’s mail on the bar, I anxiously snatch it right out of his hand. I’m delighted to find responses from both contractors.
I toss aside the bills, advertisements, and other less important mail.
Just then, Bitsy arrives for lunch.
I smile in her direction and wave the envelopes in front of her. “We have responses from the contractors! Ready to dive in?”
“Yes!” she says. “I’m sure Mr. Grossman will have some interesting insights. Let’s go upstairs again since it’s almost lunchtime. Hopefully, this will be the last time we have to deal with the dust! Cecil?”
Cecil appears in the doorway to the kitchen.
“A tossed salad with ham and garlic dressing, and please bring it upstairs,” she tells him.
He nods, and she heads for the stairwell. I decide I don’t feel like eating. Instead, I find Jill organizing the dining room tables for today’s lunch and dinner.
“You’re in charge of the bar, dining room, kitchen, everything for a bit while Bitsy and I are upstairs.”
She nods. Lord knows she’s seen enough at this point to know that when Bitsy is involved, it’s all business.
I head upstairs. So glad Jill is here. I know she’s been thinking a lot about a bookstore that she would like us to open in space adjacent to the Riverside. I like the idea, I think it would be an excellent extension, but we probably need to get our arms around the initial renovation plan first and add it later.
“I’ll take Mr. Grossman’s and you take Mr. Burton’s,” Bitsy declares. “Then we compare.”
An hour later, we return to chat.
Mr. Burton’s, I tell her, is creative and interesting. He is clearly an able hand, in my view.
“Besides,” I tell her. “I got a good vibe off him.”
“Good vibe? Good vibe? Is that what you think business is? Here, take a look at Mr. Grossman’s.”
I complete my review of the second estimate and feel the way I did as he walked through the Riverside – I’m not sure he needs the project, and I’m not sure I need him.
“Look,” Bitsy says. “Let’s make a list. The fact is we still have questions, and they’re all legitimate.”
I’m a bit surprised, even honored, that she’d take such a position. She’s treating me like the partner I am, and I’m a little shocked.
“Let’s check on Jill and get a beverage,” I tell her. “I hate to leave her down there with no back-up at this hour.”
It turns out there is no need to worry – it’s as if Jill has worked in a bar all her life, when I know the extent of her experience was at Dad’s bar in the city for three months one summer before graduate school and her internships kicked in.
Interesting how things change.
“Let me hang on to the list,” I tell Bitsy. “I’ll call both contractors right now and try to get preliminary answers where possible, and make an appointment with each to come back to go over their proposal in detail. I presume you will make yourself available as needed, right?”
“Right,” Bitsy says, pointing to her wine glass. “We need to get this going as quickly as we can.”