Page 26 of Betting on Lizzie

Lizzie had enlisted her mom and Kate to help with the party planning. They loved that stuff, and, just as Lizzie predicted, they took over and ran with it, barely keeping her in the loop. Over a heart-healthy Thanksgiving dinner, Kate gave her a rundown of the plan, and Lizzie had to admit, they’d thought of everything.

“We’re even underbudget,” Lizzie’s mom said when Kate finished.

“That’s good news,” Lizzie said. “Every penny pinched helps.”

“Don’t worry too much about money,” Emma said. “Assuming The Twist does as well or better than The Drop, you’ll be fine for several months. And that’s without touching your savings stash.”

“That’s the business sitch,” Lizzie said. “What about trying to buy a house? I feel so guilty leaving poor Charlie cooped up in the condo.”

“I’ve been watching the market,” Kate said. “I know what you want, and I’ll let you know when I find something that fits your needs and is in your price range.”

“But what about getting a mortgage?”

“Well,” Emma said. “The Drop’s kind of a wash right now. There’s no income, but there’s also no mortgage. The Twist has a lease payment, which will put a real dent in your net take home pay. Also, lenders won’t like that it’s a brand-new, unproven business.”

“But if you sell the condo,” Kate said, “and use the equity for a big enough down payment, that could mitigate some of that.”

“I need that insurance money to fix The Drop and get it cash flowing again,” Lizzie said.

“Kate’s assistant said you wanted to talk about what to do with the space,” Adam said. “What are you thinking?”

“Yes. I’m looking for opinions on whether it would be smarter to rebuild The Drop as generic office space and lease it.”

Kate was a real estate agent. Adam was a real estate investor with experience renovating commercial properties. And her father was a genius at business in general and had a finger on the pulse of the city. Between the three of them, she should be able to get some good advice.

“I think that’s a great idea,” her father said. “I’ll keep my eyes and ears open for a potential tenant. Could someone pass the salt?”

Emma handed him the green beans.

“Might be easier than trying to sell,” Kate said. “I agree. It’s a good idea.”

“Ditto,” Adam said. “And if you knew ahead of time who wants it and what for, you could build to suit.”

“And if, down the road, you still want to unload it,” Kate said. “It would definitely go faster as office space.”

“All right. Well, that settles that,” Lizzie said. “Now, we wait for them to catch the asshole who started the fire. Meanwhile, if Kate finds something, I’ll just apply for the loan assuming The Drop makes no money.”

“Luckily, your tastes aren’t all that extravagant,” Kate said. “I should be able to find a suitable house for a reasonable price.”

“As long as Charlie has a yard,” Lizzie said, and Kate nodded.

“Daisy, please pass the butter,” Lizzie’s dad said.

Daisy handed him a pretty porcelain dish that contained Brussels sprouts.

“No, the butter.”

No one moved.

“I suppose gravy is out of the question?” he mumbled.

Everyone took that moment to study their plates.

“Is this how it’s going to be from now on?”

“It’s because we love you, Dad,” Emma said.

“Don’t fight it, dear,” Nana said. “You won’t win.”

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