Page 15 of Seductive Nights

9

Jace stood outside the Sandbar, looking at it from the road. He had a notebook in front of him and a pencil. He drew pictures in his notebook, scribbled a bit, scratched through his picture, and tried again. Quinn pulled up and waved. "I'll be right out." He called out and parked his truck in the lot alongside the Sandbar. Jace tried once more to capture the image in his head.

He wasn't an artist. He'd never been more than a modified stick figure kind of artist. But he couldn't sleep at night thinking about this remodel. That's what it was going to be - a remodel. At first, it was just an expansion, but he had a real opportunity right now to make it what he wanted. He wanted a new, fresh, happy atmosphere without the issues of old plumbing needing repair and old wiring, giving him fits. He was going to make this place spectacular.

He glanced over to where Quinn had parked and now helped Hanna out of his truck. He kissed Hanna and she smiled at him. They were happy. Quinn had changed a bit since meeting Hanna. He seemed more relaxed. He smiled all the time now. And that was wonderful to witness. Sid had changed since meeting Grace, too. A little niggle of jealousy flared to life, but he took a deep breath and blew it out. Quinn and Hanna stopped next to him on the edge of the road. Quinn glanced over at his notebook.

"Drawing pictures now, are we?"

"Yes," Jace said. "Fuck you." He leaned around Quinn and looked at Hanna. "Not you. Your sarcastic husband."

Quinn chuckled. His arm wrapped around Hanna's shoulders, and he squeezed lightly.

"So, what are you trying to do here?"

Jace handed Quinn his notebook. "You try to draw it. I can't."

Quinn chuckled. "I'm not an architect, you know."

"I do know. But I also know you can draw buildings, and I can't speak to an architect without being able to adequately convey what it is I want."

Quinn nodded. "Okay. Let's see what we can do."

"Good. Okay. I want it to look like a Jimmy Buffett-style building. A place that people will stop at just because it looks like a place they want to be. We're on the water in Florida, so we should certainly have bright colors, palm trees, and surfboards hanging around. Tropical, fun, happy."

"Okay." Quinn absently said as the pencil he held crawled across the pages of the notebook. Hanna glanced at Quinn's drawing and smiled.

Jace continued to dream. "I'd like a covered patio to go around the two sides and the back looking out on the water. Ceiling fans that look like palm fronds should offer a gentle breeze. The tables on the beach should be made from composite wood so they'll be durable but also heavy, so the winds don't send them flying. We have that issue with the tables we currently have. Teals. Oranges. Blue. White. Green. Colorful."

"Okay. I can't draw the colors, so that will come later."

Jace nodded. His excitement grew as Quinn massaged his imagination. "I want a Tiki Bar placed between the building and the water's edge. We'll sell drinks and light snacks from the Tiki Bar to people partying on the Sandbar, so they don't have to come all the way back to the bar. Also, outdoor guests can order out there."

"Sounds perfect." Hanna mused.

Jace grinned. "Also, I want lounge chairs in small groupings on the beach. Anyone coming to listen to music and wanting to relax will have the option of sitting at a table or lounging on the beach."

Quinn's lips turned up into a smile as he continued to draw. When he finally turned his notebook around, Jace's heartbeat increased. Quinn had done a great job of capturing the vision he had for the Sandbar. Close to it, anyway. It was a pencil drawing in black and white, but the basics were there.

"That's it!" Jace continued to stare at the drawing. He saw little squares under the tables. "What are those?"

"I thought we could build a floating deck off the building. The tables and chairs can sit on the floating deck, which will make it easier for customers to sit and wait staff to serve."

"That's perfect."

"We can add posts here and there and string lights from them, but we can also add umbrellas to the posts that can be opened when the sun is high to shade guests."

Jace's right hand pressed against his chest. "You..." He didn't know what to say. "Perfect." That was all that would come out. "It's perfect."

Jace stared at the drawing Quinn had made. He reached over and took the notebook from his friend's hands. His heartbeat began to return to normal, but his heart swelled. "Thank you." He stared a bit more. "You've added a second story."

Quinn laughed. "You're welcome. Imagine the views."

"Right." He hadn't thought of a second story. But if he was going to go for it, he should go for it all the way. Go big or go home, as they said.

Hanna giggled. "Your face is one of bewilderment."

Jace grinned. "I think I'm feeling bewildered at the moment."

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