Page 69 of Nothing To Lose
Another day, another dollar.
It's just money.
It doesn't grow on trees.
Money isn't everything, but everything needs money.
Money is the root of all evil.
Money can't buy happiness.
Focus on the positives, even if your bank account is in the negative.
I step back, hands on my hips, surveying the progress around me. Things are coming together. It's finally starting to look like a gym rather than an active construction site. It's still a mess, but it's a contained mess. That's progress, and progress is good. I need to focus on the good, or the stress of it all is bound to drag me under.
Locker stalls that I bought second hand and refurbished are lining the walls of the main room, waiting to be set up once the plumber is finished. Huge flat boxes with privacy stalls are stacked high in one corner. And closest to the bathroom is a box of tiles, grout, and tools. The plumber informed me that they'll need to open a small section of the wall behind the showers to make the modifications I need. It wasn't great news, but I can handle it. I knew the risks when I tiled the bathroom before most of the plumbing work could be done.
No biggie. Deep breath. No stress.
If anyone was around, the forced smile on my face would probably be terrifying, but I'm trying thefake it ‘till you make itmethod to keep things in perspective. Every time I turn around, there's something else that requires more money, more time, more work. The work I can deal with, but the money is close to breaking me. Before I started this project, I made a very careful budget, accounting for anything and everything that could go wrong. I accounted for catastrophic plumbing or electrical issues, which I've luckily not had, but I'm still well over budget and bleeding money at an alarming rate.
I couldn't have accounted for the skyrocketing costs of materials, supply chain shortages and delays, and the rising cost of shipping which is affecting the availability and costs of the equipment I need. Orders I've already paid for are ready to ship, but shipping costs have more than tripled since I made the original purchases. Some of them have been canceled outright. At this point, it would be cheaper to rent a truck and drive across the country to pick up directly from the manufacturers. It's… a lot.
My positive mindset was already close to cracking. And that was before my surprise visit this morning. I was eyeballs deep in sawdust, installing the cabinets for the break/meeting room when there was a knock on the open door behind me. The front door was open to let in some fresh air since it was a warmer morning and I was waiting for the plumber to get here. The moment I saw the suit, I got a bad feeling. Martin Jensen, an official from the town zoning office, came to discuss the new zoning ordinances that were passed at the town's most recent council meeting. Despite looking at me like I might get his lapels dirty, he was polite. Maybe too polite. The way he went through the paperwork bordered on condescending, and he seemed almost happy about the changes that are going to severely delay the opening of a small business in this town.
Just when I was starting to feel optimistic about the chances of us opening as early as spring, I'm hit with new ordinances that are specific to fitness centers in residential areas. It seems odd, because one of the reasons I chose to open my business here, along with its proximity to a larger city, is that there are no other gyms aside from the fitness center at the town recreation center.
Most of the guidelines mentioned won't change anything as far as passing inspections. I've taken every precaution for safety, both to protect myself and my prospective clients. I wouldn't cut corners and put everything I've worked for at risk. The problem lies with the new fees and added inspections that will not only add to my timeline due to short staffing in the town planning office, a fact Mr. Jensen informed me of with what felt like false sympathy, but will cost me an additional ten to fifteen thousand dollars. When I asked if there was any possibility of leeway given the timeline of my opening and the new ordinances only just now being filed, his patronizing tone was in no way disguised when he suggested that I start attending the town council meetings if I wish to have any input on the town I've decided to move into. The worst part is that I do remember getting a notification about the meeting with my utilities bill, but not only would I not have thought to go since my business can't be registered until I've passed inspections, which I can't do without finishing the renovations, but my life was turned upside down around the time the meeting occurred.
All of these are obstacles that I can, and will, overcome. I'll find a way. I have to.
What worries me most is Mr. Jensen's attitude towards me, and the very specific ordinances that seem to only affect my business. Maybe I'm just paranoid after a lifetime of being looked down on for being working-class trailer trash, but my anxiety is making this feel targeted.
The town doesn't want you here.
I shake myself out of it. No. It's all going to be okay. I'm making a plan. I'll pick up regular fights, and if these ordinances are going to push the opening, I might have to put in a few weeks on the rig. I'll hate being away from Tyler, but he'll understand and we can talk on the phone every day. There's no way I'll be able to make enough money fighting and rigging to pay off the rising tally of expenses, but I'll look into a small business loan. It's not something I wanted to do, because I know I'll be drowning in interest for the rest of my life, but I'll find a way to make it work.
Focus on the positive.
Focus on Tyler's smile, his unwavering support, the cute way he puts on his overalls and tool belt to help me with even the smallest projects. Focus on the perfection of waking up next to him every morning and having him in my arms every night. Focus on the way he showed up here between classes yesterday, just in time for Mac to pull up, pulling a trailer with a huge, heavy metal and wood desk for my office. He found it on a buy-nothing group and wanted to surprise me with it. Then he surprised me again by bending me over it and fucking me so good, I could do little more than limp around in a daze for the rest of the day, sending him dirty text messages about his newfound breeding kink and how it was going to be my turn when he got home.
And last night…Fuck.Everything we do is amazing, and I didn't think it could get better than the night he let me inside him for the first time. But every night, and sometimes day, it just gets better between us. Stronger. Hotter.
The mental image of my cock buried in that tight little ass while he took me standing in front of a floor to ceiling mirror he installed in the apartment bathroom will forever be burned into my brain as a core memory. The confidence, his brazenness with telling me what he wanted, the glazed over, pleasure drunk look on his face when I reached around to pump his perfect dick until he sprayed all over the glass. The way he moaned for me to fuck him harder, to fill him with my cum. The way it looked when he let me spread his cheeks and watch it drip, how it felt to push it all back in and keep fucking him when the sight made it impossible for my erection to go down.
Jesus.
The plumber's voice snaps me out of my thoughts. "Hey boss, we got a problem."
Uh, yeah we do.How the fuck am I going to hide this rager so I can talk to the guy?
All it takes is his expression—brows drawn tight, lips pressed into a thin line, and the look of pity in his eyes—and I know it's bad. Boner problem immediately alleviated.
My stomach knots as I follow him to the bathroom. What was supposed to be a small opening in the wall is now a jagged opening large enough to fit a body through. I can see the problem right away. The corrosion eating through some of the larger pipes, the metal dull and pitted even where there's no obvious leaks.
"How bad is it?"
"Rerouting the pipes like we planned is a no-go. The pipes are degraded. If we do anything, the whole system could fail. And if we leave it, you won't have long before one of these pipes burst."
