Page 32 of Hide and Sneak
“Bankruptcy, failing myself and everyone who depends on me, that I’ll end up living in one of the inflatable bounce houses.”
I’m met with matching grins, and Maren shakes her head. “There’s no guarantee any business will make it, but you know it won’t come to that. I know you don’t take risks, but if this is what you want, now or five years from now, there’s going to be risk involved.”
“That’s true, but I don’t feel right letting you two give me something worth so much when I’m not sure it won’t be a waste.”
She smiles at Cooper, and he pulls out a piece of paper. “She told me you probably weren’t going to accept, so how about this? It’s a three year lease. You can go ahead and move the stuff you have from storage, work on getting the place ready, see how things go. Then when the three years is up, we can work out ownership of the building.” He slides the lease over to me, and I quickly read it.
“A dollar a year rent?”
“Plus a dollar deposit. I’m not crazy.”
My mind spins with the possibilities. After all my research, I realized I could probably manage this without a start-up loan. There’s no reason I couldn’t get one if I need it—my credit is great and I can show a healthy savings account and monthly income.
That’s the biggest risk in this. Going into debt. It’s something I’ve worked hard to prevent, but Maren is right. This will never be a risk free endeavor. Still, if I keep my job at the daycare, along with my side hustles while I get the place ready, maybe I can do it without a loan.
I can do this. I’m going to do this.
My eyes well up and spill over despite my fight not to cry. The look of alarm on Cooper’s face makes me giggle through the tears as he says, “Hey, I’m not pressuring you or anything. If you don’t?—”
Maren lays her hand on his arm. “She’s not upset.”
The knot in my throat makes it impossible to speak as I pick up a pen and sign the lease.
Maren squeals and leaps out of her seat to hug me. “We’re celebrating tonight!”
I’ve never been terrified and elated at the same time. I’m so excited to get started that I’d be at the future site of Planet Playland tonight if we weren’t going out. It’s definitely a night to celebrate and I’m ready to have a great time.
Sutton and I were going to share a taxi since we both plan to drink, but Louise volunteers to carpool and play designated driver. We pile into her car along with Holly and Jarrett, a single dad who also lives in our trailer park.
A lot of the neighbors have shown up and gathered at the tables on one side of the large bar and grill. Donna and Milton Kent, who live right across the street, are here and getting along for once judging by the fact they’re already on the dance floor. Donna kicks Milton out a few times per year, usually for cheating. You wouldn’t think that a fifty-eight year old man with a hairy gut that sometimes hangs out of his shirt would be so in demand. She always takes him back after finding some way to humiliate him for revenge. Not that long ago, we watched him picking all his clothes up out of his yard while she randomly shocked him with a dog collar. One that was not situated around his neck.
Louise joins Freda, Didi, and Rita at one of the tables while Cara waves us over to join her, Row, Cooper, and Maren.
“Congratulations, girl. You’re going to kill it!” Cara exclaims as soon as I sit down. Since all eyes are instantly on me, my next few minutes are spent explaining that I hope to start a business in town.
Our first round of drinks are delivered, and then a second, and the party is on. I feel amazing. There’s nothing like a little buzz to peel away the anxiety and let me be truly excited andhappy. It’s so heartwarming to see how thrilled my friends and neighbors are for me, too.
“Do you have a name picked out?” Freda asks. She’s known as the neighborhood grandma who provides childcare to some of the kids in the trailer park for cheap. She’s a godsend to the parents, and kids love her.
“Planet Playland. I want to decorate with an outer space theme.”
“You know what you should do?” Jarrett says. “Have an adult night. My grown ass will come and jump in a bounce house or dive into a ball pit. If you plan to get the big inflatables and stuff.”
I hold up my drink at him. “I do plan to use equipment suitable for adults as well so parents can play with their kids. It’s not a bad idea.”
“You could have a weed themed night. Call it Bake and Bounce,” Holly says.
“Ooh, freaky adult night,” Row adds. “Hump and Jump.”
“Sex and drugs will not be part of my child centered business.”
Row shakes his head. “Well, when you say it like that it just sounds wrong. Of course you have to get rid of the kids first.”
Laughter echoes around us, and Cara nods to the small stage. “Cool, there’s a band setting up.”
The next couple of hours are a lot of fun. I get dragged onto the dance floor multiple times, play a few games of pool and darts, but mostly I’m having fun just hanging out and drinking with everyone.
Donna and Milton are the first to leave after Donna sees him staring at a woman’s ass. Louise meets a guy and spends a lot of her time on the dance floor with him. When he returns to his friend group, more than one look is exchanged.
