Chapter 25

Off to the side of the engineering department, was a conference area. Connie led us to that area and said, "Since there are so many of you I would like to use our digital display system, so please bear with me as I set this up."

We all found seats and settled in, while Connie fiddled with her equipment. She then picked up a remote control unit, and pressed a few buttons. When she did that, the conference area was closed off by a series of curtains that descended from the ceiling. Next the window curtains closed, and the lights dimmed. Finally, a huge video screen at the front of the space lit up.

"Okay, what you see here is the rendered drawing of just what your new building will look like. Any questions or comments Kade?"

I looked at Adin. Her eyes were glistening with excited joy as she shook her head 'no.'

"None at the moment, please continue."

The picture changed to the floor plan of the ground floor ... and so it went, with Connie presenting her ideas, and Adin and I commenting or changing one thing or another. As we made our requests, Connie would scribble on her tablet, and wonder of wonders the corrections appeared right up on the screen. Several times our corrections were shown to be impractical or just plain wrong, and we went back to Connie's vision. The woman was a remarkable designer!

This all took about two hours, and then Connie pointed her remote at a computer that stood in the corner. The video screen went dark, the lights came back up, and the curtains rolled back up into the ceiling.

She then turned to me and asked, "May I ask you for your overall impression of the project thus far, Kade?"

"Connie, I have to say that you have done far better than I expected from such a small company as yours! Well done, Connie! From what I have seen here, you are the real reason for the high quality of the product, and the good attitude of the work force."

Connie bowed her head and turned to the side blushing furiously. It took a couple of minutes for the woman to gain control of herself again, but she finally said softly, "Thank you."

"Now, I have a question for you ... well, it's a favor, really. I am under the gun, here, but would you be able to give me the footprint and utility positions of another building this afternoon? I know it's a lot to ask, but I do need them. The contractor is removing the old slab as we speak, and will be erecting the forms for the frost wall tomorrow or the day after."

Connie was all business again and said, "I can't answer that question without knowing just what you want."

I grabbed a pen and legal pad from the conference table and drew what I wanted as I narrated my ideas.

"I want a two story, six box duplex like this. Each apartment is to have a roofed deck on the upper floor, porches really and the apartments also each need to have four bedrooms. As far as the style, I'll leave that to you. What do you think? Can you give me what I need?"

Connie sat staring at my small attempt at drawing, furrowing her brow, rubbing her temples and making unintelligible sounds as if conversing with herself.

With a serious nod she looked me in the eye and said, "What you want is impossible. There simply isn't enough square footage. However, if we do this..."

Connie began to sketch out a new design, explaining her thoughts as she went.

"See if we pull the two apartments apart then place the stair wells between them, like this ... and then put one bedroom in the attic space here ... things are workable. This design provides you with decent sized bedrooms and a really good master with en suite. The only thing is that I will have to do a lot more thinking to come up with an outside style and good roof line, for that I need to understand just where the house is to be sited. But if you like this I can give you pad dimensions and the stub up locations for the utilities later today. What do you think?"

I stared at the sketch for a long time then said slowly, "I think that this is a lot nicer building than I had envisioned, and that I should re-site this project. I really like what you have done here, though. Let me get with the folks for a few minutes, and I'll get back to you."

"Sure. Would you folks like some refreshments while you are hashing things out?"

I blinked a few times then realized that it was already mid-afternoon and we all had skipped lunch. I thought about the other issues that needed discussion and said, "That would be nice but let me make a counter offer. How would you like to have dinner with us? I have some other things that I would like to talk to you about, and I would rather do that away from here."

"I would be glad to and there are some very nice restaurants in the next town over."

"Excellent! May I have your sketch?"

"Of course," Connie said, and gave it to me as she turned to go.

I walked over to where my group was sitting having an excited conversation, as they went over the hard copy of the plans for the new base house. I walked up behind my wife, and saw that she had Amazon up on her tablet and was ordering things for our dojo cum gym.

Adin sensed my presence and looked up at me with a huge smile! She was as pleased with the new house as a ten year old kid with a new puppy!

I bent and kissed her on her forehead, but she would have none of that. Her arms snaked around my neck and she pulled me into a fierce kiss.

"Thank you, Kade."

"For what, my sweet?"

"For trusting my judgment, and having this beautiful house built."

"I will always trust you, my sweet," I said as I kissed her.

"You two need to get a room," said Tony with a smile.

"That would be wonderful; but, alas, not expedient right now," I said with a sad shake of the head and a sigh.

"Ok, folks. I came with a mission," I said as I placed Connie's sketch on the table. "I need your input, here. I want each of you to give me your feelings on this project. This is the house that I had planned to put up on the campground slab; but, after talking with Connie, I think it is too grand to be sitting in a camp ground. My question to you is, where should we build this duplex?"

Tony and his women looked at the floor plans, and then at me with shock and wonder. Ryn stood off to the side, not understanding just what was happening.

"Come on, Ryn, you're included in this, too," I called out to my friend and mentor.

"I don't understand what is going on."

"Come, mon amour, I will explain." Ryn walked over to his love and put his arm around her waist as he bent his head to listen to what Madame said.

"Kade is going to build us a big beautiful house, but he thinks it is too lovely to be in the campground. Sooo ... He has asked for our input as to the location."

"Ahh ... I see, now!" Ryn looked over at me and said, "In all of the millennia, no Grimoire, none, have been as blessed as I! Thank you, Kade."

I walked over to my friend and put my hand on his shoulder and said, "Ryn, you saved my life more than once, and because of your counsel I have the most remarkable wife a man could ever ask for. I will never be able to thank YOU enough or pay YOU back for what you have given me, my friend."

One of Connie's minions showed up at that time, with two pitchers on a tray. One had hot water for tea, and the other had coffee ... with the usual accompaniments ... along with a box of donuts.

This was the first time that I actually witnessed the position that my wife held within the group of women. They all turned toward Adin, and waited patiently for her to make her selection from the pastry box. At the same time, Ann Marie handed me my coffee, and then went to Adin with a cup of tea. Adin picked a plain donut for me and a maple frosted donut for herself. Once Adin moved away from the box, the others descended like a pack of ravening wolves.

"I guess we should have stopped for lunch! By the way, what was that 'waiting for your wife to choose' all about?" Connie said as she walked up beside me and handed me a print out with all of the dimensions that I had asked for earlier. She then continued, "These measurements will work, no matter where you decide to place the house."

I looked down at the plans and then called out to my group, "Settle down, people, settle down."

Everyone scurried to find a seat as they looked at me expectantly. However, no one ignored their snacks! Connie watched it all, and then gave me a strange look which I chose to ignore.

"Tony, you need to call Ralph and tell him that he is to just rebuild a standard camper pad, and tell him that we are going to build another house back in the trees, with a full foundation. I just can't see you folks living in a campground. Is that ok with you all?"

They all agreed, and Michelle actually squealed and then jumped up to give me a hug. She said, "I thought that we would never have a nice home again, after the cancer! Thank you, Kade."

I turned to Connie and asked, "Are you able to break free for the rest of the afternoon?"

She held up a forefinger, turned to the bullpen and called out, "Dean, is there anything pressing for today?"

"No, nothing at all, Connie," Dean called back.