Chapter 96: Moving Things Along

Kate showed up at my door at 7PM dressed in her little yuppie power suit. I didn't say anything until I read her report. Since I had a lot more space, than I ever had at the cabin, or Jen's little studio, I knew I needed furniture. What I didn't need was the look of standing in a slum that Kate gave me while I accepted her report.

'His Laboring Few' had taken out the wall that once separated the lobby from the family quarters. They had left the registration desk on my explicit orders.Yeah, it had a bit of the old place feel for sure, but also I would be using the it as a dining bar. That bar is where we sat, since I hadn't bothered to buy real furniture at that time.

We even sat in mismatched chairs. One from Jen's studio, purchased when I first got to town, and one purchased for the cabin. Those were not going anywhere. Ghetto chic or not, they stayed as long as I did. All the apartments had an inexpensive, but well made wooden cabinet on the wall of the small kitchen. They all had a sink base cabinet as well. Mine had those and the metal open cabinets from the cabin as well. I used them as a no wall pantry.

Kate looked very uncomfortable in the, one step above, Ghetto housing, but she suffered in silence. I read her report and I agreed with every word of it. The old motel had been on a main thoroughfare at one time, so in spite of its size and age, it was not slum property because it was in a semi industrial area. It would be a good draw for lower middle class singles and couples seeking convenience and a little privacy. The enhanced security features would be a plus, even if they were for my security not the tenants.

Kate's recommendation was a rent of no less than $450 per unit with a clear understanding that there would be a deposit for the heat and an adjustment bill would be sent monthly and was due with the next month's rent. It made perfect sense. The property by Kate's estimates would give me a working income after tax and insurance set asides of about 2K a month if fully occupied. Her estimates were that I would be better off to furnish the place with mostly indestructible furniture and go up on the rent significantly. She also suggested a one year lease, which Jen already had in the contract.

"So," I said when I finished reading. "It all looks like good advice. I also like the idea of the energy deposit with the strict pay to play or I shut off the heat to that apartment. I can do that easily."

"I think you have a money maker here. You are not going to be in Donald Trump's tax bracket, but you should do fine. Rather than pay rent, the place will pay you to live here. It's a real winner of an idea." Kate suggested.

"Good, now about the yuppie suit?" I asked.

"What's wrong? I didn't get home to change." Kate said a little embarrassed. I was glad to see that she was.

"Honey, if you are going to the Cop Out, they will laugh you out of there dressed like that. So either go home to change, or if you don't have any old jeans, you can wear something of mine." I took a good look at her and then said, "We have asses close enough in size not to make you look like an orphan." She had no idea what that meant, since I'm sure she never wore hand me down clothes.

She looked really skeptical. "Oh hell come on, it will be fun. We can even make you someone else for the night."

"We need an understanding before we go forward," she insisted very formal like.

"What kind of understanding?" I asked.

"I have never had sex with a woman," she said.

"It's okay Kate, I have." I held my straight face for a minute, then broke into laughter. She even managed a smile.

"That was a joke right?" she asked almost playfully.

"Yes Kate, it is damn hard for a woman to rape another woman. Nothing ever happens that they both don't want. At least it is that way with me, but your problem will not be with me. Your problem will be with the cops, firemen, and Emt guys. Trust me there are enough of them to keep your ass just as busy as you want to be."

"Okay, I just didn't want to lead you on," she said seriously. I could have made all kinds of cutting remarks, but I could tell she was being sincere so I said simply, "Thank you."

I found a pair of faded jeans with only a couple of welding burn holes. No, I am not a welder but I did help out in a metal shop, when they were making the fencing and gates for my place. I wore the oldest jeans I had, since I was forewarned.

It looked as though Kate was about to inherit them at least for a night. My ass was wider but Kate's was round enough to fill the jeans. The top was another story. Since, unlike me, Kate had the matching set of boobs, we had a problem. She couldn't even button anything I owned, and my tees were going to be stretched to capacity to say the least. The compromise solution was one of my tees worn bra-less, to save even that small amount of space, and her power suit jacket over it. With jeans the outfit had a kind of urban funk look. It would have been more at home in a younger age group, and a more urban hip type setting, but it was still a thousand percent better than the power suit look. We finally had her dressed and made up with much less subdued make up by eight.