"I need you like I need air to breathe, right now."
Those words repeated in my head all weekend and still curled my toes and make the butterflies in my stomach go crazy. I'm working on my jewelry orders, smiling like an idiot as I try to focus on what I'm doing.
I'm still wearing the earrings he bought me that I love. The large, London blue topaz, drop pendant earrings have a halo of diamonds and flow up to a diamond stud. They're stunning and the blue compliments my eyes so well.
Giggling to myself, quietly, I get back to work on my jewelry as I hear Art scoff again and look at me.
"What?" I ask him, as I grab a different tool.
"Oh... really?" He asks, mockingly, "He-he-he?" You sound like a school girl who just got kissed for the first time over there. I'm happy for you, but focus woman!" He laughs with frustration and points at the piece I'm doing, "You soldered two pieces on backwards, Sarina."
Looking down at my work, I realize he's right.
"Shit. You're right." I groan and start to fix my work, carefully.
Art just laughs and gets back to his own work when the door opens to let in one of my employees into the back, "Sarina, you have a customer asking for you specifically."
I roll my eyes, "Be there in a second." I tell her, setting my stuff down and go wash my hands.
I walk out and stop when I see who it is, "John? Hey... you came by." I say trying to calm my face before I thought out loud on it and showed my confusion.
"Sarina, I was expecting your call last week, but since I didn't hear from you, I thought I'd come by and see you."
"Oh, sorry, I was busy last week." I shrug. "So how can I help you?" I ask hoping this can be taken care of quickly.
"Well do you have a little bit of time? I needed to discuss some things with you." He asks and I hesitate.
"I ... yeah. Shall we go to my office?" I ask motioning to go to the back.
"Actually, I thought we we could walk and grab a coffee first?"
I nod, "Give me a moment." I go into the back and grab my phone and what I need from my wallet quickly, before heading back out.
"After you." He says politely, opening the door.
"I'll be right back." I let my employee know before exiting the store.
Keeping some distance between us on the sidewalk, we walk to the coffee shop at the corner.
"So, how have you been? Those are some beautiful earrings you're wearing, they really make pop with your eyes." John asks after a minute of silence.
"Thank you." I say, touching them, "I've been doing great. I've got a good man, my business is doing well, my brother is clean and our relationship is better, even though he's dying." I give him a grim smile.
"He's dying?!" John looks shocked.
"Oh, sorry. Yeah, he has stage four lung cancer." I inform him.
"Oh man, Sarina, I'm so sorry to hear that. I should give him a call and go see him."
"Well, he's on hospice now and you'll never guess who's taking care of him." I grin, knowing he's going to be stumped. I nod my head in thanks as he opens the door for me to enter.
"You got me there. Who?" He asks as we enter the line for coffee.
"Alyssa."
He looks at me wide eyed, "You're serious?! High school Alyssa?"
I nod, "Yep. Apparently her marriage didn't work out, she moved back and was working in the nursing home where he was being taken care of because he didn't want to be a burden to me. He's living with her now and they're spending what time they have left together."
We order our coffee and go to head back to the store, when John motions to the seats outside, "Let's take a seat while we drink our coffee? Unless you have something that's pressing you for time?" He gives me a questioning gaze and I relent.
"No, nothing pressing is going on."
We take a seat and sip our coffee a moment before he leans forward, "So did your boyfriend buy you those earrings?"
"Yes, he did." I cock my head annoyed at his question.
"That guy I saw the other night?" John cocks a brow at me.
Leaning back in my seat, I nod, "Yes, his name is Brian Huller, Doctor Brian Huller."
He scoffs, "Oh, he's a doctor?"
I lock my jaw to one side and crack my neck as I let out a frustrated sigh, agreeing with Brian's observation. John is a prick.
"So what did you want to talk about?" I cut to the chase ready for this to be over.
He looks uncomfortable, but resigns himself, "Uh.. well.. Some investments of mine fell through, while I'm not strapped for assets, I do need to get rid of ones not making me much money. I need to sell the building."
My heart stops, "But I bought the space from you!"
"I know that, Sarina. You will get the amount you bought the first two floors for, plus some since I know it will be costly to move all your equipment to a new building...."
I stand up ready to argue with him, but remember what Brian told me about letting my emotions control me. I take a breath, "I'm sorry, John. I need a bit to calm down before we talk about this any further."
He nods stiffly, obviously prepared for me to verbally accost him and is still refusing to drop his guard. I turn and walk back to the shop, tell my employee up front that I am leaving and go grab my purse.
"You okay, Sarina?" Art asks as I storm past him.
"No. I don't know if I'm coming back today. I'll see you tomorrow." I tell him, going out the back to my car and take off.
I drive around frustrated, screaming at everyone and no one. The sound of an angry car horn wakes me from my rage enough to realize I need to stop. I almost caused an accident because I'm too lost in my thoughts and anger. So I quickly pull over in to a parking lot and break down.
Oh my god, I could have hurt some one just now! I pull my hair as I can't believe I was so stupid to drive around like this! I could have ended up like David, just cause I wanted to rage. Or worse, I could have died.
I bang my head against the steering wheel as I cry. I couldn't help my rage.
I worked so hard for my place and with today's marketplace, I'd never be able to afford something in a upscale high traffic area like I have now. Especially one big enough to house all the equipment for the workroom, the studio and have art classes with a gallery and store section. Some of the equipment can't be moved, I'd have to buy brand new ones! That is my building! Yes, I didn't own the building, but I paid him a large lump sum, to 'own' the two bottom floors of the six floored building. I pay all of the taxes on the building each year too!
I should go look over our contractual agreement and make sure he can even do this. Who am I kidding though, I don't know real estate law! Do I know anyone that does real estate law?
I pull my phone out and give Brian a call, trying to stifle my tears and sniffles.
"Hello? Sarina is everything okay?" I can hear his concern in his voice which just makes me start crying again.
"Sarina I need you to calm down and take a deep breath so you can tell me where you are. I will come to you."
I can hear him moving around and the jingle of keys over the phone. I take a breath and look around to figure out where I am.
"I'm.. " I start when I see him walking into the parking lot that I'm in.
"Sarina?" He hangs up the phone and comes walking over to the car and opens it up to pull me out of the car.
"Babe? What happened? You've got to talk to me." Brian looks my clothes over checking them, as I raise my hands up.
"I ... My ... building... is going to be...sold." I gasp out, taking in deep breaths and trying to hold them.
"Okay, come on, let's get you home and we can talk about this. I'll follow you." Brian wipes my face and checks to make sure I'm okay. I climb back into the car, and he follows me back home. I'm feeling guilty for having him leave work over this by the time we get there and I feel my anger coming back.
I do my best to tamp it down and head inside to where I keep my important documents in my closet, Brian not far behind me. I start looking through the files and pull out the ones for the building.
Brian stops me before I can exit the bed room and stops me.
"Can you please explain what's going on, please, Sarina?" He looks concerned, confused and I don't know how to tell him.
"The building my business is in, I paid the owner for the first two floors of that building. I am the one who's paid the property tax every year since I purchased those floors too! However, they made some bad trades and took a financial hit. Which means they need to sell some of their assets to make up for it. My business's building is one of those assets." I wave the file in my hand. "They said they'd pay me back everything I paid them plus the moving fee for all my equipment, but some of that equipment was built into the place! It can't be moved!"
My voice catches and I have to take a breath. "I'd have to start all over in a new location! That's if I could even find a place big enough, in a good part of town that has a decent amount of traffic to be there, that I could afford! Even with my money back as the down payment, I don't think I could wing paying that kind of monthly payment!" I look into Brian's eyes seeing my pain reflected in his eyes, "I'm going to lose my dream!"
"Oh baby." He pulls me into his arms and strokes me hair, "You don't need to worry about a thing. I'll call my mother, she may be retired but she was an amazing real estate lawyer. She'll help you figure this out."