"Louise, are you girls busy?" Toby asked as soon as Liana left the house. He wanted to talk with her about Liana's suggestion.
Toby arrived forty-five minutes later just in time to see the store's outside sign lights turn off automatically. Alli was standing to the side of the door and looked like she was watching for them. Checking his time in the cab of his truck he was two minutes late for closing. The traffic was terrible all the way there. Rousting a sleeping Travis, Toby knew bedtime had been set back by hours. His stomach growled and he decided to take whoever wanted to come out to dinner with him.
Stepping through the door Alli gave them both a kiss and quickly locked the door. "She is in her office," Alli said as Liz was turning off all the TV's.
"Hey Toby and Travis," Liz called out as they made their way to the office. Every system had a number, and every remote had a cubby, and every night someone turned them off. Toby offered to rewire the lines so she could just flip one switch and they all would turn off, but she didn't want the jolt to their systems. "There is a difference between turning off the set and cutting the power," she told him over two years ago.
"Hi, sweetie, how have you been?" Louise asked as she came around her desk to greet him.
Hugging her tightly he said, "We have been good, how is business?"
"Good, do you want to buy me out?" Louise asked as the conversation always went.
"Yeah, have the papers drawn up, but you have to stay and run the place or find a good manager."
Looking up at him she chuckled, "Are you serious."
"Yeah I have the money now I'll give you my money guy's name and number. Have whoever you find to do the deal they can call him," Toby told her as Alli took Travis from him. He found his way to the ground fast; he had gotten too heavy to hold.
"Hi, my Alli," Travis said as she squatted in front of him, he hugged her neck and kissed her cheek. They haven't been around Travis much since his spark sparked and heard his verbal ability lately.
"Well Hi, to you Travis how have you been," she asked, playing along with the mature speech.
"Good, busy," he said and turned his attention to Liz hugging and kissing her.
They all looked at Toby for an answer as he began to laugh, "I was wondering if you all would like to go to dinner. It shouldn't be too bad, it's the middle of the week."
The lights went out and they went around the building in their cars to follow him to a new local place they all wanted to go to. Alli just wished she had had time to fix her face; she knew they would be getting a lot of attention.
*
Being seated quickly the hostess at least knew who he was. Or maybe she was just fawning over his looks; they weren't sure as they followed Toby and her to a table. Toby asked for a booster and not a highchair. Getting him out of one of those is almost impossible with how big he is.
"Ok, now explain how a one-year-old talks like he does," Alli asked if she knew her sister's kid at three couldn't have done that.
"Well he is a genius and has the mental acuity of a very smart five-year-old, but we are working on his verbal skills."
"Since when," Liz asked.
Toby told them what had been going on lately with him and the new nanny. Then about Missy leaving and all the new people in the house starting a new movie.
"Where is Bob?" Toby asked.
"He had a request for an evening install, he should be back by now," Louise told him.
"I should call him and invite him over too," Toby said, digging for his phone. He called him telling him where they were.
"Yeah he'll be here soon, he just wants to take a quick shower. He said the place was gross where he installed the last big screen. He said to order him the same thing as I get so I better pick well," he said and picked up the menu. No one had touched theirs; they had been so interested in what Toby was telling them.
Then he started telling them about finding his father's other family.
He showed Travis the kid's menu and he studied it for a while as the ladies watched.
"No pancakes," he complained.
"No that is breakfast food this is dinner," Toby offered. It had been a joke, but the little smarty read the selections.
"I want chicken nuggets and grilled cheese," he told him, a little garbled as the ladies searched for the child's menu to see if he had read the items for the menu.
"Sounds good, I'll order you that and do you want milk or apple juice?"
"Hum, apple is good," he answered quickly.
Toby was in shock too; he hadn't expected him to respond so easily to the request. He had passed him the menu as a joke, something for him to look at nothing more. Louise looked at him with great concern about how he was going to handle this. He shrugged his shoulders, in answer to her unasked question, he had no idea.
"I do want to go ahead and buy a house. My new nanny said that if repairs or improvements are needed, they can do it while I'm gone. I just have to find someone to be my watcher to make sure it is done correctly and on time."
"Bob was just notified his apartments are being torn down. I assume you're going to buy close to the store," Louise asked.
"Yeah that was my plan, but yeah I'll ask Bob when he gets here," Toby said wondering if the old man died. He liked the old coot, which would be sad.
"You remember Leila, her house is going to be for sale. Her parents are having a hard time right now. They need to paint and spruce up the place, but they are having trouble making payments, and finding the money to hire painters and a handyman is impossible on unemployment."
"Call them and maybe we could go and see it tomorrow and they won't have to do any of that if I buy it as is," Toby told her thinking about how nice Juliet's house was after she fixed it up. He could be right next door to Mom and keep an eye on her for the next however many years she has left. Today she is looking quite frail.
*
Bob came in and the attention went to him and the install from the sewer.
"The guy inherited some money and instead of cleaning his filthy home out he bought a new TV," Bob explained how the guy got money. He lived in one of the old smaller homes around here. He assumed he inherited that too.
Toby thought about that one girl with the abusive boyfriend Melina, her house was a great one to be torn down. Maybe he could talk her out of that one and have something built while he is gone. It was a great location with a huge yard.
The food came and drinks were refilled as Toby talked to Bob about the prospects of living or taking on the watching as whatever house he finds is being worked on. Toby found out the old man was put in a nursing home, and they had two months to move before they level the place. Regina flashed in Toby's, mind what would happen to her. They had both been lucky to find that place so cheap when they needed it.
*
He had been going through his clothes trying to decide what to wear tonight. This dinner was important to him when his phone rang.
"Morning sweetie, they would be pleased if you came to see their house. She warned the house wasn't clean so overlook that. Why don't you come and get me, and I'll go with you? I haven't been to their house in years so don't feel obligated to buy this place," Louise told him as a disclaimer. She hopes it doesn't turn into a bad brain fart, her suggesting that house. She would hate to raise both of their hopes.
He quickly got dressed and collected a diaper bag for Travis. They had to be back by three and then leave again by five for dinner. Busy day for them he thought as he buckled Travis in his car seat.
Toby planned to look the place over with a flipper's eye. He has seen so many of those shows during the long boring days at the store and now the ones here. The flippers always amazed him at what they could do with those nasty homes, so he was prepared for the worst. He was excited to see if he could envision a better design for the house.
*
The yard was decent, the grass was brown in the dead of winter but not many weeds. He loved the huge tree that covered the yard making it feel homey and older than it was. Louise lived in a well-established neighborhood; he has driven down these streets often delivering big screens. The only bad thing was he was only six blocks from Candace.
An older version of Leila met them at the door, and they hugged as old friends. Louise reached back to bring him and Travis forward.
"This is the young man I was talking about; he needs a house and I thought of you."
"Well, we appreciate what you did. Please come in. We are between a rock and an empty bank account. The place needs a lot of work. We realize now that we want to sell. You know day to day the handprints and stained carpet are no big deal. We know how they got there, it's called living with kids, but now that all must go. She kept talking as Toby looked around envisioning a completely new kitchen. It looks like a seventies redo.
He liked the staircase; it was wide and sweeping. It was Gone with the Wind style. The living room was big, and you could see it from the kitchen. He liked that, but he may open it up more. They had a nice big screen on the wall and all the couches faced that wall. New carpet or wood floors were needed. He was thinking sixty thousand just where he was standing.
The dining room was big and it could sit twelve to fourteen easily. It would be great for the holidays. They had a nice sunroom off the kitchen. It would be a great workout room. He noticed a hallway on the other side of the living room and found a study on one side and the other was a large master bedroom.
The bathroom was God-awful. That would cost thirty thousand plus to make it perfect. After living with Rob, he was used to the bathroom being modern and this was not. But so far, the bones were good, and the rooms were large. Travis had worked his way up the stairs, so Toby followed with the warning that the kids lived up there.
So far, he has counted five and a half baths and four bedrooms up master down; everyone had a bathroom just like at Rob's. Looking out a girl's bedroom window he saw a pool in need of repair and Louise's house to the left. Ok, so the bathrooms are outdated but not gross he could live with them for a long time. Travis was getting into someone's markers, so he collected him up thinking he needed to get him some of those markers that only worked on the right kind of paper.
"So how much do you want for the place as is," Toby asked coming down the creaking stairs. Liz being as nosy as she is, they knew what homes in the area appraised for last year. She looked up most of the homes they installed a TV in. So, he knew the prices of a lot of homes in the area. At least what the taxes claim they are worth as they discussed why they are so expensive. It was another thing to cut the boredom.
"We need nine-fifty to pay off the loan and give us some to live off until I can find a job," an older man said, appearing to have come from the garage. Toby saw the worry and angst in the man's eyes. He had failed his family and could be read all over his face.
"I'll give you a million one if you take the job of ensuring the improvements I plan to have done are done properly while I'm gone. It should take only six months or so and you know this home better than anyone. Point out every problem so they can repair everything while they are here and we have a deal," Toby told him as he walked towards him for a handshake and all his problems were solved.
Toby knew a man who was a big shot for an oil company could do that easily and the money should tide them over until he finds something. He liked the house and will love it when it is finished. If not, he will flip it and find another. He and David Burkhart shook on the deal.
*
"Well, that was nice of you," Louise said as they drove away.
"Not really, he must work for it, and I want this place to be a showplace. Do you know how to buy a house without a realtor?"
"No but we have the internet," Louise told him.
"Ok, I'm going to let you and Liz handle that. I have Travis' teacher coming soon so I must go home. Tell Bob I found someone to do the house, so he is free. He didn't seem too excited about doing that for me."
"No, he wasn't, he was looking forward to finding a place of his own, and that set him back six months at least so he will be happy you found someone."
He turned into his area and the guard waved him on and he realized he wouldn't have protection at that place and with one more blockbuster under his belt, he would be harassed there. He pulled into his drive and noticed a car pull in right behind him and thought damn-it guys why are you letting people in? So much for security. Travis was still asleep, so he jumped out of his truck to confront whoever was following him. As he made the corner ready to kick butt, Liana smiled up at him through her windshield. The wind went out of his anger, and he smiled back.
"Hey, you're early," Toby called out as she exited her car.
"One of my little ones is having a problem and the mother canceled today's appointment. I was hoping to spend more time with Travis today."
"Well he has been sleeping for about forty-five minutes so he should be good to go," Toby offered with his best smile, got in his truck, and pulled into the garage. That was how long it took to make the short trip across town.
"I took your advice and went house hunting today. I made an offer on a house," Toby told her as they went into the house.
"Oh really? Where is it," she asked, seeming very curious.
"Well," he said, "it is an older home in the University area. The owner lost his job and."
"Is my father," Liana announced loudly, cutting him off as Travis looked at her over his father's shoulder. Toby turned and looked at her as if she was crazy.
"Yeah, my mother called me not twenty minutes ago all excited, some handsome man wanted to buy the house for more than they asked. By the way thanks, but yes that is my family home," Liana told him.
"Oh well, you're welcome, what a small world. She thought I was handsome?" he teased and kept walking them in the house.
She circled him to take Travis from him and with a grunt she put him on the floor close to where they worked yesterday. "So, you like it," She asked, leaving his ego in the dust.
"Truthfully, I liked the location and the bones most, I plan to gut the place," Toby told her hoping to not upset her.
"Good, it needs it. My mother has been on my father for years to do some home improvements, but they fight enough without a kitchen gut to set my mother off. Now with the layoff, he was in a panic. They have tremendous debt and a lot of responsibility. He made a lot, but my mother spent a lot."
"Yeah, I could see it in his face, but I have put him to work. He must oversee the remodel while I'm gone. There is no rush for you to move out just yet. I must find someone to do the remodel. When I'm done with the movie, I'm hoping the redo is done and we will move in and for you to move back in," he said walking out the door and calling out. "Bobbie we are home, and we are hungry."
She wondered why he thought she was still living with him when they came home. If he thinks she is going to fall for him he has another thing coming. He has the wrong body parts for her to be interested in.
*
Travis dashed to the door when he heard the food was coming. Liana followed in a slow chase of a giggling Travis. Toby scooped him up making him giggle more as he put him in his highchair.
"We are going out again tonight. We are going to meet my unknown half-brother and sister for dinner."
"That sounds exciting," Liana told him.
"Come see this kitchen and I'll tell you my ideas," Toby said and looked at Travis, "You sit still in that highchair, or you don't eat," Toby warned.
"Sorry to do this to you, but we knew Liana was coming so we didn't stop for lunch," Toby told Bobby as he introduced them.
"It is no problem dinner for the others is already in the oven,"
"Well I bought a house today and I plan on stealing you when the remodel is done," he teased as he hugged her and kissed her cheek.
"Well hurry up these people are a pain in the butt wanting something fancy every night. They don't understand I'm only one person. Even if he hired someone to do the cleanup that would help," acting embarrassed that she was complaining, she went back to working on his lunch. She was feeling fifty years older now, it was an exhausting job now.
"I'll comment tomorrow night. You know Rob doesn't think about others, just his movies, but I won't be here tonight for dinner.
Liana stood in the doorway watching Travis. He seemed to be counting, maybe he was seeing how long it takes them to feed him.
Forgetting why he brought Liana into the kitchen he asked Bobby, "So in your new kitchen what do you want?" he smiled at her happy expression. He was thrilled to hear she was willing to go work for him when he was ready. It had been a test-the-waters joke. But she jumped on it quickly.
"I want lots of workspaces, a big island, and a large eight-burner gas stove. At least four ovens and a view of something besides these four walls," Bobbie told him looking around her cave.
Toby looked around and sure enough, she didn't even have a window. "Do you have a computer?" he asked.
"Yes, why?" she asked.
"Find what you want, and I'll give you my e-mail address so the builders can plan the space properly. But remember I'm not going to have a dozen people living in my house. I want one of those refrigerators that are glass-fronted and you can see the drinks and food like at the store."
Bobbie shook her head, "You're just a kid."
"True but it is my money and my house, and I want to be able to sit at the island, bug you while you cook, and see what goodies I have," Toby teased and Travis yelled, "I'm hungry."
Bobbie passed him his lunch and they went to eat. She handed Liana a glass of iced tea and said, "Good luck he is just a big kid."
Liana laughed, "I noticed, and he has a short attention span."
Toby told her about his reading the menu and how he had handed it to him as a joke.
Travis mumbled, "I am not dumb."
"Hey big guy I never thought you were. I just didn't expect you to read it."
"We know you're smart," Liana assured Travis. She was still working on the fact he read a menu and picked his meal.
"I saw your movie," Liana said, turning her attention back to Toby, "and I have kept up with you on TV and the internet never thinking I would ever meet you. I also saw your father on that ET program. I thought the poor guy had come out of the woodwork. Your rebuttal was perfect, you're a self-made man."
"Not really Louise pushed me to take on this movie business. I'm going to buy her out and relax after this next movie. I don't want to be in that world any longer."
Turning her attention to Travis she asked, "Sweetie do you want to go work on some spelling and sing some songs."
"No," and said his version of exercise came out of his mouth and he tried to show his muscles and smiled at his father.
"Sure, big guy, and then you need to work with Liana or she is going to get her feelings hurt," Toby told him and began to clean him up. "I'll make it quick. He is close to doing a chin-up and wants to keep working on it."
Toby pulled his dress shirt off and lay on the floor and Travis lay on his back as he began his push-ups. He did twenty as they counted together and stopped Travis grumbled, "Lazy,"
"Hey, we have to be somewhere in three hours, so we don't have time. Let's let you do your chin-ups and I'll do extra tomorrow," Toby suggested as he took him to the bar. After three attempts and lots of encouragement, he got close. He walked out very proud behind Liana, walking back to his daddy's room.
They worked for an hour singing and dancing around the coffee table as the piano played a preprogrammed song. Toby broke up the fun around four-thirty they had to get going.