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- Aiden -
It was decision time.
The summer training season would come to a close soon, and I wanted my new place of business to be up and running in time for fall which meant I couldn’t waste any more time waffling between the two locations.
Regardless of which place I chose, it was going to need work. And not just work but equipment and licensing and staff. Of course, I already had a few people in mind. Plus, I only really needed a receptionist, a masseuse who could work part time, and maybe one other physio so I’d have someone else on hand to help me execute my client’s recovery and fitness plans.
But as nervous as I was, I was excited, too. As soon as I picked a place, I was on my way to building a career I could be proud of which was something I longed for deeply. I craved that sense of pride I had when I was on the field. I missed being in a position where I could cheer people on and where people had to count on me.
Nothing made me happier. Well, until recently, but dating Lucy couldn’t keep milk and eggs on the table.
“Do you want to come with me or follow me in your car?” Nick said when we reached the parking lot.
“I’ll follow you there,” I said.
“Any final gut feelings about this first place before we go?” he asked, turning to look at the outside of what could be the new home of my business.
“I can’t fault it really,” I said. “If the other place weren’t niggling at me, I’d sign the papers for this one right now.”
“It is nice with all the natural light,” he said. “And the location is great.”
“Not to mention the price.”
“Yeah, I’m afraid I’ve negotiated both of them to death, though, so I can’t get either of them down anymore.”
“So the other one is still an extra few grand a month?”
“Yeah,” Nick said, swinging his keys around his fingers. “Three and a half.”
“Right,” I said, eyeing location number one and trying to picture it without cardboard in the windows.
“But it does come out to less per square foot.”
I’d done the math. I knew it was something like a fraction of a penny less. “Don’t bullshit me, Nick. Let’s go.”
“As you wish,” he said.
I started my car and waited for Nick to reverse his Lexus into the aisle in front of me before taking off, considering the first place as I drove. I tried to imagine what it would feel like to have Nick hand me the keys to the door, to walk in and know it was my blank slate to do what I wanted with.
I could imagine myself there. He was right about the natural light, and there was plenty of room for the equipment I would need to accommodate a variety of clients. And while there wasn’t tons of room to grow, I didn’t mind a more intimate setting for what I was trying to do.
Besides, I knew in the beginning the key was the quality of my clients, not the quantity. As long as I stuck to my values and my vision, the business would grow, peaking around year five and then plateauing according to my calculations. Unless I moved to a bigger place or added locations, but there was no need to get ahead of myself.
Nick drove like a grandma so I had plenty of time to consider my lease before I let my mind wander to where I might take Lucy for our next date. She was fun to treat. I knew she was low maintenance and would’ve been happy anywhere, but that attitude was precisely why it was so much fun to surprise her.
There was a fondue place I was dying to take her to, but it wasn’t a good pick for summer so I’d have to wait until cooler weather set in. What about sushi? Sushi was light and perfect for when it was warm out, and I knew she had an irrational appreciation for edamame.
Plus, if I took her to the restaurant by my apartment, we could get silly on sake and stumble back to my place. I was about to grab my phone and text her, but Nick turned in at the other office plaza, and I decided it was time to focus on the longer term decision that lied before me.
I thought it might be funny to pull up hilariously close to Nick’s car and watch him have a mini heart attack as I opened my door to get out, but I decided such games weren’t appropriate when so much money was at stake.
“Moment of truth,” he said when I closed my car door.
“I guess so.”
“You starting to lean one way or the other or-”
