Sinner and Saint

Chapter Twenty Three

"I've actually become a fan of late mornings. I'm happy to have many more of them," Stellan said, kissing my cheek before stepping into the shower.

While he showered, I went into the separate toilet to do my business and then tidy up my hair so I could get it under a shower cap. I hit the shower after Stellan was done and by the time I was ready to get dressed, he was already out of the room, probably poking around the kitchen for coffee and breakfast.

We were just chowing down some of Letty's breakfast casserole when Jamie poked his head in with a quick nod in greeting.

"We still checking out that warehouse by Langley Field?" he asked as he came over, leaning down automatically to let me give him a hug. I haven't seen him much outside of work lately. He and Sidney, along with Carmela, have been giving me some space, aware that I was pretty much living at Stellan's right now, doing plenty of 'catching up'.

"Yup. We can go after lunch time," I told him, lifting a forkful of the casserole to him. "Try this. It's pretty amazing."

Jamie took a bite, gave a couple deep nods (which is Jamie-speak for something being delicious).

"Is that for the market-style retail project you're contemplating?" Stellan asked, scooping up a hefty serving of casserole onto another plate and handing it to Jamie. "Langley Field would actually be a pretty cool area to have it. Lots of neighborhoods close by and other restaurants and shops within walking distance."

"We're thinking the same thing," I told him, filling a glass with orange juice for Jamie after motioning for him to sit his ass down and eat. He usually eats breakfast in the morning before leaving for work but considering his morning starts at about four, it's been a few hours since he's eaten. And considering he's the size of a small mountain, Jamie eats a lot. "But we have to be pretty careful about this investment. It's going to cost a couple million and that's before any work. It's at least a two-year project if we're lucky. And if we don't have half a dozen other large projects going on at the same time."

Jamie and I have been looking for a scrap building to buy in an up and coming, high-pedestrian-traffic area which we can then convert into an indoor market of some sort with small retail and dining spaces to rent out on the main level and professional offices above them. Think Chelsea Market but smaller and with a coastal view. It's ambitious but we've had a pretty good record in the last handful of commercial investments we've made that we were feeling confident about this.

"I'm sure it will work out. To say that you two are on a roll is an understatement," Stellan said with what looked like a very proud smile before getting up from the breakfast bar to load his dirty dishes in the dishwasher. "Let me know if there's anything I can do to help."

"As if you're not busy enough with your hands in about a hundred different projects of your own," I said, grinning up at him as he stood behind me.

"You like my busy hands," he murmured with a smile before giving me a quick upside-down kiss on the mouth. "I love you. I'll see you later."

Jamie cleared his throat and Stellan and I laughed when we saw him looking around at everything but us.

"I'll be in the office most of the day," Stellan said. "Vivienne's back in town and she and Cassie might swing by later this afternoon. I'm not sure if you'll be here or not at that time. I'll be home around four but Letty's going to set up dinner. Jamie, you're welcome to stay and join us."

"Sid's taking him rug shopping after work because romance," I said, snickering at Jamie's eye roll. "But I'll try to be home around the same time."

Stellan just laughed and clapped Jamie on the shoulder on the way out, with me hollering after him. "Have a good day! I love you too!"

Once he was gone, I turned back to Jamie who'd just cleaned his plate off.