Black Keys

Two.

Nick the MM.

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Nick and Vincent arrived to the meeting fifteen early to get things started and to close the deal they have been waiting for. The all surrounded the oval table. The bankers are listening to the salesmen negotiation numbers, which they are impressed by. The size of the complex and how much money they will make from it motivated them to go in there and make sure they don't leave without a the deal.

Nick is dressed in a nice light blue dressed shirt, dark blue slacks, and black slippers. Vincent is dressed in a white dress shirt, red slacks, and white slippers. The two of them grew up together and are now in the same field of business. They have separate investments and have invested in deals together is it is a bigger project. The don't necessarily have a business.  They just have an office building with their own assistant and accountant that helps with with paperwork and meetings. They are their own boss.

After their pitch, the bankers looks at one another with an impressive look and then back at the two. "Sold." The leader of the group speaks. Nick and Vincent looks at one another and gives each other a dap. They then walk to their briefcase on the chair to pull out the contract and checkbook.

Since the two of them are their own boss, they headed out to a burger joint to fulfill their stomach and email the people they've worked with before that they have minor renovations. They will also have to hire property managers and maintenance men to work in the community.  After emailing his assistant to work on posting an add on Indeed, he shuts off his laptop, puts it in his briefcase,  and waits for his food. "You know the house I bought recently?" He brings up the home that he couldn't get off his mind, even though he recently purchased it. The music book is still lying on the piano where he found it.  "The previous owner left it furnished with expensive furniture, but there is not trace of who the person was and the bank cannot disclose that information."

"Whoever owned it before shouldn't matter. Sell that furniture or sell it furnished for more." But it does matter to Nick. He wants to know who owned the home because of the letter they left behind. The penmanship tells him that most likely it is a woman, but he doesn't want to jump into conclusions.  The home and the furniture tells him that the person was or is well off.

"It was abandoned for 3 years. They left behind a letter stating that they weren't dying and was just going on a journey.  They just left everything behind. It makes me curious." He states as he waitress lays down their plate of food in front of them.

"Then ask around. It a huge neighborhood. Someone has to know who used to live there and what happened." Vincent suggests. Truth is, Nick doesn't want to do anything to the home before until he finds out who used to live there.

Vincent's idea wasn't so bad. As soon as he finishes working with the contractors tomorrow, he will make his way to the neighborhood to introduce himself to nearby neighbors and the HOA to get information on the previous owner. He feels like it is his mission to know who it is and he doesn't quite know why. "What's the neighborhood name?"

"Pine Wood Country Club," He responds.

"One thing you must know is that the person was well off." Vincent chuckles as he brings a fry into his mouth. He wouldn't mind helping his best friend find out who the previous owner was, but he feels as if its pointless. He doesn't know what Nick saw in the house last night during his visitation, but he assumes that it has to be good since his friend is on a hunt for a ghost. "What about if they're dead?"

That is what Nick is assuming. Though the person said that they're not dying, what about if they are dead now while embarking their journey. Nick shrugs, not knowing how to respond to his statement. "How are you and Valerie doing? I haven't seen her in a while."

"That's because your ass stopped coming over ever since she moved in."

"I feel like boundaries are now in order since she lives there." Which is true. He doesn't want to run into her naked or whatever she's into. Before she lived there, there was always an open door policy for Nick, but now it feels different. Though she has never admitted it, he just knows. "But I'll stop by sometime this week to visit."

"Let me know when because her parents will be stopping by this week to have dinner with us.  You should join us. It will make everything less awkward."

"I am not trying to get involved in that."

"There's nothing to get involved in. It will be less awkward for her especially since there's tension between her and her mother ever since what happened between her ad her sister. I  don't know why exactly, but it has to be huge because her sister no longer lives around here."

"Not my business."

"Not mine either, which is why I don't ask." Vincent explains. He never asks her about her family problems, though he listens to her when she vents about them. He is aware that her sister is a bitch in her words and that she deserves everything that has happened to her. Personally, Nick isn't much of a fan of Valerie, but he is just watching from afar and he will be ready to back his friend up when he needs it. Sometimes he wanders how their relationship have gotten that far. It went farther than the one he had with his ex. Nick feels as if Vincent only asked Valerie to move in because he failed that to do that with his ex when she was serious about the relationship. Though he doesn't want to admit it, the break up did hurt him, but his ego wasn't going to let it get in the way and Nick no longer wanted to bring it up.

However, he is going to now. "Why did she get a key and Sophie didn't? I know you like Valerie, but you loved Sophie even though you don't want to admit it."

All of a sudden the tone in his voice changes when he responds. "I haven't seen her in over a year. I just feel like it's time to take relationships seriously and Valerie is the woman to do it with."

Nick knows his best friend like the back of his hand and can tell when he's lying. This so happens to be one of them moments. "And Sophie wasn't?"

"What's done is done. I fucked up." He admits.

"Why was it hard for you to tell her that?"

"I don't know, but there's no going back. I am in relationship. She probably found a guy that is giving her the love I didn't give."  And he's probably right. Nick hasn't seen Sophie in over a year as well and that is expected, even though he had no part in their breakup. Them breaking up made him lose faith in being in a relationship himself. He enjoys being single because it involves less work and less headaches.