Warren and Jean-Paul | Saturday morning

[x-highflying.livejournal.com]

[Backdated] A meeting with some locals in District X doesn't go so well for Warren, and Jean-Paul attempts to reassure him.

"I can't believe they just -- stonewalled me like that!" Warren and Jean-Paul had met with some of the local business owners in District X to discuss the proposal Warren had come up with, only to met by a combination of cold stares and polite words until Warren had been informed they didn't need his 'charity'. Warren had tried to argue his case further, until Jean-Paul had suggested they leave. And now the winged man was frustrated, his attempt to help falling on unwilling ears.

"It is not so easy to accept help," Jean-Paul said, frowning a little. Then he shrugged and said, "Sometimes... it is easier to ask for it. And so, like you said, the committee might be the best thing for the community. Where they approach you for help. Once one person has asked, others will follow."

"You're assuming there is someone that will actually break the ice." Warren was feeling a little deflated about the whole thing. Not willing to give up - or at least, mostly not, but still definitely feeling a little grumpy about it.

Jean-Paul thought about that for a moment, then shrugged. "You know. I own a restaurant in Montreal. Maybe I will expand it. Maybe I will make it into a chain. Maybe I will chose a building here, in District X, that I cannot afford all by myself." He cast a smile in Warren's direction. "There are always opportunities, mon ami. And there are always people who are smart enough to see them for what they are. Do not be so frustrated now, oui? You have only just begun."

"True," Warren replied, trying to let go of his frustration in a huff. "I'm not giving up. We'll just have to... find a new angle." He flashed Jean-Paul a grin. "I feel like you being the first customer is cheating, my friend. But I appreciate the thought."

Grinning back, Jean-Paul shrugged. "Maybe I will convince someone else to open a restaurant, then." Tipping his head to the side, the Quebecois thought for a long moment and then said, "Or perhaps... perhaps it is not the restaurants, only, that need the help, oui?" Kevin had just finished renovations on the boathouse and his work was still on display in the city... but he knew the Southerner had other ambitions, too. "Did you not find buildings for housing that might need help?"

"There's definitely no shortage of places that need money," Warren said thoughtfully. "And I'm going to need to find a place to practice out of, so I might as well buy something and fix it up. Real estate in District X isn't exactly expensive these days, even if it is in Manhattan."

"Oui," Jean-Paul said. "And also, you could speak with Kevin. He has been helping with the art at the mansion, getting people started and things, and with the boathouse renovations. I think he would like, perhaps, to have somewhere to show the artwork that is made there. And living space, also."

Warren nodded. "That's not a bad idea. And hopefully if I'm seen to be investing in the community, people won't be so reluctant to trust me." He smiled wryly. "You have to spend money to spend money, it seems."

Chuckling, Jean-Paul nodded. "Oui, this is how things go, sometimes. It is not so easy. But community is important, especially here." The Quebecois nudged the other man with an elbow. "Let us find lunch and then we will see about finding you a place to base your business from."

"Well, they'll find I'm not so easy to be rid of," Warren said stubbornly. "Lunch sounds good. Now that you've mentioned it, I'm suddenly starving." Even if he'd much rather start real estate hunting.

***

After the two men have lunch, they go real estate shopping.

Jean-Paul and Warren had finished lunch at a nice restaurant in the city before flying back to District X, since the Quebecois loved his neighborhood but wanted something that wasn't served by one of the local places. Setting down outside a building with a rather large sign on it indicating it was a real estate agent's base of operations, Jean-Paul quirked an eyebrow and nodded toward it. "Let us see what they have to say here, oui?" The agent was on the outskirts of the neighborhood, so he had high hopes that whoever ran the place would have good ideas for what Warren was looking for.

"Seems like a good place to start," Warren agreed amiably. The lunch was sitting comfortably in his system, and he was far more relaxed about the prospect of making his mark in District X. Warren pushed open the door, holding it open for Jean-Paul before entering himself. The reception area was deserted for the moment, and Warren immediately rang the bell to get someone's attention.

Jean-Paul picked up a few brochures that were laying on the counter and leaned back against the wall, letting Warren take center stage, as it were, while he leafed through the general information on how awesome District X was and what an opportunity it was. Most of it was just propaganda, of course. District X... was not glamorous, it wasn't necessarily the best place for new families to start living. Indeed, some of the advertisements seemed... worse than simply false.

Frowning, he tucked the brochures into his jacket pocket and crossed his arms as he waited for someone to turn up. A younger woman finally did, her hair pinned back atop her head, and she blinked a little, like she was trying to place a familiar face and just hadn't managed it yet. "Hello, welcome to Petersen Realty. I'm Melanie, what can I do for you?"

"Hi Melanie," Warren replied with his most amiable smile, sliding his hands into his pockets. "I'd like to speak to someone about looking at some real estate. Is the manager available?" Warren had an automatic tendency not to deal with anyone unless they were in charge - it saved a great deal of time and bullshit, as far as he was concerned. And he had enough money to throw around that people, in the end, didn't mind so much.

"Melanie Petersen, at your service," she said with a wry sort of smile. "My office is just this way. What kind of real estate are you interested in? Residential, business...? There are quite a few opportunities in District X and, if nothing here quite suits, we've got quite a few listings in other parts of the city as well."

Warren glanced at Jean-Paul and cocked his head to indicate the other man should join them, and followed the woman towards her office. "I'm only looking at purchasing within District X, and primarily at business properties, but I'd also potentially be interested in mixed use properties as well."

Pushing his shoulders off the wall, Jean-Paul followed Warren and the woman into her office, then sat across from her desk as she sat and started typing.

"We've got several mixed use properties available," Melanie said, pulling the information up. "And two that are exclusively business properties. I'm not sure if you'd be interested, but there are also quite a few locations that will essentially need to be rebuilt from the ground up." She offered the men across from her a rueful smile. "We're terming them undeveloped, but the truth is that they've got foundations, but the buildings themselves were destroyed."

She turned the screen toward the men so they could see the properties she'd pulled up for them. "I can arrange for you to visit these properties to see if they suit, of course."

"Anyone looking to buy in District X knows what they're getting into," Warren replied nonchalantly, looking through the list she'd pulled up. "I wouldn't bother trying to sugar coat it, personally." He glanced over at Jean-Paul, to see if he wanted to add anything. "I'd like to take a look at them at your earliest convenience." Words and pictures usually lied when it came to real estate.

"I don't have any other clients this afternoon and the properties are ready for walk-throughs," Melanie said, raising her brows a bit.

Jean-Paul quirked a brow at Warren and shrugged. "I have no other plans, mon ami. Today I had set aside for you and your searching. I do not see the harm in viewing these places."

"Then it's settled." He smiled at them both. "Lead the way, Ms Peterson." And hopefully she'd resist putting too much of the usual agent spin on everything.