Dexter had his answer: Open a restaurant.
He genuinely couldn't stand the food here, and considering he was clearly going to be sticking around for a long time...
The eating problem needed to be solved. Opening a restaurant—he didn't care about making money, as long as he could eat well and keep himself fed, that was enough.
As for his cooking skills...
He knew how to cook. The food he made wasn't gourmet, but it wasn't bad, either.
It would do the job, no problem, since it wasn't about the cash flow.
Having made the decision, Dexter didn't waste any time. He walked straight to The Alibi Room, planning to use the search for a storefront as a way to bond with Kevin.
The Alibi Room was open, but as expected for an afternoon, it was pretty dead.
Dexter walked in, scanned the place, and immediately focused on Kevin, who was clearly out of sorts.
Kevin looked grumpy, his expression clearly annoyed.
'Oh man,'
'Did he realize his "green stuff" is gone?' Dexter thought, walking toward him.
Kevin was still caught up in his frustration and hadn't noticed Dexter until he was right in front of him. He managed to force a small smile and greeted him, "Afternoon."
"Afternoon," Dexter replied with a faint smile, then adopted a concerned look. "You look like you're having a bad day. What's up?"
Kevin had just picked up a glass, ready to pour Dexter a beer, but hesitated at the question. "Don't even get me started. I got robbed."
'Called it,' Dexter thought, suppressing a laugh, then feigned surprise. "Oh, the bar was robbed?"
Kevin set the beer down in front of Dexter and shook his head. "Not the bar, just some of my stuff."
"Seriously? What kind of stuff?" Dexter picked up the glass, took a sip of beer, and asked.
Kevin obviously couldn't tell the truth. He sighed, choosing his words carefully. "Just some collectibles that were worth a little money."
"Man, that's rough. Can you get it back?" Dexter asked.
Kevin gave a wry smile. "Around here, if something gets stolen, it's gone for good."
Having said that, Kevin quickly changed the subject, not wanting Dexter to press him. "Anyway, never mind that. I'll be sad for a bit, then I'll get over it. What about you? Got anything new going on?"
Seeing Kevin change the topic, Dexter was delighted, thinking, 'Perfect timing.' "Actually, yes, I do. In fact, that's why I'm here."
"Oh? What is it?" Kevin was curious.
"I'm planning to open a restaurant around here. I need to find a good spot, but I don't know the area, so I was hoping you could help me look. I'll pay you, of course," Dexter said sincerely.
"Hey, buddy, you move fast! You decided that quick?" Kevin was surprised. "But a restaurant? You might not make any money around here, you know."
"It's fine, I'll try it out first. I'll find a small place. If it doesn't make money, I'll switch to something else," Dexter replied casually.
"You rich guys are so carefree," Kevin sighed, then nodded and agreed. "Alright, I'll help you look for a place."
He turned to Kermit, who looked stressed, standing nearby. "Kermit, can you watch the bar for me? I'm stepping out for a bit."
"Can I drink for free?" Kermit instantly asked.
Kevin's answer was firm. "Beer only."
"Deal," Kermit said happily, not pushing his luck.
Kevin didn't waste time, grabbing his jacket and signaling Dexter. "Let's go, buddy."
"Thanks a lot. When my restaurant is up and running, your meals are on the house. Forever," Dexter promised.
"Haha, I won't say no to that!" Kevin grinned goofily.
---
This is the poor and messy South Side of Chicago.
Finding a storefront wasn't hard.
After all, not many businesses here were actually thriving; most were doing just okay.
With Kevin's help, after a few hours, Dexter selected a storefront not too far from The Alibi Room.
It was about fifty square meters (around 540 sq ft) and had been vacant for a long time.
"You sure you want this one, man?" Kevin asked. "Isn't it a little small?"
"It's big enough. I'm going to run it by myself for now. If business is good, I'll expand later. No point in wasting a ton of money right away," Dexter replied.
Kevin thought that made sense. "I'll contact the landlord for you, then."
The storefront had been empty for ages, so the landlord was very motivated and enthusiastic when they heard someone wanted to rent it.
It didn't take much effort.
Kevin settled on the basic terms with the landlord: a monthly rent of three thousand dollars, a minimum lease of one year, and three months' rent up front.
Dexter said that was fine.
Next came signing the contract and getting the keys.
It was evening by the time the storefront was secured.
"You're going to need to do a lot of work on the renovation," Kevin said. "There's a regular at The Alibi, Tommy, who does construction work. Want me to hook you up? It'll save you a ton of money."
"That would be awesome, thanks," Dexter said sincerely, then pulled out a thousand dollars and offered it to Kevin. "Here, you've helped me out so much. This is for your trouble."
A thousand bucks was a good chunk of cash.
And Kevin really needed the money.
But Kevin still stepped back, shaking his head reluctantly. "Hey, man, don't insult me like that. I'm not helping you for the money. Put that away!"
Seeing Kevin's genuinely innocent reaction, Dexter smiled and didn't insist. "Alright, how about this: when you get off work tonight, I'll bring some steaks over to your place. We can eat and grab a few drinks. How does that sound?"
Kevin grinned widely. "I can do that."
His goofy, honest nature is really endearing, Dexter thought, secretly deciding that good people deserve good things. He'd find a way to help Kevin out and make his life better.
As for the time Kevin accidentally kills that Athenian guy later on...
Eh, that hasn't happened yet.
"Let's head back to the bar now. We don't want Kermit drinking the place dry," Dexter suggested.
Kevin chuckled good-naturedly. "He won't drink it all, but we should definitely go back. A lot of the regular drunks are probably there by now."
"Right, let's hustle."
It wasn't far.
The two quickly arrived back at The Alibi Room.
The bar was already filled with a number of regulars.
Frank was there, too, relentlessly badgering Kermit behind the bar. "Come on, pour it fast! It's not every day I get free drinks. Hurry up before Kevin gets back and cuts us off!"
Kermit looked stressed. "Frank, you've already had a few. That's enough."
Kermit then spotted Kevin and Dexter walking in and shouted, "Kevin, you're finally back! I'm exhausted! Come on, you take over. I can't handle this job."
Kevin heard Frank's comment, shook his head in resignation, and quickly walked behind the bar. He yelled out, "Anyone who drank without paying, fork over the money now, or don't blame me for getting rough!"
Dexter knew it was a joke and found it amusing. He sat down on a stool next to Tommy.
The group of drinkers were familiar with Kevin's personality. They ignored the threat and just laughed it off.
Kevin didn't press for payment either. He smiled and looked at Tommy. "Tommy, I've got a gig for you. My friend Dexter is sitting next to you. He just rented a storefront down the street. He's planning to open a restaurant and needs renovations. Are you free to take the job?"