Tommy was certainly happy to make some money, so he immediately agreed. He turned to Dexter and offered his hand. "Mr. Dexter, you don't have to worry about a thing. I promise I'll get the job done beautifully."
Dexter smiled and shook Tommy's hand.
In this show, Tommy, the big white guy, is a pretty decent, normal person with no major issues.
Dexter had a good impression of the guy. He chuckled and said, "Great. But I'm flat broke, so don't expect to earn a huge profit, okay?"
"Ha! You're too humble, Mr. Dexter," Tommy replied, laughing.
Kevin chimed in, supporting Dexter. "Tommy, this is my friend. You gotta cut him a deal..."
Kevin launched into a long speech.
Tommy gave up. "Kevin, you jerk, you probably want me to work for free and not make a dime, right?"
"That would be perfect," Kevin said without missing a beat.
Tommy just shook his head, laughing.
Not long after, the three of them finalized the deal while joking around.
Dexter had minimal requirements for the restaurant: it just had to be clean, with all the utilities (water, electricity, gas) functioning and ready for business.
It was basic labor and wouldn't yield a huge profit.
Tommy said he could get it done quickly.
Frank had been lurking nearby, trying to see if he could somehow score some cash from Dexter... But all he heard was talk about work...
Frank was definitely not interested in working.
But what if he worked at Dexter's place, and then got hurt on the job...
Heh heh.
Then Dexter, as the owner, would have to pay a hefty settlement!
Frank got an idea. He drained the beer in front of him, stood up, and—moving quite quickly despite his crutch—walked right up to Dexter. "Mr. Dexter, count me in. Don't let this injury fool you; I can still work. I don't need wages. Just buy me a week's worth of booze. How about it?"
How about it?
No deal.
Dexter immediately guessed Frank's angle and then realized something important...
Under American law, he was the tenant of that storefront. Whether during the renovation or later, if Frank got hurt on that property, Dexter would be responsible...
'Thanks for the heads-up,' Dexter thought. With that realization, he instantly decided: he needed to break Frank's other leg as soon as possible, ensuring the guy couldn't move.
"No, that won't work," Dexter smiled, shaking his head. "If something happened to you in that shape, I couldn't afford the liability."
"How would something happen?" Frank pleaded. "I guarantee nothing will happen, and even if it does, it's got nothing to do with you! Have a heart, man. I just need some booze."
Dexter smiled, ignored Frank, and asked Kevin, "Kevin, what time do you get off work tonight?"
"Eight o'clock."
"I'll swing by your place around eight-thirty then?"
"Sounds good."
Dexter didn't say anything else. After handing the storefront key to Tommy, he got up and left.
He exited The Alibi Room.
Since he was going to visit their home, and he'd been presenting himself as a rich guy these past few days... he definitely needed to bring a gift.
Time was limited. Dexter didn't mess around. He walked a few steps, flagged down a taxi, and headed straight for downtown Chicago.
Once there, he found a large supermarket first and bought some nice steaks and red wine. Then, he walked straight into the Louis Vuitton store in the plaza and picked out a bag for Veronica.
Veronica was Fiona's only best friend.
If he won over Veronica, dealing with Fiona would be much easier.
Completing the main quest would become a lot less difficult.
After his shopping spree, Dexter got into a taxi and headed back.
---
At 8:30 PM.
Dexter arrived on time at 2113 North Wallace Street and knocked on Kevin and Veronica's door.
Knock, knock, knock.
Kevin was already home. Hearing the knock, he immediately called for Veronica, and they opened the door together.
Seeing Veronica, Dexter gave a bright smile. "You must be the wife! You are really gorgeous . Kevin, you're a lucky guy."
When women are complimented, they're generally happy.
Veronica's first impression of Dexter was excellent. She greeted him warmly with a smile. "Mr. Dexter, you're quite the smooth talker. Come in, come in! Please, make yourself at home."
"I'm only telling the truth; no exaggeration at all," Dexter replied, still smiling. He stepped inside, handed the bag with the steaks and red wine to Kevin, and then offered the Louis Vuitton shopping bag to Veronica. this is for you. First time visiting, I hope you like it."
Veronica had already noticed the designer bag.
Hearing his words, her goodwill score shot up instantly.
"Oh, I don't know if I should," Veronica said, pleased but a little embarrassed, hesitant to take it.
"Kevin helped me out twice today, and he wouldn't take any money. If you don't take this, I'll be too ashamed to ever come back to your house," Dexter insisted.
Kevin thought that made sense. After a brief internal debate, he agreed it would look rude to refuse again, so he told Veronica, "Veronica, just take it. Otherwise, Dexter will really be upset."
"Alright," Veronica said, dropping the pretense. She took the bag. "Thank you, Mr. Dexter. Please feel free to come over anytime."
"Definitely," Dexter nodded, smiling.
Veronica opened the bag, pulled out the purse, looked at it, and was thrilled. "Mr. Dexter, you picked perfectly. This bag is just right for me."
"That's good. I was worried you might not like it."
"I love it, love it, absolutely love it."
The three chatted for a bit.
Then, Dexter was settled on the couch to watch TV.
Veronica led Kevin into the kitchen, and they started preparing dinner.
"These are top-shelf steaks, and this red wine—wow," Veronica whispered as she took the items out of the bag Dexter had given Kevin. "That guy is not only young but so rich. That's impressive."
Kevin wasn't a man given to petty jealousy or insecurity about being poor; he was easygoing. "He's got skills; what can you do?"
"He definitely has skills," Veronica had no other intentions; she just sincerely found Dexter's youth and wealth impressive. "I'll start searing the steaks. You find the decanter. This high-quality wine needs to breathe for a while to taste its best. We don't want to waste it."
"Roger that, yes, ma'am," Kevin said playfully.
Dexter was on the sofa.
The kitchen was open-plan and close to the living room.
Dexter could hear Kevin and Veronica's conversation. He found the two of them very entertaining. In a way, they were the type of couple destined to go the distance.
People like them were rare, not just in this neighborhood, but anywhere, even in a different country.
'I wonder what Kevin would do if he knew I bought all this stuff with the money I got from selling his stash of weed?'
Dexter thought about this and couldn't help but smile.
Just then, Fiona, carrying Liam, rushed straight into the living room without even knocking...