Next One Is a Babe

By that point, Robin came out from behind the counter to greet the landlord, “Mr. Reyes, she is Sophia, the one who is interested in renting the place.”

The landlord turned to look at Sophia as he nodded. “Nice to meet you.”

Sophia responded with a smile. “Likewise.”

Meanwhile, John maintained an aloof expression as he turned to enter the shop as if he were at his own territory. “Let’s talk inside.”

Sophia knew nothing of renting a shop lot, so she left the negotiations up to John and Zack. The four of them sat by one of the tables, while Sophia was focused on reading the contract the landlord brought with him, which was for her perusal later on. After going through the entire contract, Sophia didn’t seem to find anything she felt needed amendments.

In the meantime, John waited until she finished reading the contract before saying, “Let me go through that.”

While she passed the contract to him, John laid eyes on the ring on her finger, which he felt was a little too dazzling on her. He spent a few seconds staring at the ring before looking toward her, but she was so focused on the meeting that she didn’t notice his expression.

On the other hand, Zack requested for the basic info about the shop lot from the landlord, such as the usable areas within the shop, as well as permission regarding renovation. The professional manner in which Zack stated his questions seemed to have startled the landlord.

Upon reading through the contract, John pointed out two of the points he found questionable. “Your contract only laid out the obligations of the tenant without mentioning their rights, so that is unacceptable. Aside from that, shouldn’t we pay our own utility bills? Why are you in charge of that, and why do you get to decide the rates?”

Sophia let out a cry of surprise as she read through the contract again, during which she found out that it was indeed listed in the contract that she would have to pay the bills to the landlord alongside the rent. Moreover, she realized that the rates would go according to the market rate of the shop’s rental, and she had no idea of what it meant. She never realized any of those problems earlier.

An awkward expression crept onto the landlord’s face while he replied, “I had always been doing it like this, as do the rest of the landowners on this street. You can ask around if you wish to.”

A snigger escaped John. “If that’s the case, can you tell me what are your rates for water and electricity bills?”

The smile on Mr. Reyes’ face faltered a little as he said, “On this street, electricity costs five for each unit, while each tonne of water would cost five. As soon as usage exceeds three tonnes, the rates will be raised to seven per tonne.”

“If that’s the case, I don’t see the point in working on this anymore.” John put down the contract before looking toward Sophia. “I can help you find a shop lot at a better location, which would charge you according to the rates stipulated by the government.”

With her mouth hung agape, Sophia was dumbfounded by how things turned out. John stood up as soon as he said, “I know someone from around the area, so I know how the bills are charged.” He then turned to look at Robin, but the latter stared at him with a confused expression while standing behind the counter.