“Keep it up, and it will be the last time,” she countered with a smirk as she opened a binder resting on the counter.
Pressing a chaste kiss to her cheek, I replied, “I don’t believe you for a second. Now, let’s go over everything.”
As Alex started flipping through the binder, it was obvious she spent a lot of time collecting data. She had average costs for appliances, cost of goods, average profit and revenue for a first-year shop, potential for online orders, software and bookkeeping fees. The list was endless and filled the majority of the binder.
The loan amount of fifteen thousand would cover most of the startup costs, but with the work needed on the shop to get it the way she wanted, it was going to be around three months until she could open the doors. Alex was lucky her family had the skills to pitch in and help when they had free time. I’d help, too, but Alex was going to have to tackle most of the manual labor unless she wanted to hire out.
The fifteen was going to cut it close.
I offered to loan her money before, full contract and everything, but she shot me down. Two attempts and no wins. I was about to ask her again, but she squashed that quickly.
“Before you even start, the answer is no.”
“You’re looking at this all wrong. You wouldn’t even need the business loan. I could do a loan for you with no interest, Alex.”
“I don’t want you to waste your money on me.”
With my thumb and forefinger, I lifted her chin so I could see her face. “Alex, you would never be a waste. But I understand wanting to do it yourself. I felt the same way when I started my business. I’ll drop it, but I can’t promise I won’t bring it up again.”
“Thank you. It is sweet of you to offer. You need to keep that money for your girls anyway.”
I really think she underestimated how much I was worth. An internet search was a few digits short. My original robot had been one of a kind. The new prototype was going to be revolutionary. There were already insane bids on the patent flowing through the rumor mill. If a sale of that magnitude went through, I could buy all of Ashfield if I wanted and still have money to spare.
“In my professional opinion, I think you should ask the bank for twenty, just so you have a cushion in case any emergencies arise. You’ve done the math and can cover the initial payments for a year with your savings. And we both know your family would help you if you needed it. Not that you’d ever ask, because you’re stubborn as a mule. If they won’t extend to twenty, I think fifteen is still fine. You’ll just have to shop around for some deals. Scratch and dents for appliances and such.”
“Thank you. It feels nice to share this with someone and get their opinion, knowing they’ve run their own business. Makes it easier to trust myself.”
“The pleasure is all mine.”
I snuck a quick glance over my shoulder at the twins. They leaned over the table, coloring like their life depended on it.
Quickly, I sealed my lips over Alex’s and waited until she melted against me before pulling away.
“Yourpleasure is going to be all mine later.”
Chapter Twenty-One – Alex
There was something about watching my mother move around her kitchen fixing dinner that made me homesick. She took pride in every morsel she fed us, usually something from scratch she concocted. I hoped that in the time I hosted the Sullivans at the bed-and-breakfast, they felt that same sort of pride from my meals.
Every meal I made came from my heart, and I tried to find recipes that maybe Nate and his twins had never tried before. Not that we didn’t have pizza or chicken nuggets on occasion, but I wanted to expand their palates. Not once did they complain. The majority of the time, Molly and Eloise finished every bite on their plates.
I had so much fun with them in the shop today. Watching their eyes light up when I showed them the pictures I wanted to use as inspiration made my heart melt. Nate had been helpful, too. I loved picking his brain regarding all the aspects of the business. There were a lot of things I hadn’t considered and added to a new list in the back of my binder.
My last class for my business degree had been an entry-level ethics class I missed somehow. Since it was online, I was able to finish the workload in record time. I’d officially graduate at the end of summer. Earning my degree online meant I wouldn’t get to participate in any of the pomp and circumstance regarding a graduation ceremony, but I didn’t mind. Opening my shop was going to be all the pomp and circumstance I needed.
We talked about the opening date for the shop, and I circled the month of September. I really hoped to get it up and running by then, if not before, but July was already right around the corner.
Last week, Aspen and I sat down and worked on my website. It was still in preview mode, but she’d done a great job mocking something up. I didn’t have any e-commerce available yet, but we left that as an option in the future.
The focus right now was to get the cakes ready for the Ashfield Summer Festival. It always took place over Fourth of July weekend. I had fifteen cakes ready to go, and I hoped to add a few more. I’d been experimenting with the circular single serving slicer I found online. I had hopes it would work the way I wanted.
“What’s on your mind, Alexandra?”
I startled at my name. Looking down at my hands, I saw I’d torn today’s newspaper into tiny shreds. “Nothing. Just wondering if Nate was able to find the battery for Molly. You know how the stores close early on Sunday.”
Originally, the four of us planned to come here for dinner together, but halfway through their visit, Molly’s hearing aid died. Nate tried to tell her she could hear without it, but she insisted on getting a replacement. Apparently, it comforted her to have it on, like a security blanket. I hoped she always felt that way as she got older and didn’t let kids bully her for it.
Nate apologized and took the girls back to the B&B, but he couldn't find any of her spares. He’d been texting me since they left, and so far, three stores didn’t have what they were looking for.
