One Gain One Stumble
Jessica had left Christopher in deep thought the next morning. He liked Amber Ann—she was a good person and shrewd at business. He looked at the picture of his wife on the nightstand and thought about how she had cried when they found out she couldn't have children. His heart slowly twisted in his chest.
He knew two things about Jessica: she kept her promises, and she always bled you dry. He knew she would not give them a baby without a hefty cost.
His phone rang. It was Jessica. He answered it begrudgingly.
"Are you awake, love? I emailed you the doctor's report. Take it to your fertility expert and verify things. I can deliver."
He entered his email as she spoke and opened the long medical document. He and his wife had gone through this process so many times that he knew exactly what to look for. He nodded to himself; the report seemed legitimate.
"Do it today, Christopher." His text notification sounded in his ear—a picture of a prescription to boost fertility. "Darling." The word was delivered in a sweet, sing-song voice laced with danger.
"I will do it today, Jessica. When will you…"
"I have no problems, love. I may already be pregnant." The call disconnected. Christopher looked at the picture of his wife, sighed, and called his office.
"Lacey? I finished researching the construction information for the proposed boutique hotel at Blue Serene Lake. There is a problem: our risk estimations are short by one million dollars. Hold the loan until I work this out."
The voice on the other end gave a slight, audible tsk. "I told you that you needed a vacation. You never make mistakes like that. I'll put the hold on it now. Do you want another inspection?"
"No, I trust Max's data. I will just go over the figures again and make the corrections."
"Okay, boss. See you soon."
The call disconnected, and the phone fell from Christopher's hand. He suddenly felt horrid. Amber Ann had always been good to him. He pursed his lips and picked up his phone to call his wife. He was going to celebrate finding a new lawyer to possibly help them find a baby. He hated telling her so soon, but he also knew her too well—she needed a spark of hope to keep moving forward—and the sad part was he knew this was a promise he could finally keep.
At Blue Serene Lake, Amber Ann stood in front of her third business venture on the property—a new concept boutique hotel. The property was sprawling—one of the largest on the resort.
She smiled as her mind ran over the concept for the rooms and cabanas. She looked toward the large trucks digging and working the land to lay foundations, when her phone rang. She frowned. It was never a good sign when the bank called you.
"Good morning."
"Good morning, Amber Ann. It's Julia."
"Hey, Julia. Can I be optimistic and believe that this is good news?"
There was a pause, then a sigh.
"I just got word from the financers. The construction loan for the boutique hotel has been delayed due to miscalculation of risk. They need to reassess before they can authorize."
Amber Ann frowned and pursed her lips. She had used a huge chunk of her money to buy the resort. She had planned to use loans for the construction work. She sighed.
"Take it from my $401k and once the loan goes through, just replace it." She shrugged as she finished speaking.
"But you can't be sure the loan will go through now. Christopher Patrick is usually a wiz with all this. For him to make a mistake is odd; it could be a bad sign, Amber Ann."
Amber Ann nodded as she thought about how much Chris used to adore Jessica.
"Take it from the $401k, Julia, and set up a monthly plan to pay it back. It will work out."
"Okay. I know how you are when your mind is made up."
"Thank you, Julia." As soon as the phone disconnected, it rang again, and Amber Ann had the urge to throw it into the lake.
"How are you, Marcus?"
"Hey, Am! I have good news."
She turned to the lake and looked out onto the water. "Good, Marcus, I need some."
"I was putting out feelers for the mud, minerals, and the essential oils you asked me about, and I was contacted by two very reputable companies."
Amber Ann perked up. Her bathhouse was ready except for the mud and mineral baths in the spa section. She hadn't had time to research sourcing herself, so she left it to her suppliers—so far they were coming up blank or finding companies she would never work with.
"What are their names? Do they meet my criteria?"
"Yes and yes. The Jade Serenity Mineral Works for the mud and Antiquus Apothecārius for the oils. They are cosmetic grade and higher, and only use sustainable materials."
"Great, Marcus! Thanks so…" her voice fell, and the words became stuck in her throat. She had forgotten her money situation.
"The best part is they are trying to break into the US market, so they are offering all that you need for free for six months."
There was complete silence for several breaths.
"You will have to pay the transportation costs, though."
Amber Ann narrowed her eyes. Marcus and Dan were best friends. He had even gotten Dan and David on the construction site to spy.
"For free, Marcus?"
Marcus laughed nervously. "I know, I know. But it is done all the time. If they give you the first six months and then can show you as a loyal customer, they gain long-term business with you and new prospects due to business with you. It is…"
"Okay. Okay. I will believe you—for now. When will we have the first shipment of materials?"
"They are large orders. Antiquus is saying seven to ten days, and Jade Serenity is saying ten to fifteen days."
"That's good. Okay. I will tell Mandy you will be sending an invoice for shipping costs on two shipments."
"Thanks, Am. Umm, is everything okay?"
Amber Ann smiled. "Are you gathering information for Dan?"
"Oh. I am sorry. I…"
"No, I am sorry." She sighed and shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I found out that some needed construction financing has been delayed. It will all work out."
Marcus listened thoughtfully. "You are a great businesswoman, Am. You will make it work."
"Thanks, Marcus."
Marcus sat at his desk thinking—he had just disconnected the call with Amber Ann. He exhaled and looked at his phone. He had always thought that Dan was a fool who took his wife for granted. He might as well help him retain her—now that he understood her worth.