Suddenly, it was getting hot in there for Kelly. She was bookended by two unhappy women. But not for long. Pepper yanked her by her arm and dragged her over to a rack of dresses.
“What is going on? Don’t you think you have enough to deal with? You have to go to the bank to get the loan. You have to deal with the break-in and run this business.”
Kelly raised her palm. “Enough,” she blurted out and regretted it.
Pepper drew back, clearly offended.
“I’m sorry.” She inhaled a cleansing breath. “It’s been a rough morning so far.”
“After what she did to you, she doesn’t deserve your loyalty.” Pepper grabbed Kelly’s arms and looked her directly in the eyes. “Ever since Ariel’s accident, you go out on a limb to help people. Sometimes it’s to your own detriment. You have a big mess here at the boutique, the roof, the leaks, the loan. You shouldn’t be chasing down a killer for a woman who treated you like dirt.”
Kelly dropped her head. She knew Pepper was right, but she’d given her word to Serena. After a decade of being someone people couldn’t rely on, she would keep her word even if it was to a self-absorbed, judgmental diva who crushed her career with two little words—you’re fired.
She looked over her shoulder at Serena, who was casting disdainful looks at the merchandise, and she reconsidered her plan. No, she’d promised.
“Trust me.” Kelly freed herself from Pepper’s grasp and walked back to Serena. She thrust the paper back into Serena’s hands, shocking the woman. “Go back to the house. I’ll see what I can find out, but first, I need to tend to some business.”
There was a little movement in Serena’s eyebrows, showing Kelly that she needed another injection of Botox and that she was surprised by Kelly’s directness.
“Fine. I expect regular updates.” Serena spun around and left the boutique.
Kelly looked back at Pepper. The glare was still in place. Darn.
“I’m going to head out to the bank.” Kelly hitched her thumb over her shoulder and then turned. She scurried out of the room before Pepper could say anything.
Before leaving the boutique, Kelly slipped on a red Balmain-inspired blazer she found in a shop in the city. The real deal was about two thousand dollars, well beyond her budget. This jacket’s exquisite tailoring, tapered waist, and the quality wool-blend fabric was pretty darn close to the original.
Approaching the loan officer’s desk, she channeled nothing but positivity.
Red was the color of power, determination. She squared her shoulders, lifted her chin, and embraced her confidence, which was at an all-time high. Jed Callahan stood when Kelly reached the desk, extended his hand, and gave her a firm shake. He then gestured to one of the two chairs in front of his desk before returning to his seat.
He had tanned skin with deep lines around his eyes and a head of white hair. Jed looked very professional in his navy pinstriped suit. Its smooth shoulder lines showed it was a well-tailored suit. While Kelly didn’t know much about men’s fashion, having male friends who worked in fashion helped her recognize the difference between off-the-rack and tailored.
“Good to see you, Miss Quinn. Hopefully, I’ll be able to assist you today.”
Kelly hoped so too.
She settled on the edge of the chair and leaned forward to provide him with the paperwork she compiled.
After his perusal of the papers, he smiled. “I’m impressed by your thoroughness.” He returned his attention to the documents.
A compliment so early on. Kelly relaxed into the chair. She’d be leaving with the loan.
Jed hemmed.
Kelly’s eyes narrowed. What was he hemming about? She tried to see what document he was reading.
He flipped the page. Then frowned.
Kelly leaned forward. What was he reading?
He flipped the page. A slight shake of his head. If she’d blinked, she would have missed it, but he’d definitely shook his head.
Why? Why the head shake? She’d filled in all the boxes. Revenue was up last month over the same time a year ago,
All of that was a good thing. Wasn’t it?
Jed looked up at Kelly, gathered all the documents together, and then clasped his hands.
“Well?” she asked, on pins and needles.
“I’m sorry, but I cannot authorize the loan you’re seeking.”
Kelly went to say something, but she was speechless. How could he deny her so fast? So easily? The money she was asking for was to improve her building so she could keep the business open. With the uptick in sales, it was a sign her little resale boutique could repay the loan. Why couldn’t Jed see it?
“I don’t understand. I have good credit.” Her voice had returned, and she leaned forward and jabbed at the top form.
“I see. While it’s impressive, it’s not enough to carry such a large loan. Besides the building, your business’s assets are pretty much nonexistent. Retail is a risky business.”
Kelly agreed. The risk was a part of the allure for her. From the first time she set foot on the sales floor at Bishop’s and felt the adrenaline of selling, she was hooked. Her shoulders slumped as Jed’s words seeped farther inside of her. The denial crushed her.
She’d done everything the bank requested.
She’d done everything to turn the boutique around with little money and experience.
She’d done everything right.
“Perhaps the best thing to do is to sell the building. You’d walk away with a hefty check and no headaches because, with such an old house, there are bound to be more problems down the road.” He smiled, but there was no warmth, only his unusually white teeth baring at her. Did he sleep in whitening strips?
Sell? She lowered her eyelids and shook her head. He sounded like her uncle Ralph.
She opened her eyes, blinked, and then her gaze traveled past Jed to the window, behind the mahogany desk, and that’s when she noticed a framed photograph of three men, golfers, on the credenza.
Jed was in the center with her uncle next to him, an arm around Jed’s shoulder.
Annoyance bubbled in her belly. What was with her uncle? He was so desperate, to the point it was pathetic, for her to sell the building. Why? He stood to gain nothing since she owned the house free and clear.
And that’s when it hit her.
This wasn’t about money like she’d assumed. No, her uncle was still bitter he’d been cut out of his mother’s will. Being made executor was another blow. If he couldn’t have the house and business, no one could.
She wanted to be furious with him, but all she felt was pity and sadness for such a petty and greedy person.
Kelly checked herself before speaking. The last thing she wanted to do was become an emotional, hot mess after working so hard to be taken seriously as a businesswoman. She inhaled a deep, cleansing breath, set her shoulders, and crossed her legs.
“I see your point, Jed. Loaning me the money wouldn’t be a smart business decision for your bank. I have given thought to selling.”
A small victorious smile tugged at Jed’s lips. The poor sucker thought the little ploy he’d cooked up with her uncle was working.
“However, I’ve decided not to sell. I love the boutique, and I’m determined to carry on with my grandmother’s business. She left me her legacy. Now, there has to be another way for me to get the money to replace my roof.”
And Jed’s smile slipped away.
“Do you need to check with someone before continuing our conversation? Perhaps your manager? I’d welcome the opportunity to speak with him or her. I can wait.” Wow. Her dupe Balmain blazer was working wonders. She could only imagine how she’d feel if she ever slipped on a real one.
“You golf?” she asked, nodding to the photo on the credenza.
He looked over his shoulder and then back to Kelly.
A shadow of guilt clouded his eyes. She could tell he knew she knew what he’d conspired to do with her loan application.
“There are other options.” Jed unclasped his hands and patted the paperwork.
“Wonderful. I’m listening.”
“Since the building is paid off, you can use it as collateral.”
It took all her self-control not to ask Jed, “Was that so hard?” Instead, she maintained a blank expression even though that option wasn’t appealing. Heaven forbid something happened. She’d not only lose the business but her home too. Then again, if she got the loan and couldn’t pay it off, she’d lose her home also.
“Anything else?” she asked.
“You could open a line of credit.” Jed pinched the bridge of his nose as a pained look covered his face. It was clear to Kelly he was reluctant to share the option. Even so, he did his job by explaining the line of credit to her. He continued and laid out how to use it to pay for the needed roof repair. When she left, she had two viable options plus Marvin’s offer of a no-strings loan.
Outside the bank, Kelly tilted her chip upward to the late-winter sun. She squinted and smiled. Her granny had always said to look at the bright side of things because the dark side was too depressing.
Ain’t that the truth.
The meeting with Jed hadn’t gone as she expected, but she couldn’t let it discourage her. She had a business to run, employees relying on her, and a cat who demanded food and catnip.
While Jed hadn’t confirmed her suspicion, she’d bet her small Louis Vuitton collection that her uncle had something to do with his reluctance to work with her in securing a loan. Over a game of golf, she could easily imagine Ralph strongly suggesting—that’s how he liked to phrase his arm twisting—it would be in the bank’s best interest not to lend money to her.
“Kelly Quinn!”
Kelly froze at the sound of her name and the familiar male voice. Just great.
Chapter 12
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Kelly muttered before she looked in the direction of the voice that had called out her name. There was a sliver of a chance she was hearing things.
Nope. She wasn’t hearing things. It was indeed Barlow Childers. Heir apparent and Marvin’s grandson. A blast from the past she’d soon like to forget.
What did he want?
“Good morning, Barlow.” As with Jed, the loan officer, she checked her voice before speaking. The young business man was the last person she wanted to run into after a disappointing visit to the bank. Truth be told, Barlow was somebody she never wanted to run into. Their previous interaction, when he barged into the boutique declaring it was his rightful inheritance, had left a lot to be desired. Eventually, the whole matter had been straightened out. Still, his bull-in-china-shop behavior left a bad taste in Kelly’s mouth.
“Glad we ran into each other. I was going to call you today.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his leather bomber jacket. Unzipped, it revealed a lightweight gray crewneck. He didn’t seem the type to be adventurous with color. No, he was more of a safe bet kind of guy. A quick glance at his creased khakis, and his traditional loafers confirmed her assessment. He wasn’t a fashion risk-taker. Her guess was that he shopped at L.L. Bean.
“Oh? About what?” A pit formed in Kelly’s stomach. This wasn’t shaping up to be a good conversation or a good day.
“My grandfather.” He stepped forward, closing the space between them. Kelly caught a whiff of his aftershave or cologne and she, momentarily, forgot they were adversaries. “And his money.” That snapped Kelly out of her silly teenage age girl stupor.
“What…what are you talking about?”
Barlow chuckled. It wasn’t a lighthearted laugh. It was more like a so, we’re-going-to-play-this-game, kind of laugh. A breeze kicked up, ruffling his dark brown hair as his intense dark eyes fixated on Kelly. They were pools of intriguing darkness she could easily get lost in if it wasn’t for the fact that they were his.
“I trust you’ve taken care of your financial situation so you won’t be needing any of his money.” He gestured to the bank.
Marvin must have told his grandson about his generous offer to loan Kelly money. Being the greedy little heir, Barlow would want to stop such a transaction. Heaven forbid his grandfather do what he wanted with his own money.
“You don’t have to worry about your inheritance. I have no intention of taking Marvin up on his offer to lend me money.”
Barlow nodded. “Good to hear it. My grandfather sometimes acts out of emotion rather than logic. Guess it’s because he’s an artist.”
“Something you’ll never have to worry about. Good for you.” Kelly walked past Barlow. They had nothing to discuss.
“Are you implying I have no emotions?”
“No, of course not. I think you have emotions. You love money.” Kelly plastered on her sweetest smile and batted her false lashes.
“Correction, Miss Quinn. I respect money. I respect how hard it is to earn it, and I respect how my grandfather struggled to build his estate. Which is why I won’t allow anyone to swindle him out of his money.”
Kelly’s smile fell, and her eyes widened.
“Swindle? You think I’m trying to do that to Marvin? I turned him down. I’m here at a bank getting a loan.”
Barlow leaned in closer. “Keep in mind, my grandfather isn’t a backup plan if you fail to get a loan. I’ll be keeping a close eye on him and you, Miss Quinn.” He pulled back and then continued down the street without so much as a look back.
Kelly balled her hands into fists and huffed. The man had some nerve. He acted as if Marvin was a senile old man who needed protection from her, the young shop girl down on her luck.
Well, she wasn’t down on her luck. She was a smart woman with a college degree and ambition. She didn’t need a handout, no matter that it came from a place of affection, from Marvin or anyone else.
A honking horn caught her attention, and she looked to the curb. A police vehicle pulled up, and Gabe was inside behind the wheel. When she reached the lowered passenger window, he removed his sunglasses.
“Ahh…finally, a friendly face.” Kelly did her best to keep from sounding sorry for herself. Still, there was a little inflection of pity in her voice despite her internal pep talk a few moments ago.
How many times was a gal supposed to rebound from being kicked down before she threw her arms up in surrender to the universe?
“I take it the meeting didn’t go as you’d hoped.” Gabe leaned toward Kelly.
“No, it didn’t. I have a lot to think about and very few options.” After the words came out of her mouth, she realized all wasn’t lost. At least she had options.
“Everything will work out, you’ll see.”
Her heart swelled. He always knew the right thing to say, unlike Barlow. And she appreciated Gabe. “You don’t know how to roof a building, do you?”
Gabe grinned. “Sorry, not a skill I possess.”
“Maybe I can learn by watching a few YouTube videos.”
“I don’t think that’s a smart idea.”
“No, it’s a desperate idea. What I could really use right now is some good news. Got any?”
“Sorry. The only news I have is there was a break-in at Jason Fallow’s house overnight.”
“What? It sounds like someone was busy last night. Don’t leave me hanging, tell me more.”
Gabe shrugged. “Not much to tell. Jason was woken up by the sound of the intruder, and when he got downstairs, the person was gone, but whoever it was broke the patio door.”
“Huh.” Kelly’s mind churned. Was the intruder an opportunist looking to score some pawnable items from the home of a grieving widower, or had the killer come back to kill again? Or, was it the same person who’d broken into her boutique? If so, why?
“Oh, boy.”
“It’s never that simple with you.”
“Haha. His wife was just murdered, and now someone broke into his house. Also, my boutique was broken into overnight. Do you think it’s a coincidence? Because I don’t.” That reminded her, she hadn’t checked her phone to see if there was an update from Pepper. So much for being a responsible business owner. Maybe Jed was right to turn her loan request down.
“Not my call. Detective Wolman is looking into it. I’ve got to get back to work. You okay?”
“Sure. Don’t worry about my financial woes or the leaky roof. As you said, it’ll all work out.” She pulled back and waved as Gabe eased his vehicle back onto the road. She pulled her phone out of her purse and checked her messages while she walked back to the boutique. There was a message from Pepper. An officer had arrived, and Kelly needed to get back ASAP. She picked up her pace and made it back to the boutique in record time. Well, she never timed the distance between the bank and the boutique, but it felt like she beat a personal record all the same.
Before she entered, she noticed the police car parked out front and then looked up at the biggest pain in her bottom line. The roof. The timing of its decay was unfortunate, to say the least. Even if it waited months or a year to fail, there wasn’t any guarantee she’d be in better financial shape. Retail wasn’t for the faint of heart. She reminded herself she was Martha Blake’s granddaughter. She would survive this hiccup.
A five-figure roof repair was more than just a hiccup. Kelly shook her head. Everything had to work out. It just had to. She reached for the door handle and saw that the Closed sign was still displayed. When she discovered someone had ransacked the downstairs, she was scared, mostly. Someone had been in her space while she was sleeping. The thought was unnerving. Now, that fear morphed into anger because she was losing money. The process of reporting the crime, having evidence collected, and checking inventory took time. In the business world, time was money. She blew out a breath. Everything would work out. She entered the boutique with what she hoped was a better mindset than only a moment ago.
How to Frame a Fashionista Page 13