“But what if you did have time? If you had all the time in the world, would you want to fulfill your mother’s dream? Open up a B&B?”
Samira didn’t need much time to think about it. If she had nothing but time and money, she would love to run a bed and breakfast. She was already in the hospitality business. She loved to see happy guests. Of course, she would want to fulfill her mother’s dream.
“Yes. But even if I had time, it would take a lot of money to get something like that off the ground,” Samira answered sadly.
“What if you had a silent investor?”
It was Samira’s turn to stand and pace the room, knowing Andrea was talking about herself. She never had any problems working for Andrea. She had always been fair and helped any way she could. Would it be so bad to have her as a silent partner? She’d be able to run things the way she wanted and not have to answer to anyone. She could set her own schedule. Running a bed and breakfast was much more relaxed than running an entire hotel.
“I couldn’t ask you to do that,” Samira finally said.
“You didn’t ask. I’m offering. If you’re going to do something like this, wouldn’t it be helpful to have the backing of someone experienced in the business? With a silent investor, you’ll have all the control. But if you need advice or help, then I’d be happy to help any way I can. It’s a win-win scenario. Think about it,” Andrea said, her voice bubbling with excitement. “I can even set you up with some of the contractors we use, so you can get things started right away and for a reasonable price.”
Samira stopped her pacing and turned to Andrea. “It’s that simple?”
“It can be. I can get someone else to fill your position here. We have a lot of employees. I only have one best friend, and I want to see her happy. If I just help you out with the money you need for renovations, then there isn’t much money on the line. Not enough to destroy a friendship anyway.”
“And if I sell my loft, I really won’t need that much between renovations and startup costs,” Samira thought out loud. “I already own the property.”
Andrea made her way over to the door. “I’ll leave you to your thoughts. No pressure. Your job isn’t on the line. But if you decide a bed and breakfast is for you, then you know where to find me. Draw up a proposal, and we’ll go from there. We’ll make it work. And you can even get your man back if that’s what you want.”
Samira watched as Andrea walked into the hallway and closed the door behind her. For the first time since she inherited the house, she felt a real flicker of hope. Now that she was no longer at odds with her feelings toward her hometown, the solution seemed obvious. It was time she stopped running. She sat down at her desk and picked up her cell phone.
“Hi Samira,” Wendy answered after the second ring. “Did you just realize what a great offer you walked away from?”
“No. But I’d like to put my loft on the market. Are you interested? I’m interested in a quick sale even if I could get a little more by passing on a few offers. If you’re interested, could you meet me after work today? I’ll text you the address.”
“In Columbia Heights?” Wendy exclaimed. “I’ll be there.”
***
Andy walked into his kitchen and sat down at the table. He was beyond exhausted. The grand-opening week could be considered no less than a success. He had taken more orders in seven daysthan he ever imagined possible. They were able to fulfill a few of the orders they had turned down in the weeks before they opened to the public. The foot traffic from the grand opening wiped out most of their display items, so, no matter what, they would be busy restoring the showroom.
He leaned back in the chair and took a moment to close his eyes. He was pretty sure he hadn’t sat down all week. His feet hurt, and his back was tired. If he was that tired from running around dealing with customers, he didn’t want to know what the following weeks of fulfilling orders would bring.
After kicking off his shoes, he stood and made his way to the liquor cabinet. He rarely drank, but he needed a spot of whiskey. Even a hard day on the water ended in a completely different type of exhaustion. He filled the bottom of a glass with whiskey before making his way to his bedroom to get changed.
He no sooner set the glass down on his nightstand before his phone began to vibrate in his pocket. After a deep sigh, he pulled it from his back pocket and swiped answer without reading the screen.
“Hello?”
“Andy, honey. Are you home? Can you come to the hospital?” his mother’s voice came across the line.
“Mom? What’s the matter. I just got home. Where are you? Do you need me to pick you up?”
“I’m at the hospital with your dad.” Her voice cracked on the last word. “Please come.”
His mother hadn’t finished her request before he was changing into a clean shirt and heading for the kitchen to retrieve his shoes. His mother rarely called, let alone called him in a panic. The last time they went together to visit his dad, he was in good spirits, and the visit ended on a high note. He chose not to focus on how unusually lucid his father had been.
He made the trip to the hospital on auto pilot with barely a chance to think about what was happening before he was pulling into a parking spot. He didn’t notice the cold rain that began to fall as he walked toward the entrance. He hadn’t stopped to grab a jacket, but he didn’t feel the icy drops that pelted him from every direction. All he knew was that he had to get to his mother.
“Eldon Grant?” he asked anxiously when he reached the information desk.
“Third floor, room 3E,” she answered with a smile.
Andy didn’t hold the small smile against the girl. They didn’t have any patient information. She didn’t know that his mother had called him in a panic. She didn’t know that he had run to his truck after pouring a much-needed alcoholic beverage without even having time to take one sip.
“Mom?” Andy breathed after entering room 3E.
