Andrea checked the time before calling David’s cell phone number. She didn’t want to interrupt his day, but she had exciting news she had to share.
It had been a week since he’d left Montana. A nail-biting, anxious week that had given her too many sleepless nights. But, thanks to Katie’s sister, Diana, she’d found an oven she could afford.
“David O’Dowd speaking.”
He sounded stressed. “Hi. It’s Andrea Smith from Sapphire Bay. I hope I haven’t called you at a bad time?”
“Hi, Andrea. It’s okay. I was going to call you anyway. Have you had any luck finding the appliances for your café?”
“A restaurant in Bigfork is closing. They’ve already sold most of their equipment, but they have an oven that sounds perfect. I’m going there this weekend to look at it.”
“That’s great. I’ve called a few organizations I know but, unfortunately, they can’t help. They have closing dates for their funding applications and we’ve missed all of them.”
Andrea’s heart sank. The option of buying at least one new refrigerator was getting less likely. “Thanks for contacting them.”
“You must be disappointed.”
“A little, but I appreciate what you’ve done. If I could borrow more money from the bank, it wouldn’t be an issue. Hopefully, the oven is okay and one of the appliance stores I’ve contacted will find a refrigerator.”
“I have another option.”
Andrea frowned. “You do?”
“If the only thing stopping you from buying new appliances is money, have you thought about working with a business partner?”
“There aren’t that many people in Sapphire Bay who’d want to invest in a café.”
“What if they didn’t live in Montana? You’d have complete control over your business. All you’d have to do is share some of the profits with them.”
It sounded too good to be true. “Do you know someone who might be interested?”
“I do.” The pause between David’s next words deepened Andrea’s frown. “Me.”
She didn’t say anything. Why would David or anyone else want to invest in her business? It wasn’t as if she had a proven track record of working in a profitable café.
“Andrea? Are you still there?”
“I am. I’m just surprised you want to work with me.”
“You’re honest and willing to work hard to make a difference. And, from what I’ve seen of the café, it’s in a great location. Once the other stores open in Anchor Lane you won’t be short of customers. Katie and Peter raved about the food you’ve cooked for them. What more could I want from an investment?”
“Someone who knows what they’re doing.” Andrea’s softly spoken words said a lot about the stress she was under. Opening her own business was everything she’d ever wanted, but each setback knocked her confidence. “The money for the appliances is only one of my problems. Shelley said she’d help me organize the financial side of my business, but there’s so much to do.”
“It’s just as well I know my way around an Excel spreadsheet. Working together is a perfect solution for both of us. You would have total control over the café. All I’ll do is help with the finances and provide advice around marketing and anything else you need.”
Andrea wasn’t sure it would work as well as David imagined. “Are you doing this because you feel sorry for me?”
“I’m offering to be your silent partner because it makes sense. If the board of directors approve the plan for BioTech’s labs, over forty construction workers will be remodeling the building on Norris Road. You’ll be the closest café to the building site. Combined with the customers coming in off the street, you’ll be selling a lot of food and coffee. Investing in your café makes more sense than leaving my money in the bank.”
She didn’t want to think about how much money he must have in his bank account. It would only make her more worried. “I’ve never worked with a partner before. What percentage would you take from my profit?”
“How about I email a proposal to you? That way, you can think about any questions you’d like me to answer.”
“Okay. And you’re positive you won’t tell me what to do?”
“You’ll have complete control over how you operate the café. But, once a month, I’ll expect a full run-down of how everything’s going. We could ask a lawyer to draw up a contract that sets out what each of us will do.”
She’d be mad not to accept his offer, especially if he only wanted a small percentage of the profit. “I’ll read the proposal as soon as it arrives and let you know my decision.”
