Nothing But Trouble by Bettye Griffin Read Free Book Online Page B

“How are you, Dana?”
    â€œI’m good, thanks.” She held out her hand, which he took, but he quickly moved in to give her a quick, impersonal hug. She breathed in his cologne and momentarily closed her eyes. There was nothing better than a man who smelled as good as he looked, and Gil Albacete, in his navy suit; snazzy blue, rust, and white tie; and matching silk hankie, looked damn good. She wondered what had gone wrong between him and Irene. They’d made such a handsome couple, he with his sexy green eyes and sandy brown hair, and she with her olive complexion and thick, curly dark hair. She knew their marriage was in trouble from comments Brittany made after spending time with Vanessa: “Mom, Mr. Albacete was out real late last night,” or “Mom, Mr. and Mrs. Albacete had a big argument before she brought me home.”
    â€œHave a seat,” he said, gesturing toward the two armless chairs facing his desk.
    She complied, placing her purse at her side and her portfolio in her lap. “I know I should have gone directly to a loan officer, but I thought it wouldn’t hurt if I saw you first.”
    He leaned back in his high-backed leather chair, his green eyes fixated on her. “Why don’t you tell me what it is you’re trying to accomplish?”
    God, he was handsome. She’d never seen him dressed for work. But that was the last thing she needed to be thinking about. She’d better snap out of it. “I have an opportunity to purchase an existing medical-transcription service, and I’ve already lined up a new client who wants us to handle their transcriptions effective May first. I have two partners, and we’re each putting in eight thousand dollars. But both my partners can write checks for that amount. I can’t.”
    â€œYou have a savings account here, don’t you?”
    â€œYes. We moved all our banking here when we got the mortgage for the house we—I live in now. But I don’t want to touch my savings. It’s bad enough that I haven’t been able to add a penny to it since Kenny’s accident.” After ten months she still referred to Kenny’s tragic demise as his “accident.” “I’ve put something together with estimates of anticipated billing for the new client, plus copies of invoices from the existing service.” She pulled the report from her portfolio and passed it to him.
    Gil perused the report, the only sound in the room soft music from the local jazz station on the radio. For Dana, the song seemed to go on eternally.
    â€œI’m going to need some time to go over this,” he finally said. “But eight thousand dollars isn’t a large amount of money, especially for a depositor who has respectable savings and a mortgage with us. If you wanted to buy a car you’d need more money than that. The issue is, of course, the risk. A car can be taken back in the case of default. But a business without expensive assets is something else.”
    Dana leaned forward anxiously. “How long do you suppose it will take for an answer? We have a lot to do if we’re to go live May first.”
    â€œGive me until close of business tomorrow. But while I have you here I need some more information from you.”
    â€œI have my completed application here.”
    â€œThat’s a start.”
    At his request Dana gave him her Social Security and account numbers. The fingers of her right hand nervously drummed the fabric-covered arm of her chair.
    Gil looked up and smiled. “Try not to be nervous, Dana. I’m sure it’ll all work out.”
    Dana wished she had a hundred dollars for each time someone had said that to her in the last month. The cut to her hand required her to use her nest egg for an entire month’s expenses, which made her financial situation even more perilous. “I have to do this, Gil. Kenny was the main wage earner between us, and I