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“I want to invest in your business.” He stands up straight, looking from Jams to me and back again. “I’m willing to offer generous terms.”
“Absolutely not,” I say loudly before Jamila can speak up.
She shoots me an outraged look. “Actually, Nolan, we were just discussing our financing options, and—”
“No fucking way,” I say through my teeth. “Going to Ash for money would be bad enough, but getting involved with this guy? I’d rather max out my credit cards than take a dime fromhim.”
“I’m standing right here,” he says, looking at his fingernails. “And I feel like I should be insulted.”
“Will you excuse us for a second?” Jams grabs my arm and drags me to the opposite side of the room. She leans in close, her expression hard. “Quit being a stubborn idiot for a second and think. We could get a bank loan. We could beg Ash. But Nolan’s an actual businessman. He’ll give us cash, set strict repayment details, then fuck off. You think a guy like him wants to be involved in the day-to-day of a freaking donut shop?”
I soften slightly. “That’s not a bad point.”
“Banks will be up our asses with paperwork and stuff. Ash will be in here every other day making benign suggestions because she can’t help herself. But Nolan? This guy just wants to make some money on a loan.” She glances in his direction, face hard. Jams can be pretty serious sometimes and that’s what I love about her. “I’m not saying he’s a great guy and a great option, but we’re sort of getting into desperation territory. Why not hear him out?”
I suck in a slow breath and release it.
She’s got a point. We need money, and we need it fast. This project’s on the edge of failure, and if we don’t do something to get it back on track, we’re screwed. I’d do anything to make it work, including getting involved with Nolan Crowley.
But as we move back over to him, Jamila smiling and apologizing for my behavior, something strikes me.
He bought this place after we spoke that night. Why would he do something like that? I don’t recall mentioning this space to him, so how’d he even find out about it? And what made him want to invest in a random mixed-use building, half retail on the bottom, half apartments up above? It bothers me, nags at my brain as Nolan’s smug stare falls on me again, sucking me into the vortex of his attention.
“We’re absolutely willing to listen to your proposal,” Jamila’s saying, “and if we can come to a reasonable agreement, I’m sure Keely would be glad to do business with you. Right, Keely?”
They both stare at me. I know what I’m expected to say.
“Fuck that,” is what comes out instead. Jamila rubs her face with both hands. Nolan looks amused. “What’s your game?” I ask him, jabbing a finger in his direction. “I told you that I wanted to do this on my own. No help, nothing but my own hard work. I told you that was my dream. Then you drop in here, wanting to invest? After having bought the place? You knew we were renting. You knew it was me, and you gave us a discounted rate, didn’t you?”
He shrugs. “I was doing a favor for a friend of my sister-in-law.”
“How about you do me a favor and leave? We’ll pay rent. We’ll call your holding company or whatever if there are any problems with the building. Otherwise, I’m not interested in Crowley money, and I’m sure as hell not interested in you.”
Jamila looks crestfallen. Her mouth hangs open and she’s twisting one of her curls. “Nolan, I don’t think—”
“Yes, I absolutely mean it,” I say before she can finish. “Jams, we’ll figure out the money another way. But it’s not this.”
“Comeon, Keely. You can’t be serious right now? Everything is going to be ten times harder, and this guy drops in out of nowhere, looking to invest—”
“Exactly, out of nowhere, right when we’re most desperate. That’s not a little shady?”
“What, do you think he has magic powers? Like the guy can smell our desperation? Come on, it’s a good investment, that’s all.”
“You have no clue—”
“Excuse me,” Nolan says, cutting me off and breaking the flow of my argument with Jamila. I stand there, seething, annoyed that she’s doing this in front of him, and even more annoyed with myself for looking so weak and stupid. I hate that he showed up, and I hate even more that I’m tempted to take his money.
But I can’t do it. No matter what, I have to make this place my own, and letting Nolan Crowley throw cash at me after already discounting our rent is going too far.
“Sorry, Nolan, this must seem really unprofessional,” Jamila says, still throwing venomous looks my way.
“Actually, what I’m about to say is the unprofessional bit.” He stands up straight, and the smile on his lips sends a shiver of terror down my spine. “Here’s the deal. You sent checks to my holding company. First month, last month, security deposit, second month. Did you notice that they haven’t been cashed yet?”
Jamila freezes. She stares at him, her mouth working. “I thought—when we sent them in, I figured—”
“Oh, shit,” I whisper, looking in horror at my friend.
“You thought wrong, Jamila. I did not cash your checks. In fact, I’ve been holding on to them for a reason.” His grin is horrifying. Like he knew this moment would come. Like he planned for it. “Here’s my offer. You can either take my money and let me be an investor in this business. Or I can cash all those checks at once, and we’ll see what happens to your bank account when it posts. I suspect you won’t like the results, not after what you’ve been paying these lovely construction teams, who work for my company as well, by the way.”
