Because of You

~ Chapter Three ~

"I'm sorry, you're going to have to say that again."

"I want to invest in your restaurant."

"Why?" she asked, dumbfounded by this bizarre twist in their conversation.

"Why not? Magnolia was off to a helluva good start – even if your kitchen was a fire trap."

"Hey!"

"You aren't seriously going to 'hey' me, are you? I told you that location was a bad idea, but you wouldn't listen, and that fire nearly killed you. If you hadn't gotten out from under that beam who knows what could have happened."

It was a thought that had disturbed many sleepless nights after the fact, but she would be damned before she ever told George that. Giving the man the satisfaction of being right wasn't something she ever enjoyed doing, and in a weird sort of way her random attacker had actually taken the heat off her and her fire-gutted restaurant.

Trading one near-death experience for another isn't exactly a win, the voice in her head mused.

She shook the thought off just in time to hear her benefactor say, "All you have to do is tell me how much you need."

"That's none of your business," she said stiffly.

"As a prospective investor it is."

"I'm not looking for an investor."

"You own a restaurant, Tulip. Of course you're looking for investors."

He had her there.

"You couldn't afford it," she challenged, and watched one of his furry caterpillar eyebrows wriggle with feigned shock and obvious amusement.

Tulip unexpectedly laughed in turn, but the sound carried a strong note of defeat. Her willpower was spent. Wasted on defending herself against mysterious muggers turned supposed killers. Wasted on arguing with George over his nephew's questionable integrity as a journalist. Trying to stand up to the bombardment of her beloved bistro was simply too much.

"Are you gold-plating the place or something?"

"Hardly. My insurance will replace all of the basics and get the place professionally cleaned and restored, but I was hoping to do more. I thought if I managed a tight budget, I would be able to do a few extra things without tacking on too many additional costs.

"I have some savings from my inheritance I can tap into, but I need to hold back a portion of that to stay liquid for the restaurant and cover my regular expenses. In case you missed it, writing a weekly column for your paper doesn't exactly cover all of the bills. I'm not making Sex and the City wages here."

"So, I'm self-centred and a cheap bastard to boot?"

Her eyes twinkled and she wiggled the toes of her sneakers for show. "It would explain why I'm wearing Keds and not Manolo Blahniks."

"Then let me make it up to you by adding angel investor to my resumé."

"A what?"

"An angel investor. It's typically a friend or family member who provides financial backing for entrepreneurs."

"In exchange for what?"

"Usually, it's for ownership equity in the business."

"Since when do you want to become a restauranteur?"

He tipped his head back and forth as if it were filled with a balancing scale contemplating the weight of some invisible object. "If it all works out, I'm thinking of a slightly different return on my investment."