Read Online Sunny Chandler's Return by Sandra Brown - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Sandra Brown
Tags: Fiction
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remorseful, that sympathetic. She braced herself for having her high hopes dashed against the rocks of sexual prejudice.
“The figures you submitted are impressive, Miss Chandler.”
“But realistic, I believe.” She smiled, trying not to let her trepidation show. Banks didn’t lend money to people who looked like they needed it.
“Much as I admire your enthusiasm for your work, I’m afraid you’re being a trifle optimistic.”
“On the contrary, I’ve been conservative in my projections.”
“Still,” Mr. Smithie said, clearing his throat importantly, “they’re only projections.”
“Projections based on experience.” At the risk of being argumentative, Sunny wouldn’t take no for an answer without putting up a good fight. “I know what women, and men for that matter, are prepared to spend on these things. My clients will be society people with staggering incomes.”
“But you have no clients at present,” he pointed out reasonably.
“That’s why I need the business loan, Mr. Smithie. To promote my new business. I
do
have clients, people who will work only with me where I am currently employed. They won’t hear of entrusting themselves to anyone else. Once they know I’m in business for myself, they’ll naturally come to me.”
He looked skeptical, but didn’t offer a rebuttal. Instead he glanced down at his wristwatch, a reminder that she was taking up a great deal of his valuable time. “As for collateral—”
“The lake property.”
“But that actually belongs to your father.”
“And you have in the file a letter authorizing me to use it. Do you think I forged his signature on the letter, Mr. Smithie?”
“Of course not, Sunny,” he said with a falsely jovial smile. He had lapsed into using her first name. Neither of them noticed because at any other time prior to today, he’d always called her Sunny.
“Then I fail to see the problem. The value of the lake cabin and surrounding acreage more than covers the amount I’m asking to borrow. As you know, my father is a respected businessman. He wouldn’t risk his property if he didn’t believe in what I want to do.”
“But going into business for oneself,” he said with a mournful shake of his head, “that’s an ambitious undertaking for anybody. But especially for a woman.”
Sunny sat back in her chair and eyed him assessingly. “You mean that if I were a man, the bank would have no qualms about lending me the money?”
He held up both hands. “No, no, not at all. The bank has no such prejudices.”
I’ll just bet
, Sunny thought.
“It’s simply that most of the young ladies who grow up here get married and...” Too late Mr. Smithie realized his faux pas. The deepening color in his cheeks did Sunny a world of good. Now she had him on the defensive. “What I mean to say is, it would make better sense if you applied for a loan at a bank in New Orleans.”
She had. She had applied at several banks and been turned down. The Latham Green National Bank was her last hope, but she didn’t want Mr. Smithie to know that. “I thought you would appreciate my business,” she said with a saucy smile.
“Oh, we do, we do, it’s just...” He foundered, shuffling papers on his desk while he searched for something to say. She almost felt sorry for him. He wanted to turn her down in a way that would spare her, him, and the bank any awkwardness. He probably wished she hadn’t been his first client on this Monday morning. Helluva way to launch the week.
Well, fine
, she thought.
Welcome to the club, Mr.
Smithie.
Her week hadn’t started out so great, either. First, she’d had to return to a town she had thought she’d seen the last of. Then she’d fallen prey to that crocodile-cum -sheriff. At the stroke of midnight last night she’d found out just how dangerous an animal he was.
Thinking about him only fueled her determination to make this necessary trip to Latham Green pay off. She leaned forward and spoke in a
“The figures you submitted are impressive, Miss Chandler.”
“But realistic, I believe.” She smiled, trying not to let her trepidation show. Banks didn’t lend money to people who looked like they needed it.
“Much as I admire your enthusiasm for your work, I’m afraid you’re being a trifle optimistic.”
“On the contrary, I’ve been conservative in my projections.”
“Still,” Mr. Smithie said, clearing his throat importantly, “they’re only projections.”
“Projections based on experience.” At the risk of being argumentative, Sunny wouldn’t take no for an answer without putting up a good fight. “I know what women, and men for that matter, are prepared to spend on these things. My clients will be society people with staggering incomes.”
“But you have no clients at present,” he pointed out reasonably.
“That’s why I need the business loan, Mr. Smithie. To promote my new business. I
do
have clients, people who will work only with me where I am currently employed. They won’t hear of entrusting themselves to anyone else. Once they know I’m in business for myself, they’ll naturally come to me.”
He looked skeptical, but didn’t offer a rebuttal. Instead he glanced down at his wristwatch, a reminder that she was taking up a great deal of his valuable time. “As for collateral—”
“The lake property.”
“But that actually belongs to your father.”
“And you have in the file a letter authorizing me to use it. Do you think I forged his signature on the letter, Mr. Smithie?”
“Of course not, Sunny,” he said with a falsely jovial smile. He had lapsed into using her first name. Neither of them noticed because at any other time prior to today, he’d always called her Sunny.
“Then I fail to see the problem. The value of the lake cabin and surrounding acreage more than covers the amount I’m asking to borrow. As you know, my father is a respected businessman. He wouldn’t risk his property if he didn’t believe in what I want to do.”
“But going into business for oneself,” he said with a mournful shake of his head, “that’s an ambitious undertaking for anybody. But especially for a woman.”
Sunny sat back in her chair and eyed him assessingly. “You mean that if I were a man, the bank would have no qualms about lending me the money?”
He held up both hands. “No, no, not at all. The bank has no such prejudices.”
I’ll just bet
, Sunny thought.
“It’s simply that most of the young ladies who grow up here get married and...” Too late Mr. Smithie realized his faux pas. The deepening color in his cheeks did Sunny a world of good. Now she had him on the defensive. “What I mean to say is, it would make better sense if you applied for a loan at a bank in New Orleans.”
She had. She had applied at several banks and been turned down. The Latham Green National Bank was her last hope, but she didn’t want Mr. Smithie to know that. “I thought you would appreciate my business,” she said with a saucy smile.
“Oh, we do, we do, it’s just...” He foundered, shuffling papers on his desk while he searched for something to say. She almost felt sorry for him. He wanted to turn her down in a way that would spare her, him, and the bank any awkwardness. He probably wished she hadn’t been his first client on this Monday morning. Helluva way to launch the week.
Well, fine
, she thought.
Welcome to the club, Mr.
Smithie.
Her week hadn’t started out so great, either. First, she’d had to return to a town she had thought she’d seen the last of. Then she’d fallen prey to that crocodile-cum -sheriff. At the stroke of midnight last night she’d found out just how dangerous an animal he was.
Thinking about him only fueled her determination to make this necessary trip to Latham Green pay off. She leaned forward and spoke in a
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