By Marilyn and Beej

Ivy had been preparing for days. She had vendors and contractors all lined up. Now all she had to do was get the finances in line. Jim had made some calls and had the house and his equipment in Weehawken put on the market but there was no telling how long it would take until the sale went through. The appointment at 2 Pm with Max Skinner should decide once and for all if the whole venture was viable. Business Plan in hand she checked her reflection in the mirror. Breathing deeply she repeated her new mantra…"You can do this Ivy."

Jim decided to drive seeing how nervous Ivy was. As she got out of the car and double checked that she had all her paperwork Jim smiled. Giving her a hug he whispered to her "just remember to breathe."

Max looked out of the window and smiled. As much as he wanted the bank up and running, there was something relaxing about doing business at home for the time being. As he looked down the hill to the lane, he saw the car approaching slowly. He smiled once again as he walked into his study to make sure everything was ready.

He was thrilled that Ivy and James were now going to stay at The Glen, and knew that their business venture was bound to succeed. Especially if every woman in the small town complained as much as Ceri and Bron did about having to drive all the way to Coffs to buy their groceries.

He felt he was doing the community a service in advancing them money for their mortgage and any business loan they required. He knew that it would be a short-term loan as the Braddock property would fetch good money once sold, and he felt justified in charging the slightly higher interest than he would for a longer-term agreement. He went out to the front door and had it open in welcome as the car drove up.

Taking Jim’s hand, for both reassurance and support, "Here it goes" she said to Jim before they reached the door. "Hello Mr. Skinner, I wanted to thank you for seeing us today." Biting her lip Ivy wasn’t sure how to continue. "Ivy breathe ," Jim said as he touched her shoulder. He then looked up at Max, "She’s a little nervous."

"Don’t worry, Mrs. Braddock, I don’t bite," Max smiled reassuringly. Please come through to my study. I’m sorry that the bank isn’t ready for me to use for meetings yet, but I think this is more cozy."

He led them through the lounge room and into his study. Pointing to the two soft leather chairs in front of his desk he asked them to make themselves comfortable, then enquired if they would like a drink. Minutes later he was back with mugs of steaming coffee.

Handing one to Ivy, Max suddenly stopped. "Oh, sorry Mrs. Braddock. I wasn’t thinking. Would you prefer yours in a cup? I think I know where Ceri keeps the ‘good’ china."

"No, this is fine really." she said accepting the mug. Smiling Jim sat back in his chair and he sipped his coffee, she was going to be alright she just had to calm down and be herself.

"So what are we looking at here? I've never had a mortgage before, I bought the house outright. I figure we might take care of that first; then Ivy can let you look at her business plan." He turned to look at Ivy, "If that is alright with you. Or you can do the plan first."

Ivy looked at the paperwork in her lap and then at Jim. Gently placing it on the desk in front of her she looked at Max. "I think you should decide what we discuss first." Settling a little further back in the seat she unconsciously reached out for Jim's hand, relaxing some once her hand rested in his.

"It’s always nice to see someone has put a lot or thought and work into their proposal, saves me a lot of time and effort," Max laughed. "I think we can deal with the house first, as that will be the quickest. I would recommend a short term bridging loan rather than a lengthy mortgage if that suits you, Jim. Just to carry you over until your property is sold in Jersey. I shouldn’t think that would take you too long to dispose of. The interest is a little higher, but if you look at these figures, you will see that will save you money in the long run."

Max handed the paperwork across the desk to Jim and sat back in his sumptuous leather executive chair waiting for Jim to study the figures.

Accepting the paperwork, Jim leaned over towards Ivy so she could see them as well. "Ivy, what do you think?"

"Well as long as the property in New Jersey sells in a reasonable amount of time it should be fine. As long as you’re sure this is what you want to do." Jim smiled as he read the question on Ivy’s face. She was giving him a way out of staying in Australia if he wanted. "So Max….where do we sign?" Jim asked as he flipped through the pages.

Max took a duplicate set of paperwork from his desk and turned to the last page, handing the file to Jim. "If you’d like to sign at the bottom of this page, Jim. Then do the same with your copy." Max replied, passing his fountain pen to Jim.

Jim passed Max’s copy back to him and waited until Max put them safely in his top draw. He smiled at Ivy as she clutched his hand.

Max looked over at the couple and saw that Ivy was still a little on edge. "Now then, Ivy. Would you care to show me your business plan?"

Picking up the folder she had laid on the desk, Ivy divided the paperwork and handed like packages to Max and Jim. Taking a deep breath she looked down at her copy then back at Max. She had gone over this presentation a thousand times in her head now was her time to shine.

"I have outlined the goals for the grocery on the first page. This is a small town so I am not looking to build a super center or anything. Building, fixtures and projected utilities are next. Vendors, inventory and itemized cost are the last section. We would have the capability to order anything a grocery in Coff's would have even if it is not a generally stocked item. Just might take a day or two to come in."

"Additional market research, in other words I plan to talk to the local women about what they would like us to keep in stock. There is such a diverse group here I am sure there will be a few favorites for everyone. The projected sales figure are if the population remains static and only half shop with us. So they are really conservative. When I was in high school I spent a few summers with my uncle Ian when he owned a grocery in Delaware. I helped with the books, ordering inventory and stocking; as well as being a cashier. My uncle does plan to come and help us with the start up if we get approved for the loan."

"That is about it. I know you can read and understand the projections. Did you have any questions?" Her presentation complete Ivy looked back down at her paperwork hoping she had done enough research to manage any questions. Feeling Jim's hand on hers and she let out a sigh. She had been holding her breath again. Silently composing herself, she looked at Max.

Max was grinning like a Cheshire Cat, and almost felt he needed to sit on his hands to stop himself applauding Ivy.

"Mrs. Braddock…can I call you Ivy? This is wonderful. I see before me a wonderful business plan, extremely well thought out, not overly ambitious. I do see one flaw though…I think you underestimate how many people in The Glen will do business with you. I know from experience that Ceri and Bron are always complaining about the 30 minute drive to Coffs just to pick up a couple of items, and I think most of the residents are of the same opinion."

Max stopped talking to glance through Ivy’s proposal before continuing.

"Of course I’ll need to look through these a bit more closely, but on the basis of what I’ve seen already, I don’t foresee any problems with advancing you the business loan you’ve requested. I’ll work out a payment plan and get it to you in the next couple of days. If it meets your approval, we can get the paperwork signed. Sorry I didn’t have it ready along with Jim’s mortgage papers, but a house loan is a bit more straightforward."

He tidied up the papers on his desk and standing up, walked round to the front of his desk to shake both their hands.

Ivy watched in stunned silence as Jim and Max shook hands. She was trying to process what Max had just said. "You did great Baby. Ivy you pretty much have your loan, you know that right?" Jim asked. Ivy looked up at Jim and then at Max as he took her hand in a shake. Ivy hugged Max tightly. ‘Thank you, I won’t make you regret it." Jim couldn’t help but laugh as he watched her reaction.