Chapter 3: The Signature That Never Came
Bianca stared at the loan agreement.
The restaurant around her continued to buzz with conversation, but the sounds seemed distant now.
A waiter carried a tray of champagne glasses past their table.
Someone laughed near the bar.
A photographer asked the guests to gather for another picture.
Yet Bianca could barely hear any of it.
All she could see was the blank signature line.
Her name had already been printed beneath it.
*PERSONAL GUARANTOR: BIANCA REYNOLDS.*
She looked at Curtis.
"How much?""
Curtis adjusted his collar.
"We'll discuss the details later.""
"No. We'll discuss them now.""
He glanced toward the guests.
"Bianca, please.""
She placed the pen on the table.
"How much money do you owe?""
Curtis gave a humorless laugh.
"You're making this sound like I committed some terrible crime.""
Tessa remained silent.
She had no intention of answering for him.
Bianca opened the portfolio and removed the financial projections.
"I've read the business plan three times," she said.
"You told me the loan would cover the kitchen equipment, the renovation, the initial inventory, and six months of operating expenses.""
"Correct.""
"You said you had already paid the contractors.""
"I have.""
"You said the business had no outstanding personal obligations.""
Curtis rubbed his forehead.
"That's not exactly what I said.""
Bianca looked directly at him.
"You told me the company was starting fresh.""
"It is.""
"Then why did Tessa's report show you moving money out of your previous restaurant to pay gambling debts?""
Curtis lowered his voice.
"Because she doesn't understand how business works.""
Tessa almost laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because the excuse was exactly the same as the one he had used four years earlier.
Curtis turned toward her.
"You've had your moment. Now leave us alone.""
Tessa closed the folder.
"I was already leaving.""
She picked up her handbag.
Bianca suddenly spoke.
"Wait.""
Tessa stopped.
Bianca stood beside the table.
"Can I ask you something?""
"Of course.""
"Those three restaurants. Are they really yours?""
Tessa nodded.
"Yes.""
"Did you build them yourself?""
"I started the first one with my savings and a small business loan. The other two came later.""
Bianca looked genuinely surprised.
"How long did it take?""
"Almost three years before I felt comfortable expanding.""
Curtis interrupted.
"She's making it sound like some inspirational story.""
Tessa didn't look at him.
Bianca continued.
"How do you know whether a restaurant is financially healthy?""
Tessa considered the question.
"First, you separate personal money from business money. Then you understand your cash flow. You don't use payroll funds to cover personal expenses. You don't borrow money for expansion before the existing operation can support it.""
Bianca glanced at Curtis.
Tessa continued.
"And you don't ask someone to guarantee a loan without showing them every outstanding obligation.""
Curtis slammed his palm against the table.
"Enough!""
Several guests turned.
He pointed at Tessa.
"You're not some financial expert just because you managed to open a few little bistros.""
Tessa's expression remained calm.
"You're right. I'm not a financial expert. That's why I hired an accountant.""
A man standing nearby coughed to hide a laugh.
Curtis's face reddened.
Bianca didn't smile.
Instead, she pulled the business plan closer.
"Who prepared these financial projections?""
Curtis hesitated.
"My consultant.""
"What's his name?""
"Why?""
"Because I want to speak to him.""
Curtis exhaled sharply.
"He's unavailable tonight.""
"Then I'll call him tomorrow.""
"Bianca, you're overreacting.""
She turned a page.
"Why is the equipment budget listed twice?""
Curtis reached for the document.
"Give me that.""
She pulled it back.
"Why is there a payment listed to a company I can't find in the supplier directory?""
"That's a contractor.""
"Which contractor?""
"Someone I work with.""
"What's the company called?""
Curtis stared at her.
For the first time, he seemed to understand that Bianca wasn't going to accept another vague explanation.
Tessa watched quietly.
She knew this expression.
It was the same one Curtis had worn when she asked him where the restaurant's money had gone.
He wasn't searching for an answer.
He was searching for an excuse.
Bianca turned another page.
"There's something else.""
Curtis closed his eyes briefly.
"What now?""
"The loan amount is almost twice what you originally told me.""
He reached across the table.
"That's because construction costs increased.""
"By this much?""
"Yes.""
"Then why didn't you tell me?""
"I didn't want you worrying.""
Bianca gave a short, disbelieving laugh.
"You didn't want me worrying, so you put my name on a personal guarantee?""
Curtis looked around.
"Can we stop doing this in front of everybody?""
Bianca's voice became quieter.
"No. You can stop inviting people into situations you don't want them to witness.""
Tessa lowered her eyes.
She remembered saying something similar during their marriage.
Back then, Curtis had accused her of being disrespectful.
Tonight, Bianca was discovering the same thing.
A successful-looking man could make a room believe anything if he controlled the story long enough.
But paperwork didn't care about his reputation.
Bianca turned toward Tessa again.
"Do you still have the complete audit?""
"Yes.""
"Would you be willing to let my accountant review it?""
Curtis stepped forward.
"Absolutely not!""
Bianca looked at him.
"Why not?""
"Because it's confidential.""
"It's a report about a business you once owned together.""
"That's between me and Tessa.""
Tessa answered before Bianca could.
"My attorney has a copy. If your accountant needs to verify anything, they can contact my attorney through the proper channels.""
Bianca nodded.
"Thank you.""
Curtis stared at Tessa.
"You'd better not interfere with my business.""
Tessa finally turned toward him.
"I don't want your business, Curtis.""
"You've always wanted to make me look bad.""
"No.""
She held his gaze.
"I wanted you to tell the truth.""
He scoffed.
"You think you're better than me because you own three restaurants?""
"No. I think I'm better off because I stopped trusting you with my future.""
The words settled between them.
For a moment, Curtis looked almost hurt.
Then his expression hardened.
"You think those little restaurants make you untouchable?""
Tessa adjusted her handbag.
"No. They make me responsible for my employees, my suppliers, and the people who trust me to feed their families.""
She paused.
"That's enough.""
She turned to leave.
But Bianca's voice stopped her again.
"One more thing.""
Tessa looked back.
Bianca pointed to the folder.
"When you said he withdrew money to pay gambling debts, did the audit show the total amount?""
Tessa nodded.
"It documented the transfers the auditors could trace.""
"How much?""
Tessa opened the folder again and checked the marked page.
"Just under sixty-eight thousand dollars.""
Bianca looked at Curtis.
He stared at the floor.
"Sixty-eight thousand?"" she repeated.
Curtis finally spoke.
"That was years ago.""
"Did you pay it back?""
"I handled it.""
"How?""
"I said I handled it.""
Bianca's face became pale.
She picked up the loan agreement again.
The room seemed to shrink around the three of them.
Curtis leaned closer.
"Baby, listen. We have a future together. This restaurant is our future. You said you believed in me.""
"I did.""
"And I still need you to believe in me.""
Bianca looked at the signature line.
Then at the man standing beside her.
"I believed you were starting a legitimate business.""
"It is legitimate.""
"Then show me the actual numbers.""
Curtis spread his hands.
"I've shown you everything.""
"No, you haven't.""
He glanced toward Tessa.
"She's putting things in your head.""
Bianca shook her head.
"She didn't make these documents.""
Curtis took a breath.
"Look, I had problems after the divorce. I was trying to survive. I made some bad decisions. But I'm not that man anymore.""
Bianca studied his face.
"Then why are you asking me to guarantee a loan you can't explain?""
Curtis reached for the paperwork.
"Give it to me. I'll take it to the bank myself.""
Bianca placed her hand firmly over the portfolio.
"No.""
He froze.
She didn't pull the documents away.
She didn't tear them up.
She didn't throw the pen across the room.
She simply kept her palm on the agreement.
And that small movement seemed to frighten Curtis more than an argument would have.
"Bianca," he said carefully.
She looked down at the page.
"I haven't signed anything yet.""
"Exactly. So let's finish this.""
"No.""
His eyebrows tightened.
"What do you mean, no?""
"I mean I'm not signing until my accountant and attorney review the entire financial picture.""
Curtis lowered his voice.
"The bank needs this tonight.""
"Then the bank can wait.""
"They won't wait.""
"Then perhaps you should have told me the truth before tonight.""
Curtis looked at Tessa.
His former wife stood a few feet away, holding the audit folder against her side.
She wasn't smiling.
She wasn't celebrating.
She wasn't even watching him with satisfaction.
She looked tired.
And somehow, that made everything worse.
For four years, Curtis had told himself Tessa was the reason his first restaurant failed.
He had repeated the story so many times that he had almost convinced himself.
Now the woman he had blamed owned three successful businesses.
And the woman he wanted to marry was questioning the very foundation of the business he had invited her to finance.
Bianca slowly lifted her hand from the agreement and placed the pen beside it.
"Before I sign anything," she said, turning completely toward Curtis, "I need you to answer one question.""
He swallowed.
"What?""
She looked him directly in the eyes.
"Is this loan really for opening the restaurant...""
She paused.
"...or is it to pay off your debts?""
Curtis's hand moved toward the documents.
Bianca placed her palm over them again.
He stopped.
For the first time that night, he had nowhere to hide.
Tessa stood silently.
The folder remained in her hands.
Curtis looked at Bianca, then at the guests, then back at the woman he had once promised he would never lie to.
His mouth opened.
And the first word he chose was—
May you like
"Baby...""
*He still hadn't answered.*
