“I’ve been hearing things about the ‘wonderful Callie Webber’ for a few years. I’m just glad we finally had a chance to meet. You’re vitally important to our boy. I hope you know that.”
“‘Our boy’?”
“Tom, of course. He’s like a son to me, you know. And anyone who is as dedicated to his foundation as you are is A-OK in my book.”
The man had a certain energy that was infectious, and I decided right away that I liked him. He spoke in no-nonsense terms, cut straight and to the point. I decided to be blunt in return.
“I believe Tom told you this isn’t our usual procedure for giving out money,” I said, lifting my briefcase and resting it on my knees. “But it’s his money. I’m sure he knows what he’s doing.”
“You may rest assured, my dear, that it will be repaid in full with ample interest. I only called Tom because I needed some cash fast. We’re not very liquid around here right now, I’m afraid. I had a feeling Tom could help us out.”
I hesitated, pulling the check from its slot in my briefcase and holding it in my hand.
“Repaid?” I said. “I was under the impression that this money was a grant.”
“No, it’s a loan. Most definitely a loan.”
“In that case,” I said, fingering the check, “I need to make a phone call first.”
“Is there a problem?”
“No, no,” I said, tucking the check away. “We’ve made loans before. But it’s done differently, from a different account. I just need to speak to our accounting people to see if I can go ahead and give you this check or if it should be handled another way, like with a wire transfer.”
“Of course.”
“And I’ll need to put together our standard loan contract. Shouldn’t take too long; I have my laptop with me. Still, if there’s an empty office I could use somewhere…”
“Certainly,” Wendell said, standing. “Come with me.”
He led me back into Gwen’s office, where she was just hanging up the phone.
“Mrs. Webber needs a telephone and a little privacy,” Wendell said. “Can you help us out?”
“Of course,” she replied.
“I’ll be in here when you’re ready,” Wendell said to me. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
“Certainly.”
“Oh, and Callie?” he said, pausing in the doorway. “My wife’s coming into the city in about an hour, and she’d love to give you a tour of our facility here and then take you to brunch over at Bookbinder’s. A little thank-you for your trouble. This sounds terribly rude, but I’m just too swamped with all of this business today to join you.”
“It’s not necessary for her to take me out,” I said, thinking of the long drive home that awaited me. As much as I liked Wendell, I didn’t relish the idea of a long lunch in a fancy restaurant with his wife.
“I insist,” he said, and I knew that he meant it. Companies always did this. They always insisted, and they always thought they were doing me a favor.