Finding Balance!

iv

"Oh god! Baby, this is the best present ever", he said while crying. He graduated yesterday so i decided to allow him to enjoy the graduation and the party too. Dragged him to the restaurant i rented for him the day after. It was in the most prestige street just like he wanted in his business plan. "You are welcome, now let's go in and see your restaurant shall we?", i gave him a tour and told him the terms of the loan, he promised that i was not going to regret it and that he would have the money back in three months.

We did the branding and the advertising for him and it was great. I could not be there full time like he did but i helped when i could. And sometimes my team from the company helped him get materials and stuff he needed for branding for free of course.

It's been two months i barely see Tyler at home, he has been working so hard so i decided to pay him a visit at 'Dig In' restaurant. Yes that is what he decided to name his restaurant, i didn't like it but my opinion stopped to matter the moment Michelle became part of our life. Nothing i said mattered unless she agreed to it. She claimed to be an expert in helping Chefs thrive in the restaurant world, i tried to investigate her but when Tyler found out it was epic, i haven't interfered since then.

I walked in the restaurant to see that it was half full. I went to the kitchen and found him prepping with half of the team. "Hi stranger", i said trying to lighten the mood, it worked with some of the workers but he looked shocked to see me, i hope it's a good thing. I pulled him in a hug that he returned immediately telling his Sous Chef to take over. We went to his office, it was all over the place and when i tried to help him clean up he told me not to bother it was Michelle's job, her again, i nod my head and we sat on a twin sofa that was in the room. "How is business Tyler?", "Great", "We are on track with returning the investment right?", "Yap", he was lying he does that when he is lying. I knew him like the back of my hand so it was not news to me. "Tyler...", "Don't worry Lina, i got this, i promise", "Are you sure?", "Yes, am sure". I didn't believe him. "Can i see the finances?", His eyes went wide like literally wide. "Tyler am not kidding, show me, now!", he stood up, he was trembling. He opened the laptop and gave it to me. It was declining, what happened, i checked the dates to see when the business started declining and it was from the beginning of the month then it clicked Michelle. I was about to corner him then the lady of the hour decided to bless us with her presence. "Hi love birds, how are you?", she said happily despite my face being blank. "Good", i turned to Tyler, looking at him like he was mental. "Good? Are you sure Tyler?", i was getting angry at this point. "Lina you don't understand things like these happen all the time when one is opening a business, i have seen it so many times so relax, we are ok", he assured me and Michelle nod her head but was now sweating a bit. She was scared, if everything was on point then why was she scared?. "And who told you that? Do you have the facts or we are depending on your documentaries on this too?", he didn't answer. He kept running his fingers in his hair as if a massage was going to fix our problem. I had only a month left and he only generated twenty percent of the money, wait a minute twenty? "Tyler, on the first month we made forty five grand right?", he nod his head in agreement. "Where did that money go?", "we invested in marketing and as you know it takes time for that to turn into actual revenue", Michelle said with confidence like she just won a fucking lottery. "Not in a fucking food industry you idiot!", i turned to Tyler. "How can you be so selfish! We are in this together but ever since your so called restauranteur came to the picture its like you have lost your mind, restaurants are supposed to bring people in through branding and interesting offers something that does not cost fucking forty grand, what the hell is wrong with you?", i was panting and my chest was tightening, i couldn't stand being in the same room as them, i had to leave i needed a drink, i needed a break, i needed Lily. I stormed out of the restaurant careful not to make a scene when i heard him calling me. I have to make a plan, i had to find a way to get the money within a month. I took out my phone as i was waiting for my driver, i checked the last balance notification in my personal account and i had fifty grand at least more than half is covered for, i couldn't use  the family account, such a withdrawal would send notification to Dad and i was not about to tell him about this. Fuck he was going to kill me. I was so stupid. "Lina, baby...am sorry, i still have time, i can fix it", he told me, his face full og guilt, "How do you intend to do that huh?", i saw Michelle standing in the back and turned to face her. "Which company are you working with?", i asked her but she turned def i guess. "Where are the receipts or contracts?", yap Michelle the mighty restauranteur who had an opinion about everything was suddenly mute.