Ronnie’s eyes popped wide. She grabbed Mickie’s free hand as she shook her head briskly. “What? No! Oh, my God, no. I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to freak you out. There isn’t anything wrong at all, and no one knows anything about you as far as I know.”
Air left Mickie in a whoosh. “Oh, thank God. Phew.” She stared at the ceiling and exhaled as she shook out her tingling hands. “No matter how many times I tell myself I’m prepared for it, it’s a huge freakin’ lie. Not sure I’ll ever be ready.”
Ronnie grimaced. “Shit, I’m really sorry.” Her shoulders slumped, and she mumbled, “This is not off to a good start.”
Waving her concern away, Mickie said, “Seriously, don’t worry. I pretty much jump to that conclusion anytime I see an unknown number pop up on my phone, so I should be used to it. Let’s pretend I didn’t say anything, and you can tell me what’s really on your mind.”
“Sure, um…” Ronnie stared at the binder on her lap while she traced the edge with an unpolished finger. “So, I have an idea. It’s a proposition, really. Well, more like an opportunity. A business idea for us.” She cleared her throat. “Uh, I mean me, or well, I guess an investment for you, if you’re interested.” The rambling stopped, and Ronnie’s eyes widened as she finally glanced up. “Oh, God, I’m not just here to ask you for money. I know it seems like that, but I have an idea I think you’ll be interested in. I know mixing business and friendship can be a terrible idea. I’m not using you for money or just being your friend because I know you have money. Our friendship has become so important to me and I’d never want to take advantage of it.” She hopped to her feet. “I’m sorry, this was a terrible idea.” Her glassy eyes indicated impending tears. “Forget it.”
As she took a step away from the couch, Mickie caught her arm and tugged her back to the couch. “Hey,” she said with a smile. Hopefully it set Ronnie at ease. It took guts to put yourself out there, even in front of friends. “Please sit, Ronnie. I’ve never thought you or any of your family were only friends with me because of my money. You’ve never once given me that impression, and you still aren’t now.”
With a bitter laugh, Ronnie said, “I’m literally about to ask you for money.”
Mickie shrugged. “I know.” She pointed to the binder. “But whatever it’s for, it seems important to you. You’re not frivolous or flighty. Plus you said you think I’ll like the idea. So let’s hear it.”
Blowing out a break, Ronnie nodded. “Okay. You know that campsite over near Mount Mansfield?”
Nodding, Mickie set her coffee down on the table in front of her couch. “Yeah, the one that’s for sale, right? I’ve driven by it a bunch of times but haven’t been on the property.”
“Yes, that’s the one. I know the owner. He comes to the bar at least twice a week. He’s been talking about putting it on the market for the past two years now but only did about a month ago.” As she spoke, color returned to her cheeks, and her eyes began to sparkle. Whatever she was about to propose, she was passionate about the idea.
“I’d like to purchase the property and turn it into luxury rental cabins. And I mean luxury.” She opened the binder and pulled out a map of the campground.
Interesting.
Mickie scooted closer.
“Right now, there are fifteen log cabins and one lodge on the site. They’re in great condition but rustic. Each cabin has electricity and plumbing, but it’s all very basic. My plan is to turn ten of the cabins into ten luxury rentals. Then use one as a gym, one a spa, one a gift shop of sorts with locally sourced products, and one as a movie room. The lodge I’d like to transform into a breakfast spot and recreation area. My vision is a very upscale, high-end bed and breakfast.”
Now that she was into it, Ronnie plowed on without missing a beat.
“Through the research I’ve done, I’ve discovered this area is becoming a hotspot for winter travel among the extremely wealthy. There are great resorts and ski lodges, but nothing that specifically caters to that level of clientele.”
She pulled what looked like some kind of market analysis from a sleeve in the binder. Mickie couldn’t help but be impressed. This idea hadn’t come to Ronnie yesterday. It was something she’d been thinking about and investigating for quite a while.
“I’ve run numbers and projections for booking fees. It can be good. Profitable. Very profitable if done right.”
A seed of excitement began to bloom in Mickie’s stomach. Whether it was Ronnie’s contagious enthusiasm or her own desire to find her niche, she loved the feeling. Passion for something career-related had been missing since she left Hollywood. Hell, it’d been missing for years.