The bank meeting lasted forty minutes. I explained the labor costs, the signed contracts, and the events we had decided not to sell. I did not try to make the outlook look better than it was.
The lending officer asked whether we could meet the bank's threshold by the end of the trial.
"Not at the current pace," I said.
Owen glanced at me, then back to the officer. "If we include the pending retreat and the winter dining package, we could."
"They aren't signed," I said.
The bank officer made a note. "Then they can't go in the confirmed column."
Owen's mouth tightened. He had not expected me to contradict him in front of the bank. I had not planned to. I had also learned that waiting for a private conversation was one way to let a false statement stand.
After the meeting, Maribel stop
