"I don't know how sweet a deal it is," Kevin said, folding his napkin and placing it beside his plate. "He proposed to use my entire estate as collateral on the loan. I'm not happy with that. Not at all. I risk everything if things don't work out right."
"Take it easy, it's just a proposal. You don't have to make a decision until you come back in September. By then, I'll probably have a few more people interested in using the lab for their own productions. That would give us some ready cash and offset the maintenance costs."
Kevin sighed. "Yes, you're right. I still have some time before I need to make a commitment." He folded his hands in front of him, pushing his plate to the side, and frowned at Jeff. "What about the sale of the French impressionists collection in Hong Kong? How is that going? Any cash flow there?"
"Not yet," Jeff replied.
"Maybe we should stop shipment on the remaining stock," Kevin said, his frown deepening.
"We can't do that. We have a contract," Jeff said firmly. He tossed his napkin down and turned to Kevin, his eyes wide.
"And so? The contract says each successive shipment is conditional on the payment of the previous shipment. I remember that clause."
"I don't remember it. I don't think it was included in the final contract."
"What?" Kevin's face flamed with anger. "I asked for that clause, the safety clause, my way out of a deal gone bad. I stressed that it had to be included. What do you mean, it wasn't in the contract? Don't you understand?" Kevin pushed back from the table as if to leave, then leaned toward Jeff. "I can not afford to lose any money right now! Do you understand me?"
"Yes, of course I do. Calm down, Kevin. I'll check it out as soon as I get back."
"Check it. And hope that the contract protects our business. The loan from the bank is based on the cash in our accounts and on the forecast cash flow." Kevin slapped his hand down hard on the table top. "I don't have to explain that to you, Jeff. You should know all of it, and you should have protected us right down the line."
"Kevin, don't worry. I'll take care of it."
The two men were silent, sipping the tea brought by the waitress during their discussion.