If she really thought there was going to be a night of hot and heavy lovemaking, she was sadly in the wrong. When she walked into the bedroom, Ted was dead to the world, snoring louder than a herd of cattle charging through the prairie.
For the next couple of weeks, Marsha was busy opening gifts and sending out personal thank you notes. Sometimes, there were two of the same gifts, but her sister-in-laws were delighted to take those extra presents off her hands.
While taking a break, she remembered the envelope her parents had given her. She had placed it in her evening bag and had forgotten all about it. When she opened it, there was a deed to a house in the Bahamas.
Twenty years ago, her parents had purchased that house, which was on the island of Nassau. They titled the house in their daughter's name. Completely stunned, she called her parents and thanked them for the gift.
The house had four bedrooms and four baths. There was central air conditioning and ceiling fans in every room. The state-of-the-art kitchen had marble-tiled floors, custom cabinetry with granite countertops, and all stainless steel appliances. There was a sophisticated electronic control system throughout the house, a theater room, and a single garage. The outdoor living space included a forty-inch pool and spa, a guesthouse, and a private beach.
When she shared the good news about the house with Ted, a light bulb went off in his head as to how he could turn her island home into a gold mine.
The couple was now approaching their second anniversary. Since they never had a honeymoon, Marsha thought spending a week in Nassau would get Ted's mind off business. He was hard at work, managing and maintaining the property that the couple was spending less time together.
When she approached him with the suggestion, he quickly turned it down and told her, with property tax, utilities, and other expenses escalating, not enough revenue was coming in to afford such a trip. Therefore, he could not leave town now. He did propose that she could go and take his sisters with her.
"They have never traveled outside of the United States, and it would be a life changing experience for them. Besides, there will be plenty of time for trips abroad in the near future when there is more money coming in from a new business venture I am planning to start."
Marsha was confused and asked, "What new business venture?"
He started to explain his plans to convert four apartments into condominiums, and if all goes well, he would do the same with the remaining units. He told her that he got the idea when he saw what she had done to theirs and his sisters' apartments. He figured he could sell the decorated condominiums to people who just did not have the time to design or beautify their place.