by M T Stone
“I know he would. He kept groping me more and more with every drink. I finally called a cab, but he insisted on giving me a ride home.”
“Not a good experience in other words,” Jack replied putting his arm around me and pulling me close.
“No, it was the definition of a date from hell. Now I see why he makes the tabloids all the time. He deserves it!”
“Does he work with his dad?”
“No… He’s basically the male version of Paris Hilton. Although, he did start some type of app development company in Miami last fall.”
“What kind of apps?”
“The first one was called Party Spotter, since that’s what he lives for,” I told him as I reached across to retrieve my phone. “It shows where your friends are at, so you can meet up with them.”
Several dots showed up on the map as soon as I opened up the app. Jack immediately clicked on one of the dots and a Facebook profile picture of someone popped up, along with their current location.
“You let him install this on your phone?”
“Yeah, I guess. That night was so traumatic that I actually forgot about it until now,” I admitted, feeling more than a little ditzy. “I’ll delete it.”
“No, keep it on there. Two can play this game. Where is he now?” Jack asked, his wheels obviously spinning.
“According to this he’s on Grand Bahama, on the west end of the island. I remember him mentioning the hellacious parties they throw at his beach house. Apparently his house is right off Bahama beach.”
“Does he have a helicopter?”
“I don’t know. Do you want me to ask him?”
“Definitely.”
Me: Do you own a helicopter?
Young 1: Why? Am I busted?
Me: Actually I was just curious.
Young 1: Want a ride sometime?
“It was him,” Jack said with a broad smile emerging across his face. “My god, that’s good news!”
“So you’re not mad?”
“Are you serious? I thought I was headed into a showdown with Sau Ming and instead it’s a rich punk who’s a year younger than Brandon. I couldn’t be more thrilled!” he said with a laugh.
“I thought maybe you wouldn’t like the fact that I went out with him the night before I went out with you.”
“No. If you went out with him after we met, then it would be a different story. The only thing that pisses me off is that you called me Old one,” he replied, slapping me on the leg.
“Hey, it could’ve been worse. At least it wasn’t Old Fart or Old Fucker or…”
“Alright, you can stop now.”
I love it when he gives me that look.
Chapter 2
Jack
I don’t think Kate understood just how relieved I was to find out that C.W. was the menace in the helicopter. I had always avoided going head to head with guys like Sau Ming, because their ruthlessness was not limited to business. With the right assistance I was willing to take him on, but Kate and I would’ve had to maintain a very low profile. Anthony is going to get a kick out of all this. Maybe I’ll let him have a little fun with C.W. He needs to learn that it’s not cool to fuck with people.
That reminds me, I need to make sure everyone can meet us at the office this afternoon. We should have plenty of time if I tell everyone to be there at 3:30.
“’Who are you texting?” Kate asked curiously.
“I’m just telling everyone to meet us at the conference room at 3:30. It will just be Jayne, Brandon and Anthony. I’ll have Jayne setup a video link so that Brenda can join us as well.”
“So it’s back to work?” She asked with a hint of disappointment.
“Yeah, as long as we’re making the trip back, we might as well get something out of it.”
“I remember hearing something about a romantic dinner at Le Bernardin,” she chided.
“Two birds hun. We have plenty of time before dinner.” I leaned over and gave her a reassuring kiss.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to go out and have fun, but it was Friday afternoon and I needed to cover some ground with everyone before leaving for Amsterdam on Monday. I had planned on briefing everyone by phone and video conference, but it would be much more effective to gather around a big conference table to hash things out. Sex and strategic planning are both better face to face.
~~~
Ryker Board Room - 3:19pm
Kate
“Holy shit dad, you’re lookin’ good,” Brandon remarked as Jack entered the boardroom in his khaki shorts and sandals. “You look good too Kate. It’s a gorgeous day for a sun dress.”
“Yeah, thanks for pointing that out. When I got dressed this morning, I had no idea we would be back in New York. I’ll have to go by my place and change before dinner.”
“Just call Sheri over at Saks and tell her what you need for tonight. Also have her drop off a black jacket, shirt and pants for me. We’ll go over and pick up some clothes tomorrow,” Jack said handing me Sheri’s card. “Oh, I guess I need shoes too.”
“Alright, I’ll grab the iPad and see if I can find something. Is it a fancy place?”
“Yeah, get something like that little black one I like so much,” he replied with a small spark in his eye.
“It’s pretty cold out, you better have her bring you a long coat as well,” Jayne thoughtfully interjected.
Going between the Bahamas and New York City on a whim definitely presented some challenges. As Jack began to talk business, I scrolled through my off-the-rack options. By the time I settled on a black Dolce & Gabbana dress with matching lace pumps and a cashmere shrug, Jack had gone through his entire revised business plan with Brandon, Jayne and Brenda. He simply smirked and nodded his head as I excused myself to go call Sheri. His new ideas were already engrained into my brain, so there was no reason for me to sit through another rendition of them.
Within a minute Sheri knew exactly what I was going for and promised to deliver by 5:30. If anything wasn’t available in my size, she would go with the closest possible substitution. I told her to add a contrasting vest to Jack’s order to give him a pop of color. If he didn’t like it, he wouldn’t have to wear it. He always looks sophisticated, but tends to go a little too conservative.
“I don’t even have my makeup with me. We literally left the Bahamas on a moment’s notice,” I explained feeling a little flustered.
“You use Bobbi Brown’s line correct?”
“You’re good.” She has one hell of a memory.
“I’ll have Rita put together a nice assortment of cleansers and makeup for you,” she replied in her sweet, yet professional tone.
“Super, thank you. Say hi to Rita. I’m sure she remembers the afternoon she spent with Jackie, my mother and me.” What an embarrassing afternoon that was!
“I’m sure she will. I’ll see you before 5:30.”
Jack
It felt strangely comfortable to be back in the old boardroom. In the past few years I had grown to loathe the place, but today it felt like coming back home. I can’t believe I was even considering retirement. This is too much fun. The kids, however, seemed to be less than enthusiastic about my new plans, especially Brandon.
“So we are going to become contract manufacturers?” He asked as I finished laying out my proposal.
“Yes. In addition to manufacturing Kate’s line, we will offer our services to several of my old clients.”
“But the money is in building a brand, you know that. A good brand can maintain a 30% profit margin for years, whereas contract manufacturing hovers around 2%. I’m not interested in working that hard for nearly nothing,” Brandon replied in bewilderment.
“I’ve told you Brandon, it’s not about the money. It’s about all the workers being abused in those sweatshops.”
“There has to be another approach,” Jayne interjected. “Maybe we can perfect the system and then show other U.S. manufacturers how to do it.”
“I suppose, but
that goes directly against my nature. I’ve always had to blaze the trails and build the systems myself. If I didn’t do it… it wouldn’t get done.”
“Let’s just table it for the moment,” Brenda suggested. “I think Jayne is right. Let’s figure out how to use 3D printing and other technology to produce Kate’s line. Once we have the model, we will be able to go either way with it.”
“Alright, we’ll table it for now. I guess I was hoping you guys would be up for the challenge.”
“It’s not that I’m afraid of a challenge Dad. However, the first lesson in business school is to avoid businesses that don’t generate any real profits,” Brandon countered without any hesitation.
“You’re right. I’m glad to see the money I spent on that MBA was worth it.” He’s a smart kid. I’m a little disappointed that no one likes my idea though. Kate hasn’t really seemed to be onboard either. Maybe I’m letting my emotions cloud my judgment.
Kate
Walking back into the boardroom, I could instantly tell that things had not gone Jack’s way. Jayne and Brandon were discussing fabric suppliers with Brenda, while Jack was off by himself texting on his phone.
“I’m trying to find out where Anthony is at. I want to meet with him as well as the Ricci brothers before the day is over,” Jack said with a little frustration in his voice.
“Is everything alright?”
“Yeah, everything’s fine. The kids are just stuck on the old business plan,” he replied.
“I’m sorry Jack, but it’s a better plan.” I wanted to be completely honest with him.
“Alright, if you are all unanimously against me we will go back to Plan A,” he conceded.
“Hey, I’m with you 100% either way. I just don’t want to see you taking on the world. You’re still recovering from a pretty serious health situation.”
“I know. I just thought we could put together the right team and make a difference,” he replied looking off into the distance.
“We will figure out how to make a difference. I don’t think it means that you have to do all the manufacturing for everyone. There has to be a more diplomatic solution.”
“I agree with Kate,” Jayne piped up after overhearing my words. “Contract manufacturing is not the way to go. We would be bending over backwards trying to please everyone while getting nickeled and dimed trying to compete with those sweatshops.”
“You know she’s right Jack,” I said stroking his arm.
“Alright you two, knock it off. I’ll find another way to assuage my guilt,” Jack replied giving us the evil eye. “I still think we could undercut them using technology, but there is probably a better way to go.”
Jack’s wheels were spinning once again as he grabbed his phone and headed out of the conference room. He must have gotten ahold of Anthony, because I heard him asking about the whereabouts of the Ricci brothers. He’s unstoppable. If he runs into resistance in one direction, he instantly goes off in another. He’ll figure it out one way or another.
“I’m hopeful that you can keep Dad distracted so he doesn’t go back to his workaholic tendencies,” Jayne confided as we went to rejoin the others.
“I’ll do what I can, but he’s not the type who will put up with a baby sitter. He’s still got more drive than anyone I’ve ever known.”
“It’s good to see him living again. I’m just hoping he doesn’t make the same mistakes twice,” she whispered as we sat back down at the conference table.
I wasn’t exactly sure what she meant by that, but I was certain it had something to do with the regrets that Jack had expressed following Eva’s death. Seeing how obsessed he had become with this new idea, I couldn’t imagine how intense he must’ve been the first time around. Growing up, my father had always given me the impression that people like Jack didn’t deserve all the money they made. After seeing him in action however, it had become obvious why Jack had made so much money. He was not only driven by his ideas, but literally consumed by them.
~~~
Sheri arrived early with our clothes, so Jack suggested that I go check into our room at the St Regis and he would be by to pick me up at 6:30. I had been trying to shake off the chills ever since we touched down, so I promptly agreed.
“Our usual room wasn’t available, so it will be a little different this time,” Jack warned as he escorted me to the elevator.
“Oh, I’m sure it will be fine,” I assured him as the doors slowly closed. From what I’ve seen, all their rooms are pretty spectacular.
~~~
“Welcome back Kate,” the front desk clerk said as I approached.
“Hi. How are you?” I asked, glancing at his name tag to refresh my memory. William. “Jack tells me our suite wasn’t available this weekend.”
“No, unfortunately it wasn’t. Did he let you know how we rectified the situation?” William asked with a bright smile.
“No, he didn’t.”
“Great. I’ll let the bellman share the surprise,” he teased.
“Come with me Kate,” said a young man named Jaxton. That’s a cool name.
As we got into the elevator, he smiled and pressed the top button.
“Are you serious?” I asked in disbelief.
“The St Regis takes good care of its most frequent guests,” he continued beaming from ear to ear. “I hope you will enjoy your stay in the most expensive hotel room in America.”
The Presidential Suite at the St Regis was not a hotel room. As we got off the elevator and walked down the hallway, I quickly realized that all the attached rooms were part of our suite! There were at least two guest bedrooms, a guest bathroom and a living room before we even came to the master suite. The rich, vibrant colors, incredible art and extravagant furniture were almost overwhelming to the senses.
“How much does it cost to stay here?”
“It’s normally $22,000 per night maam.”
“Wow. Which bedroom is ours?”
“It’s right up here on the left and the master bath is attached,” Jaxton replied as he opened the door to our suite and gave me the grand tour.
After Jaxton had shown me everything I needed to know, I had to send Jack a text.
Me: Mind = Blown!
Jack: You like it?
Me: It’s crazy. I need a map! See you in an hour?
Jack: Let’s meet at the restaurant. I’ll send a car to pick you up at 7:00.
Me: K
With an hour and a half to burn, I immediately headed over to the enormous tub in the master bath. There is nothing like a warm, sensuous bubble bath to cure the chills. As I slipped into the tub I couldn’t get over the fact that I was all alone in the Presidential Suite. The most expensive hotel room in America… I never would’ve dreamt of being here. It seemed like yesterday that I was worried about making my share of the rent on our crappy old apartment. It still amazes me when I stop and think about how much my life has changed. I just hope Jack will relax and enjoy life a little bit.
Since we are back in the city, I should take Mom to lunch tomorrow or Sunday. Hell, I should invite her here for lunch. That would be hilarious.
~~~
Chapter 3
Jack
After meeting stiff resistance with Kate, the kids and Brenda it was good to meet with Anthony and the Ricci brothers. The brothers still seemed a little leery of my intentions, so I went out of my way to explain everything to them and why I wanted to include them in the mix.
“We would love a chance to go straight again,” Lou Ricci said after hearing me out.
“Yeah, we’re getting tired of looking over our shoulder all the time,” his younger brother Matt added.
“Especially with guys like Anthony shaking us down,” Lou laughed.
“Once again, I’m sorry about all that. It was a big misunderstanding and I’ll just leave it at that,” I said, not wanting to tell them the whole crazy story.
“Its water under the bridge,” Lou assured me. “Our father will probably roll ov
er in his grave, but both Matt and I are open to working with you. You’ve obviously got the magic touch.”
“I’m not sure I would call it a magic touch. It’s just that I’m good at executing a business plan,” I countered.
“As well as executing your competitors,” Matt chuckled. “You were Dad’s worst nightmare.”
I took a little time to recant the past couple decades for the boys. I wanted them to understand that there were huge forces at work and that I had simply ridden the outsourcing trend. We became dominant by helping designers sell their fashions more effectively as well as slashing their production costs. It wasn’t a case of going after the competition, but one of simply helping my clients to be successful.
As we talked they began to understand that it was their father’s resistance to change that had caused his downfall. This set the stage for explaining why I felt 3D printing along with other cutting edge manufacturing techniques would allow a resurgence of U.S. based manufacturers. As the meeting wore on, they seemed to be buying into my ideas. It was no small victory considering the history between us. If only my family had expressed the slightest bit of interest.
Kate
After arriving at the restaurant about ten minutes early, the maitre d' seated me at a rather large table that had six place settings. She spouted off a few specials but my mind was busy thinking about who was infringing upon the romantic dinner I was promised.
“I’ll seat the others as they arrive,” she said leaving me with a tasting menu.
Even if it didn’t turn out to be a romantic dinner for two, it appeared that we would be eating well. Jack had taken the liberty to pre-order the tasting menu and wine flights for everyone. Since we were all seafood lovers, it was going to be a wonderful evening.
Tasting Menu
TUNA
Layers of Thinly Pounded Yellowfin Tuna; Foie Gras and Toasted Baguette Chives and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Amigne de Vétroz, Romain Papilloud-Cave Vieux Moulin, Vallais, Switzerland 2011
SCALLOP
