by R. R. Banks
“But what if I start over analyzing things again?” asked Alexis in a whiney voice, intentionally trying to annoy Hannah, who responded by shaking her by her arms. “Ah, stop!” screamed Alexis as her hair was becoming frizzier with every violent shake. The two stood in the room catching their breath after the brief exertion. Alexis bit her bottom lip and placed her hands on her hips, thinking as Hannah looked at her with a confused look. “Hannah, how much excess inventory do we have right now?”
“Are you seriously asking me a question about work right now?” dejectedly answered Hannah. “I’m already a glass of wine in. This is a no work zone now.”
“I’m serious,” stated Alexis sincerely, urging Hannah to think back on the reports she looked at weekly. “I know you get that report every Monday to alert you of our buying power and I know you study it closely. Think for me, please, how much do we legitimately have in excess oil barrels.”
Hannah inhaled slowly, filling her lungs before sighing loudly in protest to Alexis’s request. “I’m not sure, because the report is a week old and we just added a very large contract this week,” she answered slowly, pausing briefly before continuing as she compiled the numbers in her head. “However, if I had to guess, we’re probably thirty-five thousand barrels of crude too heavy this week, which really isn’t a lot.”
“What about in our reserves? What does that add to the total of what we already have sitting in inventory collecting dust?”
“It brings the inventory to nearly four-hundred thousand barrels of crude that is just hanging out in warehouses all over the country,” she answered. “Where it’s stored is beyond me, because I don’t deal with storage and shipping, I only deal with what we have and what we want to get.”
Alexis walked over to the other end of the living room and opened her laptop, pulling up the information on the company portal. “We have warehouses in ports all over the country,” she stated as she looked through the information. “Hell, we honestly have warehouses all over the world, but in particular, we have two warehouses in Jebel Ali that are holding forty percent of our reserves. As of Monday, that total was just over four hundred thousand, so once we add in the new numbers from the new contract you negotiated, that number will actually increase a bit.”
Hannah nodded as she walked into the kitchen and grabbed her bottle of wine and a second glass, refilling hers while pouring another one. She set the wine back in the refrigerator and walked the glass over to Alexis, handing it to her, though she declined. “I’m going on a date in a few hours,” she said in a matter of fact tone. “I can’t start drinking now.”
“Alexis, I swear to God, if you’re going to start figuring out ways to save this man’s money, you had better start drinking,” ordered Hannah, still holding the wine glass out for her to take, which she immediately obliged and began to sip on it slowly. “Good, now at least I’m not drinking alone,” she continued, walking away from Alexis and back over the couch to sit down. “For the sake of easy math, the two warehouses at Jebel Ali contain one hundred and sixty thousand barrels of crude that haven’t crossed the ocean yet?”
“No,” answered Alexis. “Honestly, we store a lot of oil here and use it for leverage with other countries in need, though we generally don’t like to participate in charity work.”
Hannah shrugged. “Then what are you looking at?”
“The cost of one of these structures is one hundred thousand dollars a month, easy,” answered Alexis. “You said it yourself, we’re bringing in thirty-five thousand barrels too much a week, which in turn is one hundred and forty thousand barrels over a fiscal month. That’s almost one of these structures. I wonder if we could convince Richard to turn over the rent to the Australians and finance the oil sales in those two warehouses over the course of the year.”
Hannah tilted her head slightly as she thought about what Alexis just said. “They’re struggling to get product and have a terrible financial history, though it can be traced to mismanagement and that problem has since been removed,” said Hannah as she thought out what Alexis said. “I don’t know if Richard or anyone on the board would want to go this far to help them, though.”
Alexis continued to look at her laptop as she sipped on her glass of wine. “This was a good decision,” she stated, setting the glass down before pointing at her computer screen. “Jebel Ali has two other warehouses available if we need them for storage, in the event that this works. However, Hannah, if COT was willing to guarantee the value of the crude in the event the Australians defaulted, and we can show where the Americans would make a profit from the crude that was collecting dust in a warehouse, I cannot see a scenario where Richard would tell either one of us no. Plus, with Nathanial’s connections on the board of several companies within COT, there shouldn’t be an issue guaranteeing the loans.
“Go through your entire plan for me,” asked Hannah as she sat up on the couch and placed her wine glass in front of her. “We know that they have an incredibly poor financial history as well as a poor business structure. Convince me that your plan will work.”
Alexis smiled as she closed her laptop and stepped away, carrying her glass of wine with her as she paced in front of the coffee table. “In order for this company to succeed in the short term, they have to turn a profit or else their creditors will default on them. In the long term, the Australian company is going to have to repair their management structure, recreating their board and honing in on a good business model with solid relationships across the globe. In order to get there, the first thing they need is product. Thus, they need a life line and fast. They’re going to need our help with the entire process. By us subletting the two warehouses in Jebel Ali that we currently own, having them pay the rent for the warehouse while the barrels are stored there, we will save two hundred thousand dollars on the rent. Next, we will sell the barrels that are currently in Jebel Ali to the Australians at market price plus interest, which with the price of crude being up a few dollars a barrel over average, will make it worthwhile anyway. Next, we will ship the barrels of crude to them at cost, which we will roll into the rent of the warehouses, allowing them a few weeks to refine and sell their products to their distributors. Once we’ve established that they’re able to pay their bills with our assistance, we will continue to sell them barrels of crude. Hopefully, over the next few years, they’ll be a successful company with our assistance and everyone will be pleased with the result. Our company makes more money. The Australian company recovers and the man I’m about to go on a date with doesn’t lose nearly half of a billion dollars.”
Hannah nodded. “There’s one problem with this scenario,” she said softly, acting as a kill joy to Alexis’s plan. “The Australians have to agree to it. We can’t force them into this arrangement.”
“I think I can convince Nathanial at dinner,” replied Alexis. “From what you read earlier, he seems to be the biggest investor in that company and should be able to convince them to accept this deal to survive.”
“Alright,” stated Hannah. “I’ll call Richard at about nine when you’re at dinner, but don’t be afraid to check your phone and head to the bathroom. If I can convince him, which I’m thinking I can, this could be a big night for you to impress someone.”
“I think showing off my business acumen and saving his company could give me the best route to having a successful evening with him.”
“And what would you consider a successful evening?” asked Hannah playfully.
“Combing my professional life with my personal life,” replied Alexis, prompting Hannah to immediately scoff.
Chapter 8
Alexis rode in a cab on the way to Amal, one of the finest Italian restaurants in the world. Though not a fan of Italian food, specifically pasta and tomato sauces, Alexis was able to look through the online menu to find a few things that she wouldn’t mind trying without making her order so incredibly complicated that she would upset the waiter and the chefs. Knowing how Nathani
al’s last encounter ended up with the Swiss super model, Alexis wanted to appear as low key as possible, not angering anyone on the staff and maintaining a completely cordial mood while in the building. She did not want to complain or make a scene because, while not a Swiss super model or celebrity, Alexis was still the face of the American Oil Trade and Refiners and she needed to maintain a certain level of professionalism in case someone did take a snapshot.
The cab pulled up to the restaurant in perfect time, arriving right at nine o’clock. The driver stepped out and opened the door for Alexis, allowing her to step out onto the curb and not off into the street. He was from Africa, speaking with a thick accent that was friendly, but could be difficult to understand. He wore a beautiful black suit with a black driver’s hat that set off an appearance of elegance, something that can only be acquired from the cab drivers in Dubai. She reached into her purse and paid the driver, handing him a fifty-dollar American bill, which he happily accepted, before stepping away for him to close the door. “Thank you, and have a wonderful evening, ma’am,” he said as he shut the door behind her, extending his hand and shaking Alexis’s hand as she smiled warmly in response. “Oh, here, take this,” he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his card to hand it to her. “If you need another ride tonight, please, do not hesitate to give me a call. I will be happy to meet you here when you are finished.”
“That would be wonderful, can I text you?” she asked, turning her head to look up at the beautiful restaurant, noticing the beauty and grandeur from the outside.
The driver laughed. “Absolutely,” he smiled. “Just in case your date isn’t going as planned, you can text me and leap into the back of the car and we can escape before he knows what’s going on,” he continued to joke as Alexis placed his card in her small handbag.
With a hearty smile, Alexis nodded to the cab driver as he walked to the driver’s side door and entered the vehicle, leaving Alexis to turn and gaze at the majestic building. The structure was magnificently designed and built with intricate details and ornate architectural accessories. After climbing a small staircase, the customers would stand on a landing overlooking the entire restaurant. An outdoor seating area filled with incredibly comfortable chairs, tan with brown legs, positioned up against tables with vinyl tablecloths to protect them from the elements. The outdoor walls were constructed of white marble tile, imported from some random corner of the world and thick, clear glass to allow light in from the sun, moon, or order lights. The waiting area for the restaurant was outside with the maître d′ stand right beside the door and a large, outdoor bar was positioned adjacent from the stand so that the guests who were having to wait could enjoy a cocktail until their table was ready. This area was filled with plush benches, all made from hand carved wood and thick vinyl, giving off the appearance of being made from leather. Amal did not leave much to the imagination when it came to beauty and design. With a specialty in fine dining and Italian cuisine, Amal was the preferred location for romantic encounters.
Alexis wore a beautiful, tan dress with sequins and stones emblazoned throughout the fabric. The straps were an inch thick while the top of the dress began near the top of her breasts, exposing a small amount of cleavage while not appearing to be too slutty. It went down to her shins, showing off her smooth, silky, tan legs which were held up by a pair of matching, open toed heels. Her hair was down and straight while curving up at the ends and her makeup accented her magnificent eyes. Her jewelry accented the colors of her dress and her skin tone, opting for golden bangles and bracelets, as well as a golden necklace with an ivory stone in the pendant hanging down to her chest. In her hair, a golden hairpin with ivory stones rested in the center of her hair, just above her shoulders to bind her hair slightly as it trailed down her back.
Alexis walked up a small set of stone stairs to reach the landing in front of the restaurant, noticing the grandeur immediately. The servers and assistants were all wearing incredibly pressed and delicate suits, tailored to match their exact dimensions so that no one would look out of place or disheveled. Their shoes were polished leather, sparkling with the outdoor moonlight and their demeanors were all incredibly professional and courteous, not displaying a hint of displeasure as Alexis approached. The table settings were well done and choreographed, aligning the silver flatware and the serving dishes in specially designated locations to the inch. “This place is a bit out of my league,” she thought to herself as she stood at the top of the landing to take in all the scenery, looking around to see if she could find Nathanial in the sea of businessmen standing near the door. The customers by the door were congregated around the maître d′, waiting for him to announce their name to alert them that their tables were ready. Alexis, not seeing Nathanial anywhere, walked up to the short Indian man at the podium.
“Excuse me,” she said calmly, leaning in to be heard over the echoes from the men behind her. “I’m supposed to be meeting Nathanial Jenkins. Has he arrived yet?”
The maître d′ looked over Alexis for a few short seconds before answering. “I’m sorry, but can I have your name?” he asked before looking at his tablet to see who was on the reservation with Nathanial. He was an Indian man with tan skin, black hair, and a very thick accent, making it somewhat difficult for Alexis to understand him.
“My name is Alexis Matthews,” she answered calmly, still leaning in so that she could be heard over the light ruckus behind her. “He told me to meet him here at nine.”
“Yes ma’am, I’m aware,” answered the man rudely, almost as if he were already prepared to defend himself from any passing objection or breach in protocol. “Your table is ready and she will take you to it. Mr. Jenkins called ahead and said he would be late, but to make sure you were well taken care of prior to his arrival,” he continued, still with an incredibly rude, matter of fact tone. Alexis nodded before stepping away from the podium and looking at the beautiful young Indian woman in front of her. “Oh, Ms. Matthews,” stated the maître d′ as he placed his arm out to delay her entry into the restaurant. “Mr. Jenkins is an amazing man and a dear friend of this restaurant. With that being said, please do not make a fool of yourself and embarrass him tonight.”
Alexis chuckled as she looked over at the small Indian man. “Sir, I’ll have you know that I don’t give a rat’s ass where any of your cheeses come from, nor do I really care about the origins of anything here,” she said with a smile, swearing at him in a polite tone as she turned to face the young lady again. As she took her first few steps, she could hear the man chuckle behind her, clearly leaving an impression on him of not being incredibly up tight or needy. The young Indian lady, wearing a stunningly beautiful purple dress that accented her dark skin and black hair, glided through the restaurant with a smile on her face. She led Alexis to her table, pulling the chair back for her and pushing it underneath her before handing her the menu. “Your dress is absolutely gorgeous,” she said to the hostess as she placed the menu in her hands.
“Why thank you,” she replied kindly. “It’s not often I get complimented when I’m at work.”
“Are the customers here generally rude and up tight?” asked Alexis, making conversation with the young Indian girl while she waited for Nathanial to arrive.
“Many of them are,” she replied. “I love it when Nathanial comes here though, because he always puts a smile on everyone’s face, no matter if they serve him or not. He is a genuinely good person and we are thankful he has finally decided to come back after the last incident.” The hostess paused and smiled at Alexis placing her hand on her shoulder before leaning down to whisper in her ear. “I think you won my boss over, by the way,” she whispered quietly, peering around to make sure he was not looking. “He comes off as rude and unnecessarily defensive sometimes, but he means well and when Nathanial called earlier to place the reservation, he was overjoyed that he was returning.” She leaned up and wiped off the table around her, moving around debris that wasn’t there, but trying to
appear as if she was being productive. “Nathanial does not spend the most money when he is here, nor is he the greatest tipper, but the way that he treats people makes him an absolute joy to be around and I wish you nothing but the best this evening.”
Alexis smiled warmly as the hostess removed her hand and nodded. “Thank you,” she said politely as she watched the young lady walk away, only to see Nathanial walking up in the distance. The hostess, without thinking, opened up her arms and hugged his neck as he approached, before releasing and pointing at Alexis, smiling and nodding in approval. He looked incredibly dashing, wearing a black, silk dress shirt with grey slacks and a matching blazer, all set off by a gold chain around his wrist and a gold ring on each hand. He smiled as he walked up to Alexis, who started to stand before Nathanial motioned for her to stay seated, walking up and hugging her around her neck and kissing the top of her head before taking his seat across from her.
“Pardon my tardiness,” he said as he sat down in the chair. “An oddly incredible phone call at a very inconvenient time reached me before I left my home, and there was no way I could take a message and delay it. I hope you understand.”
Alexis smiled and nodded, reaching across the table and grabbing a glass of water that was waiting on her, bringing it to her lips and sipping on it. “I completely understand,” she said, holding up her handbag with her cell phone sticking out of the top of it. “It’s an unfortunate part of my career; always being available, even at the worst of times.”
