by Larry Brown
Betty introduced Harry and he was greeted with a warm response. Harry spoke on ‘Standards’ with a strong emphasis on the fact that it did not matter the sex of the owner, only that if it was worth the effort, it should be what the owner wanted it to be. Harry spoke in some detail for a little over 30 minutes. He got a standing ovation when concluded and opened the floor for questions. The questions, for the most part, were good and thoughtful. Betty Matthews closed the session with the final question.
“Mr. Blake are you available for one on one consultations?”
At one point in his retirement, Harry had considered consulting but had forgotten about it when he started writing. But with only a slight hesitation he answered affirmatively.
Before Betty could finalize the end of the meeting, someone from the press asked if they might ask some questions? Betty who was now standing next to Harry leaned up next to him and whispered, “If you don’t want to do this, I can handle shutting it off.”
Harry was impressed with her thoughtfulness and her self-confidence. He was also impressed with how good she smelled. He told her it would be okay.
Harry said, “I’ll take a few, but remember I think everybody has heard enough from me and are ready to eat.”
The first question was about the release of the mini-series which Harry explained there was no date set.
The second questioner wanted to know if he was still writing and if so, when would there be a new book. Harry responded that he was writing but too soon to know. He explained the subject and said the plot was still developing.
The third question, did he have any comments about his recent court case. Harry replied that results speak for themselves.
The fourth question was about the various attacks at his home. Harry stood silent for several minutes and then said, “No comment.”
He turned toward Betty, and she immediately said, “We are dismissed to the dining room.”
The reporters were now shouting for more questions, but Betty took Harry by the arm and escorted him to the dining room.
There were so many interruptions during lunch, it was hard to carry on a conversation. When the room finally cleared, Betty and Harry were the only ones left.
Betty said, “Harry I would like to talk to you about a consulting arrangement. I’ve known for a while my business needs some help, but after hearing you today, I know for sure I need some help. Maybe just a fresh set of eyes at what I have.”
“Betty just let me know when you would like to sit down and talk, and I’ll do my best to accommodate you.”
“Are you free this afternoon?”
“I am, having never been to one of your meetings. I wasn’t sure about the timing, so I didn’t plan anything else. Would you like me to follow you to your business?”
“Actually no, I don’t want to alarm any of my employees. I’m afraid they might think I’m going to sell the place.”
Harry looked at his watch and spoke, “I understand. It’s 2:30 in the afternoon; I bet the lounge is empty and quiet. Would you like to try there?”
“That’s a great idea, Harry.”
“Okay, we will see.”
They walked to the lounge at the inn and sure enough only the bartender setting up for his afternoon happy hour.
Harry spoke, “Excuse me, would you mind if we used that booth in the back where it’s quiet to talk a little business?”
The bartender said, “Help yourselves,” but he was thinking business maybe monkey business.
Harry spent the next thirty minutes explaining how he would conduct business. He told her that in his business life he had been responsible for over 60 acquisitions. He had a good model for putting a value on businesses. As a part of this, he would expose the good, bad and ugly of the enterprise. He explained that he would start with one on one meetings with all of the employees to reassure them their jobs weren’t in jeopardy and to get their input on the business.
When he finished, Betty was comfortable going forward but was concerned about Harry’s fee.
Harry laughed and explained that he was not in the consulting business but if he were able to help, he would accept a nice dinner from her.
She laughed too, shook her head and changed the subject.
“Harry, did you know Andy and I were good friends?”
“No, I didn’t.”
"Well, we were. Polk County is not well-populated, and Lakeview is a small town. She was a widow, and I was a divorcee. My husband left me about seven years ago for a young sweet thing 15 years my junior. Johnny always loved to gamble. He could always find a card or dice game anywhere. Our vacations were always to Vegas or Reno. He finally went over the edge. He would disappear for days at a time. I had my fill and after another two days of absence, he showed up with divorce papers. I ended up with the business, the house, and the bank accounts. That’s all I could hope for. I’m sorry I have really gone off subject. I’m sure you have no interest in hearing my sordid history.
“Anyway, Andy and I were close to the same age in a small town trying to run a business, although I’m pretty sure Andy’s survival didn’t necessarily depend on her business success. But Andy is Andy, and she worked at it like it was necessary. We met and got to know each other and decided to do the WBO groups which as you saw today has had a nice amount of success. Andy and I have done many nice shopping trips together. We have been to New York, Atlanta and several times to the state capital. We have had a lot of nice times.”
Harry spoke up smiling, “I bet you have. You, two beautiful mature women, had to turn some heads.”
“Thank you for the compliment, Harry. I can assure you we were always on our best behavior,” she said tilting her head and batting her eyelashes.
“Oh, I’m sure you were,” Harry replied laughing. “And, Betty, you have never remarried?”
“No, I guess I have been a lot like Andy. The pickings are slim out here in the foothills.”
“How about a special guy?”
Betty’s expression turned serious, “No, I just got gun shy after Johnny. I really thought we had a good marriage. I was doing a good job of taking care of him and then out of nowhere… Hey, it is what it is, as they say. Let me ask you something? I got the impression that maybe you and Andy were more than just friends. Any truth to that?”
Harry turned serious and stared at the bar. “Well, it may have been heading that way with more time. But let’s just leave it at, we were just good friends.”
“Well, Harry it seems we have both lost a good friend. Maybe you and I will turn out to be good friends,” she said as she squeezed his arm.
“Maybe so,” Harry said smiling.
Chapter 42
Two days after Harry had committed to helping Betty Matthews with a business review, he was ready. It had been a few years since he had been involved with any business other than his own personal issues. He had crafted an outline of what he would do and in what order. After several tweaks, he was ready to go.
He arrived at the location before business hours and began an inspection of the property and exterior of the building. Betty had assured him she had briefed all of her employees on why he would be there and sure enough, as they arrived for work, they all waved and gave him a friendly smile.
The business was the only equipment rental business in the county. Some of the big box stores offered some limited number of items but they were not really a threat. Betty’s ex, Johnny, had opened the business after they were first married and his propensity for gambling and carousing put him in with a lot of ‘good ol’ boys’ who were contractors, sub-contractors, builders, and tradesmen. They, in turn, were a solid base for his business. When Johnny had run off, they all felt bad for Betty and assured her not only would they continue to support the company, but they would also encourage others to do so. A number of them, mostly married, also volunteered to fill in for Johnny as far as her love life was concerned. Betty Matthews was a beautiful lady.
When Harry had finished
outside, he had a half page of recommendations. Inside, Harry did one on one private interviews with each of Betty’s employees. When he had completed the interviews, he did an inspection of the inside of the building. When that was complete, he went to Betty’s office. He knocked on the open door frame. “Do you have time for me?”
“Sure, how much time do you need?”
“About a half hour or so for the interview and then I can tell you what I have found thus far. I have yet to look at your numbers.”
“Harry, I was just about to go make a bank deposit and grab lunch. Would you like to join me and do the interview over lunch? I’ll buy,” she said smiling.
“That will work,” he said smiling back at her.
Betty did a drive-thru for the deposit and drove to the Blue Moon Cafe for lunch. When she parked, she said, “I hope this is okay, I forgot to ask.”
“This is fine, I don’t think I’ve been here since I came with Maggie.”
“Oh, are you sure it’s okay, I can go somewhere else?”
“No, No, I’m fine, it’s closing in on a year now.”
They went in, got a table, ordered, and Harry began his interview. By the time they had finished their meal, the interview was complete.
“Betty, I have changed my mind. If you don’t mind, I think I will go through the numbers before I say anything else regarding my findings and recommendations.”
“Is it that bad?” she said fearfully. “I’ve known for a while I needed to change some things, but I have just kept putting them off.”
“No, no, Betty what I will do in my final report will be to point out certain things. Some of these things you may already know or suspect, others, maybe not. Each recommendation I make will be accompanied by a why you should consider doing it. Please note I said consider. This is your business, and you should be the one to set your priorities. Betty, this is not meant to be painful,” he said smiling and squeezing her hand.
“I hope that’s the case, but I’m not so sure,” she responded. Betty paid for lunch, and they headed back so that Harry could start the review of the numbers.
When the business day had come to an end, Harry came into Betty’s office with a list of information he thought was necessary. He told her it was all here but not in a format that he could use. He told her there were things he thought they should be tracking and following and he explained in detail why.
“Harry, I never even thought of these things! You are breaking the business down into a piece by piece review.”
“Betty, it’s your business, shouldn’t you know exactly what each part contributes?”
“When you put it that way, I guess it’s kinda fundamental, isn’t it?”
Harry just raised his eyebrows and shrugged.
“Betty, all of this is in the bowels of your computer. You need a programmer to put it together and pull it out.”
“How much will that cost Harry?”
“No clue, but do you know somebody you can call?”
“I do, but…”
“But what?”
“I’ll have to have dinner with him to get a reasonable price.”
“So?”
“So ,this guy has been after me since Johnny left and he is a nerd. But he just doesn’t seem to take no for an answer. I’m afraid this will just encourage him. But I will call him. I’ll let you know what he says.”
“Betty, when we get that, I will have what I need to finish my work.”
A week later, Harry had all he needed to make his final report. He had done one page of bullet points to summarize what was detailed in the next ten pages and finally a two-page ending summary of the estimated cost to implement all of the recommendations. He had it typed and took it to the UPS store and had three nicely bound copies made.
He called Betty and invited her to lunch at his place. He told her the menu was fresh catfish sandwiches with apple, fennel and onion coleslaw and the beverage of her choice with a gelato dessert. Betty accepted and asked if she could bring anything.
“Betty, just bring yourself and an open mind.”
Chapter 43
Betty was five minutes late and apologized. Harry led her into the dining room where the table was perfectly set with fresh flowers in the middle. He explained lunches were usually in the kitchen, but because of the special occasion, he thought this would be better.
“Harry your home is beautiful, and the view of the lake is magnificent. But explain the special occasion,” she said thinking she already knew the answer.
Harry smiled and said, “Multi-part answer; you are my first consulting client, and it’s your first time to visit my home.”
“Would you mind giving me a tour after we eat?”
“Not at all, it would be my pleasure.”
Harry served the food that he had already plated from the kitchen.
“Harry, where did you get the fresh catfish?”
“Compliments of my dock. It seems it sits over catfish heaven and I never seem to get shut out. I put out two lines last night and ‘Voilà!’” he said pointing at the sandwiches. They ate, and both decided to pass on dessert. Harry cleared the table and brought out the report.
Harry read the report in its entirety out loud, and they discussed each point in detail. It had taken over an hour and two cups of coffee to complete the process.
“Harry, this is amazing. It looks like you know more about my business than I do. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate what you have done, I just hope I can afford to pay you. I didn’t see your fee listed at the end.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that now. What do you think or do you need time to let it sink in before you comment?”
“Oh no, no more time needed. I think you will find, when you get to know me better, I’m pretty quick on my feet. I can make decisions. I’m not always right, but it is not because I can’t make a decision. Once we started this process, I realized, and I think I said this to you before. I have been putting off some things I know should be fixed or changed, but my gracious, you have opened my eyes about so many things I never thought about. Harry, you are truly amazing. And Harry, they all said you were just another pretty face.” They both laughed.
“Harry, seriously, I want to do everything now. But Harry I don’t have that kind of cash, and I have always run this business without any long-term debt. I really don’t want to do these changes piecemeal as I can save cash.”
“Betty, there is a way to do it all now. It may go against your grain but let me explain. You are right you have no long-term debt, but you own the property and building outright. With today’s low-interest rates, you can cash in on them and set up debt payments that will not put your day-to-day operations in jeopardy. I have already run the numbers.”
Harry went to his office and came back with some worksheets to show her what the actual numbers looked like.
“Do you think I can get rates this low?”
“I’m sure of it. If you want to do this, I’ll go to the bank with you and help you if you want me to. It will be included in my fee.” And he laughed.
She did not laugh, “Harry, I insist we discuss your fee. If I do decide to borrow, your fee will need to be included in the loan amount.”
“Betty, I don’t want to talk about my fee. I promise you will not have to borrow to settle with me. Let’s take a break, and I will give you the house tour.”
The last place Harry took her was the master bedroom.
“Harry your home is lovely. You know I think for people like us, you know living alone, the bedroom always seems to have a lonely feel to it. Does it seem that way to you?”
“I guess. It is what it is, though.”
“Harry, are you over being lonely, and I don’t necessarily mean your wife but just being alone.”
“To be very honest, I miss having someone in the house with me. I miss sharing things you know, TV, food, wine, the boat, sunsets. God, I’m starting to sound melancholy, let’s get back to work.”
She said, “Harry, wait,” and she gave him a hug. “Thank you for sharing that and all the other things you have done.” She backed slightly away and looked at him in a way that froze him in his tracks, and she was gone back to the dining room. He followed finding her with the report in her hand turned to the cost page.
“Harry, I want to do it, and I want you to go to the bank with me.”
“Okay, great. When do you want to do it?”
“When, well now of course. Can you go with me now?”
Harry laughed and thought, ‘Pepper Pot’ yessir this little lady is damn sure a pepper pot.
“Absolutely.”
She went to her purse and got her cell phone and called her banker. She had never borrowed any money for more than a week. Phil Jones was president of one of the three local banks in Lakeview. He, even though married, had on more than one occasion suggested he and Betty get better acquainted over drinks. Betty had resisted by saying she would be happy to have drinks with him and his wife anytime. This had always slowed him down and kept him at bay.
When she called, he accepted her call and was hoping for another opportunity. She told him she wanted to borrow some money and would like to come over now. He told her to come over now, that he couldn’t wait to see her. She hung up and told Harry they could go now. Harry shook his head laughing, “The power of a beautiful woman.”
She gave him that strange look again and said, “Well, thank you, Harry Blake.”
They went back to town in separate cars. When they walked into Phil Jones’ office together, the disappointment on his face was evident. Betty briefed Phil on Harry’s work and offered him a copy of the report.
Phil thumbed through the report and looked up at Harry and said, “I thought you were a writer, Mr. Blake.”
“I was a businessman long before and for far much longer than I have been a writer.”
“Betty your property is more than enough collateral to cover the amount you want to borrow. There will be some paperwork of course. How long do you want the loan to be?”
