Page 101 of The Shifting Sands Beneath Us
James
Alisha came walking into my office, a knowing look on her face. “Mr. Fletcher is here.”
I stood and buttoned my suit jacket. Taking a deep breath, I walked around the corner of my desk and prepared to meet the elder Fletcher. I’d known him since I was a kid, but having a business meeting was a new thing for me.
“Okay, send him in.”
But she stood still. “Mr. Langston…” She paused, glancing over her shoulder for a moment. Pressing her lips together, she continued. “I know you’re planning something, and I don’t wish to presume—”
“Your job is safe, Alisha,” I interrupted, wanting to get on with this.
“I was going to say, I don’t wish to presume to tell you how to proceed, but perhaps there needs to be another reason for Mr. Fletcher to be here. There are spies around this office for a certain person—a board member that would love to see you thrown off your high horse.”
I gave her a slight nod. “Mr. Fletcher is a possible investor in my properties down south. Nothing more.”
Giving a slight smile, she turned on her heel and walked out of my office. Moments later, Shane’s father walked through the door. Stepping forward, I held out my hand.
“Mr. Fletcher, I’m so glad you could make it.”
“James, I have to say, I wasn’t expecting a call from you.”
I motioned for him to sit down while I closed the door. “I have a proposal for you, but I must ask first for the utmost discretion.”
“Of course. I take it the board has no idea about this meeting.”
“No, and I would like to keep it that way,” I said, taking my seat across from him.
He gave a tight nod. “Very well. Although, I’m not sure what I could possibly have that you want.”
“I would like to offer you this company.”
He was quiet for a moment and then barked out a laugh. “That’s a good one.”
“I’m very serious, Mr. Fletcher.”
His eyes narrowed on me. This was the tricky part, because the deal wasn’t that lucrative for him. In time, he would stand to gain everything, but in the present, it would be a costly investment. “What exactly are you offering me?”
“To own the company.”
“That would mean owning the primary shares of the company. You already have most of that divided between two families, and multiple investors.”
For months, I had been working on this deal, trying to find a way to make this a good investment for him. So far, I hadn’t come up with a lot, but time was running out. I could feel it every day when I went home to Rose, the little I saw her now that she was working.
“Both families would require a certain number of shares in the company. After all, it is a family investment, and they would like to retain some stock in the company.”
“And are both families aware they’ll be giving up stock in the company?”
This was the difficult part, the hard sell that could crush this deal. “They are not.”
A smirk filled his face as he shifted in his seat. “James, I’ve known you a long time. You’ve always been the reckless child, trying to get away from your family. I’m aware of the situation that you find yourself in. This life is not for everyone. However, I couldn’t possibly be that ruthless that I would buy a company out from under a friend without his consent.”
“Friend is a very loose term in this life,” I acknowledged.
“Yes, I suppose you’re right.”
“Mr. Fletcher—”
He held up his hand. “Before we continue this, how about you tell me exactly what this deal entails.”