Page 1 of It Happened Duo
1
THE BLACK BOX
REX BUCHANAN
This was it.The moment I’d been looking forward to ever since the board forced me, well, asked me to take over as CEO of Buchanan Energy thanks to my brother, Richard’s, meltdown, breakdown, or whatever he wanted to call it.
I pushed through the conference room door at the Bellamy Brothers Architecture firm and barely noticed my buddy Brooks and his twin Archer before my eyes landed on the 3D model on the table. “There it is,” I quickly took in the overall impression. “Stunning, at first glance,” I said appreciatively, almost gushing.
“Hey, Rex. Thanks for coming today. We hoped you’d like it,” Brooks greeted me.
I wasn’t usually a gusher, but damn, I’d been working hard to make this project happen and finally it was within reach. The model sat on a marble slab and I read the silver plaque attached. “Rendering of the new lobby for the Buchanan Building.”
“Should we give you the grand tour?” Archer asked, gloating over the design as he picked up a laser pointer.
“By all means.” I rubbed my hands together while the three of us crowded the table.
Brooks took over, always the showman, the twin out front working with the clients, while Archer was more of a behind-the-scenes type of guy, engineering some of New York’s top redesigns in modern skyscrapers today.
“Welcome to the new Buchanan Building. As you enter through a glass sphere here,” he paused while Archer pointed the laser toward the fresh addition we would put at the front of the building my father had built back in the 70s.
“A living greenery wall will welcome visitors and workers alike to the modern era. Gone will be the days of the dark lobby with tired brown tile, tan walls, and brass fixtures. Instead, an airy space filled with light, and furnished with a minimalist white and gray palette will shine,” Brooks finished his spiel.
My pants just grew tighter. Couldn’t help it. This was what I lived for. Buying up New York real estate and remodeling, reselling or leasing for a profit was my passion. Not sitting behind a desk on the fortieth floor trying to run an energy company I couldn’t care less about.
We had a deal, Richard and I. He was the one fascinated by the company our father, Patrick Buchanan, had built, and was happy to take over the helm. Sure, we came from old money made from decades in gas and oil, but after Dad passed away, Rich successfully ushered in a new era for the company, with a focus on clean energy.
After he stepped down and I took over the leadership of the company, I decided to do what I did best. I implemented plans to bring in a new look to the company headquarters. I could imagine Patrick in his grave, smiling at me. He was always proud of my gains and achievements among the city’s elite real estate circles.
Mom, on the other hand, was still a force to be reckoned with. But I was positive when she saw this she’d be on board with my plans to modernize Dad’s building.
“Over here,” Brooks continued. “You’ll see the new shops and eateries planned, turning the old lobby into a multi-use space.”
Archer’s laser jumped from place to place as he listed off the names of the establishments who had already committed as tenants. But he glossed over one space on the corner that seemed out of place. A black box marred the white facade of my beautiful model.
“Wait, what’s over there?” I pointed.
“Ah, yes. That’s the existing Sun-Up Deli. Now over here?—”
“What do you mean? I was told all the current tenants on the lobby floor were supposed to have been given an eviction notice. There shouldn’t be a deli in the new plans.”
“It seems when we consulted with your building management, there’s an issue with the lease agreement for the deli.” Archer pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. That’s one way I could tell the two brothers apart. The other way was that Archer liked to dress in 3-piece suits, while Brooks was business casual.
“What issue?” I scowled. Call me spoiled, but when I wanted something, I expected it all to be smooth sailing.
“They have one of the most favorable lease agreements I’ve ever seen.” Brooks shook his head. As a partner in some of my projects, it was familiar territory for him to handle details. “Your father and Mr. Doug Calhoun signed it twenty years ago.”
“Aw hell. I remember Doug, one of my father’s old cronies. He’s still around?”
“Yep. Get this. He pays the original monthly lease amount; there hasn’t been a single increase all this time. And, he has until midnight on New Year’s Eve to either renew the lease or give notice that he intends to vacate. There’s no eviction clause; you’re stuck.”
“What the—That’s crazy. Who would make a deal like that?” My father, of course. He often took care of his friends and their families, even going so far as to put several kids through college. Sure, he was tough in business, but had a heart of gold, too. Everyone revered him.
I sighed and paced over to the window and peered out at the other buildings. “I figured my mother would be the only hurdle to jump, but now this.”
“Miriam scares me.” Brooks agreed, and Archer nodded. “I do not know how you’re going to get her to agree to let you remodel your dad’s building.”
“I’m sureshewon’t be too much of a problem, but this…” I stalked back, eyeing the model and determined nothing would deter my plans. “No, there has to be a way,and I’ll find it. I’ll talk to Doug. You just take that black box off.”
