After taking a moment to recover from that kiss, which apparently onlyIneeded, I spoke. “What were we talking about?” My hand jerked to the bottom of my lip.
“Clearly something that made me want to take you in my arms and become one with you for an unfair forty-seven seconds.”
I blushed as Scott’s mouth widened on one side.
“But essentially you were telling me things that made you become real and no longer something that I imagined couldn’t possibly be true.” Scott looked out into the distance in front of us and we were silent for a moment.
“So tell me, Superman, why do you doubt going into business with an old friend?”
Scott shrugged. “I knew the guy on a personal level years ago and…I guess he thinks that he doesn’t need to oblige with my expectations.”
Okay, now I was genuinely confused. “So why work with him?”
He scoffed. “I’m an investor. I won’t always trust or like who I work with, I just need to take interest in the business. And I expect my advice to be followed, since at the end of the day, I’m…”
“The one with the money?” I finished.
“I was going to put it differently, but yes.” He winked. “I’m careful about who I choose to help and where I invest. Naturally, I need to believe there’s potential for significant profit. I look into their competition, how much stronger they are than those competitors, and finally, what the hell these guys plan to do to keep up with the market,” he paused. “I admire the service this firm provides to the public. They focus on those less fortunate.” He glanced at me. “There aren’t many who do and I’d hate it to be the reason that they drown. But the guy is just being very difficult to work with and he’s refusing to follow some of my demands.”
“Demands?”
“Of course, I need to make a few in order to ensure my investment isn’t wasted. Just by looking at their statements and business strategy, I can tell where they’re going wrong.”
I nodded understandingly. “So, you know how their business should be running?”
Scott shrugged. “I have an idea…but it’s hard to say when the owner is keeping me at arm’s length.”
“Well I think you should forget your history with the guy and follow your instincts on wanting to save the business for what they stand for. Or send one of your associates while you oversee things from a distance. But I don’t think you should consider backing away. And who knows, there might be a hefty return.”
“But in order to guarantee that, I require full cooperation and immediate fulfillment of my demands.”
My head jerked back. “I don’t understand, is this a hostile takeover?”
“Of course not. But what they’re doing isn’t working.”
I threw my hands in the air. “Then find out why.Theyare the industry professionals. Not you. You might have the funds and good business knowledge, but they know what works for them. I think you need to find a way to work together.”
“You’re going to single handedly be the reason for my first loss.”
I laughed, then paused. “Wait, your first?” My eyes bulged. Maybe the guydidknow what he was talking about. Also, he didn’t become a billionaire at age thirty by making all the wrong decisions. Still, it sounded extremely one-sided. “I suppose you already attempted to look into why they’re sinking?”
“Overstaffed, for one,” he murmured.
“Ha. I may have to agree with you there. Most entrepreneurs almost never know what their employees do. They’d probably be surprised to know just how uneven workloads can get.”
Scott grinned through the side of his mouth. “Sounds like you see right through it.”
“I tend to keep a closer eye than most,” I admitted.
“Do you have a big team?” he asked.
I eyed him and decided not to dodge the innocent question. But it would still be a lie. I cringed. Keeping my promise to be myself was becoming more impossible every minute.
“No. I can honestly say, I do not.”
Scott nodded and smiled favorably at me. “Perhaps that’s why someone like you might never need saving.” We reached the ice cream parlor and he pulled the door open for me. The place was brightly lit and cooler than it was outside at the end of October.
Scott approached the counter. “One mint chocolate chip, please, double scoop. And…” he placed a hand on the frosty glass enclosure and eyed the choices. “I’ll have the Superman.” He turned back to me and winked.
