Ross tried to nap on the plane to OKC.
While Ross loved going there, and he also knew that he had to work on and finalize the deal for the company that Tim wanted to buy, Ross was happy to be out of the office with the almost constant atmosphere there.
When Ross landed in OKC, the Uber took him to his hotel, he checked in, left his bags in holding, and then went to the office, where Fritz, Steve, and now Ross, had their private offices, as Ross had expanding paperwork for the deals he was doing with Fritz and Steve.
"Gentlemen, Good Afternoon" Ross said, shaking Fritz and Steve's hands.
"Afternoon, Partner, how was the trip?" Fritz asked.
"Thankfully, quiet. Let me just get an iced tea, and then please tell me what is up, and we can either discuss here, go out to lunch, or both if you guys want" Ross said.
Ross got an iced tea, and Fritz tossed Ross a proposition for a small shopping mall in a barren area of OKC. The men would need to talk to bankers, figure out to how finance the deal, and get investors.
"Guys, we are going to have to look this over, discuss it thoroughly, and then I'm going to either have to think about it, or hire someone to analyze it for me. With the way the O and G company has been exploding, we have not done a deal like this since I believe the infancy days of the company. Everything since then has been oil and gas if I'm not mistaken" Ross said.
"You are one hundred precent right, Ross. The difference with this deal, is the land that it is on, the value, and the shops that have almost committed to signing to be in it. It looks like it could be a Gold Mine. I can actually see that if this happens, we can put oil and gas on hold for a month, two, or even a quarter. It wont affect the company, our royalties, or the flow of the company, with the way things are set up" Fritz said.
Ross sighed. "Okay. If you are that optimistic about it, then I promise I will listen, think about it, and have an open mind. To be honest, I was thinking about asking you guys if we could take a hiatus from the oil and gas seemingly constant deals for a short time, to allow me to figure things out of how to reorganize and sell off or break up parts of RossShell into departments. The workload between the oil and gas, my constant commitment to you guys, and Tim, are making me feel like I'm on a constant , never ending ride. This might be good for all three of us, our partnership, and my interests in New York" Ross said,.
"Precisely" Fritz said.
"One thing,. If there is anyone else we have to discuss this deal with, may we please look it over, discuss it, and let me meet this person and hear them out by Wednesday lunch at latest,. I must get back to New York and be in the office on Thursday to continue working on a project for Tim that looks like its going to happen, but if I take my eye off the ball with that, I could have a problem, and I could be under a deadline with that too. I dont know,. Tim told the people in the deal that I am co owner of a major oil and gas company in Oklahoma, and that I have to make trips here very often for business" Ross said honestly.
Fritz said. "Most certainty, my friend. Let;s discuss it through the day, and at dinner tonight. We could call the guy on the phone tomorrow morning, and tell him we have to meet with him for dinner tomorrow night, because our partner has other business in New York that he must get back to. He knows who you are , Ross, and what your business situation is" Fritz said.
Ross smiled and sighed. "Thanks, Fritz"
As Ross looked at the deal and the projected situation, the deal did look too good to pass up. The land alone and the amount they could rent out the stores for, could translate into at least a seven figure rent fee for each , of Ross, Fritz and Steve. Something like that was not your average shopping mall.
Ross sighed, and looked up at Fritz and Steve. "As I'm looking at this, I can see why you guys want to go for it. The land, who we could or would rent it out to or for, and the return looks fantastic. It''s much richer than any mall deal we;'ve ever done. Based on what I'm seeing here, and what we have discussed today, my answer is a tentativeiyes, which will change to a definite yes when we meet the people, and they tell me in detail in a meeting what I'm seeing here on paper" Ross said.,
Fritz picked up the phone, and called the other party who proposed the deal. "Hello, Ross C is here from New York. He left a lot on his desk in New York because he knows how important this is to you, Steve, and me. We need to meet sometime tomorrow to go through this in detail, and then based on what we hear there, we will come to our final decision" Fritz said.
The party on the other end of the phone made a noon lunch meeting with Fritz, Steve and Ross at Fritz's club.
"Okay, meeting done. Noon at my club. Now, please go back to your hotel, visitor, and rest. Steve and me will finish up here, pick you up at the hotel, and then the three of us will have a big dinner" Fritz said.
"That sounds one hundred percent perfect , buddy" Ross said, exiting the room, and going down to an Uber to go back to the hotel.
When Ross got back to the hotel, it was 4 pm New York Time, 3 pm in OKC. Ross dialed Kayley's cell phone, and she answered on the second ring.
"So, how is OKC, what's going on?" Kayley said.
"A shopping mall proposal that looks like a Gold Mine. we looked it over, talked to the guy on the phone, and are meeting him tonight for dinner. This is good for me because if we do sign it , Fritz and Steve can keep an eye on it, and just figure things out and tell me, so I can come home, spend time with you and in the office, and deal with Tim Patrick's company buy situation ASAP. My hope is not to do an oil and gas deal for a quarter, to allow myself to analyze and buy the company with Tim. If this all happens as it looks like it might, it will be a break for me that will come at a perfect time" Ross said.
"Thats wonderful, Ross. You so deserve it, with all the negative news you've been gerting about your health lately. In all honesty, oilman, how do you feel?" Kayley asked with concern.
"A bit tired, but I'm here. I'm going to rest here for a couple of hours, and then we will meet the people for dinner. If, and I stress, if, the meeting goes well, and we come to some final deal, I might ask if I can sign a tentative agreement or power of attorney so I can get out of here tomorrow. That, however, will depend, and please do not hold me to it. I agreed to be home on Wednesday, I definitely will, and I have every reason to believe it wont be anywhere near midnight, and will be much earlier, okay?" Ross said.
"Just fine. Have fun discussing your mall deal" Kayley said.
Ross rested, went out to dinner with Fritz and Steve, and then in the morning, they went to the office and discussed pre game discussion for the meeting so to say, and at noon, they met the other party at Fritzs club.
"Ross C, the visitor from New York, how are you?" Ross said, shaking the hand in greeting.
"Ray White, Ross, nice to meet you" Ray said, shaking Ross's hand.
The men ordered drinks, steaks, and salad, and then started the discussion.
"Ross, as you can see, the land itself and the potential for rental fees, is alone very valuable. The building cost will not be astronomical. We could charge rent while, not up to New York standards, would be sky high by OKC standards, and we should and will have no trouble renting the land to any stories or eating places because of its proximity to the city, and the convenient location for the stores and the customer. " Ray said.'
"I like what I hear , Ray. I'm about to say that personally, if Fritz and Steve agree with me, I personally am in. I have one important question of course, how much will this all cost for building fees, and what it the timetable it could or would be done" Ross asked.
"The entire investment for everything will be no more than thirty million, that we could finance four ways. We will set a timetable or no more than one year from the day we sign the deal. However, if the building commission cooperates with us, it could be six months, maximum nine. The return should be at least double the investment for everyone, so it makes sense for all of us" Ray said.
Ross sighed. "A small seven ml plus investment to make fifteen or more. Sounds like a nice good deal. I am about to say yes" Ross said.
""Yes to me too" Fritz said,
"I'm in" Steve said.
The men shook hands, and agreed on the deal.
"One favor if you could, Ray. Let me get back to New York and look at my cash flow situation in RossShell. I would like to pay cash for my share, so as not to get started with financial statements , bank approval etc. We all know those are a pain, especially in New York with the volume of bank loans there. Selling off assets can be s risky thing due to the time table thing too. If I have the cash, it is yours as soon as we and our attorneys sign the papers. Is this a fair proposal?" Ross asked.
"More than fair, Ross, and yes to that too" Ray said,.
The men shook handed, finished lunch, and Ross felt, satisfied.
When Ray had left, Fritz, Steve, and Ross stayed behind./
"You see, I told you we could do a deal that should be easy and make some decent dough. No waiting for investor anteing up, or examination of wells, or paperwork. Maybe we should do a couple of these a year to give all of us a break. We have all busted out butts to make the Oil and Gas company a Giant. Maybe its time to get back to the original reason we all started our business association in the first place" Fritz said.
Ross smiled. "Fine with me, my friend. We all know a teacher in New York who would be thrilled to hear that proposal" Ross said.
"Speaking of the teacher. You did a lot down here. Please, when we finish up, go straight to your hotel, pack, and get on a plane tonight. We are done here. I know you need to rest, and I know that Tim must be anxiously waiting for you to get back and talk to him" Fritz said.
"Tom may be more anxious than Kayley, but I know she's concerned too. I agree, and I am out of here as soon as I can get a plane. Good couple of days, guys, and a good little deal. No pressure. Who cares if its only a few mil or tens of millions" Ross said.
Ross went back to the hotel, made a 7 pm plane out of OKC, packed, and called Kayley.
"Deal is basically done. A simple shopping mall for just a few mil each investments. The return is potentially a Gold Mine because of the land it sits on, the proximity, and who we could and will probably rent it to. I'm out of here, and will be in JFK by midnight if all goes well, and home by hopefully no later than one am Ross said.
"Wow, one day to probably make quite a few millions, not a bad trip that lasted only a few days" Kayley joked,.
Ross left on a 7 pm plane to JFK, the plane landed shortly after midnight. Ross entered the apartment, and was surprised to see Kayley up and reading.
"You're up late., Checking me for my curfew?" Ross laughed.
"A half a day tomorrow because of an administrative conference. I had them get me a substitute teacher, and told them that my husband needs me for an issue. I wanted to be here and up when you got back" Kayley said.
Ross sighed. "I'm tired. I am going to bed, and may spend the morning at home, and go in from noon to five or six. As I was on the plane home, I started thinking about the situation with Tim and his company buy. That could, and I emphasize could, be the most difficult situation I've had in a long time. Luckily, the O and G is on hold for a quarter while Steve and Fritz deal with this mall, so I should have the time to figure the company buy with Tim out and make it work" Ross said,.
"Tjats good, now get into bed, and go to sleep. " Kayley said.
Ross did drop off to sleep quickly, awakened at eight, and called the office. "I';m home, but I wont be in til the afternoon. I have to figure something out for Tim before deciding what might happen" Ross said to Victor.
When nine am came, Ross called Tim. "Hi, Tim, I'm home. I've been thinking about your company buy., I know you said there is no timetable. Tio make sure I can put one hundred percent into it, I put the Oil and Gas on hold for three months, so we can figure this out. Other than your usual work, which is always under control, my only focus is this. " Ross said,.
"I know you, Ross. The sound in your voice says it all. Something is bothering you. Lay it on the table and tell me what it is" Tim said.
Ross sighed. "Fine. Here it is. the way they so rapidly agreed to lower the price on a deal that costs this much, says to me that maybe there is something we are not seeing about the company,. Maybe I'm just being paranoid. , but I keep wondering if there is some "Trojan Horse" as they like to call it, that will either stretch the tometable out and make it fall apart, kill the deal altogether, or end up with some tax or financial problem we dont know about. I need to really look at this from top to bottom, and would be willing to ask a friend of mine who knows about things like this, and take half my usual fee to make sure. We both know that it is not about the money for either of us. It is about my making you satisfied, and taking care of your interests" Ross said,.
"Ross, I appreciate that. You know that I always know you want what is best for me, as, except for an oil and gas company in Oklahoma, I'm your major business concern. Okay. Look at it and let's discuss it as much as you want. We discuss it, and if you will be here with no unexpected trps with Fritz and Steve handling the mall deal, you can spend time figuring this out, and we will come to a clear decision of what is best for me and you" Tim said.
"Thanks for your understanding, Tim. We will of courwe stay in touch and talk about this " Ross said.,
Ross hung up the phone and sighed.
"Easy as pie shopping mall deal in OKC, what might be a very time consuming and complicated deal with Tim that might take more time for Ross than he had devoted to anything in a long time.
Would Ross's approach work out for Tim, Ross and the deals?
That would be seen.
While Ross loved going there, and he also knew that he had to work on and finalize the deal for the company that Tim wanted to buy, Ross was happy to be out of the office with the almost constant atmosphere there.
When Ross landed in OKC, the Uber took him to his hotel, he checked in, left his bags in holding, and then went to the office, where Fritz, Steve, and now Ross, had their private offices, as Ross had expanding paperwork for the deals he was doing with Fritz and Steve.
"Gentlemen, Good Afternoon" Ross said, shaking Fritz and Steve's hands.
"Afternoon, Partner, how was the trip?" Fritz asked.
"Thankfully, quiet. Let me just get an iced tea, and then please tell me what is up, and we can either discuss here, go out to lunch, or both if you guys want" Ross said.
Ross got an iced tea, and Fritz tossed Ross a proposition for a small shopping mall in a barren area of OKC. The men would need to talk to bankers, figure out to how finance the deal, and get investors.
"Guys, we are going to have to look this over, discuss it thoroughly, and then I'm going to either have to think about it, or hire someone to analyze it for me. With the way the O and G company has been exploding, we have not done a deal like this since I believe the infancy days of the company. Everything since then has been oil and gas if I'm not mistaken" Ross said.
"You are one hundred precent right, Ross. The difference with this deal, is the land that it is on, the value, and the shops that have almost committed to signing to be in it. It looks like it could be a Gold Mine. I can actually see that if this happens, we can put oil and gas on hold for a month, two, or even a quarter. It wont affect the company, our royalties, or the flow of the company, with the way things are set up" Fritz said.
Ross sighed. "Okay. If you are that optimistic about it, then I promise I will listen, think about it, and have an open mind. To be honest, I was thinking about asking you guys if we could take a hiatus from the oil and gas seemingly constant deals for a short time, to allow me to figure things out of how to reorganize and sell off or break up parts of RossShell into departments. The workload between the oil and gas, my constant commitment to you guys, and Tim, are making me feel like I'm on a constant , never ending ride. This might be good for all three of us, our partnership, and my interests in New York" Ross said,.
"Precisely" Fritz said.
"One thing,. If there is anyone else we have to discuss this deal with, may we please look it over, discuss it, and let me meet this person and hear them out by Wednesday lunch at latest,. I must get back to New York and be in the office on Thursday to continue working on a project for Tim that looks like its going to happen, but if I take my eye off the ball with that, I could have a problem, and I could be under a deadline with that too. I dont know,. Tim told the people in the deal that I am co owner of a major oil and gas company in Oklahoma, and that I have to make trips here very often for business" Ross said honestly.
Fritz said. "Most certainty, my friend. Let;s discuss it through the day, and at dinner tonight. We could call the guy on the phone tomorrow morning, and tell him we have to meet with him for dinner tomorrow night, because our partner has other business in New York that he must get back to. He knows who you are , Ross, and what your business situation is" Fritz said.
Ross smiled and sighed. "Thanks, Fritz"
As Ross looked at the deal and the projected situation, the deal did look too good to pass up. The land alone and the amount they could rent out the stores for, could translate into at least a seven figure rent fee for each , of Ross, Fritz and Steve. Something like that was not your average shopping mall.
Ross sighed, and looked up at Fritz and Steve. "As I'm looking at this, I can see why you guys want to go for it. The land, who we could or would rent it out to or for, and the return looks fantastic. It''s much richer than any mall deal we;'ve ever done. Based on what I'm seeing here, and what we have discussed today, my answer is a tentativeiyes, which will change to a definite yes when we meet the people, and they tell me in detail in a meeting what I'm seeing here on paper" Ross said.,
Fritz picked up the phone, and called the other party who proposed the deal. "Hello, Ross C is here from New York. He left a lot on his desk in New York because he knows how important this is to you, Steve, and me. We need to meet sometime tomorrow to go through this in detail, and then based on what we hear there, we will come to our final decision" Fritz said.
The party on the other end of the phone made a noon lunch meeting with Fritz, Steve and Ross at Fritz's club.
"Okay, meeting done. Noon at my club. Now, please go back to your hotel, visitor, and rest. Steve and me will finish up here, pick you up at the hotel, and then the three of us will have a big dinner" Fritz said.
"That sounds one hundred percent perfect , buddy" Ross said, exiting the room, and going down to an Uber to go back to the hotel.
When Ross got back to the hotel, it was 4 pm New York Time, 3 pm in OKC. Ross dialed Kayley's cell phone, and she answered on the second ring.
"So, how is OKC, what's going on?" Kayley said.
"A shopping mall proposal that looks like a Gold Mine. we looked it over, talked to the guy on the phone, and are meeting him tonight for dinner. This is good for me because if we do sign it , Fritz and Steve can keep an eye on it, and just figure things out and tell me, so I can come home, spend time with you and in the office, and deal with Tim Patrick's company buy situation ASAP. My hope is not to do an oil and gas deal for a quarter, to allow myself to analyze and buy the company with Tim. If this all happens as it looks like it might, it will be a break for me that will come at a perfect time" Ross said.
"Thats wonderful, Ross. You so deserve it, with all the negative news you've been gerting about your health lately. In all honesty, oilman, how do you feel?" Kayley asked with concern.
"A bit tired, but I'm here. I'm going to rest here for a couple of hours, and then we will meet the people for dinner. If, and I stress, if, the meeting goes well, and we come to some final deal, I might ask if I can sign a tentative agreement or power of attorney so I can get out of here tomorrow. That, however, will depend, and please do not hold me to it. I agreed to be home on Wednesday, I definitely will, and I have every reason to believe it wont be anywhere near midnight, and will be much earlier, okay?" Ross said.
"Just fine. Have fun discussing your mall deal" Kayley said.
Ross rested, went out to dinner with Fritz and Steve, and then in the morning, they went to the office and discussed pre game discussion for the meeting so to say, and at noon, they met the other party at Fritzs club.
"Ross C, the visitor from New York, how are you?" Ross said, shaking the hand in greeting.
"Ray White, Ross, nice to meet you" Ray said, shaking Ross's hand.
The men ordered drinks, steaks, and salad, and then started the discussion.
"Ross, as you can see, the land itself and the potential for rental fees, is alone very valuable. The building cost will not be astronomical. We could charge rent while, not up to New York standards, would be sky high by OKC standards, and we should and will have no trouble renting the land to any stories or eating places because of its proximity to the city, and the convenient location for the stores and the customer. " Ray said.'
"I like what I hear , Ray. I'm about to say that personally, if Fritz and Steve agree with me, I personally am in. I have one important question of course, how much will this all cost for building fees, and what it the timetable it could or would be done" Ross asked.
"The entire investment for everything will be no more than thirty million, that we could finance four ways. We will set a timetable or no more than one year from the day we sign the deal. However, if the building commission cooperates with us, it could be six months, maximum nine. The return should be at least double the investment for everyone, so it makes sense for all of us" Ray said.
Ross sighed. "A small seven ml plus investment to make fifteen or more. Sounds like a nice good deal. I am about to say yes" Ross said.
""Yes to me too" Fritz said,
"I'm in" Steve said.
The men shook hands, and agreed on the deal.
"One favor if you could, Ray. Let me get back to New York and look at my cash flow situation in RossShell. I would like to pay cash for my share, so as not to get started with financial statements , bank approval etc. We all know those are a pain, especially in New York with the volume of bank loans there. Selling off assets can be s risky thing due to the time table thing too. If I have the cash, it is yours as soon as we and our attorneys sign the papers. Is this a fair proposal?" Ross asked.
"More than fair, Ross, and yes to that too" Ray said,.
The men shook handed, finished lunch, and Ross felt, satisfied.
When Ray had left, Fritz, Steve, and Ross stayed behind./
"You see, I told you we could do a deal that should be easy and make some decent dough. No waiting for investor anteing up, or examination of wells, or paperwork. Maybe we should do a couple of these a year to give all of us a break. We have all busted out butts to make the Oil and Gas company a Giant. Maybe its time to get back to the original reason we all started our business association in the first place" Fritz said.
Ross smiled. "Fine with me, my friend. We all know a teacher in New York who would be thrilled to hear that proposal" Ross said.
"Speaking of the teacher. You did a lot down here. Please, when we finish up, go straight to your hotel, pack, and get on a plane tonight. We are done here. I know you need to rest, and I know that Tim must be anxiously waiting for you to get back and talk to him" Fritz said.
"Tom may be more anxious than Kayley, but I know she's concerned too. I agree, and I am out of here as soon as I can get a plane. Good couple of days, guys, and a good little deal. No pressure. Who cares if its only a few mil or tens of millions" Ross said.
Ross went back to the hotel, made a 7 pm plane out of OKC, packed, and called Kayley.
"Deal is basically done. A simple shopping mall for just a few mil each investments. The return is potentially a Gold Mine because of the land it sits on, the proximity, and who we could and will probably rent it to. I'm out of here, and will be in JFK by midnight if all goes well, and home by hopefully no later than one am Ross said.
"Wow, one day to probably make quite a few millions, not a bad trip that lasted only a few days" Kayley joked,.
Ross left on a 7 pm plane to JFK, the plane landed shortly after midnight. Ross entered the apartment, and was surprised to see Kayley up and reading.
"You're up late., Checking me for my curfew?" Ross laughed.
"A half a day tomorrow because of an administrative conference. I had them get me a substitute teacher, and told them that my husband needs me for an issue. I wanted to be here and up when you got back" Kayley said.
Ross sighed. "I'm tired. I am going to bed, and may spend the morning at home, and go in from noon to five or six. As I was on the plane home, I started thinking about the situation with Tim and his company buy. That could, and I emphasize could, be the most difficult situation I've had in a long time. Luckily, the O and G is on hold for a quarter while Steve and Fritz deal with this mall, so I should have the time to figure the company buy with Tim out and make it work" Ross said,.
"Tjats good, now get into bed, and go to sleep. " Kayley said.
Ross did drop off to sleep quickly, awakened at eight, and called the office. "I';m home, but I wont be in til the afternoon. I have to figure something out for Tim before deciding what might happen" Ross said to Victor.
When nine am came, Ross called Tim. "Hi, Tim, I'm home. I've been thinking about your company buy., I know you said there is no timetable. Tio make sure I can put one hundred percent into it, I put the Oil and Gas on hold for three months, so we can figure this out. Other than your usual work, which is always under control, my only focus is this. " Ross said,.
"I know you, Ross. The sound in your voice says it all. Something is bothering you. Lay it on the table and tell me what it is" Tim said.
Ross sighed. "Fine. Here it is. the way they so rapidly agreed to lower the price on a deal that costs this much, says to me that maybe there is something we are not seeing about the company,. Maybe I'm just being paranoid. , but I keep wondering if there is some "Trojan Horse" as they like to call it, that will either stretch the tometable out and make it fall apart, kill the deal altogether, or end up with some tax or financial problem we dont know about. I need to really look at this from top to bottom, and would be willing to ask a friend of mine who knows about things like this, and take half my usual fee to make sure. We both know that it is not about the money for either of us. It is about my making you satisfied, and taking care of your interests" Ross said,.
"Ross, I appreciate that. You know that I always know you want what is best for me, as, except for an oil and gas company in Oklahoma, I'm your major business concern. Okay. Look at it and let's discuss it as much as you want. We discuss it, and if you will be here with no unexpected trps with Fritz and Steve handling the mall deal, you can spend time figuring this out, and we will come to a clear decision of what is best for me and you" Tim said.
"Thanks for your understanding, Tim. We will of courwe stay in touch and talk about this " Ross said.,
Ross hung up the phone and sighed.
"Easy as pie shopping mall deal in OKC, what might be a very time consuming and complicated deal with Tim that might take more time for Ross than he had devoted to anything in a long time.
Would Ross's approach work out for Tim, Ross and the deals?
That would be seen.
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