Ross looked at the proposal which Steven had given Ross.
Right away, the businessman in Ross for 25 plus years felt it odd.
The proposal discussed "Selling" anywhere from twenty five to forty percent of the existing RFS, and putting the capital into multiple deals, to "diversify"
Ross sighed, and did not say anything.
"Well come on, boy, you're one third of this company, lay it on us?" Fritz said.
"Mister P? You've seen this, and are in agreement to it?" Ross said quietly and respectfully.
"I am" Fritz said boldly.
Ross got up from his chair, started walking around the room, and stared at the ceiling. Then, said, in a tone which almost could not be heard. "Why?"
"To do something different. We've been running this company the same damn way for almost ten years. Dont you ever get tired of the same thing? Close a deal, input 25 to 100 investors. Buy a company in trouble, pick apart the energy part, then sell the company off. Buy a company to get new wells or natural gas sources. Maybe it's time, we "Roll the dice" Fritz said.
Ross smirked, and almost could not believe his ears. "You guys are almost proposing to do what you've been criticizing me for doing at RossShell for all of the time which we've known each other. Taking unwise chances. You both know how that has turned out. If we do this, it might make the trouble we had with Fish look like a birthday party" Ross said, using an almost childlike anaolgy to drive home his point.
"So no then? " Fritz said.
"I did not say that. First of all, both of you guys can override me, tell me to go to Hell with my thinking on this, and either tell me to sit out, or just put up the money, and go along for the ride. I will just say that I'm very concerned, and as you both know, we have to be very prudent about it, examine each aspect and part carefully, and it will take a lot of time" Ross said.
"So fine then. Rome was not built in a day. We have three names on this list. Let's meet with all three. Oh, and by the way, fuck the investor shows. Too damn boring. " Fritz said.
"Yes, Sir. Ross goes along for the ride" Ross said.
As the day went along, Ross was able to go into his own office before the dinner meeting with the first source, and close his door. Ross was able to get Kayley on the phone for a brief time.
"This is unusual. You're in the place you love most, and you sound upset" Kayley said.
"I cant speak too loud as I dont want Fritz and or Steve to hear me. Kale, I dont know what the Hell is going on down here. I get down here, and they hand me paperwork wanting to sell off up to forty percent of the company, to diversify and take more risky deals" Ross said.
Kayley chuckled. "Am I hearing you right, Ross C? The man who has been the King of dangerous deals at RossShell, is scared to take a chance with RFS?" Kayley said.
"Not "scared" Kale, just, apprehensive, and shocked. If both Steve and Fritz want to do these deals, or any of them, I have to just put up the money, shut up, and do it. I guess at RossShell when things used to get fucked up before I started running things differently, I could just blame myself, and either learn from it or drop it, or, beat myself up about it, until I found a deal or client that worked, and move on. RFS has always been my safety net. " Ross said.
"Ross, just see what they want to do, and take it as it comes" Kayley said.
That night, Ross, Fritz and Steve had two meetings, Appetizers with Mike Ralph to look at a deal which would involve an unknown amount of money. Fritz, Steve, and Ross explained how it would take three to six months to put together the deal, and that they might do so in parts, to allow them to try it out first, and raise the cash flow. Mike seemed agreeable to that.
The next meeting was with Travis Barker. Travis had another deal involving investing money in multiple companies, for the same reason , to diversify, the price between 100 and 200 million.
Ross went back to the hotel, popped his sleep meds, but could not sleep, and felt almost psyched out.
A man who had taken more unwise chances in his decades in business than ever, was now almost "scared" to do a risky deal.
The next morning, after taking a ride out to check the energy fields, Ross, Fritz and Steve went back to OKC and met with two other men, Charles and Paul Franklin. The Franklins, had two diverse companies, which they wanted to sell a part of to other investors. Ross, Fritz and Steve were offered the chance to buy into ten percent of that company each.
When Ross, Fritz, and Steve got back to the office, Fritz said.
"You look drained, boy, maybe you should go home and let the VP take care of you" Fritz said.
"I can stay if you want me to" Ross said.
"Ross, no one said that any of these deals will be done. Maybe none of them will, one, both, or more. Let's look at it, and see what happens" Fritz said.
"Do you want me to go home?" Ross asked.
"Nothing else to do here. Go back, and maybe you will come down again in two to three weeks" Fritz said.
"Yes sir" Ross said, saluting Fritz, leaving the office, going back to the hotel, packing and jumping on a 5 pm plane to JFK that would arrive after 10
On the plane home, Ross tried to sleep.
The plane landed, Ross got his bags, and jumped into an Uber home.
Kayley was dozing. Ross kissed her lightly, and went to his closet to undress.
"You look tired, and troubled" Kayley said.
"Emotionally drained. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Steve and Fritz want to sell off the nice, safe, RFS that we have built for a decade, and branch off in every direction into more risky deals. It almost looks like,
"RossShell?" Kayley asked.
"Yes" Ross said.
"How do you feel about that?" Kayley asked.
"Now you sound like a rhetorical shrink, VP. How do I feel? Shocked, amazed, confused, and scared. While Fish was corrupt, even before we found out about his corruption, Fritz and Steve were constantly at war with Fish about his unwise deal risks, even with things that were legal. I dont understand where they get their thinking?" Ross said.
"Is there a lawyer involved that you might not know about who told them to do this?" Kayley asked.
"I doubt it. They would have told me about something as big as that I think that they got some ideas from watching me at RossShell in the ten years that I know them. Even though they dont know the details of what I do" Ross said.
"Well, take the paperwork, look it over, talk to them, go back, and see" Kayley said.
"I have no choice but not to" Ross said.
Ross predictably did not feel like sex that night. Kayley just held him until he drifted off.
When Kayley was getting dressed the next day, Ross woke up.
"I'm going in. If I sit here, I will drive myself crazy all day with how shocked and upset I am about what happened in OKC. Let me dive into Mel, approve work, whatever. I wont be late. I'm not feeling that tired. I got home at a decent hour as you know" Ross said.
"Tis okay. You dont need permission to go into work. You dont seem too bad" Kayley said.
Ross jumped in the shower, into jeans, and went to the office.
Things started normally. Hellos, approving account managers work, Ross getting to work on Mel's account, and arranging to meet with Mel and a few potential introductions that week.
Ross was going to head out to lunch at Shun Lee around noon, when even more shocking news hit him.
A man walked into the office. "Ross C, "This is for you"
Ross sighed, figuring it was a lawsuit.
Ross looked inside at the papers, and was shocked at what he saw.
It was from Timothy, and it was not exactly trouble.
What did "Not exactly trouble" mean?
That would be seen.
Right away, the businessman in Ross for 25 plus years felt it odd.
The proposal discussed "Selling" anywhere from twenty five to forty percent of the existing RFS, and putting the capital into multiple deals, to "diversify"
Ross sighed, and did not say anything.
"Well come on, boy, you're one third of this company, lay it on us?" Fritz said.
"Mister P? You've seen this, and are in agreement to it?" Ross said quietly and respectfully.
"I am" Fritz said boldly.
Ross got up from his chair, started walking around the room, and stared at the ceiling. Then, said, in a tone which almost could not be heard. "Why?"
"To do something different. We've been running this company the same damn way for almost ten years. Dont you ever get tired of the same thing? Close a deal, input 25 to 100 investors. Buy a company in trouble, pick apart the energy part, then sell the company off. Buy a company to get new wells or natural gas sources. Maybe it's time, we "Roll the dice" Fritz said.
Ross smirked, and almost could not believe his ears. "You guys are almost proposing to do what you've been criticizing me for doing at RossShell for all of the time which we've known each other. Taking unwise chances. You both know how that has turned out. If we do this, it might make the trouble we had with Fish look like a birthday party" Ross said, using an almost childlike anaolgy to drive home his point.
"So no then? " Fritz said.
"I did not say that. First of all, both of you guys can override me, tell me to go to Hell with my thinking on this, and either tell me to sit out, or just put up the money, and go along for the ride. I will just say that I'm very concerned, and as you both know, we have to be very prudent about it, examine each aspect and part carefully, and it will take a lot of time" Ross said.
"So fine then. Rome was not built in a day. We have three names on this list. Let's meet with all three. Oh, and by the way, fuck the investor shows. Too damn boring. " Fritz said.
"Yes, Sir. Ross goes along for the ride" Ross said.
As the day went along, Ross was able to go into his own office before the dinner meeting with the first source, and close his door. Ross was able to get Kayley on the phone for a brief time.
"This is unusual. You're in the place you love most, and you sound upset" Kayley said.
"I cant speak too loud as I dont want Fritz and or Steve to hear me. Kale, I dont know what the Hell is going on down here. I get down here, and they hand me paperwork wanting to sell off up to forty percent of the company, to diversify and take more risky deals" Ross said.
Kayley chuckled. "Am I hearing you right, Ross C? The man who has been the King of dangerous deals at RossShell, is scared to take a chance with RFS?" Kayley said.
"Not "scared" Kale, just, apprehensive, and shocked. If both Steve and Fritz want to do these deals, or any of them, I have to just put up the money, shut up, and do it. I guess at RossShell when things used to get fucked up before I started running things differently, I could just blame myself, and either learn from it or drop it, or, beat myself up about it, until I found a deal or client that worked, and move on. RFS has always been my safety net. " Ross said.
"Ross, just see what they want to do, and take it as it comes" Kayley said.
That night, Ross, Fritz and Steve had two meetings, Appetizers with Mike Ralph to look at a deal which would involve an unknown amount of money. Fritz, Steve, and Ross explained how it would take three to six months to put together the deal, and that they might do so in parts, to allow them to try it out first, and raise the cash flow. Mike seemed agreeable to that.
The next meeting was with Travis Barker. Travis had another deal involving investing money in multiple companies, for the same reason , to diversify, the price between 100 and 200 million.
Ross went back to the hotel, popped his sleep meds, but could not sleep, and felt almost psyched out.
A man who had taken more unwise chances in his decades in business than ever, was now almost "scared" to do a risky deal.
The next morning, after taking a ride out to check the energy fields, Ross, Fritz and Steve went back to OKC and met with two other men, Charles and Paul Franklin. The Franklins, had two diverse companies, which they wanted to sell a part of to other investors. Ross, Fritz and Steve were offered the chance to buy into ten percent of that company each.
When Ross, Fritz, and Steve got back to the office, Fritz said.
"You look drained, boy, maybe you should go home and let the VP take care of you" Fritz said.
"I can stay if you want me to" Ross said.
"Ross, no one said that any of these deals will be done. Maybe none of them will, one, both, or more. Let's look at it, and see what happens" Fritz said.
"Do you want me to go home?" Ross asked.
"Nothing else to do here. Go back, and maybe you will come down again in two to three weeks" Fritz said.
"Yes sir" Ross said, saluting Fritz, leaving the office, going back to the hotel, packing and jumping on a 5 pm plane to JFK that would arrive after 10
On the plane home, Ross tried to sleep.
The plane landed, Ross got his bags, and jumped into an Uber home.
Kayley was dozing. Ross kissed her lightly, and went to his closet to undress.
"You look tired, and troubled" Kayley said.
"Emotionally drained. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Steve and Fritz want to sell off the nice, safe, RFS that we have built for a decade, and branch off in every direction into more risky deals. It almost looks like,
"RossShell?" Kayley asked.
"Yes" Ross said.
"How do you feel about that?" Kayley asked.
"Now you sound like a rhetorical shrink, VP. How do I feel? Shocked, amazed, confused, and scared. While Fish was corrupt, even before we found out about his corruption, Fritz and Steve were constantly at war with Fish about his unwise deal risks, even with things that were legal. I dont understand where they get their thinking?" Ross said.
"Is there a lawyer involved that you might not know about who told them to do this?" Kayley asked.
"I doubt it. They would have told me about something as big as that I think that they got some ideas from watching me at RossShell in the ten years that I know them. Even though they dont know the details of what I do" Ross said.
"Well, take the paperwork, look it over, talk to them, go back, and see" Kayley said.
"I have no choice but not to" Ross said.
Ross predictably did not feel like sex that night. Kayley just held him until he drifted off.
When Kayley was getting dressed the next day, Ross woke up.
"I'm going in. If I sit here, I will drive myself crazy all day with how shocked and upset I am about what happened in OKC. Let me dive into Mel, approve work, whatever. I wont be late. I'm not feeling that tired. I got home at a decent hour as you know" Ross said.
"Tis okay. You dont need permission to go into work. You dont seem too bad" Kayley said.
Ross jumped in the shower, into jeans, and went to the office.
Things started normally. Hellos, approving account managers work, Ross getting to work on Mel's account, and arranging to meet with Mel and a few potential introductions that week.
Ross was going to head out to lunch at Shun Lee around noon, when even more shocking news hit him.
A man walked into the office. "Ross C, "This is for you"
Ross sighed, figuring it was a lawsuit.
Ross looked inside at the papers, and was shocked at what he saw.
It was from Timothy, and it was not exactly trouble.
What did "Not exactly trouble" mean?
That would be seen.
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