Chapter TWO
Teddy POV:
I pull up to the jet about a quarter after six and notice Taylor standing next to the jet with what looks like my father. I park my father's car and turn off the ignition. I step out and smile at my dad "What's up dad? Are you trying to make sure that I get here?" he looks at me, shakes his head and smiles. I start to get my bags from the trunk of the car but Taylor stops me and tells me the other men will take care of that.
"T, I have to start doing this kind of stuff myself. I won't have all this luxury in Texas." I say to Taylor
"That son is because you requested that or am I mistaken?" my father walks around the car and looks at me with a questioning look.
"You are correct dad, but I know that T and you have already made arrangements for security so that point is moot."
"Teddy, I told you security is a must not an option." I roll my eyes and get pillow from the back seat.
"Dad make sure Optimus gets to Texas safely!" I smile at my dad and notice Taylor smiling.
"Optimus?"
"Yeah thought I would name my truck!" I smile and head on the jet and notice Luis sleeping on one of the couches. Damn how early did he get here? I decide not to wake him and take a seat on the opposite couch as my father and Taylor step in the jet.
"Okay son, call your mother when you land and let me know what the plans are when you arrive."
"Will do dad," I say getting up and hugging him then he steps out of the jet and Taylor follows shooting me a grin "Guess who gets to drive Optimus?" I smile at T and head back to the couch as the door shuts. I lay my head down and on my pillow and fall asleep.
We arrive in Texas about four hours later and head to the apartment that Luis and I had chosen about two weeks before. Thankfully my father didn't have a say in our apartment since Taylor found it and cleared the neighborhood. Luis and I get dropped off at the front and get our bags out from the back of the suburban. We head inside and get in the elevator and press the security code for our floor. I look towards Luis and notice him looking through his phone. "Dude there is a bar not too far from here we totally have to go tonight." I look at him and smile "You will never change bro!"
We get in our apartment and notice a box on the table as we step inside. We lay our things on the floor and walk up to the box and read the card Remember why you are here! Dad I smile and open the box and notice a small cooler. I look over to Luis and he pulls it out of the box and opens it "Bro your dad got us tequila! He rocks!" I can't help but smile and start looking around the apartment as Luis is still talking about the bottle of Jose dad packed. I pick up my bags and head up stairs to my new bedroom. As I am getting settled in I remember to call my mother so I pick up my phone and dial her number but get her voicemail. I leave her a message telling her that we arrived safely and are about to get ready to go meet the clients. I text my father and Taylor and tell them the same thing. Of course Taylor texts me back quickly but dad doesn't and I figure that mom and dad are a bit busy for me right now. "Hey bro start getting ready we have got to be there at two thirty!" I shout down stairs to Luis and get ready for a shower.
I get out of the shower and head back to my bedroom where I have laid all my clothes on my bed. As I am getting dressed my phone starts to ring. I pick it up and notice it is my sister. I roll my eyes and debate on ignoring it but decide against it and answer the call.
"What's up?"
"Hey Teddy!"
"What's up Phoebe? I got to finish getting ready and you are preventing that from happening."
"Haha... whatever Teddy. I thought I would tell you that Eva and I will be coming down to visit you Friday."
"Umm…who said that was okay?"
"Well Eva and I told daddy you probably missed us and that since you have to work, well we should come entertain you!"
"Okay, Phoebe… what time should we pick you up?"
"Umm… I don't know yet I shall get back to you with that information. Love you Teddy oh and Eva say she misses you!"
"Love you too sis and tell her I miss her too!"
I press end on my phone and pick up my shirt off the bed. I head to the closet and look in the mirror as I am buttoning up the shirt. I fix my collar and tuck my shirt it and just stare at myself in the mirror for a second. A knock on the door gets my attention and I head back to the bedroom.
"Come in"
"You ready bro?" Luis says coming in to my bedroom
"Almost" I say fixing my tie and picking up my jacket up from the bed.
"Meet you down stairs then," he says walking out of room texting someone
I put on my jacket and button it up. I pick up my wallet and cell phone off the bed and walk out my bedroom.
We pull up outside of Robles Corporation at two fifteen and step out of the car. Luis and I head inside the building and check in at the front desk. The receptionist kindly tells us to go to the sixteenth floor and the secretary of Mr. Robles will take us to the meeting room. Looking around the facility it looks like a nice well taken care of business nicely decorated with outstanding art work on the walls. We step into the elevator and I select the sixteenth floor. I look over at Luis and notice him on his phone probably looking for a club or something to go to tonight and I shake my head. As we arrive we are greeted by a nice looking brunette and told that Mr. Robles is on a call but we can go ahead and go into the conference room. As we follow the secretary I can't help but look at her as she is walking in front of us. I feel a nudge on my arm and look over at Luis and see him shake his head at me and I can't help but shrug and smile. As the young lady opens the door to the conference room to let us in, I look over to her and send her a small smile and notice her blush. As I take a seat in the conference room I take some paperwork out of my briefcase along with my MacBook and place it on the table to get everything in order for when Mr. Robles and his men walk in. I glance up and notice Luis looking around the room at the wall décor but stops in front of a mini bar in the corner and I shake my head and focus back on the issue at hand.
Mr. Robles walks in exactly at two thirty along with three other men behind him and they sit across from where we have placed our things. The young brunette comes back in with some coffee and bottle waters and places them on the corner of the table. She walks around the table and hands a blonde man a small paper and turns towards us and smiles – I ignore her smile and turn towards the man she handed the note too as he leans over to whisper something to Mr. Robles and he nods to him. The secretary walks out of the conference room and Mr. Robles stands.
"Gentlemen, let me introduce my team," he says "Mr. Frank Rosco is over our finance department, Mr. Ricardo Robles is over marketing and sales also my nephew and lastly Mr. John Dipero, he is one of our board members. Oh and my son is running late but he will be here."
"Nice to meet everyone my name is Theodore Grey and this is my colleague Luis Santos. My father was unable to make his appearance at this time due to situations back in Seattle but he plans to be here when this deal closes."
"If it closes, don't you mean?" Mr. Rosco states and I look at him curiously and turn back to Mr. Robles.
"I am sure we will come to an agreement," I smile to him. As everyone sits down Luis and I stand and are about to start when a young man comes in and Mr. Robles stand once again "I am sorry, this is my son Roberto Robles Jr. – I had mentioned that he was going to be late." I nod to him and they both take a seat.
Our presentation and talk takes about two and a half of how beneficial the sale would be for everyone involved in both parties. I make very clear that what we plan for the company is for it to get back on track to where it once was and provide economical and financial stability to small business around the area. As Luis concludes with providing each one of the men with a copy of the contract that we put in place along with the offer we take our seats. After a short while of everyone looking over the documentation we start to notice small whispering in between all five men. I load an email on my MacBook and start an email with my father
TO: Christian Grey
FROM: Theodore Grey
SUBJECT: Robles Corp.
Dad,
We have concluded our presentation and by the looks of things we could close this deal in a matter of weeks. I will inform you more after we have exited the meeting.
Theodore Grey
In no time my father response to my email
TO: Theodore Grey
FROM: Christian Grey
SUBJECT: RE: Robles Corp.
Teddy,
That's great new to hear son. I am sorry I missed your call earlier I had a session with Claude and I figured you were getting prepared for the meeting. Taylor will be in town this afternoon with "Optimus" – your mother smiled when I mentioned the name to her.
Christian Grey
I smile at the email and close my laptop to focus back to what happening in the room but just continued small whispers go around the men. Luis nudges me and throws me thumbs up under the table and smiles. Mr. Rosco gets up and steps out of the conference room with his cellphone in hand and both Roberto's look at his direction. We all stay quiet for about a minute or two until he walks back in. He takes a seat and whispers to Mr. Robles and turns towards us.
"Mr. Grey, Mr. Santos – I will be direct with you that was another company interested in our facility along with our business. I have agreed to set up a meeting with them on Friday afternoon." He stands and walks over to the mini bar in the corner and gets a glass of what looks like whiskey or brandy "We feel that they deserve a chance to make their case as you have done today, gentlemen."
"I couldn't agree more with you Mr. Rosco. If we were in your place we would look at all available options but I can assure all of you that we will offer you the best for what this company is worth." Luis and I stand and shake everyone's hands and start to pack our belongings.
"Mr. Grey, I will have my father secretary call you next week to arrange a meeting with both of you and whomever you plan to bring. We would like all our board members informed before anything goes further with either company." Roberto says and exits the conference room with his cousin.
Luis and I are both directed to the front where the nice looking brunette is sitting behind the desk writing something. As we walk towards her, I nudge Luis to get his attention and point towards an office across the hall from us and see Roberto Jr. on the phone with someone looking extremely pissed. His cousin Ricardo notices us looking that way and gets up and lowers the blinds and closes the door.
"Well that can't be good?"
"I am not so sure, Luis let's get all this situated and head back to the apartment and start working on a new presentation for next week."
"Damn, mean that on our first night in Texas we get to stay in working," he says and walks up to the desk.
"Hello, gentlemen how does next Wednesday sound to both of you?" she says looking directly at me and completely ignoring Luis.
"Actually Thursday afternoon works better for us," he states to her and she just smiles.
"Of course would two o'clock work?" she says looking at Luis giving him a fake smile and I can't help but chuckle.
"Perfect, thank you" he says and walks towards the elevator rolling his eyes and I turn to follow him. "Damn, Grey you gotta stop doing that shit to women."
"What are you talking about, bro?"
"Batting you eyelashes and make them completely ignore me," he says walking in the elevator and I can't help but laugh.
The car is parked out front once we step out of the doors. I get in and pull out my phone and dial my father's phone number. The phone rings but there is not answer so I hang up when the voicemail hits. We sit in silence for about half the ride until my phone starts to vibrate – it is my father.
"Dad, we might have an issue."
"What do you mean?"
"Well we thought everything was going good until their financial office received a call and there is another company interested also."
"How do you know this?"
"He walked back in and told us. Can you get Welch or somebody to look into this?"
"I will son. What are the plans now?"
"Luis and I are heading back to the apartment to start talking about a new presentation to make."
"Sounds good to me son, let me know if you need anything."
"Alright, bye dad." I hang up the phone and turn towards Luis and see him on his phone. I shake my head and turn to look out the window.
As Gary our CPO drops us off at the front we get off and head inside. Once inside the apartment I lay my things on the floor next to the coat rack in the entrance and head towards the living area and take a seat. Luis follows suit but gets a glass of whiskey before sitting across from me.
"Dude, can we not work on that presentation right now I am hungry?" he says rubbing his stomach
"Yeah that sounds good I figured that we could brainstorm today. What should we have to eat?"
"I don't know anything sounds good to me. Pick something I have to answer this call."
He walks to his room and I pick up a telephone book off of the coffee table and start looking. I decide on pizza and call to order a large pepperoni and jalapeno. Luis walks back into the room and sits back down as I get off the phone. "PIZZA! I am crazy hungry," he says and I laugh at his expression.
Talia's POV:
I am sitting at the table eating some spaghetti that Doris has made for me when I get call. I answer it immediately knowing who it is.
"Hello"
"Natalia, it's Kevin – we arranged a meeting for Friday."
"Great, I will have everything ready by then." I hang up the phone and set it down on the table. I get up and get my laptop and start to type and email.
TO: Ricardo Robles
FROM: Natalia Brady
SUBJECT: Thank you
Rikki,
Thanks for the information that you provided to Kevin. I hear that a meeting has been arranged for Friday with my father and his staff. I won't be present at any meetings until we can sign everything. Thank you it really does mean the world to me that you are helping me…
Love you,
Talia
I wait for a quick response but nothing so I get up and clean up the table and place everything but my glass of wine in the dishwasher. I walk back to the couch with my laptop and see an email.
TO: Natalia Brady
FROM: Ricardo Robles
SUBJECT: RE: Thank you
Talia,
Don't mention it prima. It is not gunna be as easy as you would like it though. This other company is real competition and they know what they want. Grey is pretty cocky about getting this deal done. Let me know if Kevin needs anything. I will see you in two days.
Love you,
Rikki
I sit on the couch looking at the email thinking about what happens next…