Two days into her new job and Marissa felt like she had never been away.
Caleb had given her the huge stack of paper's he had relating to Chandler and asked her to read through these along with the Courtland buyout proposal. There had been a lot to read through; Adam had a finger in a lot of pies. Some of them were still bringing him a good income, but it was not enough to save those businesses operating at a huge loss. The maths just didn't add up.
The businesses Caleb was particularly keen to acquire were mostly almost the failing sector and could only be turned around by guaranteeing a regular supplier, namely Courtland Electronics. The trouble was that the key to it all, the micro component manufacturing division, was one of the few Chandler businesses that were in profit. In fact they were one of the most profitable companies that Adam had left. It was not surprising that the offer had been rejected.
Knowing Adam as she did Marissa knew they had to sweeten the deal somewhat. Give Chandler the opportunity to retain enough assets to keep the company afloat because one thing Marissa was sure of, Adam was not going to give up on his legacy, and she wouldn't want him too. One day it could be her son looking after all these assets. This left her in a rather awkward position, but Marissa was sure Caleb already knew that. She had a sneaking suspicion that this was his reason for giving her the job in the first place. She was here to work both sides. To ensure that Caleb got what he wanted and to make sure that Adam said yes.
So no pressure there!
Marissa's head was swimming with numbers and facts. She realised she was simply staring at the words on the pages and no longer seeing what was being said; she needed to take a break.
Marissa looked at her watch. It was actually lunch time. She was very tempted to head to Krystal's and find out how her mom was doing without her. It would probably do her some good to step away from the desk for a while too.
…
Krystal grinned when Marissa entered.
"We can't keep you away can we!" she exclaimed, welcoming her daughter with a hug.
"I thought I would grab some lunch." said Marissa, "And find out how much you were missing me!"
"We miss you a lot." said Krystal, leading her across to an empty table. It was quite busy. "How are you settling into your new job?"
"I'm settled, I think." said Marissa. "My Swiss cheese brain has even fewer holes in it than I thought. It's hard work, but then it always was. That was part of the challenge!"
"Well I'm glad." said Krystal. "So what can I get you for lunch …on the house!"
"Mom?" protested Marissa.
"On the house and it always will be." repeated Krystal firmly. "Because it will mean you come here for lunch regularly and I can see more often."
"Well negotiated." said Marissa with a grin. "In that case I'll have something warming. What's the soup of the day?"
"Perky Turkey Soup!"
"Sounds just the ticket!" said Marissa happily.
…
Marissa was enjoying her spicy soup when she recognised the figure leaning on the counter waiting for his coffee order.
"Hey Scott!" she called, summoning him over. "How are you?"
"Marissa!" exclaimed Scott taking in Marissa's new office attire. "So the rumours are true, you're a lawyer again."
"I am. And the rumour I heard is that you will be taking Holly home soon."
"Tomorrow." said Scott. He grinned and the permanent weary expression that he seemed to wear these days suddenly brightened. "It's so exciting. The room is already …the crib is built… and I got the most amazing buggy. Press one button and the whole thing just folds flat!"
"Sound's cool." said Marissa with a laugh, it was nice to see Scott's eyes shining with excitement. Fatherhood definitely suited him.
"Adam is coming home that same day too." said Scott, his happy demeanour deflating once more. "He'll get to see what a mess I've made of his company. I just hope the disappointment doesn't make him relapse. We've been trying to keep him from the worst."
"Oh no you don't." said Marissa. "I can see how much you've put into Chandler and Caleb is sure there is a way to save the business. He's asked me to look into the negotiations and help find a solution."
"I've looked." said Scott. "There isn't any option but to sell, and that is the one thing Adam won't even consider."
"But Adam won't just want to sell, he'll want to keep at least some of his assets; something to build up again. There are a few options to look into. I'm going to keep looking until I find the solution… Although there is a lot to look through!"
"Don't I know it." said Scott, slumping down onto the chair opposite her at the table.
"You know what might work well for both of us is if we work together." said Marissa leaning forward, as an idea popped into her head. "You've been looking at this for a long time. It would be good to know what you've considered and the avenues you've discounted. And you never know a fresh pair of eyes might help see something you've missed."
Scott looked up at his old friend and grinned.
"You know you might be right!" he said.
"I'll talk to Caleb, you talk to Adam. Surely they can see it is in their benefit to get the most out of this as possible for both of them."
"Quite honestly, any help you can give would be appreciated." said Scott, just as the waiter came out with his coffee.
"Then we will make it happen!" said Marissa.
…
It was only after Scott had left that the thought of Erica's behaviour at the dinner party popped into Marissa's head. What would Bianca's mother make of the fact that she would be spending more time with Scott? Probably come up with more insane accusations.
Despite Bianca's pleas Marissa really did want to knock this nonsense on the head and confront Erica about this in person. Maybe she should seek advice from a third party. Jackson Montgomery was in the law offices across the quad, maybe she should talk to him first. After all he had spent most of his life dealing with the whims of the Kane women… She could use his advice in order to deal with Erica and later with Bianca; because she knew her girlfriend wouldn't be happy with her going against wishes…
…