The plane arrived at LaGuardia Airport slightly delayed. Erica, Brooke, Scott and Marissa, quickly gathered their luggage before meeting their driver who was taking them directly to Mr Joossen's hotel where the negotiations were taking place. Scott reached into his pocket to grab his phone in order to call Madison, only it wasn't in his jacket pocket. He tried every pocket in his suit twice over.

"I've lost my cell!" he exclaimed.

"Its okay." said Marissa manhandling him towards the car; they couldn't afford any further delays. "You can borrow mine."

"But what if Madison needs me!" he exclaimed.

"Here." said Marissa handing over her own phone. "Call her and tell her you are using mine. She has my number hasn't she?"

"Yeah." said Scott giving his friend a grateful smile.

He called Madison's number. The phone rang and rang.

"She's not answering." said Scott suddenly freaked.

"Was she going out anywhere?" asked Brooke trying to inject some calm.

Scott thought for a moment and then shook his head with an awkward grin.

"She had a counsellors appointment." he said, suddenly embarrassed by his mini panic.

"There you go." said Marissa, shoving her old friend into the car. "You have nothing to worry about! You can call her after the meeting."

…

The meeting was in Mr Joossen's luxury suite. There was clearly a lot of money in the on-line hardware business. Marissa stepped up with Scott to do the presentation. Mr Joossen watched it in silence. He was an old man, almost completely bald. But as frail as he looked there was a keenness in his eyes that was unmistakable. He was flanked by two assistants who were taking copious notes. Marissa and Scott talked through their offer: the financial projections, their plans for expansion and ways to improve the delivery service using Chandler's existing transport network.

When they were done Mr Joossen leaned forward.

"Thank you. That all makes very sound financial sense." he said in a soft voice. "But you are missing one thing. You have to understand that my business is all about family. I inherited it from my father and he inherited it from his father and his father and his father! Five generation have passed the torch. It is that family touch that made my business great. I lost my son five months ago. There is no one for me to pass the torch to. I offered the deal to Chandler because it too was a family business; father and son working together. But as I understand it things have changed…"

"It's still a family business." said Brooke. "I am the wife of the founder and Scott here is his nephew. And Marissa here is mother to his grandson."

"His daughter-in-law." said Mr Joossen, slightly more accepting of the situation.

"Ex-daughter-in-law." clarified Marissa. She wasn't going to negotiate this deal on the foundation of a lie.

Mr Joossen simply nodded.

"And you." he said addressing Erica.

"I am here with Marissa to represent Courtland Electronics, who are supplying the financial support for the deal." said Erica, but then she gave him a sweet smile. "But if it is of any assistance to these negotiations then I can admit that I am Adam's Chandler's ex-wife. Well one of them… So this really is a family affair!"

Mr Joossen actually chuckled at that.

"Excellent! Then I will tell you my business philosophy and you have to decide if you can accept it! The way we do business is as important to me as the value of the business itself. I am selling up my legacy and I am not letting go lightly. We do this my way or there is no deal!"

Mr Joossen coughed and an assistant opened a file and began to set up a second presentation.

It was their turn to listen.

…