Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7
AARON
M y nerves got the better of me because that was the only explanation as to why I’d confessed all that to Harrison. It irked me that I had to have him here at all, but I couldn’t deny that closing deals this year had become an exercise in frustration. I was adept at looking at the bigger picture, but selling? Companies used to knock on our door and now we had to go out there and convince them to partner with us . It was a kick in the ass and a rude awakening but there was no mistaking the truth. And I didn’t want to give up my role as CEO. I was going to fight like hell to turn things around. Our situation could be fixed and that’s exactly what I was going to do.
“Like I said earlier, we soft launch this meeting,” Harrison replied, and for the first time, he did it without a smirk. “That means getting to know Olavi Jonassa and his chief product developer Rian Walsh on a social level. Don’t start in like your father about a lecture on company history. They know all that. And this isn’t about us, but them. Ask questions, but more importantly, listen to what they have to say. And then, ask more questions.”
I nodded, suddenly feeling like a fool. A strange lump lodged in my throat. I didn’t want anyone to help me, and Harrison least of all. It left me feeling vulnerable, uncertain, and as the person charged with leading an organization, the feeling didn’t sit well.
I hated it. And I hated him.
“I get it,” I snapped as I held my hands up. “I get it.”
Harrison stared at me like I’d lost it. Maybe I had. I was sure he was about to walk back into the hotel. Or grab the rideshare and go straight back to the airport.
“This is us,” he announced as a sleek red SUV pulled up to the curb.
Desperate to get this day over with, I hopped inside the vehicle and Harrison followed. Our driver took off, speeding like mad, despite the heavy snow and slick roads.
Less than ten minutes later, we stepped out of the car and the wind whipped around, snow pelting us from every angle. The meeting address turned out to be a restaurant called Honey & Hops. We headed inside the dimly lit restaurant and were greeted by the hostess. The place was busy for an afternoon, and with the hum of chatter and the loud music, it wasn’t exactly ideal for conversation, business or otherwise.
I wondered why Jonassa chose this place, but then, it wasn’t my place to question. I gave my name, and the hostess motioned for us to follow her. We weaved in and out of tables and finally, down a long hallway to the back of the restaurant.
Harrison was oddly quiet, tension radiating from him. So much, that it made all the hair on my body stand on end. It was weird but I’d rather he sniped at me than this silent treatment. It made my fraught state even more anxious.
“Speak,” I demanded.
“Excuse me?”
“Say something! You’re quiet and it’s freaking me out,” I complained.
Harrison chuckled in response and the husky sound had goosebumps popping out all over my skin. He leaned in close and when his breath hit my ear, I tripped and started to tumble. Until Harrison took hold of my bicep and righted me, steering me down the narrow hallway. His grip was firm, and just shy of painful. I didn’t know whether to yank my arm away or strangely enough, let him lead me. The change in altitude was obviously short-circuiting my brain.
“I can’t win with you, can I?” he replied with a shake of his head.
“No.” My voice was hoarse. “And you can let go of my arm now. I’m fine.”
“Are you sure? I wouldn’t want you to injure yourself or worse, another patron.”
“Smart-ass.”
“Thank you.”
Harrison let go of me, and despite my sweater and my jacket, I swear I felt the heat of his hand through my clothes. I rubbed my arm and willed myself to forget about it.
The room at the back of the restaurant had several tables, rows of booths, and considerably less noise. I looked around and spotted Olavi and Rian in a booth in the far corner, already deep in conversation. They looked exactly like the pictures in their bios. The forty-something CEO and his right-hand man were sitting side by side, their shoulders bumping, like they were two friends shooting the shit rather than getting ready for a meeting. And Harrison was right, they were dressed casually, in jeans and sweaters. Maybe this wasn’t going to be so bad after all.
Taking a breath, I steeled myself. I could do this.
I stalked up to the table, Harrison beside me, and offered my best smile.
“Olavi, Rian, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you both in person,” I announced.
Olavi stood up first and offered his hand. “Welcome to Banff, Aaron. And please, call me Ollie.”
“Thanks.” I turned to Harrison. “This is my associate, Harrison Fucker.”
Everyone stared at me in shocked silence until I realized what I’d said. Holy shit.
“I mean, Ducker,” I quickly corrected. “Harrison Ducker.”
Oh my God . This deal would tumble away from me like an avalanche and take me and my career with it.
Ollie barked out a deep laugh, with Rian and Harrison following. Harrison was laughing so hard he’d bent over holding his stomach. My face was hotter than the sun at this point. Jesus Christ, talk about making a first impression.
“That is the most memorable introduction I’ve ever heard,” Ollie chuckled as he smiled and motioned for us to sit down. “And here I was dreading another boring business meeting.”
“Thank God I wasn’t eating or drinking when you said that,” Rian remarked.
“I should’ve legally changed my name years ago,” Harrison quipped as he wiped his eyes.
“Happens a lot, does it?” I gave him the side eye as we sat down. “No small wonder.”
“Can I get my business cards printed with that name?” Harrison continued.
“Funny.”
“Imagine announcing that on a stakeholders conference call?” Rian asked.
“I would so do it,” Harrison insisted, and Rian and Ollie chuckled.
My face was still burning hot but at least I wasn’t having a total meltdown. It wasn’t the start I’d anticipated but if everyone was laughing, it had to be okay, right?
“What do you guys want to drink?” Ollie asked. “They offer a local rye beer that’s phenomenal. How about a pitcher to share?”
“Um—” I hesitated.
Wine and gin and tonics were my usual. Beer was college all over again.
“Sounds great,” Harrison replied.
“Or, coffee if you prefer?” Rian suggested.
Harrison shook his head. “Beer’s perfect.”
“Why not?” I replied.
A waiter stopped by our table, dropped off a giant platter of nachos, and took our drink order.
Despite my embarrassing gaffe, I finally started to relax.
“Dig in,” Ollie offered. “I’m from Finland, but I have an unhealthy obsession with nachos. This place has the best in the city.”
“You travel back there much?” Harrison asked as he reached for a tortilla chip loaded with cheese, jalapenos, and salsa. “I’ve never been to Finland, but it’s on my bucket list.”
Ollie nodded. “I have a home in Helsinki, and I like to visit in the summer months. Don’t go in the winter unless you’re prepared to freeze your ass off. Much like here, it’s gorgeous, but not for everyone.”
“I enjoy the cold weather,” Harrison admitted. “I love to ski. Last year I went to Zermatt and was blown away by the scenery, and the trails. Incredible.”
“I prefer the French Alps,” I added. “Best powder in the world. Next to this place, of course.”
Harrison turned and raised one eyebrow. “You mean, you actually do something besides sit in your office?”
“I ski, I run, I do stuff,” I quipped as I reached for a chip.
“Are you two friends?” Rian asked, watching us with avid interest.
“Us?” I asked at the same time Harrison said “No.”
“But you’ve worked together for a while, right?”
Harrison shook his head. “I was hired recently.”
“My father recommended him,” I muttered.
“Speaking of Winston, I talked to him a month ago,” Ollie announced. “Well, he called me. And since I am Finnish, I will be blunt. Truthfully, Aaron, despite your father’s persuasion, and our calls and emails, I still have reservations about your offer. Your company has an outstanding history, but the marketing this year is falling short, and so, I assume, are your sales. I realize that a partnership between us could be fruitful, but I have concerns that need to be addressed if we want to move forward.”
I was about to voice a denial of Ollie’s claim when Harrison’s annoying advice echoed in my head. Not to mention his foot kicking mine under the table. Asshole.
“Tell me about them,” I replied calmly.
Before Ollie could reply, our server arrived with our pitcher of beer and iced glasses. He offered to pour the drinks, but Rian waved him off and began to do so.
Once we had our beers in hand, Ollie raised his glass.
“To potential partnerships and more importantly, to new friends.”
A business partnership was the only thing I was here for. Or, at least, that’s what consumed my thoughts. Friends? The only true friend I had was Shane, who’d given up his law practice last year and moved to France to work as an artist. Everyone else in my life was related to work. Or, just related.
“Especially Harrison Fucker,” Rian chuckled.
“Cheers to that,” Harrison laughed and clinked Ollie’s glass, then Rian’s.
I offered my glass and did the same. Taking a long sip, the beer was bold and rich, with a slightly bitter aftertaste. It was damn good, and I needed all the courage I could get.
“So, tell me about your sales this year,” Ollie remarked, his dark blue eyes sharp.
“We’ve hit a rough patch,” I admitted quietly as I set my glass down. “Consumers have cut their spending. And old companies can be slow to change. But I have a plan in place and we’re implementing steps to reverse course.”
Ollie ran a hand through his shaggy salt and pepper hair, and sat back, crossing his arms. I wondered if I’d just put the nail in the coffin of this deal. Why would he want to work with a company that was having the worst year in its history? Unless you were a corporate raider, and you were going after it just to strip the assets.
Ollie glanced first at Rian, then Harrison, and finally, back at me.
“Many of your products are evergreen, so, like I said, I can only assume it’s a marketing issue,” Ollie declared. “Your ads and posts are long, too long. No one needs a history lesson. They want a solution, and you need to provide it. Fast. People swipe, scroll, and tap in seconds.”
“Some of your older products need a refresh,” Rian suggested. “New packaging for sure.”
“And microtargeting,” Harrison added. “Our head of marketing is overseeing a redesign for several products that will launch in the next quarter. We should have samples in a couple of weeks.”
Harrison already knew that? I only found out a day prior to this trip.
“Sounds promising and I’d be interested to see what you’ve come up with,” Ollie remarked. “We’ve got a core group of skincare products that does well in Europe, but when we launched in the US and Canada, it stalled. We pivoted, rebranded, and so far, the results are better than expected. But we’re still a tiny player in a very big pond.”
“We have the biggest and most efficient manufacturing and distribution system in North America,” I offered. “As our partner, you’d have access to that.”
“Oh, I know,” Ollie chuckled and reached for his drink. “And you’d have new products to offer your customers, including our popular organic line.”
I took another sip of my beer and nodded. “Demand for that keeps rising.”
“We’ll look at the numbers in detail tomorrow when you visit our office,” Ollie replied. “For now, let’s enjoy our food and drink and maybe go to a club after? It’s never too early for après-ski.”
I couldn’t say no to that.