Chapter 16 Balthazar
SIXTEEN
balthazar
“So this is it.” Deo’s father Larry gestures around the large office. It’s lined with filing cabinets and boxes cluttering the floor and corners. “We’re a little behind on the filing.”
“You have computers, right?” Deo asks.
“We have one. Brogan made us get it, but we haven’t used it much.”
“How do you track your expenses and receivables?”
Larry walks over to one of the desks and holds up a huge binder, smiling awkwardly. “Our ledger.”
Well. This is going to be a lot more intense than I anticipated. Deo turns his gaze to me, questions in his eyes. I nod in response.
“How do you feel about modernizing?”
Larry sets the ledger down and leans on the edge of the desk.
“That’s a question for Amadeo now. We’re ready to pass the baton.
I wish I could tell you we left it in thriving condition, but…
” He shrugs. “It’s a good opportunity to rebuild things the way you want them to be.
Of course, Salvo and I will be here to fill in the gaps and provide as much support as you need, but we’re ready to let go. ”
Deo folds his arms across his chest. “You’re sure about this, Dad?”
“We’re sure.” He glances at me. “Truth be told, if you hadn’t come back we were discussing closing the doors.”
This news seems to startle Deo as his jaw drops. “Dad! Why didn’t anyone tell me this?”
“We explained that already. No one wanted you here out of obligation. It’s too much work and responsibility for that. So the real question is, are you up for it? Are you committed to this?”
I study Deo’s expression as the words hang in the air. I don’t know him well enough to be able to read every nuance, but I’m pretty sure I see a glimmer of determination in his eyes as he nods firmly.
“I’m committed.”
Larry’s gaze shifts to me, and I can already tell that whatever he’s about to say next is going to be challenging.
“I don’t want to pry, but what happens when Balt goes back home? Will you leave with him?”
“It’s not like that, Dad,” Deo says, glancing at me. “We’re not…” He shrugs, letting his words trail off.
“I’m not leaving any time soon,” I say. “Additionally, if our relationship were to get to that level, I would honor Deo’s commitments. We’d figure it out.”
Larry nods but he doesn’t look at all convinced. “It would be disappointing if you changed your mind, but none of us have a crystal ball, so if you say you’re committed, I’ll accept that.”
“I am, Dad. I wouldn’t have come back if I wasn’t. I gave it months of thought before I did.” He shifts his pretty gaze to me. “Balt and I will figure our stuff out.”
“Very well. We have everything labeled, but I’d start with the ledger to see our current financials.
Obviously, we aren’t in production right now, but we have a good inventory aging in the warehouse.
You’ll find all that in the books.” He smiles and I’d say he looks relieved. “I’ll leave you to it.”
Once Larry leaves, Deo deflates, leaning into me. “What a mess.”
I nod, rubbing his back. “Yes, but your dad is right. It’s a good opportunity to rebuild it in your vision.”
“Except I don’t have one. I can manage a project, but the fuck do I know about marketing and shit? The website looks like it was made with a free program back in 2000.”
“Might I suggest we look at the financials and then we can make a solid plan for what staff we might need to bring on? Like a marketing person.”
The door to the office swings open and Brogan enters with dramatic flair, sporting the yellow fur coat again. Beside them is Deo’s nonna.
“Never fear, cousin. We’re here to help.”
Deo laughs. “What?”
“Nonna has historical knowledge and I’ve got ideas.” They up-nod. “Hey, Balt.”
“Morning.”
“What kind of ideas?” Deo asks.
“Dude, have you seen our website?”
Deo nods. “We were just talking about that.”
“Let’s put it this way—” Brogan puts their hand on Deo’s shoulder. “—I’ve been trying for at least two years to get them to let me update things and build some social media pages and stuff, but your dad was resistant and mine was just clueless. They both thought I would do too much.”
“They were wrong,” Nonna chimes in. “And stubborn. We’re Benedettis, after all.”
“Yeah.” Deo chuckles. “What kind of ideas?”
Brogan produces a folder. “I’m so glad you asked.”
Deo, Brogan, and Nonna sit at one of the desks, going over the ideas Brogan has while I take a seat at another one and dig into the ledger.
I have to stop myself from swearing. It’s a mess.
There’s no way they had a good handle on their finances with all these pencil scribblings. I can hardly read it.
“Please tell me there’s an actual business account and not a room piled with cash somewhere?”
Brogan snorts a laugh. “Thanks to Deo’s mom, there is. A big bank too, with online banking, but I doubt it’s ever actually been logged into. They still balance everything with a ledger and paper statements.”
“I see that.” Dragging a hand through my hair, I lean back in the seat. I need to start over and build all the processes from the ground up. I can do this. I’ve done it before, it’s just been a few years.
“Is it bad?” Deo asks.
“I won’t lie or sugarcoat it. From what I can tell, the business is operating at a loss. Sales are down dramatically.”
“You’re right,” Nonna says. “It’s been in the red for the last two years, kept afloat with family savings.”
“Why?” Deo asks. “What went wrong?”
Nonna pats her grandson’s hand. “If you ask me, it’s a lack of staying up to date on the industry and what people like. We market to the same old fuddy-duddies who bought our wine twenty years ago. We’re not relevant anymore.”
“I gave up trying,” Brogan says. “Stuck in their ways, those men. They felt our brand was classic and refined, but I think it’s outdated.”
“And they wouldn’t let you help?” Deo asks.
“Only if I did it their way, and that was a hard pass.”
Deo scrubs his hands over his face. “We need a comprehensive plan. Nuts to bolts. We need infrastructure and staff. We need a lot.”
“We’ve got one thing going well for us,” Nonna says. “The production part works nicely. We have plenty of help come harvest season and we have a few solid workers in the warehouse.”
Deo blows out a breath. “That’s a positive.” He turns his gaze to Brogan. “Can you build a website?”
Brogan pulls their head back, crossing one leg over the other. “Does the Pope pray?”
Deo doesn’t react to the humor, clearly thinking through a lot of information. “Provide an estimate, scope of work, estimated hours, and cost.”
“What?” Brogan asks. “My dude, speak normal.”
“I’m going to pay you for it, Brog. It’s a service.”
Brogan’s brow wrinkles. “We’re family. You absolutely are not paying me.”
“I’d have to pay anyone I hired to do that.”
Nonna has a sour look on her face but she stays silent.
“Not happening,” Brogan says.
“But—”
I put my hand on Deo’s thigh. “I have an idea.”
Deo nods, gesturing with his hand for me to go on.
“Why don’t we return to this discussion after we get everything sorted. Maybe there’s a one-time fee or a bonus or something that would be agreeable to everyone.”
Brogan and Deo stare at each other for a few seconds until Deo nods. “Works for me. Brogan?”
“Yeah, okay.”
Nonna relaxes, smiling at me. “Finally, a cool head around here. You sure you’re Italian?” She cackles with laughter before I can answer her. “I kid, but it is nice to have an objective perspective.”
My eyes lock with Deo’s, and I know I’m far from objective. There’s more on the line than Deo’s family even knows. I certainly didn’t expect to get myself entangled in a family business when I decided to take off, but now that I have, it’s important I keep my head straight.
Deo offers a smile packed with heat and whispers of a future I couldn’t have imagined. Maybe I’ll spend a few months here and be nothing more than a blip in his history, or maybe… I blink my way out of ridiculous thoughts like that.
I don’t live here. I have an entire life on pause, and at some point I’ll have to go back and face it.
I need to enjoy this for what it is, help as best I can, and keep any delusions of happily ever after out of it.
Deo deserves a man with integrity, not a barely veiled criminal in way over his head.
He’d never be safe with me, not really, and I would never risk his life.
No matter how nice it is to be around him.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Nonna says, patting my arm.
I smile, pushing everything out of my head except the task at hand. “Just considering first steps to get this off the ground.”
She searches my eyes in a way that feels like she can see right through me, but that’s probably just my guilt and paranoia talking.
Deo stands and claps his hands once. “Step one: organize. Step two: project plan. Step three…” He pauses. “Save the family business.”
“Hell yeah,” Brogan says. “We’ve got this.”
Deo nods, smiling, his eyes roaming over all of us. “Thank you for helping. All of you. I’ll make you proud.”
“We’re already proud of you,” Nonna says. “Just do your best. That’s all anyone can ask.”
“I will.”
Brogan stands, shrugging off their coat and hanging it on the back of a chair. “Where do we start?”
“Help me get these boxes sorted. Balt, you good over there with the ledger?”
“I’m good.”
“Why don’t you get back to the main house, Nonna?”
She frowns. “I’m old, not frail. I can help organize.”
Deo’s face lights up. “Okay.”
Before he gets too far, I grab his wrist, pulling him between my legs. “You’ve got this.”
He nods, searching my eyes. “I know. Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
Deo bends forward, brushing his soft lips against my earlobe. “Your pleasure is mine. Don’t forget that.”
A flash of heat moves through me, straight to my cock. I’m left speechless as Deo winks and moves across the room to help his cousin and nonna with the boxes.
What a surprise he’s turned out to be.
I watch him for a minute then turn my attention back to my task. I’ll start with the year-to-date numbers first since it’s early in the year then work backward. This task alone could take months, which gives me plenty of time to figure out what to do with my situation back home.
For now, I’ll just pretend this is my new life and push away the shadows threatening to creep in.