Chapter 14 #2
Well, that’s not entirely true. I’d love to hear her say she’s madly in love with me too, thinks about me all the time, and that resisting me is also incredibly difficult.
But I’ll settle for what she’s thinking right this minute.
She sighs. “Everett, I’m not saying we can’t pursue this relationship because I don’t have feelings or don’t want to on some level. It’s purely about the job.”
“Good.”
“But that also means that being constantly aware that you have feelings and thinking about those feelings and our attraction and everything makes it difficult to focus on work and…” She pauses, then admits, “and to not be sad about everything.”
I like that too much.
I don’t want her to be sad, but I do want her to be happy when she finds out that I’m fixing things.
I want to tell her I’m working on that, but I don’t want to put extra pressure on her right now.
I’m quitting my job, and the company I built with my first and only best friend, so I can be with you might not go over well with her until I can prove that IES can definitely go on and thrive without me, that Graham and I are solid, and that she and I really can have it all.
“I’m only your co-worker from here on out,” I tell her, adding the for now silently.
“Really?”
“Promise. This is all about our meeting.”
She nods. “Okay. Thank you.”
“Of course.”
“I read about Albright Investments and the Albright brothers on the plane,” she says. “But you’ve met them before, right? What can you tell me about them?”
Great. Work mode. That will help. Though she still smells and looks amazing, even in boss-woman mode.
“They are in their mid-thirties. Both are married with young children. Very focused on family. Pretty traditional and conservative as far as home and family are concerned. They are close with their parents, grandparents, and each other.
“They have a few successful businesses of their own, but most of their money comes from investing in other businesses. They got their start with money from their grandfather. And, very importantly, Charles has set the expectation in the family that they would never be worth more than a billion dollars.”
“What do you mean?” She looks more intrigued than confused.
“He was incredibly wealthy all his life, and their business ventures and investments easily could have made them billionaires, but he donated extensively to keep his total worth under one billion dollars. His sons have continued that, and have also passed that expectation down to his grandsons.”
Ginny’s eyes are wide now. “Wow.”
“Yes. They are very philanthropic, donating huge sums to various charities. But more recently, they’ve begun investing in companies and initiatives that need funding to get off the ground and benefit people, animals, and the planet.
I first met them in Denver. They were there as part of an initiative to convert old buildings into housing for the unhoused.
The group they were funding was targeting some buildings we’d had our eye on for indoor farming. ”
“Who ended up with the buildings?” Ginny asks.
I smile. “They did. And it’s a fantastic project. We weren’t upset to “lose” to them.”
She smiles too. “Good. But you talked to them about IES.”
“I did. It’s obviously not just a donation we’re looking for.
They would end up getting some money back, but they might not recoup their full investment for years.
They were still very interested, and when we chatted at the gala on New Year’s Eve, they invited me here this weekend to give them an official pitch. ”
She pulls in a long breath. “So this really is a big deal.”
It’s a huge deal if I want to step away in the next few months.
This investment could ensure IES remains secure for years to come.
But I say, “It is. They could give us the funding we need to get these initial ten farms up and working by year's end. As you know, once these ten are built and running, we’ll have real-time data from various locations to share with future farmers.”
“And investors.”
I nod.
“Okay. Then we’ll get them on board today,” she says decisively as Paul slows the car in front of the tall building where Albright Investments has its offices.
I believe her.
An hour later, I’m sitting back in my chair at the conference table filled with a mix of excitement, pride, and pure delight.
Harriet Ginger Riley is really good at her job.
“Nebraska uses nearly ninety percent of its land for farms and ranches,” Ginny tells the Albright brothers. “It’s a national leader in producing corn, soybeans, beef, and pork. Yet its rate of food insecurity is twelve point two percent, which puts it above the national average.”
Gage frowns. “That’s puzzling.”
She nods. “There are many rural towns that have no grocery store or only very small ones. Many people are miles from the nearest large store with a variety of fresh food. That means that people need transportation and time to go procure fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats even though they live in the heart of farm country.”
Connor nods. “And IES can help solve that problem?”
“IES, along with IAS—Innovative Agriculture Solutions—the company they are partnering with to build and power indoor farms. An indoor farm can grow a variety of fresh food year-round, regardless of climate and weather, wherever people need it. They can grow food that isn’t even native to the area.”
She goes on to describe the advantages, how we can completely change farming as it’s now known in many small towns across the Midwest, and how we can help supply not just local grocery stores but also schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and more.
I’m mesmerized. As are the other men.
She’s animated, warm, and passionate, but in a way that invites you in to learn and become just as excited about the topic as she is.
“Indoor farming also allows more food to be produced in the same space,” she says. “It helps conserve land and makes the entire enterprise more efficient.”
“Well, I’m sold,” Gage says, looking at his brother. “Not only is this right up our alley, but this is fascinating work.”
“I agree,” Connor says. “I’d love to come to Nebraska and see a farm in action.”
Ginny smiles widely. “You’ll be able to do that in a few months. Our first one is in process now.”
Gage looks at me. “Does Graham know that Ginny here is going to take his job pitching projects to investors?”
I nod. “He does, and he’s thrilled.”
They haven’t met Graham, but I’ve mentioned him, of course, and they’ve done their research.
“Well, Ginny, you’ve done a great job educating us,” Gage says. “Everett, let’s talk numbers.”
I feel the buzz of excitement. Not only is this going even better than expected, but I’m thrilled to be doing this with Ginny.
She’s gorgeous in work mode. I know what she said to Eduardo in New Mexico. Now I’ve seen her in action. She can figure out exactly what the current audience needs to hear, get to the heart of what they need from us, and assure them we can deliver it.
Eduardo wants to be an innovator and a leader in his community. He wants to help take care of his neighbors. She showed him how he can do that with IES and IAS.
The Albrights want to do good in the world. They want to use their money to make a broader difference and have their company and family name associated with humanitarian work. Ginny gave it to them in the perfect presentation.
I pull out the numbers and facts they need to move forward. This is the dry stuff. It’s hard to be passionate about numbers. But I find Ginny leaning in and listening intently, taking it all in.
“Well, this is all wonderful,” Gage says. “Better than we expected in fact.”
Connor nods his agreement. “We’re so happy you were able to come in today. Thanks for giving up your holiday.”
They’re happy we could come in? They just committed the amount we need to move our ten farms forward and then some. We can fast-track at least five of them now.
I chuckle. “This was very important to us, it was no problem.”
Connor looks at Ginny with a smile. “Well, it’s so nice that you can be here together, at least. I hope you’re able to enjoy the rest of your Valentine’s Day together.”
Ginny looks from him to me quickly. “Oh…no. We’re… it’s not Valentine’s Day for us.”
Connor frowns. “I was under the impression you were together? Our assistant told us that you were bringing your girlfriend so would have no trouble with our hard stop at six in time for us to make reservations with our wives.”
“Oh!” Ginny says. She smiles, but it’s a little tight. “You must be thinking of my brother. He and his girlfriend were supposed to come. She ended up having an emergency appendectomy this morning. That’s why I’m here.”
Connor nods slowly. “That must be it. I guess I just knew there was a dinner reservation on your side too so we wouldn’t feel bad about needing to get out of here right at six.”
There’s a dinner reservation somewhere tonight for Graham and Margot? I wonder if he remembered to cancel that. Reservations on Valentine’s Day in New York were very difficult to get.
“Well, we should let you get going,” Ginny says, glancing at the clock.
“Yes. We promised,” Gage says. “Family is always our first priority.” He pushes back from the table and stands.
We follow suit.
Connor does as well, but he pauses and looks at us. “You’re not together?”
I feel my chest tighten, but for Ginny’s sake, I shake my head. I promised her. “We’re colleagues.” I look at her. “And friends, of course.”
Ginny nods, her expression tight. “I don’t have a Valentine this year, but I understand what you mean about family, of course. IES is my brother’s company, with Everett, and IAS is my dad’s company. My brother Carver also works with him. This is all a passion project for my whole family.”
Connor and Gage both smile broadly. “We really like that aspect of all of this too,” Gage says.
Ginny looks over at me. “And Everett is part of our family. Not by blood, but… by heart.”