Chapter Sixteen
Sixteen
Alistair
I can be both afraid and courageous at the same time.
I fucking hate ties.
Tonight I was meeting Jonathan for dinner at some swanky restaurant that required more formal attire than I liked.
He’d set this up under the guise that we were “catching up,” but I knew better.
This was our old song and dance. Going out to dinner meant that there was something about the company we needed to discuss.
Doing it in a public space forced us to keep our cool.
When large sums of money were involved and jobs were on the line, things could get a little intense.
I straightened my tie, combed my hands through my curls, and hopped out of my truck. The valet gave me a look of distaste as I dropped the heavy ring of keys in his palm. In a parking lot full of expensive sports cars, my truck would stick out like a sore thumb.
I buttoned my suit jacket and strutted into the restaurant with my horns held high. The sooner I got this over with, the sooner I could call Pam. If anyone could soothe my nerves after butting heads with Jonathan, it was her.
Pamela Jean Rollins.
Gods, I missed her.
Some things just weren’t the same over video chat, like the way she snorted when she laughed or the little lines that crinkled around the corners of her eyes when she smiled.
I couldn’t wait to hold her in my arms again.
I just wasn’t sure when the opportunity to do that would present itself.
It was a major bummer that she was afraid of flying.
I pulled out my phone and sent her a quick text before I reached the hostess station.
Alistair: Just got to the restaurant. Can I call you after dinner?
I tapped a hoof on the polished tile, anxiously awaiting her response.
Pam: Of course. I’m having a little movie marathon with Remi, so I’ll be up for a while. Try to stay calm and remember: In every moment, peace is a choice.
Shit.
What I wouldn’t give to be cuddled on the couch with her and that cat. For now, a phone call would have to suffice.
Alistair: Will do, babe. Enjoy the movie!
I tucked my phone into my jacket pocket and approached the hostess. She was a beautiful naga with the upper body of a human woman and the long, slender lower body of a snake covered in emerald-green scales. She greeted me with a fanged smile.
“Hi,” I said and tugged at my tie again. “I’m meeting my business partner for dinner. The reservation should be under Jonathan Milliard.”
The hostess tapped on the tablet in front of her, her face illuminated by the screen’s glow in the otherwise dim lighting. I was going to have a hell of a time reading the menu.
“Ah yesss,” she said, drawing out the word with a hiss. “Mr. Milliard has already arrived. I’ll show you to your table.”
She grabbed a menu and slithered across the restaurant, leading me through a maze of tables covered with pristine white cloths. Smooth jazz accompanied by hushed conversation echoed across the dining room, giving me total elevator vibes, not an elevated dining experience.
We came to a stop where Jonathan was seated at a table for two.
“Alistair,” he said with a forced smile and a curt nod.
The prick didn’t even get up for a handshake or hug. This had to be serious.
“Here we are,” the hostess said, then set my menu down on the table. “Your waiter will be around to take your drink order shortly. Enjoy your meal.”
“Thank you.” I unbuttoned my jacket and slipped into my seat. “Have you been waiting long?”
“No, not long at all.” He took a drink from the glass filled with amber liquor on the rocks in front of him. If I had to guess, it was likely whiskey. When we first met, we’d bonded over our shared love for horticulture and our taste for rare whiskeys.
Sitting across from him now, we felt more like strangers than business partners. I leaned back in my chair and ran my thumbs over the tablecloth. “So, how’s the family?”
“They’re good. Delilah is still getting used to the new baby, but she’ll get there.
Lauren is absolutely killing it as a mother of two.
They really aren’t lying when they say it’s easier with the second.
” The corners of his mouth tilted up in a smile, just like they did at every mention of his family.
Gods. A new baby.
It really drove home that we were at such different points in our lives. He was young, successful, and in the beginning throes of parenthood. I was nearing retirement, had an adult daughter, and was potentially having a midlife crisis.
“How is Chai doing?” he quickly added, like he just remembered that I had a daughter.
“She’s doing much better. Now that she’s had surgery, it should be smooth sailing.”
“Glad to hear it. I know you were worried there for a bit.”
I smiled and shook my head. “You know, no matter how old they are, the worry is always there.”
“I guess I’m in for a tough time now that there are two of them,” he groaned, and for a second, he reminded me of who he was when we first started the business. The same happy-go-lucky hippie minotaur who wanted to revolutionize Colorado’s cannabis industry.
The waiter arrived at the table and took my drink order, whiskey on the rocks, same as Jonathan’s.
We made small talk until the waiter returned with my drink, discussing the basketball season, podcasts, and the snowy weather we’d been having. We avoided talking about business until I’d made a dent in my drink and we’d placed our orders.
“Al, I, uh…You probably know why I wanted to meet, don’t you?” He leaned over the table and rubbed his thumb along his jawline.
I straightened in my seat. “Whatever it is, I figured it wasn’t great if we’re discussing it here. Is this about the meeting the other day and the influencer program?”
He huffed and shook his head. “It isn’t about that.
I mean, I’m sorry I didn’t run it by you, but this isn’t about that.
I’ll cut right to it.” Jonathan sat up and puffed out his chest, putting on the same alpha-male performance he did at the board meeting.
“I want to buy your share of the company.”
I tilted my head to the side, my mouth hanging open in disbelief.
Did I hear him right? He wanted to buy me out of the company we’d built from the ground up?
I’d put so much time and energy into Rocky Roots. I was proud of the work we’d done, and he wanted me to just kiss it all goodbye?
“Will you just hear me out?” he pleaded, letting the whole act slip. It was like he was that same young kid with a passion for cannabis again and not some cutthroat businessman.
I steepled my fingers and stared at him. “I’m listening.”
“Al, I care about this company. I have a ton of ideas about how we can grow and reach that next level, but in order to do that, we need to get with the times. The market is changing, and if we don’t change with it, we’ll be left behind.
” He took a deep breath. “You’ve taught me everything I know about this business.
If it weren’t for you, I’d still be a stoner with a pipe dream.
I care about you, Al, and I know you’re unhappy here.
The stuff with your daughter and whatever else you have going on in your personal life has been a major distraction.
I think it’s time for you to retire and pass the torch.
I know things have been a little tense between us since you returned, but I feel like I’ve really stepped up. ”
Those were all valid points, and I would prefer the company stay in the hands of someone who’d been a part of it since its inception, but retirement? I’d thrown the idea around a time or two, especially since Chai got sick and I met Pam, but I wasn’t sure I was ready.
“Jonathan, I—I’m not sure I’m ready to make a decision like that just yet. I mean, I’m not even sixty.” I ran my hands through my hair and puffed out a breath. When he asked me to dinner, I wasn’t expecting this.
“Here.” Jonathan slid a piece of paper across the table. “This is what I’m prepared to offer.”
I slipped on my readers and took in all the zeros that followed the number with wide eyes. There was no way…“Jon, my shares can’t possibly be worth this much.”
He could tell by the look on my face that I was in shock.
“I discussed it with my financial adviser and my lawyer. It’s a fair offer, with a little extra tacked on for everything you’ve taught me over the years.
I know you have savings and a retirement plan, but I want you to live comfortably.
You can always invest it in another company if you get bored. ”
I folded the slip of paper and put it inside my jacket pocket. “Can I have some time to consider your offer?”
“I want you to take some time off.”
“I just got back—”
“Al, take the time. Think it over. Regardless of what you decide to do, I hope this doesn’t change things between us.”
Even though I was caught off guard, I respected the fact that he’d come to the table with a fair offer.
I had a lot to consider.
It was at that moment the waiter stopped by the table with our meals. While my couscous looked delicious, I’d suddenly lost my appetite.
—
The remainder of the meal was tense. I felt blindsided. Between that and the slip of paper burning a hole in my pocket, I was ready to get out of there.
I gave Jonathan a terse goodbye, and once I hit the highway, I called Pam from my truck’s Bluetooth.
It rang and rang and rang again.
“Come on, Pam. Pick up, pick up.” I was overwhelmed and I needed to hear her voice.
Her voicemail picked up, but before I could leave her a message, an incoming call from “Pamela Jean” flashed on the screen. I slammed the answer button on the steering wheel.
“Alistair?” she asked, sounding groggy.
Hearing her say my name took my irritation down a notch, and I grinned at the open road in front of me. “Did I wake you, pretty lady?”
“Yeah, but that’s okay. How was dinner?”
Where do I even begin?
“Well”—I took a deep breath—“Jonathan wants to buy me out of the company.”
“And how do you feel about that?” she asked calmly.
“I—I don’t even know. I put so much into that company and I feel like I’m being pushed out, like I’m not keeping up with the times. He even presented me with an offer.” I was practically yelling.
“What was his offer?”
I huffed a laugh. “It was a lot of money. A whole lot of money. But I don’t need more money, Pam. I’m still young. I’ve worked my entire life. I don’t know anything else but this.” My hands tightened around the steering wheel. “He told me to take some time off to think about it.”
She was silent for a few seconds, then finally asked, “Do you want me to come out there?”
Fuck.
I wanted that more than anything.
“You’re afraid of flying. I would never ask that of you.”
“You didn’t ask. I offered. I know this is a lot for you to process, but it might be good for you to have some company.”
I grinned, practically on the verge of tears. “You’d do that for me?”
She laughed. “I’d do more than that for you. You’re gonna owe me big-time, though.”
I liked the sound of that.
“I’ll make it worth your while. I promise. Hell, why don’t you bring Remi? He’s small enough to fly in the cabin, and he might help you stay calm.”
“You wouldn’t mind? What about all his—”
“Don’t you worry about a thing. Transportation, airfare, I’ll take care of it all. You just ensure the two of you make it onto the plane.”
“I think I can manage that. Well, with the help of medication, that is.” She snorted and, gods, I couldn’t wait to hear it in person again.
“I can’t wait to see you,” I said with a sigh. It meant so much that she was willing to do this for me.
“I can’t wait to see you, either.” She yawned, reminding me just how late it was there.
“I’ll let you get some sleep, then tomorrow we’ll iron out all the details, okay?”
“Okay. Good night, Al.”
“Night, sweetheart.”
The wheels were already turning. If Pam was willing to get on a plane, I was determined to make it as stress-free as possible.