Worthy Opponents(20)

Mike was still smiling when he finished the article. Spencer Brooke was an intriguing woman. Brooke’s didn’t make sense to him as a large investment, and there was much greater growth potential in the low-cost brands, like the one he’d invested in before, but there was something about the store that had hooked him. It was a fascinating place, with an endearing history, run by a woman who obviously knew what she was doing and did it well. He couldn’t decide which fascinated him most, the owner or the store, but now he wanted to know more about both.





Chapter 4


Mike took the copy of New York magazine to his meeting on Monday and handed it to Renee.

“The place is bewitching,” he admitted to her. “I saw a pair of shoes I liked there when I went the other day. They gnawed at me, so I went back for them on Saturday, and also ended up buying a sweater and a tweed jacket made by an English tailor. I never do that. I spent a fortune and was happy as can be about it when I got the stuff home. The manager I spoke to on the floor the first time turns out to be the owner, who cruises the place every day, checking on things. She sounds like a force of nature. I still think another high-volume brand would be a better investment, but there’s something intriguing about this place. See what you can find out about her, and what their profits look like. Maybe it would be fun, as a modest investment, if they’re interested in an influx of money to expand.”

“I’ll check it out,” Renee promised. It seemed like an atypical investment to her too, but she loved the idea. There was something so appealing about the store, and she was fascinated by Spencer when she read the article. She sounded like such a strong woman and a decent person. She was only three years older than Renee, but had done so much with the store to honor her grandfather’s memory. The article also mentioned that she was divorced and had twin seven-year-old sons. She had a very full plate and seemed to be managing it all. The article also said that her father’s regime had been brief and somewhat colorless, and Spencer had put life back into the store when she took over. She was a very attractive woman.

At the end of the meeting, Mike assigned Renee to assess both options, a high-volume, low-priced brand similar to the first one that had done so well for them, and a possible purchase or investment in Brooke’s, although he would want the current owner to continue to run it, since she seemed to hold the secret to their success and was apparently part of the magic. Mike was sure that the other option would be a better investment for them, but there was something about Brooke’s that had enchanted him, just as it had all their loyal customers, according to the article.

Spencer had her own staff meeting that morning, and Paul brought up the subject of investors again, for all the reasons he had mentioned before. Spencer shut him down very quickly. Their fashion director, Beau Vincent, agreed with Paul, and said so to Spencer. He felt that they needed to develop an online presence and sell through the internet, and he loved Paul’s idea of an annex, although finding a suitable building in the neighborhood, not too far from the mother ship, would be challenging. Marcy said she agreed with both of them. Spencer looked annoyed at the end of the meeting, and even more so when her mother called her. Eileen still had a network of secretaries she spoke to who told her the gossip they heard from the various department heads they worked for.

“Why are you looking for investors?” Her mother landed on Spencer’s nerves with both feet, as she usually did, with half-truths and rumors.

“I’m not. Paul Trask thinks we should get a big influx of money to make some improvements, and I’m opposed to it.”

“Your grandfather and your father didn’t have investors,” Eileen said in an accusatory tone that was all too familiar to Spencer. She’d heard it all her life.

“Neither will I. Your spies should be more accurate if they’re going to give you insider information. I’m not taking investment money. We can manage without it.”

“Are you trying to move uptown?”

“No, I’m not,” Spencer said, exasperated. Her mother never showed any interest in the store, except to gossip and criticize it, and her daughter. “I wish you’d stop listening to gossip, Mother. The people who tell you that stuff don’t know what they’re talking about, and it just gets you wound up.”

“I’m not wound up. I just want to know what you’re up to.”

“Why? You never cared about the store while Grampa Thorny was alive, or when Dad ran it. You hated it, and you said so all the time. Why are you always looking over my shoulder, accusing me of something I’m not doing, and criticizing me for it?”

“That’s not fair,” Eileen complained. “I’m just trying to be supportive.”

“No, you’re not. You think I’m going to screw up and fall flat on my face, and you want to be the first to know so you can have a front-row seat when it happens. I’m sorry to disappoint you. I’m not taking investors. We’re going to keep on doing what we do now and have always done.”

“Maybe you should modernize a little,” Eileen conceded. “I like shopping online. I’ll bet your grandfather would have made that possible, even if your father wouldn’t have.” Spencer knew she had that right. Her father hated change of any kind. There had been no improvements during his tenure, and too many good things he had eliminated.