Worthy Opponents(60)

Their first customer drifted in then, and one of the team members handed him a bag and wished him a good night.

“I thought maybe the garage would be closed too because of what happened the other night,” the man said, and Spencer stepped in to assure him the garage would be open on schedule.

“That’s nice of you,” the man said softly, and left with his bag. Others like him drifted in, and the garage got crowded very quickly, as the team handed out bags with clothing in the right sizes. Their last customer came in at ten, and they only had nine bags left. It had been a good night and the workers from Brooke’s were smiling and pleased. They helped themselves to the doughnuts, and Spencer offered them to Mike. She had cheered up as the evening wore on. She loved what they were doing, and Mike smiled at her. It had been a good night for him too. It warmed his heart just being there with her. He loved what she did there.

“I have a lot to tell you,” he said quietly, as they got ready to leave. “Can we go somewhere to talk?” He looked hopeful and she hesitated.

“I don’t want to talk business tonight,” she said gently. “It’s been a long day and I’m tired.” She looked it, but more than anything she looked sad, and he knew he had done that.

“There are some things I need to say to you,” he said, and she nodded.

“There’s a coffee shop two blocks from here. We can walk there.” He followed her out and she locked up as the others left too, and Mike walked toward the coffee shop with her. She and Mike took a booth in the back, and she ordered an iced tea, and Mike ordered coffee. He was tired too. He’d had a lot to think about and had hardly slept the night before. He started talking before their drinks came. He couldn’t wait any longer.

“I want to apologize for the deal I offered you yesterday. I don’t want seventy-five percent ownership of your business, Spencer. I rescind the offer. I’m not going to do it with my investors. They wouldn’t understand it anyway. I’m not sure I do, but I’d like to try. I don’t know what I was thinking. I don’t need to make the best deal here. This isn’t Wall Street. It’s your legacy from your grandfather. I want to offer you something very different. I’m going to do this with my own money. If you’re willing, I’d like to buy forty-nine percent of the business, and you keep fifty-one percent. If you like the way we work together, at the end of a year, or two years if you like that better, I’d like to buy one percent from you, so that we each own fifty percent, as equal partners. I want to be a working partner with you, and help you build the business. I’d like to do it together. You can teach me the business, and I can help you make good financial decisions. And if you don’t like the way we work together, you keep the fifty-one percent, and keep the controlling interest in the business. And if I turn out to be a complete jerk, I’ll sell you back the forty-nine percent, and you’ll be rid of me forever.” She smiled when he said it.

“That’s not what I want. I like the idea of being working partners. What made you change your mind?” Spencer was curious about Mike’s decision. The proposition he’d just made sounded interesting to her.

“My conscience and my father, in that order,” he answered her.

“I like your new offer better.” She smiled broadly at him. “I was going to sign because I gave you my word.”

“You’re an honorable woman, and a worthy opponent.” He smiled back at her and took her hand in his and held it.

“I like the idea of being working partners. Even equal partners, if you behave,” she said, feeling brave, and then her face grew serious again. “There’s only one problem, we don’t have a store.”

“That’s debatable,” Mike said. “My father is something of a wild card and a little crazy. I love him. He buys businesses and houses, he has unusual ideas, and they always end up making money. He always has something up his sleeve, or a rabbit in his pocket. I called him today to see if he knew of any properties to rent or buy that would work for a store. He told me that he bought a mansion twenty years ago that my mother hated, and he never sold it. He still owns it, and it’s just been sitting there for twenty years, unoccupied. I went to look at it with him, and it’s gorgeous. It’s perfect for Brooke’s and about twice the size of what you have now, which seems like the right expansion to me, without branches in every city. It’s at Seventy-sixth and Fifth, and he gave me the keys so I can show you. He’ll rent it to us for whatever we want.” Her eyes grew wide as she listened to him. It sounded like a dream come true. The past few days had been a nightmare, and overnight it had changed.

“Are you serious?” she whispered. The location was fantastic. And his description of it. “When can we see it?”

“Whenever you want, since I have the keys. Tomorrow morning if you’re free.”

“Are you kidding? I’ll be there at sunrise.”

“I’ll pick you up at eight-thirty. I honestly think it’s the answer to a prayer. I can’t wait till you see it.” He was grinning broadly and hadn’t let go of her hand. “My father is always full of surprises. And there’s one other thing. What’s your position on dating your business partner? Do you have a policy on that?”

“I’ve never had a business partner before.” She smiled at him. “I think it’s an excellent idea though. We ought to try it.”