The Venture Capitalist

by EnRose, LaVie

  I take her up on the quasi-invitation I flubbed after our first sexual encounter, and I can tell from my growing hard-on that this experience won’t be sophomoric at all.

  “What are you wearing?”

  “Hey, buzz Darryl and see if Jada and Keisha have checked in downstairs,” Nathan says, as he makes another lap of pacing in my office while I’m checking over the documents for Kente Studio Records one last time.

  I glance absentmindedly up at him. “He’ll call me when he gets word from downstairs that they’re here.”

  I’m also excited that Keisha is coming to sign the docs and spend more time with me in my Grotto tonight, but I’m not as anxious outwardly as Nathan. I look up at him again. His hair is wild given how many times he’s run his big hand through it.

  “You need a haircut,” I say.

  He stops mid-pace. “No I don’t. This is as much my signature now as my game-making three-pointers. If I cut this, I’ll lose my skill, just like Samson lost his strength.”

  “Samson who?”

  “The historical figure in the Bible.”

  “You read the Bible?”

  Nathan begins to pace again. “No, I just remember that from our days when we used to go to Mass. When Mom was alive.”

  I stack the documents neatly, stand, and walk around to perch on the edge of my desk.

  “Sit down. You’re making me nervous. Besides, isn’t Ms. Jameson a sure thing, since you guys had apparently already hooked up once way before the other night?”

  Nathan stalks over to the chairs in front of my desk and takes one of them, looking up at me. “She’s like you. Serious about the lifestyle, but not prepared to commit in any other way shape, or form.”

  “Probably a good idea, since you and Lavender just called it quits a few months ago.”

  “You’re right. I should just take what she’s willing to give right now, huh?”

  “Yes, because who’s to say this is going to last?”

  “I think it is. It’s uncanny how much we click, both sexually and personality-wise. She’s the yin to my yang.”

  “Since when did you get into Chinese philosophy?”

  “I’m not, but that’s the best analogy I can find to describe how we complement each other.”

  I narrow my eyes at him. “And you discovered this in a few days and a few meetings?”

  “You’re jaded when it comes to affairs of the heart, Tristan, so I don’t expect you to understand the connection I’ve found with Jada.”

  “But you yourself just said she doesn’t share in that—she doesn’t want anything lasting.”

  “That’s a situation I’m hoping to change.”

  “And if that doesn’t happen?”

  He frowns. “Then I guess I’ll be fucked.” With that he leaps up from the chair and begins his pacing again.

  Darryl buzzes after Nathan’s taken a couple more turns.

  “Ms. Beale and Ms. Jameson are on their way up.”

  I round the desk and respond. “Thanks Darryl, bring them right in as soon as they arrive on the floor.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Nathan gestures toward my ensuite, and I wave to him dismissively. Gathering the documents from my desk, I place them on the center of the small round conference table in the corner, which seats six to eight comfortably. Only five of us will use it this evening— the two of us, the two women, and my General Counsel.

  When my brother emerges from the ensuite, he’s smoothed his hair back on the top into a messy man-bun. I scowl at his choice of hairstyle and take a seat behind my desk, while he sprawls on the sofa, trying to look as if he hasn’t been fidgeting while waiting on the women to arrive.

  Darryl ushers Keisha and Jada into the room without knocking, and Nathan and I stand as the women enter the room.

  “Ms. Beale, Ms. Jameson—”

  “Jada, Keisha—”

  We say simultaneously.

  “Gentlemen,” Jada says formally, while Keisha goes with the less formal, communal “Hello.”

  We all smile politely, albeit a bit awkwardly until I say. “Please let Gibson know we’re ready, Darryl. Thank you.”

  He promptly leaves the room. His departure ignites a maelstrom of familiarity whereby Ms. Jameson runs into Nathans arms and he picks her up and swings her around.

  Unwilling to be out-maneuvered by my demonstrative brother, I move in on Keisha and kiss her soundly, and she eagerly returns my affection. Nathan is still kissing Jada when Keisha and I part.

  “Darryl will be back, so let’s restrain ourselves, shall we?”

  Keisha laughs nervously as her roommate and my brother, reluctantly part. I wonder what she thinks about their rather sudden affair? I’ll have to remember to ask her about this soon.

  I herd everyone over to my small round conference table. Once we’re all seated Darryl returns with my Lead General Counsel, Carlton Gibson in tow. Gibson has never had hair on the top of his head in the almost ten years I’ve known him, but he’s one of the best corporate lawyers in Illinois. “Gibson, meet Ms. Jameson, and Ms. Beale.”

  “Ms. Jameson. Ms. Beale,” Gibson says as he shakes each woman’s hand in turn.

  “Nice to meet you,” they each reply.

  Gibson takes a seat and folds his hands across the top of his copy of the contract. “White Enterprises uses a standard boiler plate on the first five pages of all its contracts. The language which speaks to your specific business is found in the Attachment One and ensuing attachments. Do you ladies have any questions about any of the language contained herein?”

  “Actually, I do,” Jada says and dons a rather pretentious pair of reading glasses, with Nathan looking on like a proud Dom.

  “The terms are very generous,” I say, with a tight laugh. “Are you hoping we will make them less so?”

  “No, actually it has to do with Attachment 1, Section C, Paragraph 5, under Special Provisions, where it speaks to a change of location. I believe the language says that White Enterprise Holdings, Inc. reserves the right to request a change in location should their evaluation and subsequent demographics data suggest it will support fiscal viability. That’s a deal breaker for us because our current property is mortgage free and we’ve already made significant improvements to the property.”

  “You call slapping on a little paint and erecting cubicles, significant improvement, Ms. Jameson?” I challenge. “I can get you turn-key property in a thriving retail corridor in the city center.”

  “We really hoped our business would be instrumental in the revitalization of the neighborhood,” Jada insists. “A lot of young people in and around the Gage Park area are extremely talented, but the south side is all they’ve ever known. If we move the business farther north to attract a wealthier clientele, my concern is those kids will be lost to us.”

  “You could still market to them via radio, internet, magazines, and social networking,” I say.

  Jada shakes her head. “But then, transportation comes into play.”

  “CTA is reliable, I understand,” is my counter-argument.

  Nathan interjects. “The Buffaloes’ franchise and USABA charities go into neighborhoods all over the city.”

  “And your point is?” I say.

  Nate jabs his forefinger with emphasis on the table. “A seasoned Chicagoan won’t shy away from that part of town.”

  I gesture toward a demographic report in my hand. “Not middle-class snobs who are afraid of that neighborhood. No offense, ladies.”

  “None taken,” Jada and Keisha respond in tandem as if they’d practiced..

  “What if we opened two locations? One in the south as planned and another in the north at a later date?” Nathan says.

  Jada wrinkles her nose. “That would take capital we don’t have.”

  “I could use another investment,” Nathan says with a smile laced with all kinds of innuendo I’m sure Gibson even picks up on. Jada smiles back at him in the same manner.

  I level
Nate with and glare and stand, addressing the ladies and Gibson. “Excuse us just one second, please.” I motion that I’d like to speak with my brother alone. “Nathan?”

  He stands and follows me to the opposite corner of my office.

  “Are you sure you want to do this after having what amounts to a couple rolls in the hay with this woman?” I whisper shout.

  Nathan holds his hands up in a ‘whoa boy’ motion and whisper shouts back. “Jada isn’t just someone I’ve had a couple rolls in the hay with. She’s my submissive, dammit. Just as Keisha is now yours. You’re only objecting because you had your precious contract all drawn out and you don’t want to go back and change it.”

  “Do you know how many man-hours we’ve spent on the damn paperwork, not to mention the necessity your proposal now presents to secure a new facility for lease or purchase on the north side?”

  “You’ve already approved them for half a million, what’s a quarter million more? And if I remember correctly you propositioned Keisha to get the current contract approved.”

  “Only because this project is a sound investment, and you forget, I’m going to be the one who controls the interest in this venture, and who will be doing the actual work of guiding them toward profitability within the year? What role do you expect you’re going to take?”

  He shrugs. “I’ll work alongside you helping them to stay in the black.”

  “In what alternate universe is that going to happen, Nathan? I’m still making the major business decisions for your apparel business.”

  “Listen, Tristan. I’m going to give them the money whether you like it or not.”

  “Give? So you want me to handle this as a gift? I don’t think either of them will go for that scenario.”

  “Then how about you change the terms of the contract to include this new infusion of capital and just consider me a silent partner.”

  “Okay, if that’s what you want. But don’t think for a minute that you’re going to have the time or inclination to make any substantive business decisions for KSR.”

  “You drive the business ship, and I’ll handle the relationships.” Nathan says sarcastically.

  “You just told me she doesn’t want a real relationship. You think this investment is going to change her mind?”

  “It might demonstrate to her how serious I am when the time is right.”

  “At the end of the day, it isn’t about the money at all. I just don’t want you to be hurt.”

  “Aw, brother, I didn’t know you cared so much,” Nathan teases.

  “It’s your funeral,” I say, then immediately wish I’d used another idiom. If anything happened to Nathan, I’d never forgive myself, which is why I felt compelled to bust his chops about this spur-of-the- moment investment.

  We return to the table, smiling, where Jada and Keisha are fidgeting, and Gibson has folded the corner of several pages on his copy of the contract in anticipation of making changes.

  “My brother is bound and determined to fund another venue for KSR, which means, ladies, you will begin your business venture as a franchise.”

  Keisha looks impassive, but Ms. Jameson squeals like a sorority girl.

  “Are you sure?” Keisha asks softly.

  “Absolutely. Nathan is a shrewd businessman in his own right. He’s free to invest as he pleases.”

  Keisha looks worried, but I’m not about to have another side-bar at a meeting that was supposed to be a contract signing, which has gone seriously fucking sideways.

  Ms. Jameson on the other hand looks as pleased as punch.

  I’m left with no other option, so I make the obvious pronouncement. “Gibson will draw up an amendment to this contract immediately, but in the meantime we still have an opening in three weeks.” I hand Keisha and Jada each a Montblanc pen. “If you’ll sign by the red signature flags, I’ll countersign by the green ones.”

  Keisha and I ride down on the elevator to the underground garage where Nathan retrieves his Lamborghini Veneno Roadster, squeals to a stop in front of Ms. Jameson and jogs around to open the door for her. Keisha waves to Jada until they peel out of the garage and disappear.

  Moses has the limo parked in one of my reserved spots, and I guide Keisha by the small of her back to my smiling limo driver holding the door.

  As we slide into the limo, Keisha asks, “Do you ever drive?”

  “Yes, sometimes when I’m not working. I’m always juggling projects, so I use the drive time to work, usually.”

  “I pegged you right, then.”

  “How’s that?”

  “You’re the king of multitasking.”

  “I try to be. In everything.”

  “So I noticed.” She takes a deep breath and continues. “I hope you didn’t feel pressured to add a new location to this deal. Jada can be pushy, and I don’t want you to think we’re some kind of gold diggers.”

  I certainly called this one. I smile, having expected this conversation. “I’ve met my share of gold diggers, Ms. Beale, and you don’t have a gold-digging bone in your delectable body.”

  “It’s just, I could tell you weren’t pleased with Nathan’s generous offer. I get that you probably want us to prove ourselves before any further investment is made.”

  “Is that what you thought our little sidebar was all about?”

  “Well, yeah.”

  “It wasn’t. I just reminded my brother that he’s an investor, but I have the controlling interest in this venture. Nate has a tendency to flex business muscles he doesn’t possess nor has the time or inclination to hone, given his busy USABA career. I wanted to squash that notion in advance.”

  “I wish you would’ve squashed the idea altogether.”

  I raise my brow inquisitively. “Really? Are you getting cold business feet, Ms. Beale?”

  “No. It’s just that now we have to hire more staff and divide ourselves between the two locations. That gives me precious little time to write my own music and be your beck-and-call girl at the same time.”

  I smile. “My beck-and-call girl? That’s rich.”

  “It’s from Pretty Woman.”

  “What?”

  She shakes her head. “Never mind.”

  “I like the idea of you being at my beck and call,” I say.

  “I’m serious, Tristan. I just don’t want to bite off more than I can chew.”

  “Since you put it that way, I don’t want that either. We’ll hire additional staff. I’m sure we could lure a few record company executives away from the competition.”

  “So, that’s your answer? To throw more money and personnel at us? At this rate, we may never be able to pay you back.”

  “That’s not the attitude to have going into a business venture. Ms. Jameson’s rudimentary figures project a positive return-on-investment, even if you were to discover only a half a dozen new acts in your first six months. Given the plenitude of talent in Chicago, that shouldn’t be hard to do.”

  “So you really believe in our concept?”

  “Yes, but we have yet to see whether it will flourish.”

  “We’re going to work hard.”

  I think of the many ways I’m going to work her over in my Grotto. “Of that I have no doubt.”

  Keisha makes extraordinary progress as a submissive in the three weeks leading up to the grand opening of Kente Studio Records. I convince her to spend the night at the condo the night before our meeting with all the key players to finalize the contract amendment. She and Ms. Jameson have been working twelve plus hour days on their business, and still somehow managing to accommodate Nathan and me on weekends.

  Gibson, Nathan and I converge on KSR with the amendment in hand. This signing is less formal than the original, but it infuses KSR with the cash it needs to operate two locations transforming their little startup overnight into a chain. Keisha’s discomfiture with how she is perceived due to our arrangement is always in the forefront of her mind. I ride her as hard as I would one of my own employees to
demonstrate to her, and especially her colleagues, that I am not playing favorites.

  “Status update, Ms. Beale.”

  “We’ve hired staff for the south side location, and put other staff on a waiting list for the north side location, although we will likely use them during the grand opening,” she says.

  “Get together with Darryl. He has my list of contacts to include some local celebrities and the like. I’ll also talk to Danai and ask personally for her support.”

  Keisha has an unfathomable look on her face. Most likely thinking of the altercation she had with Danai. Other than the remnants of a bit of ego on the part of Danai, Keisha has nothing to worry about on that front.

  Keisha clears her throat. “Thank you. I’ll call Darryl and get that information this afternoon.”

  “I’ll see which of my teammates are in town, and who’s around from some of the other Chicago sports teams that might be willing to make an appearance,” Nathan says.

  “Between the two of you, we’ll have the best attended event this year in the city,” Jada says, saving her smile only for Nathan. She and I have butted heads on more than one occasion the past couple of weeks. Her snub does not surprise me.

  “We should be careful with the guest list, though. Otherwise this grand opening and after-party could bankrupt us before the first sale,” Keisha says with a frown.

  “Don’t worry about the cost,” I say. “I’ll have my finance department to open up some purchase orders to cover the opening and the party. You have to spend money to make money, and White Enterprises Holdings is your backer. This event will reflect the same caliber as one sponsored by my PR team.”

  “What my brother is trying to say, is that we’re going big or staying home,” Nathan teases. “I’ll cover part of the cost and throw in some door prizes. You know, signed sports memorabilia from myself and the team.”

  “Whoa,” Keisha says, throwing up her hands. “This is all too much.”

  “Not really,” Jada says. “Nate and Tristan are right. These events will go a long way in establishing our presence early on, and the media coverage alone will be advertising we could never afford to buy.”