James said he has a problem accepting help….
…. Carefully….
“Ummm.…Take this the right way, but I’d be happy to help.”
Glass in hand, Michael freezes, knuckles. His voice is barely polite. “Thanks, Richard, but I’m not a charity.”
James’ meets my eyes again with a ‘Told you’ look. He laughs softly. “Now, who’s suffering from stiff-necked pride?”
Michael gives him a look that should have dissolved him on the spot, but James simply gives him a mild look, sucking at his teeth as he tries to extract a bit of peanut.
I follow Michael’s lead, keeping my own tone cool. “It wasn’t a charitable offer, Michael. I’m a businessman. It was a proposal.”
He flushes. “Ah…. My apologies.” He opens the second bag of nuts. “What did you have in mind?”
“I’ve been watching the reaction of Elizabeth’s friends to this ever since you told us about your ideas, and I know they’re queuing up to visit, especially since most of them already use your City Centre….”
And there’s one hundred per cent truth….
“So?”
He’s listening now, receptive….
Time to go for it….
“Okay, my cards on the table. Michael, I’ve been itching to find a way of getting in on your project. And it seems to me that this might work for both of us. I’d like to fund whatever’s needed to get the spa-hotel project up and running….” His face tips back, his eyes on me. “.... as it should be, from Day One, in exchange for a shareholding…. How would you feel about that?”
His lips purse. “What size of share are you thinking of?”
“Got your figures to hand?”
“No, but I’ve got them in my head.… Anyone got a pen and paper?”
James whips a paper bag from among Charlotte’s purchases and I watch while Michael jots down figures. Some he clearly knows right off….
Income per customer….
Staff wages….
Some of the building quotes….
Some he is apparently estimating, staring into space and whistling tunelessly under his breath….
Legal costs….
…. Interest….
…. The rest of the building work….
…. Turnover….
…. Numbers of clientele….
His knowledge is clear, and his estimates make sense….
And he understands profit and loss….
…. He knows what he’s doing….
a couple of minutes, he passes me the bag
Looks good….
can improve on
to maintain
this far longer than you,
jot down some notes on a couple of items to follow up
suppressing laughter and Charlotte looks bored. As I draw a line under my amended version of the figures, her expression turns to consternation as I push the bag across
accountancy’s coming on,
consternation turns to
the financial
girl
is
of us. Michael looks a little indignant, but James simply waves her
wants control
money is
James understands
“Um…. Michael’s put down the value of the site from a surveyor’s assessment, along with what he paid, plus the mortgage from the bank. There’s the value of the work done so far, and what’s still needed. There’s an estimate of numbers of clients, income and expenses over the next three years….” She looks up. “Michael… you hold all this in
business, that’s what you do, at least if you expect to stay
going, Charlotte,”
over-written some of the estimates on income and expenses, some upwards and some down. Err…. you’ve scrubbed out interest payments entirely but added in some
bank funding, there won’t be any
with an Of Course…. She turns back to the sheet. “You’re offering to cover all
sniffs. “I think thirty-per-cent is a
course it
open to negotiation isn’t it.… but you’ve not stopped talking
in. “I was thinking more
future and projected current costs and providing working capital for two
need working capital. The projections
of the business you’ll get in
And a mailing list for
“Really? Twenty-five per cent.”
not a
Knows how to defend his
us like a spectator at a tennis match. James whispers something to her and her mouth
and a half per cent. And
Michael stands, offering his hand. “Done! Charlotte, meet
going to proxy for
Hmmm….
We’ll see….
alert. “My new
Oh… Charlotte….
those papers I showed you? About
scanned them quickly, but it all seemed a
moves to support his chin, elbow on the table. “Boring? Is that the word you’re looking
hangs her head.
press the point
Lessons to
should know already that you’re a shareholder in ‘Life and Beauty’, but you don’t.” But I laugh as I say it, to keep the bite from my
pinking, “Sorry.
is so unused to having
…. Anything at all….
We’ll see
heaven, then grabs her by the chin. “We’re getting
say, “Have you