Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 75592 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75592 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
I look down at my plate and concentrate on the food.
“The locket you gave Sylvie.” I look up to find Kat staring at me intently. “What was on the inside?”
“A picture of her and Alaine taken last year. Alaine was still vibrant and healthy looking. I wanted her to remember her mom in the good days.”
It seems a bitter pill to swallow but Kat admits, “That was very thoughtful.”
I shrug, stabbing a chunk of chicken. “I love her.”
“I know,” she replies quietly, then coughs to clear her throat. Her eyes dart down to the proposal. “I assume you’re going to summarize that for me.”
Nodding, I wipe my mouth with a napkin. Taking the sheaf of documents, I flip it open. “Pages one through five provide an overview of how the winery operates in very simplified form, just to get you up to speed.” I turn another page. “On page six, I’ve got bullet points listing out a variety of things we need to focus on, like some investment opportunities and a new marketing plan, but I want to focus you on page thirteen… expanded distribution.”
“Why is that the most important?” Kat asks.
“Because that was what Alaine was working on when she got sick. I want to continue something that was important to her.”
Kat stares at me a moment, then nods. “What does expanded distribution mean specifically?”
“Moving deeper into the US market, which we have a small slice of but nothing compared to the European market. We’d have to establish relationships with distributors who specialize in imported wines. There are plenty of small- to medium-sized companies looking for unique offerings to differentiate themselves in a competitive market.”
“And how is that done?”
“A seed investment into hiring more staff as well as a specialty company to create targeted marketing campaigns.”
Kat has another question, but she seems unsure of how to ask and instead spins her fork in her food. I feel the need to provide her assurances. “You’re an expert in the business of horses. I’d have a billion questions if I tried to move into that industry. I expect you’re going to have a ton of questions for me so don’t hesitate to ask them. If you’re to be the go-between for me and Ethan, you need to understand all of this, so ask away.”
After taking a sip of water, Kat says, “Okay… fine. What type of money will it take to do this, and what type of money will be generated?”
My smile widens and I point at her, stabbing my finger in the air. “Those are excellent questions. The two most important ones you could ask. I’ve got it all laid out here on page twenty-seven.”
I flip to the appropriate place and scoot my chair around so I can sit closer to her. She pushes her plate back and I put the five-year progression chart before her, showing the initial investment and the expected return over that period.
She studies it thoughtfully before asking, “What other considerations are there? More customers means the need for more wine.”
Something inside my chest expands and I easily identify it as pride in Kat. I always knew she was smart as hell, but she’s proving that she’s the right person for Ethan to have put on this. “Of course, we’ll have to increase our production gradually. There’s additional acreage we already own with mature vines. It means investing in more barrels, maybe even new technology for the bottling line. We need to ensure that our quality doesn’t suffer as we scale up.”
For the next two hours, Kat and I discuss the expansion plan and go page by page through the entire proposal. We eat as we talk, and I take a second helping. There’s no animosity in the words between us, Kat intently focused on what I’m guessing is now a challenge she wants to conquer.
Standing from the table, Kat stretches with her hands raised far above her head and arches her back. Her T-shirt rides up, exposing barely an inch of skin on her stomach, but the material pulls tight over her breasts. Head tipped back and eyes closed, she can’t see me taking visual advantage as my gaze roams over her. She might be an enemy now, but she was absolutely my sexiest mistake.
As her arms drop, I gather up the empty plates that were long ago forgotten after we’d finished eating. I take them to the sink and run water over them, but I don’t see a dishwasher, so I just leave them there. Kat follows behind, empty glasses in hand.
“What about the other stuff?” she asks.
“We need to go over it because the new investment opportunities go hand in hand with the expansion plans but it’s getting late. I’ve got an early appointment and you get up earlier than I do.”
Kat’s eyes flare with surprise.