Chapter 7
Everyone at the table was laughing and overjoyed as they completed their dinner. Robert and Camille sat together, holding hands under the table as they sipped on their drinks while Dillon kept his arm around Marisol, holding her shoulder with his arm draped around her back. Both new couples were happy and enjoying the time they were able to spend together. Sitting at the table with them was Sulagna Patel and her daughter, Mina, who was now an executive in their company. With the conversations stemming from Sulagna and Mina’s love of football to Robert’s brash antics to get into the Consortium, the table enjoyed each other’s company as they all got to meet the various heads of the Consortium.
“So how are you enjoying your impromptu acceptance dinner?” asked Sulagna.
“It’s wonderful,” said Dillon as he sipped on his glass of wine. “The food is second to none, and clearly you all know how to throw a party.”
Sulagna smirked. “Well, the staff here knows what we like and knows what we want to do, so it’s not much of a struggle to get something thrown together at the last minute.”
“Don’t let her fool you. A lot of work goes into planning these events, and to throw one together at the last minute places a lot of stress on my mother,” explained Mina. “She likes to pretend like it’s not any trouble, but in reality, she stresses about every detail because she wants you all to have a great impression of her and the rest of the Consortium.”
Sulagna grumbled sarcastically as Mina smirked at her mother. “It’s not always like that,” she snapped. “Just sometimes.”
“Sometimes is usually all the time,” continued Mina.
“Tonight was perfect,” interjected Robert, motioning to Sulagna. “Thank you for your hospitality. Everyone has been very welcoming, and I’m glad we are all on the same page.”
“It’s been wonderful to meet everyone,” said Dillon. “I feel that we are incredibly welcomed by everyone here. I hope we live up to the high standards and make this profitable for everyone.”
Sulagna smiled earnestly. “We firmly believe that it will be. The work that you all have done so far is incredible, and I think it will only get better from here with our resources and networks pushing you along, helping you to grow and become more successful.”
A tall man hailing from Nigeria walked up to the table and shook Robert’s hand, followed by Dillon’s. “Gentleman, welcome to the Consortium,” he said in a deep voice. “My first name is Kossi. My last name you will never be able to pronounce,” he joked, prompting the table to laugh heartily. “I will be personally guiding you through your transition into this organization over the next two weeks, making sure all of your guidelines are sufficient with the global trade and that all of your profits, prices, and other deals are adequate.”
“Great,” replied Robert as he stood up from the table and placed his hand on Kossi’s shoulder, standing eye-to-eye with him. “I’m glad I’m finally getting to meet the man who’s going to guide us to the Promised Land.”
Kossi smiled mightily as he looked over the table. “Well, I will be overseeing it,” he explained. “There are two women in our command who will finalize everything and make sure you all are operating on the same level we are.”
“Oh, wonderful,” said Robert. “Are they here tonight? I’d absolutely love to meet them!”
“Well, they’re actually in Australia right now, but I have arranged for a personal conference call with them,” he replied. “If you and your partners would like, we can head there now and start the quick meeting.”
Robert smiled as Dillon and Mina stood up from the table. “Ladies, we’ll be right back,” said Dillon as he stepped around the table with Mina in tow. “We’ll make sure to keep this brief.”
“Oh, it will be,” stated Kossi. “It’s early in the morning for them, and I can promise you the blonde doesn’t want to speak.”
Camille and Marisol looked on confused as Sulagna patted Marisol on the forearm. “I’ll make sure to keep the two of you company,” she said with a genuine smile. “They’re going to meet the big bad wolves.”
“Is it that bad?” asked Camille.
“No, not at all,” replied Sulagna. “They’re going to meet the two women who saved the Australian company. It will be a quick meeting.”
Robert, Mina, and Dillon followed Kossi down a hallway into a small room holding a computer with a camera connected to it and a projector. Kossi stood at the computer and pressed a few buttons, initiating the call and displaying two young women on the wall from the projector. Both women looked tired, appearing as if they just got out of bed. The first woman was slender with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, a tanned complexion, well-manicured eyebrows, and a gorgeous, soft face. The other woman looked angry, almost bothered from having to get up so early. Her skin was much paler and her hair was blonde, also pulled back in a ponytail. She appeared to be athletic, but wore a baggy sweatshirt that covered the shape of her body.
“Am I disturbing you?” asked Kossi with a smile. “I didn’t mean to wake you up so early.”
“Yeah, kind of,” said the angry looking woman. “It’s just now seven.”
Kossi laughed as the other three in the room looked on with an awkward gaze. “Well, I won’t keep you long, but it’s only nine o’clock here.”
“You don’t have to be at work in an hour and a half,” continued the angry woman. “I have to help the Chinese today, and I can’t stand my interpreter.”
“Kossi, don’t mind Hannah. She’s just not a morning person,” said the other woman.
“I’ve realized that if I ever need to talk to one of you before noon, always go to Alexis,” continued Kossi. “You are clearly the much more pleasant person in the morning.”
Hannah leaned up in her chair and stared directly into the lens. “Are you saying I’m not pleasant?”
“Yes, that is exactly what I’m saying,” joked Kossi, prompting a laugh from the entire room. Hannah stepped back from the camera lens and shrugged her shoulders with Alexis turning to face her while holding back a laugh.
“You are a bit angry in the mornings,” stated Alexis. “I love you, but you are.”
“Sleeping is my second-best attribute,” continued Hannah.
“What’s your first best?” asked Dillon, inserting himself into the conversation and prompting Hannah to tilt her head to see who said that.
“We’re not that close yet for you to find out,” she answered in a rude tone. “Who are you, by the way?”
Kossi stepped in before Hannah lashed out any further, looking at the other three in the room with a subtle glare and motioning for them to stay focused. “Hannah, Alexis, I would like you to meet the current board members of the New Zealand Oil Company. The tall man is Robert Acostis, the principal owner. The other man is Dillon Flannigan, the acting president. The beautiful lady to his side is Mina Patel, the daughter of Sulagna, who will be serving as the liaison with the COT.”
“Oh, wonderful,” said Alexis with a smile. “It’s nice to meet the three of you, but before we continue, Dillon, where are you from?”
“Miami,” he replied.
“So, another American,” she smiled. “Hannah and I are from New York.”
Robert looked at the screen in bemusement and assumed these were the two women who single-handedly saved the Australian Oil and Trade Refiners and derailed his plans for the distribution take over. However, with his plan remade and complete, he dismissed any ideas of holding a grudge and surrendered to the idea of working with them for the betterment of his own company. “Ladies, it is a pleasure to meet you,” he began. “I hope that, for the extended future, we will all be able to work together and do what is best for the COT and for all of the companies involved. If you happen to have any ideas, suggestions, complaints, concerns, or just simply want to have a conversation, do feel free to contact me.”
“Thank you, Mr. Acostis,” answered Alexis. “The same invitation applies.”
“Robert,” he replied, alerting them to call him by his first name. “Mr. Acostis runs the family winery.”
“Wine?” asked Hannah, sitting up with the mention of one of her favorite beverages. “I love wine.”
Robert chuckled as Hannah moved closer to the lens. “Your family has a winery.”
“In Athens,” he replied. “I also make my own at my home in Monte Carlo in case you are curious.”
“Is it any good?” asked Hannah bluntly, prying for information regarding his hobbies and passions.”
“I can promise you that it is,” inserted Mina. “I had some a few hours ago, and it was perfect.”
Hannah smiled as she moved Alexis away from the camera. “We might end up being friends after all.”
Dillon laughed. “I think our first meeting with these ladies may have to take place at your apartment or your family’s winery.”
“Or I could just bring several bottles with me to wherever we plan to meet up,” stated Robert.
“I’m okay with any of those options,” stated Hannah as Alexis slowly pushed her out of the way to take over the screen.
“Alright, really fast so we can start getting ready for our day,” stated Alexis. “I’m going to need to see your books to analyze your distribution network, along with the supply lines so that I can see what your balance of excess is.”
Robert nodded. “Will you be brokering the deals with the other companies, or will we have to negotiate with them?”
“I will handle most of the negotiations, as I have all of the information about inventory at my disposal for everyone in the company,” answered Alexis. “There is nothing I don’t have at my disposal.”
“Perfect,” replied Robert. “I look forward to talking to you within the next few days.”
“As do I,” she said politely.
“So I will let the two of you get ready for your busy day. Take care now,” stated Kossi as he hung up the conference call and turned off the projector. “If you all want to head back to the party, it’s right down the hallway. I will join you shortly.”
Robert, Mina, and Dillon all thanked Kossi in unison before walking out of the room and headed back to the party. They walked down the hallway and into the ballroom to see Sulagna, Camille, and Marisol waiting for them at the table. With a quick tap on the shoulder, Robert alerted his date that they had arrived. “Well, how was that?”
“I think it went well,” said Robert as he pulled Camille’s chair back. “I think everything will end well for us.”
“I hope so,” replied Camille.