Chapter 8
Robert Acostis, wearing a blue blazer and dark denim slacks, looked out the window of his luxury suite in Sydney. With the sun at its apex, the ocean water crashing into the shore was refracting the light off of the sun magnificently, giving way to a beautiful spectrum of colors and highlighting the clear sparkle. He continued to stare out at the beach, looking at the young women in bikinis soaking up the sun as they laid in the sand and allowed their bodies to bronze. “I should be out there,” he thought to himself as he listened to a stirring behind him. “I see you found your way in here,” he announced as he turned to see Sulagna Patel and Hannah Burchfield walking into the living quarters of his suite. “Come, make yourself at home.”
“Only if you brought some of your wine,” said Sulagna with a coy smirk, walking further into the room and having a seat on a gray sofa near the window.
“Yes, some of your wine. I believe you mentioned something about bringing some that first time we met over video conference.” asked Hannah, who looked incredibly ravishing with her hair pinned up on top of her head and a tight fitting grey pantsuit with a white, low cut shirt.
Robert smiled. “That I did, and I never disappoint a lady.” he answered with a cocky grin. “Some men prefer to golf or fish, or even collect stamps. I prefer to make wine.”
“Interesting,” replied Hannah as she stood beside the couch. “I’ve never been one to try homemade alcohol.”
He laughed as he walked over to his suitcase and pulled out a bottle of red and handed it to Hannah. “Here, let me know what you think,” he said as he handed her the bottle. “It’s a merlot, but it’s not as bold as one would typically be. I like it, but I’m not the one to judge my own work.”
Hannah nodded. “He’s showering me with gifts, Mrs. Patel. Mina said that he might be dangerous.”
“It’s only in the spirit of sharing good alcohol. I promise,” he replied. “I love my craft and I take pride in it. Anyone who is willing to drink it and give me an opinion is always welcome to have a bottle.”
“Well I appreciate it,” said Hannah with a soft nod. “I do enjoy men who happen to provide me the means of forgetting who I am a few hours later.”
“And I am always happy to be that man,” flirted Robert with a sly grin.
Hannah turned to look at Sulagna, who was looking incredibly relaxed on the sofa. Wearing a charcoal grey dress with matching heels, gold earrings and a choker, Sulagna looked at peace with everything that was about to happen. “So, Mrs. Patel, what all is going to go down today and why do I have to be here?”
Sulagna chuckled while Robert shook his head. “Is she always this blunt and direct?” he asked Sulagna, referring to the much younger blonde in the room.
“Always,” replied Sulagna as she smiled earnestly. “But to be perfectly honest with you, we wouldn’t have her any other way. Her blunt nature is what is what makes her a great negotiator and is what gets most deals done as quickly as possible with as few hiccups as required.”
“I’ve heard she is great, but I’ve yet to see her in action,” he continued. “Perhaps we will have to remedy that in due time.”
“Anyways, Hannah, you are here to offer insight into the actual world that we operate in,” explained Sulagna as she changed the subject. “Unfortunately, everyone in the room, including Alexis, will have some connection with either the Australian company or directly to Mr. Jenkins. You are going to be neutral and will offer insight where required.”
Hannah shook her head. “I’m not a moderator or an arbitrator.”
“We’re not asking you to moderate the transition,” replied Sulagna. “We’re simply asking you to keep an open mind and give your professional opinion where needed.”
Hannah continued to shake her head in a mild protest. “I understand what you’re wanting me to do, but Mrs. Patel, I don’t think I’m that girl. I’ll tell Flannigan or whoever else is in that room to piss off quicker than I can tell them that deal is potentially going through.”
Sulagna nodded. “I know you’re quite volatile, but please keep in mind that you have to remain somewhat friendly with them.”
“Hah!” screamed Hannah sarcastically. “Alexis does friendly. I just get results.”
“Alexis does not do friendly all the time,” replied Sulagna as she leaned over on the couch. “She can be just as cruel sounding as you are.”
Hannah thought about that for a brief moment before shrugging her shoulders. “Fair enough,” she stated plainly. “But in all truth, she learned it from me.”
Robert turned and shook his head as he laughed at Hannah’s remark. “You’re quite the modest and humble girl,” he said in a sarcastic jab as he started to look out the window at the waves crashing into the coast again. “Why don’t we let Alexis moderate the meeting then?”
“Excuse me?” asked Sulagna as she turned to look at Robert, who didn’t turn to acknowledge her.
“I’ve been told that Alexis Matthews is one of the best administrators that the consortium has ever had under its umbrella. Why not let her control the negotiations?” asked Robert as his gaze continued to be affixed on the coast. “If she really is that good, then she can put aside any feelings that she has for him and focus solely on the task at hand.” He turned away from the window and looked at the two other women in the room, both in a state of shock as they heard what Robert was proposing. “We all know that the sale is going to happen. Why not make it easier on all of us by having someone he cares about put the final nail in his professional coffin.”
“Alexis would never do that,” defended Hannah. “She doesn’t have it in her to be cruel to that man.”
Robert shook his head in denial. “I think she does,” he replied confidently. “I think that Alexis is so in tuned with her career that she will know what is best for the companies involved and will allow that to trump her feelings on the matter. I think she will understand that Nathanial needs to step out of the way, let us control the South Pacific and let that buffoon do other things that keep him entertained.”
Hannah was in shock while Sulagna stared at Robert. “Robert, to put that young girl through that may not be the best for this company,” advised Sulagna calmly. “I don’t think we should put her through that.”
Robert smiled. “Why don’t we ask if she can handle it?” he asked, seeming as if he was compromising. “Why don’t we ask if Alexis can handle the negotiations and if she says she can, we let her do it.”
“And if she says she can’t?” asked Hannah.
“Then I’ll lead them,” replied Robert.
“Absolutely not!” shouted Sulagna. “I will not have you bullying Nathanial in that setting. If anything, you’ll remain quiet during the proceedings.”
Robert looked at Sulagna in a forced state of shock. “You won’t let me speak?”
“If you didn’t have an influence in that region, I wouldn’t let you be in the room for the sake of Nathanial’s dignity,” answered Sulagna.
“Fine,” said Robert with a sarcastic grin. “Then if Alexis doesn’t lead the meeting, then Hannah will. Either way, it will be one of the two prodigal children ruining that man’s professional career with the consortium.”
“That’s not fair of you to suggest that either one of us do that,” said Hannah in a condemning tone, looking out at Robert with a scathing gaze. “You’re asking both of us to ruin this man’s life and that’s not fair to ask of either of us.”
Robert turned around fully and leaned against the glass. “That’s business,” he said with a sly grin. “It’s nothing personal and your relationship with Alexis should not sour and if Alexis’s relationship with Nathanial ends, then, well, it was not meant to be.”
Hannah’s head shook from the side to side slowly as the words from Robert’s mouth sunk in. “You’re wanting to put the two of us in an awful position.”
“I think he’s right though,” mentioned Sulagna. “I think in all honesty, having either of the two of you do it might soften the blow. Hopefully if we’re fortunate, it will be the smoothest transition we’ve had.”
“So, you think this is a good idea?” questioned Hannah rudely. “I was surely hoping you would have had my back on this.”
Robert smiled as he turned back around to look out the window. “Hannah, relax,” he said softly as she was seething. “Dillon is a very compassionate, honest, and well-meaning person. He is a shrewd businessman who will always look after the bottom line, but he will also make sure that everyone is treated fairly. He doesn’t have it in him to screw anyone over, so if I didn’t know any better, I would think that he may already have a plan in place with Nathanial to smooth everything over.”
“Nathanial already knows what’s happening,” continued Hannah as she walked up toward the window to stand in front of Robert. “Alexis text me from the bathroom of some restaurant down on the pier, saying that they ran into Dillon and his girlfriend and he broke the news to him.”
Robert nodded. “I know,” said Robert with a roguish grin. “I know that Dillon and Nathanial ate dinner together last night and shared a few old fashioneds while both Marisol, Dillon’s girlfriend, and Alexis drank a bottle of Chardonnay a piece.”
Hannah looked at Robert with a confused glance. “You know about that?”
“I know everything!” he shouted. “I know that Nathanial started screaming in the restaurant and that Dillon calmed him down and, over swordfish, they discussed terms. Dillon gave Nathanial Jenkins access to his entire portfolio so that they could work out an arrangement that would heavily compensate him for what he is losing.” Robert smirked from the corner of his mouth as he looked out at Hannah with a devilish glare. “Hannah, I know the two of us have never really gotten to know each other, but one thing that I promise is that I never go anywhere unprepared, and neither does Dillon Flannigan. The moment Nathanial Jenkins alerted him that he was prepared, he leapt into action. Whatever deal Nathanial and Dillon put together will seem as if it favors Jenkins, but in reality, Dillon will hold all the cards. If you’re seriously worried about your best friend’s silly romance over both of your futures, then this isn’t the business for you and she might as well go shack up for the rest of her life and leave the tough stuff to the grownups.”
“That’s enough, Robert,” said Sulagna with a calm tone in her voice. “I think Hannah understands your point without you scolding her like a child.”
Robert shook his head. “This business is cruel and unforgiving, Ms. Burchfield,” he stated plainly, maintaining the serious tone of his voice. “I implore you to always stay one step of ahead of the other person on the other side of the table without becoming too emotionally involved. I’d hate for a great negotiator like yourself to become compromised by your feelings.”
Hannah turned away from Robert and walked toward the door. “The meeting is in thirty minutes down in the hotel’s meeting room, correct?”
“Yes, it is,” answered Sulagna.
“Great,” replied Hannah anxiously. “I’m going to head down there and call Alexis to at least warn her of what you’re going to be putting us through.”
“I understand,” said Sulagna as Hannah turned the door knob and walked out into the hallway, leaving Sulagna and Robert alone in his suite.
“She’s going to be a fantastic asset,” said Robert as he stared out the window.
“If she doesn’t end up in jail for murdering you, she probably will,” quipped Sulagna sarcastically. “Why did you push her so hard?”
Robert turned and looked back at Sulagna. “Because she has to realize who the alpha male in the room actually is,” he explained. “I needed to see if she could stand up to someone getting a bit angry with her because Jenkins will explode before the day is over.”
“You think so?”
“Oh yeah,” continued Robert. “He could very well lose his company and his girlfriend in one day. That’d be hell to go through.”