Chapter 75: Boston
Jorge’s POV
I asked for hot doughnuts and Krispy Kreme delivered. Now, I know everyone isn’t a fan of Krispy Kreme and I get it. Everyone’s had a bad one but when you have a fresh one, right from the oven, soft, sweet, fragrant with the yeasty goodness . . . sorry, but nothing beats a hot fresh Krispy Kreme.
And judging by the look on Stephanie’s face, she agrees. The moans are starting to get to me. I gotta get somewhere and adjust before I embarrass myself.
“Oh my god,” she moans, with a look of pained ecstasy on her face. People are watching and I’m smiling. We’re in the lobby of Penn Station, waiting for the train to arrive, and Steph’s working through the last one. I had three and she had three. “Where have these been all my life?” she asks, licking her fingers.
I grin and pull out the pièce de résistance: a chocolate iced, custard filled doughnut, as close to a Boston Crème as Krispy Kreme gets. Her eyes go wide and she eagerly bites in. The next few moments are silent. Apparently that one is so good, even moans are insufficient.
Danny walks over to us, smiling. I picked him up from JFK so he could ride with us on the last leg of the trip and he’s been grinning and joking about having another convert. Krispy Kreme is common in Georgia. It’s his go-to doughnut place.
Our train is called over the loudspeaker and I stand up and grab her bags and mine. Danny is carrying the computer bags and she still hasn’t moved.
“Steph?”
Her eyes are still closed.
“Stephanie?”
No response.
“Ma’am?”
Success! I get a vicious glare and I grin. “Sorry, but we gotta catch the train, Steph.”
“We have to get another one of these,” she says, moving back toward the Krispy Kreme but I catch her arm.
“Krispy Kreme rules,” Danny says, amused. “Number #1: They’re only good when hot and the sign isn’t on.” I point at the sign and she pouts. “#2: They called our train. By the time they make you a hot one and glaze another half dozen, we’ll be in NYC overnight. #3: Calorie bomb. Occasional treat. You had four doughnuts. No more. We’ll all have to run at least an hour tomorrow morning as it is.”
She sulks but picks up her purse and we head for our gate. I hand over our tickets and look for some good seats. She’s still looking out of the windows mournfully. She boots her laptop and I hear the tapping, then a quiet “Damn!”
She just found out there’s no Krispy Kreme in Boston. I can’t help the grin and she looks over at me. “You knew, didn’t you?”
I nod. “You’re still leaving directly for Miami from Boston?” She nods. “They have locations in Miami.”
She goes searching and grins, then frowns. “Crap! If the Miami men see me eating one, it’s all over.”
“True….” I’m stymied.
“Then again. . . ” I hear the tap-tap-tap of her keys and eventually, she looks up and grins. “Maria. She can buy them and smuggle them into the apartment for me. As long as the men don’t see me eating doughnuts, I can have all my treats. That was the only thing Ranger asked of me as far as the sugary treats.”
Danny and I laugh and we high five. The trip is starting off on a high point.
The trip to Boston is productive, just as I’d hoped. Steph pulls out the information she has on the branch and the financials. Danny and I start digging while she directs us to the pieces she wants particular attention to be paid to.
“I still don’t understand why Mark would do something so stupid,” Danny mutters, looking through the information on the branch and men. I’m looking through the contracts. They’re good but they could be better.
Steph leans back and sighs. “Simple reason?” We look up. “Love.” We look at each other, disturbed, then look at her. She has a small smile on her face. “Mark is the XO who worships Ranger. Whatever he says goes. He follows orders as long as Ranger gives them. There were two problems. Number one, he did the research on me and Danny, tell me the truth, when you first heard I was the CO, did you think it was a smart move?” Danny blushes and Steph nods. “Exactly.”
“Yeah, but I realized that the Leadership Core is not filled with stupid men. Whatever their reason for elevating you, it wasn’t mine to question. My job was to follow orders.”
She grins. “Yeah, but you also asked me to come to Atlanta so that you could assess me further. Admit it.”
Danny sits back, a wry smile on his face. “Not really. I watched you during the skip tracing workshop. That’s all I needed to see to decide to follow you. You understand people. That’s important in this line of work. I decided to follow the Leadership in this.”
She smiles. “Thanks. That’s exactly where Mark was stymied. He’d already started off badly with me and, unlike you, he wasn’t able to put his anger and confusion aside quickly enough to make the move you did. He was left behind the eight-ball, trying to learn more about me instead of openly working with me. It meant he was left open to having to deal with the rumors and information that came his way.”
Danny chuckles. “Except that Ram immediately started a campaign to shut down gossip in the company and, combined with my actions in Atlanta and Ryan’s actions in Miami, his normal sources of info were shut off.”
“Exactly.” We all sit in silence and consider how the small actions that happened months ago brought Mark to this point.
“If you thought I was assessing you, why did you agree to come?”
“Two reasons: One, Les and I had already discussed my visiting the other branches and he wanted me to go to Atlanta first. He knew you would be the most supportive.” Danny sits back and grins. Steph rolls her eyes. “Two: You were the first XO to give me helpful, unbiased advice. You weren’t trying to dig and learn more about me. You supported me from the beginning. I could work with that.”
My estimation of Danny just increased on that information. Javi told me that Danny and Hal could be trusted, but hearing Stephanie say that makes me respect that man even more.
“Thanks,” Danny says. “So, Mark’s second problem?”
“Hal.”
Danny and I laugh. “Hal is a sneaky bastard,” Danny says.
Steph grins. “Don’t underestimate him, which is what Mark did. Hal’s in charge of Trenton, home of the company’s best Spec Ops veterans. People forget he’s a Green Beret and he spent years with Tank and Les, the silent statue and the man who loves to play mind games. Whatever Green Beret training didn’t cover, he learned from them.” She snorts. “Hal uses his blushes and his ‘geez whiz’ Kansas goodness persona as a mask for his more nefarious plots and activities. Ergo, monitor duty for the CO. I’ve learned that when Hal looks extra innocent, he’s up to something.”
We break down in laughter. Danny eventually wipes his eyes. “I figured that out when he sent Javi and Mack with you to get your pool cues.”
I look over. “Is that when they were goosed by your granny?” She nods and I laugh. “Mack told that story everywhere. The NYC men have a fear ranking: Bobby, Ranger, Les, Hector, Tank, Mack, Granny Mazur.”
Steph laughs silently and eventually wipes her eyes. “My grandmother is a hoot. Anyway, Hal and Manny ran a campaign of misinformation on Boston. Hal realized that having Maria there for two weeks meant he could finally get some info. So they had Maria feed Boston info, some true, some lies. Years of dealing with the Miami men meant that Maria was good actress. The men believed it hook, line and sinker.”
Stephanie gives us a list of all the rumors Hal and Manny ran on Boston. It’s impressive; you’d end up absolutely confused by all this. Steph’s right; Hal screwed them well.
“Hal wanted them scared and confused. It meant that they felt free to talk to Maria, to try to pump her for information, but instead she pumped them well. She told them I was ill-prepared for the job, working 14-16 hour days. They told her that Rod and Pat were running interference in the office. That Rod and Pat told the men to make up their own minds. The rumor had started that Mark might have a screw loose because of it.”
We’re nodding, stunned.
“She fed them the info about Atlanta setting up Charlotte, so Hal had her casually mention that it wasn’t going well. Costs were high. Men weren’t that great. It was failing.” Danny looks offended and Steph laughs. “No one even knew I’d allowed you to get started on the branch, Danny. It made perfect sense. Why not openly announce the establishment of a new branch, unless it was having problems?”
Danny sits back with a stunned look on his face.
“That was the clincher for the three of them. Mark convinced them that, if that was true, they needed to do whatever was necessary to balance the ship. Offset my disaster with their stunning performance. That’s why the three of them agreed to go after hospitality contracts. If it was true that Charlotte was going badly, then their performance in Boston would offset it. Ranger would be grateful Mark had done something to save the company, even after it was clear that I was hostile to him and unwilling to work with him.”
“Wow. . . ” I breathe, sitting back. I literally have no response to that. It’s still insane.
“Why not speak to Leadership Core?” Danny asks angrily. “Why do something so stupid, so insane, regardless of the reason?”
Steph smirks. “Speak to which one, Danny? Lester? He’s scared shitless of Lester. Tank? You ever expect to get words back when you talk to Tank? Bobby? You saw the “exit interview”. Ranger’s out of the country and, until he returns, Mark had no one he felt OK talking to. Ranger is the person he talks to, not the others. And then he’s calling them to tell them what exactly? That the new CO, who they back fully, is incompetent? How would that go over?”
I’m shaking my head. “It’s still insane. He’s an XO. He should find his balls and call someone. OK, so he’s scared of Lester. Lester has oversight of his branch. He needs to get over that and call him. Shit, I’m scared of Les, but I’d still call him.”
Steph nods. “Which is why all three are in the shit with me. Pat will accompany me to Miami at the end of their review. I need to see him by himself.” She looks at Danny. “I’d like to see you start hammering out that little project with him while we’re there. I need that going sooner rather than later.”
Danny and I make notes on everything Steph just told us and I start digging through the contracts Steph got from the lawyers and the info Mark and Pat sent in advance of the trip. It’s good stuff, but again, I can see places where I might have negotiated more aggressively than they did. I smile and start making notes.
“Steph?”
“Hmm?”
“I have an idea I’d like to put in RangeWorld.” She looks up. “Standardized contracts for services with instructions on how much leeway a branch is allowed in the negotiation.”
“Go on,” she says, leaning forward. Danny is also listening, a smile on his face.
“Well, for example, I’m looking at this contract for monitoring services and I would have increased the price by about 11%, knowing what I do about the Boston market. There’s no information attached to this contract on why they negotiated this price and what concessions they made, or the client made, to get this number. That would be helpful when evaluating year to year renewals and when trying to determine when to raise prices across the board.”
Danny reads the contract and frowns. “I don’t see anything wrong.”
I smile. “The year to year renewal on that contract calls for an 8% increase but the area the client is located in and the reported revenues of the company make a 6% increase a break-even point. Take a look at their service levels. We respond to them 28% more than any other client. I would start by requesting a 15% increase and allow myself to be negotiated down to 11%. Either way, the increase is appropriate.”
Danny and Steph review the information and slowly start to smile. Danny looks at me.
“You need to run a class for XOs and client services people in this.”
We arrive in Boston shortly before 11p.m. and Mark and Pat are at the station to meet us.
“Stephanie. Good to see you,” Mark says.
“Mark.” She gives him a hug and he looks shocked then blushes slightly. “Pat.” Pat reaches his arms out with a small smile.
“Steph, good to see you in Boston. Is this your first visit here?”
Steph nods. “Yeah and I can’t wait to take a shower and go to sleep.” She stifles a yawn and smiles. We all smirk.
“We’ve heard about your love of showers, doughnuts, dancing, and naps. Anything else we need to know?”
“You left me a list of things to do?” she asks as we walk through the station.
“In Les’s apartment.” Mark stops and looks around. “Uh….is this everyone?”
“You got lucky. Again,” Steph replies. Mark and Pat exhale heavily and nod. Danny and I look at each other and grin.
Hector Gutiérrez is not a happy man.
Flashback
“My Angelita is requesting I stay in Trenton for this trip,” Hector says. Danny and I are on the line and we can hear his teeth grinding. “I am not happy. This is my partner but she is also the CO. I cannot subvert her here. Therefore, I am watching her trackers like a hawk. I assume that whenever she leaves Les’s apartment, she will be accompanied?”
“Of course,” Danny replies smoothly. I’m wondering how he plans to keep that promise. “Jorge, you know how to dance?”
I frown. “Of course.”
“Good. We’ll need to work with Mark to fill her schedule. Sightseeing, dancing, shopping, no time alone until she goes to bed. Got it?”
I laugh. “I was wondering how you were certain we could manage it.”
“Atlanta, man. I learned. I know her likes and dislikes and I think we can fill her time.”
“Good,” Hector says. “I expect one of you to be with her at all times. No offloading the responsibility to the Boston men. If she’s in the building, conducting interviews, fine. But when she leaves that building, you are with her like rice and beans. Got it?”
“Yes. Got it,” Danny and I chime. Hector drops off the line and Danny chuckles.
“You know the best part of calls with Hector?”
“What’s that?”
“What did he threaten us with?”
I think for a moment and laugh. “That’s skill.”
“Exactly. That’s the basis of Hector’s legend. No real threat needed. He simply tells you his expectation and you know better than to screw up.”
The line beeps and Mark and Pat join us.
“Yo!”
“Yo,” Danny replies. “We need to work on a schedule for the CO’s visit. That’s why I asked you guys to join me.”
“OK.” We hear the unasked question and Danny chuckles again. “We don’t know yet. They’re still in negotiation. At the moment, she’s winning and he’s not happy.”
There’s silence on the line. “OK.”
“Anyway, I learned from Hal not to do anything historical or involving a lecture. She’s no history buff. Then again, since you pulled her transcripts, you already know that.”
Silence. “Yeah, that we do know,” Pat says quietly. “What do you suggest?”
“Malls. Botanical gardens. Fenway. Italian places in the North End. The Duck Boat tour. Stuff that’s fun and allows her a break.”
“OK, I think we can put together an itinerary,” Mark says. We get started slotting things in for the CO to do and, at the end of it, we’ve filled her schedule completely. Danny is thrilled.
“Great! We’ve got enough here for her to be entertained all day. As Hal said during her Atlanta visit, a bored Stephanie is a dangerous Stephanie.”
“Oh god,” Mark says. “That’s the last thing we need.”
It’s silent on the phone then we all start laughing. The CO has a reputation for danger and intrigue. Best not to chance it.
The drive to RangeMan Boston takes a while. Mark explains that traffic has finally cleared up from the U-Haul that got wedged under the Charles Circle overpass on Storrow Drive Eastbound. Steph looks confused, so Pat explains it happens multiple times every freakin’ year. The idiot driving the U-Haul never pays attention to the clearance heights, attempts to go under and gets stuck. Traffic is at a standstill while they pull the truck out and inspect the bridge. Meanwhile, the top of the U-Haul looks like a truck-sized can opener was applied. That makes us all laugh but it happens all the time and you’re stuck in your car for three hours. Anyway, we’re making good time right now but it’s nearly midnight and the CO falls asleep on my shoulder.
We arrive and Stephanie still hasn’t woken up. Mark looks in the rearview and smiles. “Don’t wake her,” he whispers. He and Danny share a look and Danny nods. He motions for me to remain still and they exit the car. Mark opens my door, I climb out, and Mark gently pulls the CO into his arms. Steph yawns and wiggles and we hear her murmur, “Talk to me, Goose.”
Pat nearly falls over, laughing silently, and Danny and I turn beet red. Mark blushes, shakes his head, and resettles Steph in his arms more comfortably. We grab the bags and take the elevator to the 7th floor. Pat fobs us into the apartment and Susan is there, yawning. She smiles when she spots Mark carrying the CO.
“Place her on the bed and I’ll take care of everything from there. You men exercising at 0600?” We nod. “I’ll set an alarm for her.” We deposit her bags on the luggage rack and leave for the 4th floor. Mark and Pat fob us into the apartment we’ll be sharing for the next 10 days and salute.
“See you in the morning.”
Steph’s POV
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
I open my eyes and look around. It’s early morning, the sun is just coming up and the view from this bedroom is great. Again, it’s definitely Les’s taste. Light bright colors and minimalism. I stretch and yawn, then make my normal dash to the bathroom. I got lucky on the first try. I brush my teeth and take a quick shower, then open the dresser and find my gym clothes. There’s a knock at the door.
“Stephanie?” It’s Susan. I open the door and smile. This is the first time I’ve met Susan, but she seems warm and friendly. “Good morning, dear,” she says smiling. “Headed to the gym?” I nod. “What would you like for breakfast?”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to say “Doughnuts!” but I can’t. It just won’t come out.
“I don’t know, Susan. Something good. I leave it up to you.”
She grins. “Wonderful. I’ll see you when you get back.”
“What floor is the gym on?”
“Second, but the boys are in the living room.” I wave and walk out. Danny, Jorge, and Mark are waiting.
Danny grins. “And now to pay for the Krispy Kremes!”
We head to the door but Danny motions for Jorge and Mark to go ahead. They leave and I look at Danny.
“Talk to me, Goose?” He smirks.
I blush. “Huh?”
Danny laughs. “Mark carried you in last night. That’s what you murmured to him when he pulled you out of the SUV. Top Gun fanatic?”
“Maybe a little.”
Danny shrugs, still smiling. “I think he has a thing about that movie. You want to test him? Quote from it.”
My entry into the gym is greeted with silence. I nod and take my place on the treadmill, insert the headphones into the iPad, and start running. This is a new trick from Manny, who knows I hate running on the treadmill. San Antonio transferred ‘Ghostbusters’ onto my iPad and it allows me to watch a movie without really thinking about the fact that I’m running. It was the beginning of a love affair with iTunes.
Once I discovered Hulu and Netflix, it was over. I find a TV show to watch and run for two episodes, which sounds much better than saying I’ll run for 60 minutes. Today I decide to catch up on the latest episodes of “How I Met Your Mother”, then watch a short cartoon. I look up and I’ve been running for an hour. Perfect. Danny is grinning.
“Hand to hand?”
“No body slams.”
He laughs and we hit the mats. It’s my clearance all over again. We’re on the mats for an hour before Mark calls time.
“8 a.m. Time to start.” I nod and he tosses me a towel. I wave at the Boston men as I leave the gym and smile.
Normally, you wouldn’t catch me on the mats after running, but this branch has authority issues. It’s best that the current CO behave similarly to the previous one.
I start the branch review after breakfast and I decide to handle this one differently. I leave Jorge and Pat to go over the contracts together and Danny and I start with the men in the monitoring group. Mark is told to stay in his office. I’ll introduce myself to the men.
“Hi, I’m Stephanie.” I’m bright and chipper and extend my hand to shake. After a moment’s hesitation, the RangeMan takes it.
“Hello, I’m Chas.” Danny brings a chair over and I sit.
“You’re the head of the monitoring group, right?” I’m looking around. This is the biggest monitoring group in the company.
A short hesitation then a sharp nod. ” Yes .”
“Great. Tell me about your group and your men.” I look around and wave. Each man is watching me avidly. I point to the monitors and they smile and pay attention to their screens again.
Chas is still watching me, but he makes a quick call for someone to come relieve him on his monitor before answering my question.
“We got 91 different clients rangin’ from Bahsten’s biggest banks and mutual fund companies to small spas and othuh ma-and -pop stores.”
I nod, looking around. “Go on.”
Another hesitation and he fills me in on the way the group is structured, how he operates, and the men. I start walking the aisles, looking at each man and smiling. I call Danny over when I spot something funny on one monitor and we have a quiet laugh with the RangeMan watching the screen. Chas is watching us in silence.
“So, if you had to make changes to this group or you had suggestions, what would they be?”
He’s silent and it’s been irritating me. I look over, still smiling, and motion for him to follow me. The moment we’re in a conference room, I turn on him and drop the smile.
“Am I asking you difficult questions, Chas?”
Hesitation then “No, CO.”
“Then why do you continue to hesitate before answering?”
He pales. Danny’s standing next to me looking irritated. “I’m tryin’ to get a sense of wheah ya questions ah leadin’.”
I walk over until I’m directly in front of him. “My questions are leading me to an assessment of your group but they are also an opportunity for you to tell me about your unique needs, anything you need that you’re not getting from management, and any ideas you have to make your group better. You have the largest monitoring group in the company. I expected you to have ideas you might want me to move on.”
“Oh.” A muscle in his jaw twitches. “We wehnt told you might have questions about improvements. We were told to answer your questions quickly and honestly.”
I raise an eyebrow and watch him bite his lip and shake his head. “Damn,” I mutter. “Anyway, you think you’re answering my questions quickly right now?”
He shakes his head. “Sorry.”
I nod. “So, improvements?”
“Betta chairs,” he says quickly, “with lumbah suppoaht. If we could get massage inserts that would be even betta.”
I grin. “Now, that’s the kind of stuff I’m looking for.” I rub my butt. “Just thinking about monitor duty makes my ass numb.”
Danny and Chas laugh while I shudder.
Hal’s got me trained too.
The interview proceeds much better after that. Chas has a lot of ideas and is interested in more contracts, but they needed more space. The 5th floor doesn’t have enough room anymore.
“I got enough room fuh maybe five moah monitahs, but after that, I’m tapped out. Our building isn’t big enough anymore.”
Danny and I nod and make notes. I plan to send Danny on a building assessment while I interview the men in Client Service with Jorge. Chas finishes up by thanking me for my time and saying that’s all he has. I grin and give him a hug, for which I get a raised eyebrow and a smile.
I turn to Danny once he leaves. “What do you think?”
“I agree with him. Those guys are packed in there. Sounds like he needs a few more men too.”
I stare at my notes and frown. “I’m already getting a sense that something’s off. Let’s meet up with Jorge. Time for lunch.”
We exit the conference room to find Jorge, Mark, and Pat waiting for us.
“Please tell us it’s lunch time,” Jorge pleads, rubbing his belly. The guys laugh and I grin.
“Depends. How’s the six-pack coming?”
He grins big and pulls his shirt up. It’s there but needs more definition. I laugh. “OK, sexy. How often are you running around NYC showing that off?”
“Every chance I get,” he replies and we all laugh and head for the stairs. “Mack and Javi think I’m playing, but I’m determined. Mack’s working on an 8-pack.”
“Really?” We climb in the SUV and Jorge nods.
“Yeah, he’s ripped. I’ve got them out on the streets running in tight T-shirts and shirtless with the RangeMan sweatpants and, wouldn’t you know? Interest in bodyguard services among women is up 18%. There’s a group of women in Prospect Park who whistle at us every morning.”
I lean against the headrest and laugh until I cry. “You pimped your boss and your subordinate.” Danny is shaking his head and Mark and Pat are smirking.
“Jorge, I could’ve shared that one with you,” Pat says. “Seeing Mark in the gym is unusual for the men. I’m sure Mark’s fan club is wandering the streets of Boston right now wondering why he didn’t go for his morning run.”
The guys laugh and I smile.
Mark grins. “Only time they ignore me is when Ranger and Les are here. Then I’m chopped meat.”
I wipe my eyes. “Understood. The sight of Ranger’s butt in jogging shorts used to be the only thing that could get me running for any reason other than gunshots.”
There’s silence then all the men break into quiet laughter.
Mark’s POV
So far, I think it’s going well. The men are nervous but, after watching Chas come back smiling, they’re curious about what the CO is doing. The fact that she started with the monitoring group, our biggest group, instead of Bonds Enforcement is making Victor nervous.
He thought he would be first and he’s ready to answer questions.
We take Steph to Legal Seafoods for lunch, a favorite of the management. I know the guys say not to do anything historical, but the chain was started in Boston (well, the People’s Republic of Cambridge just on the other side of the Charles River) and we like the ambience. Apparently, Steph does too. She pays attention to everything in the restaurant. The meal is great, as usual, and we return to RMBoston for the afternoon schedule.
This time, it’s Client Services. Me, Pat, Chas, Mase, and Bones. Jorge is digging into our contracts and Danny is off doing something else. Steph asked me to send out the order that all their questions and requests are to be fulfilled promptly.
It’s the first time I’ve ever had another XO digging around my building at will and I really want to apologize to Hal right now. I see why he handed me my ass from the very beginning. I feel as if I’m being stripped searched and I don’t like it.
“OK, so tell me what each of you is in charge of,” Steph says, getting comfortable on my couch.
The men look at each other and then back at Steph. She’s smiling, waiting, but her eye is twitching. That’s her tell. She’s getting pissed off.
“Well,” I begin, but she raises her hand at me and shakes her head once. I shut my mouth and we continue to wait.
“Well, since we just tahked this mahning, I’ll begin,” Chas says. “I’m Charles Sansone a.k.a. Chas and I’m head of the mahnitring unit. We got 91 clients and approximately 30 men at any given time on the monitahs.”
She smiles at him and looks at Mase. He’s next and his jaw is set.
“I’m Mason Jacobs a.k.a. Mase and I’m head of the new Hospitality group. We have 12 events coming up, totaling $0 in revenue, and I have anywheh from 12-15 men depending on need.”
She looks amused at the reference to the lack of revenue but nods and looks at Bones. He’s last.
“I’m George Jones a.k.a. Bones and I’m head of the security installs and response unit. I have about 15 guys and 5 clients scheduled for installs over the next two weeks.”
“Excellent! So it sounds as if we’re getting more contracts for monitoring. Do you and Bones work closely together?”
They look at each other and nod slowly. “Yeah, we do,” Chas says slowly. “I get an idea of how many installs he’s got coming up and I know how to spread that over the monitahs accordingly.”
“So, if we have five installs coming in the next two weeks, that means we need about two more men on the monitors, right? How are you going to do that with your current amount of space?”
Chas smiles ruefully. “My current problem. Pat, Mark and I have been workin’ on space allocation, but as I mentioned this mahning, we’re outgrowing this building. It’s just too wicked small.”
“Plus, we need to move,” Bones adds. “We need to be closuh to downtown but it’s wicked expensive.”
“So where do you think we should move?” Steph asks.
The guys look at each other, surprised she’s asking them. “Well,” Chas says, “Maybe Chahlestown or Allston—”
“Assuming Havahd’s expansion is still stalled,” Bones says, amused.
Chas laughs. “Yeah. Those two places would be good. Allston especially would give us decent access to the Mass Pike, 128 and Rt. 2.” Bones and Chas starting laughing and even Pat and I are smiling because I know what’s coming next. “Everything else is primo real estate, unless you want us to take the Silvah Line and the ‘T’ to respond to break-ins.”
They crack up and Pat and I are hiding our grins. Steph laughs. “I’m assuming that’s the subway?”
“Yah,” Bones says, between chuckles. “If traffic is shit, the subway might be fastah, but heavily armed mehcinaries on the ‘T’ might cause a panic.”
We all crack up. Bones and Chas have broken the ice and we’re all relaxed now. This feels more like chatting than a hostile interview.
This is the pattern for the next 30 minute and I see why she was effective at this in Atlanta, according to rumor. Chas and Bones bounce off each other, finishing each other’s sentences and filling in until the true picture is laid out. Boston has outgrown the building. Our monitoring and client services stuff is killer and growing. We need more room.
Mase hasn’t said much but a nerve in his jaw is twitching. He’s pissed and I’m nervous. My life is on the line. This isn’t what I need right now.
Finally, Steph turns to him. “Mase, right?”
“Yes.”
“So, tell me about Hospitality services here in Boston.”
“Permission to ask a question.”
“Permission denied. My request first then I’ll entertain your question.”
The room is silent. I’m too afraid to breathe. Mase swallows hard, takes a deep breath, then speaks.
“Over the next 6 months, weah contracted for 12 events heah in the Boston area, mostly inside 128. Some are small, $10,000 in revenue and others are big. We’re negotiating the contracts for three major shareholder meetings and looking for moah work. Biggest issue for us is the fact that everything really great to go aftuh outside Boston is also at least three hours away. If we’re going to grow it heah, we’re looking at majuh travel time.”
Steph nods and makes notes. Again, she starts with a series of questions to determine what’s really going on here and, after 30 minutes, the picture is clear. We will have to really gain a reputation in Boston for our hospitality services because we can’t grow them without going at least three hours in all directions. If we travel, we can hit New Haven, Albany, and Portland, but that’s a lot of travel if the contracts aren’t big enough.
“Chas, Bones, leave us please.” The guys leave, stunned, and Stephanie turns to me and Pat. She opens her mouth to say something, then shakes her head and turns to Mase. She stares at him critically for a few moments before looking at her legal pad. Mase opens his mouth but I catch his eye and shake once. No. Keep your fucking mouth closed. She’ll give you leave to speak. He clenches his jaw and sits back. Just in time; she looks up and points to her briefcase. I pass it over and she passes out copies of a spreadsheet. The numbers and projections I originally gave Les. She’s proven that my cost projections were all wrong.
“Have you seen these numbers before Mase?” she asks softly.
He’s looking and he’s pale. “No, ma’am.” She cringes and he smiles, first one of the morning. “Sorry. Nuh -uh , I had not seen this.”
She nods and looks at me and Pat. I’m red and so is Pat. “So, you didn’t share this information with the man you put in charge of the group?”
My eyes are on the floor. I hear her let off a frustrated breath.
“I’m guessing you want to know why all revenue from this is going to the reserves.”
He nods, looking at us from the corner of his eyes.
“Simple answer: Because this was unauthorized. I wanted more time to look at these projections and determine how best to help. This offering is going gangbusters in Atlanta. Trenton and NYC are working together on it. Well, NYC gave Trenton permission to poach in their territory and the interest is insane. Trenton can cover all of Jersey, Philly, NYC, and Delaware. Atlanta has a massive territory they can pull. In any case, you guys are isolated up here.”
Steph sits back and sighs. “You’ll gain a reputation for offering this and, although its low-cost/high payday, we still want to be able to grow it. I wanted to hold off on this until your review but Mark and Pat,” she grins at us, “they jumped the gun slightly. That’s why you won’t be able to count this revenue for six months. They got all excited about doing it and didn’t wait for me to help assess the situation. That answer your question?”
I’m stunned and I’m sure Pat is. Again, she upheld our authority in front of Mase and gave him a reasonable answer, although it’s not the truth.
Mase sits back and smiles. “Yeah. It does.” He grins at her. “We’ve wanted to get into this for a long time and were excited to finally staht chasing the contracts.” He looks over at me. “Mark, you pull these numbers from your butt? They’re frickin’ braindead.”
I smile and shake my head. Again, my mistake is being thrown in my face. My nose is being rubbed in it.
She’s competent. She knows what she’s doing.
Ranger did not make a mistake.
