“Huh...” Nicholas’ reply came out thoughtful as he tapped his fingers along the counter. “So, you two get to keep the store. And even if you left, the store would continue to function, because you’ve been bought out by corporate giants. How interesting...”
“I'm glad you think so,” Beth said as she began to open the box on the counter. “Tt’s going to be so worth it. And it’ll be nice to have someone else to handle accounting and managing suppliers. My eyes were this close to being permanently crossed if I had to go over our spreadsheets for the millionth time.”
“I told her to buy a new lamp, but she never listens...” Paul mumbled under his breath. “And now it’s time to get our store stocked up with Party Supplies, Inc. stuff. Can you believe it? They sent this box overnight, just as soon as we said yes. We just have to hang a few new signs in our windows. Maybe change some of our displays.”
Nicholas now saw the Party Supplies, Inc. logo emblazoned on the side of the box.
“Let me help you,” Nicholas suggested, holding his hands out towards the box. “And I’ve got a few more questions about your deal. Was there any mention of a lease in your contract?”
“If you’re going to talk shop at least put your sunglasses back on,” Beth said. “At least pretend like you know how to have a good time. We're supposed to be celebrating.”
“No problem, Beth.” Nicholas put his shades back on before offering Paul a serious nod. “Alright. Let’s talk about the sale.”
Beth rolled her eyes as she stepped away from the conversation, moving towards the front door to greet an incoming customer.
* * *
“You want to try and get a franchise deal for a Christmas store in the middle of the Christmas season? That’s your pitch?” Nicholas’ assistant, Luke, asked, shaking his head. “No offense, sir, but wouldn’t it make more sense to wait until after Christmas? Wouldn’t any potential investor want to see your final numbers for the year?”
“Maybe so, if I was trying to sell the rights to a proof of concept,” Nicholas replied. He set his salad down on his desk, as he leaned over towards Luke. “But I’m not selling a proof of concept. I’m selling a twelve-year-old family owned and operated Christmas shop in small town America. The kind of small town that had a months-long protest when Wal-Mart tried to open a grocery store. These people care about who’s in their neighborhood and they like to know who they’re buying from. They like real people. Not big, faceless companies. It’s a nearly impossible market for a chain to break into.”
Luke frowned, taking a bite of his own salad. “I suppose...”
“But I have the in they want. All I have to do is open the door. Invite a chain to come check out the store. Sweeten the deal by offering full control, as long as my family gets to keep the name on the storefront,” Nicholas explained. “Any company looking to infiltrate the small-town market would be a fool not to give that a shot, with or without the store’s final numbers for the year. It's a business opportunity I wouldn't give up if I were them.”
Luke chewed on his salad thoughtfully for a moment.
“You sure you don’t want to move down there and run the store yourself? Managing a Christmas shop seems right up your alley,” Luke said, struggling to get through the sentence with a straight face, his laugh breaking through near the end.
Nicholas soon joined Luke in his laughter before he reached for his salad again. “That’s the real reason I hired you, you know. You’re hilarious. The business degree from Yale was hardly a factor.”
“I know, sir, I know.”
Despite their age difference, Nicholas liked Luke. Luke was fresh from college but full of enthusiasm and good ideas. Hiring him last year had been one of the best decisions Nicholas could have made for his company.
“But it’s a good thing you have that degree...” Nicholas finished up his final bite of salad. “...because you’re about to be the key contact person for Kerstman Enterprises.”
“The key what?” Luke’s eyes went wide, and his voice cracked. “I’m sorry? I think I misheard you, sir?”
“Nope. You heard me right the first time. You're in charge.” Nicholas stood away from his desk, moving towards Luke’s right side. “Don’t freak out about it. Business typically slows down this time of year. We shouldn’t have any new contracts coming across my desk until late January. I’ll just need someone at the office while I head home for a few days.”
“You’re going on vacation?” Luke sounded more incredulous than if Nicholas had announced he thought he could fly.
Nicholas laughed again, folding his arms against his chest. “No, I’m not going on vacation. I’ll need to check on the store before inviting anyone to come and see it. If you’re a real estate agent, you don’t host an Open House until you finish repainting the kitchen. And if you’re trying to sell a business, you don’t invite big name corporations to your shop until you have a clear idea of what it is that you’re even selling.”
“Got it,” Luke said, seemingly still in shock. “Thank you so much for the opportunity, sir. I promise I won’t let you down.”
“You have my full vote of confidence.” Nicholas grinned over at Luke. “And, even if you screw up, I don’t think you’d screw up that much. There’s nothing you could possibly break that I wouldn’t be able to fix.”
“Thank you for the pep talk, sir,” Luke said, rolling his eyes. He smiled up at his boss. “I’ll secure your travel plans by tonight. You should be able to fly out of here in the morning. I'll get you a car at the airport. You're usual?”
“That sounds perfect.”
Chapter 5
Molly
“This tastes amazing!” Molly moaned, stuffing the rest of the cupcake into her mouth. “Hannah, I think this is the best thing I’ve ever tasted in my life.”