It Started with a Kiss
It makes me realize that instead of assuming everything was going to work out, maybe the others and I should’ve stepped in sooner. I would give her the money for the down payment if I knew she would accept it. But she won’t. And the even larger concern here is that even if we helped her buy the property, she couldn’t afford the mortgage.
Real estate is an investment I’m willing to make, but I think that’s the last thing Marlow would want in this case. Ultimately, it would be up to her to ask me for it. Not to hear her beg or grovel, but to hear her plan, to be a part of a solution and not just be someone else who sets her up for failure.
When I said she could trust me, I meant it.
A window pops up on my monitor, reminding me of my meeting. I grab my portfolio and push away from the desk. It’s been too easy getting sidetracked by Marlow lately. I need to shake this off and get my mind back in the game. With millions on the line, I can’t afford to fuck up a deal like I’m fucking up my personal life.
With so many employees taking another few days off after the holiday, I like the quiet and moving about the space freely without having to deal with the tasks that come with regular weekdays. It also keeps this potential investment under wraps a bit longer, which I appreciate. A startup team has flown in from California. They’re under major deadlines to hit their goals before their next report is due in two weeks.
Let’s see how badly they want to make this happen.
My brother-in-law walks ahead of me down the corridor to the conference room. My sister chose a guy I’d be happy to call my brother. He stops and turns back. “Hey, Nick,” I say.
Nick Christiansen is one of the owners of Christiansen Wealth Management. He and his brother, Andrew, took over after their father retired a couple of years back. The messy part of his family taking over my family’s financial business was resolved, and we all came out winners. And by winners, I mean millionaires, and we’re still on good terms. So yeah, winners.
He asks, “You ready?”
“Sure. I usually know within a few minutes if it’s worth my time and money.”
“Investments shouldn’t always be based on gut, Jackson. Don’t forget that their mission and history matter to predict their outcome. I looked over the contract, and fortunately, they’re good on paper.” Did I forget to mention he’s a lawyer? “Andrew said it was a solid investment, and he would feel comfortable with the transaction.”
“Based on?” As I know Andrew Christiansen is a financial whiz as well as a CEO, my instinct to bring these guys in for a meeting seems like the right one since they’ve done so well. He’s a bit older than me and somewhat wiser, so I’ve learned from the best.
“You know he only cares about the bottom line and forecasts.” We start walking again.
“There’s no one I trust more to look out for my financial well-being than Andrew. That’s why I’m ready to drop some money on this deal if this team doesn’t fuck up the presentation. It’s not all paper. It’s about the people involved as well.”
He stops again. “Don’t know if Andrew messaged you, but he can’t make the meeting. He had a conflict with another meeting that had to be rescheduled and shifted to today. The Everest Brothers. At least two of the three—Ethan and Bennett—could only meet this morning.”
I’m not worried about running an investment meeting anymore. I’ve done it enough to go off instinct and bottom lines on the reports to guide me. The Everests are titans of the industry and billionaire entrepreneurs. Bonus, they’ve become friends. And although it’s not normally wise to work with friends, you don’t say no to managing wealth at that level. If you do, someone else won’t.
Our steps are silent against the low-pile carpet, but I also want to keep our conversation between us when I say, “What do you think about pulling in the Everest brothers?”
He chuckles. “Damn, dude. You know how to shoot for the stars.”
“Always.” I can cover some of the investment, but I think this company could do wonders in their field with a partner.” When we reach the conference room, I stop him from going in. “Unless you’re interested?”
“I might be. I have eight million coming in from closing out some shares from a startup in Chicago. What’s the buy-in?”
“I’m going in twelve for twenty percent. Their goal was thirty with the options closing out at forty-nine percent.”
We stand eye to eye as he studies my expression. “It might be fun to work this deal with you. If I drop six on this, where are you finding the other twelve mil?”