CHAPTER ONE
"Holden Grey, himself, is coming by this afternoon to discuss the terms of the sale." Sam Cabot's assistant, Marc Wellman, announced and then added. "He may be bringing his son with him. I believe his name is Wyatt, but that's not a certainty." Sam turned from the window where he was standing and looked at his assistant.
"Why is that important?" He asked and realized he was starting to snap at people, but really, that information was useless.
"I just thought you would want to know who would be taking part in the meeting." Marc haltingly explained himself as he began backing towards the door. "He recently graduated from some prestigious business school, and his father is constantly bragging, although from what I hear, he is given little responsibility." Marc continued, clearly not understanding the fact that Sam did not give a fuck.
Sam raised his hand to stop Marc from continuing with the life and times of Wyatt Grey. "Get the original and the prepared offer ready with the increases in case he presses for more. If it wasn't such a gorgeous piece of property and so convenient, I'd tell him to fuck off for all the absurd gyrations he's put us through."
"Maybe he'll put his kid on the case, and if he's as inept as they say, things might move along nicely and in your favor." Marc offered with a supportive smile.
“If only I could be so lucky.” Sam walked back over to his desk and sat down. Marc placed the folders he’d requested on the desk in front of him and then excused himself.
The coven purchased this large office building last year and has since been refitting it as the home of Cabot Wines, among other endeavors. Sam's plan was to purchase the land next door and build a luxury hotel connected to Cabot Wines's offices.
The winery was expanding with holdings now in California and Washington's Columbia Valley. They were no longer just a small winery on Old Mission Peninsula. They were cultivating an international presence; to do that, they needed a presence apart from the Old Mission Peninsula, which was coven property. They needed a location that was accessible to their clients and partners, a neutral location, and the office building in Eastport was just the ticket.
Sam also wanted space for members to grow their own businesses, a place for shops, restaurants, bars, or other endeavors, and that's why he wanted the property next door. The building currently occupying the land could be remodeled and expanded to echo the design of the main building.
His years working for the wolf pack at their luxury hotel taught him a lot about providing for your members. He wasn't interested in the hotel business, with the winery being his primary focus, but he wanted the coven to have its own space in Eastport. The town was growing, and the Cabot Coven needed to claim their share.
Now, all he had to do was negotiate with Holden Grey and apparently his idiot son to secure that dream. He wasn't above an old-fashioned glamour to get what he wanted if things started to fall apart. He had been working with Grey and his people for several weeks now and had not yet met this son from the prodigious business school, and he wasn't looking forward to it.
The guy sounded like a potential problem and if he could keep him out of negotiations he would. Sam had no time for grand standers looking to impress their dad he wanted that property and he wanted to get construction started.
“I’d like to accompany you this afternoon.” Wyatt made the request of his father but wasn’t sure if he’d be allowed. His father liked to talk about Wyatt’s education, but he didn’t put much stock in Wyatts intellect. Like his stepmother, bless her soul, who was a trophy wife, Wyatt was a trophy son someone to look at and talk about but not someone you want guarding your back or your millions.
“I’m taking Griffen with me he’s fully briefed on the property and the potential buyer. You can come next time.” Holden Grey didn’t take risks and he saw Wyatt as a risk.
"I won't participate, I'll simply observe." Wyatt was desperate to work and to put his education to the test. He knew how to negotiate and how to make a sale, but his father was not convinced. His father stopped typing on his computer and looked up at Wyatt standing in the doorway of his grand office. It was obvious he was considering the request.
"You can come, but do not, and I mean do not open your mouth."
"Yes, sir." Wyatt turned and left, closing the door behind him. He returned to his cubicle, pulled up the information he'd studied regarding the deal, and started going over it one more time. Wyatt didn't have an office because his father told him he would have to work for it and earn an office and that nothing was going to be handed to him simply because he was Wyatt Grey.
He might have thought it was a good move to build character and a positive work ethic, but considering the fact that Wyatt had been with the company for nearly a year, all it did was make him a laughingstock. Wyatt was deep in thought when Griffen came up behind him and leaned on the corner of his desk. Griffen was good at his job. There was no denying that, but there were others at this company who were also good and others who were just waiting for a chance to prove themselves. But the only person his father valued was Griffen.
“I hear you’re coming to the meeting with Cabot.” He said sarcastically. “I don’t know why since you haven’t been working on it what could you possibly contribute.”
“I’m observing.” That had Griffen laughing hysterically.
“Observing.” He cackled. “That’s hilarious. I must go tell Bill and Amy.” He left Wyatt’s cubicle, and it wasn’t more than a few minutes until he heard a chorus of laughter from the other side of the office.
Wyatt wasn't sure how much longer he was willing to play this his father's way. If he didn't do something soon, his confidence and self-worth would suffer. He thought of applying elsewhere, but his father had too many contacts in the area. If he were going to get another job, he would have to leave the state.
Sam met with his uncle Master Emmanuel at the Chateau just after lunch. He brought the paperwork for the purchase of the building and the adjoining lot for him to look over. He liked having business located in town and no longer at the Chateau. The man valued his privacy.
"It's overpriced, but you know that." He said as he flipped through the pages while Sam stretched out on the plush, tufted sofa. Taylor, the Master's beloved, entered and offered Sam a taste of his new blend. Taylor was a young wolf shifter who gave the Master a new lease on life and put a smile on his face daily. Emmanuel loved him dearly, and their bond was beautiful. Sam didn't think about it too deeply because jealousy of their bond was something he felt often.
"That's quite good, Taylor." Sam praised, and Taylor smiled excitedly.
“He’s put together several new blends that are amazing.” Emmanuel came up to stand beside him and slipped his arm around his waist. “I love your enthusiasm sweetheart.” He said and kissed him deeply. The love they had for one another was heart stopping and Sam ached to have a relationship like that for himself.
"Get some sample bottles together, and we'll do a tasting event downtown and see how the regulars like it," Sam suggested. "We haven't had a tasting event since last fall it might be time."
"I'll be glad when you have the Convention Center built and operational. The space in the current building is okay, but it still screams office rather than event center." Taylor commented, and Sam agreed.
"If I can get the Greys to agree to our terms, we might have the new Convention center operational by late summer." Sam told him and then added. "I have another meeting with them later this afternoon and hopefully I'll walk away with an agreement."