Page 18 of Wolf's Whistle
“You said you have a home in Redmond?”
“Yes, I have another home in Redmond, Washington. Occasionally I go there on family business. I’d like it if you traveled with me. I’ve invited Etienne, Julio, Alexei, and Donal to come with me the next time I go out there.”
“Why do you live on two coasts?”
“I have business interests besides Garou. As I said, my family owns a logging company that has operations in both Oregon and Washington, and I also invest in startups that have potentially useful technology that will benefit the society as a whole.”
“What kinds of products?” Richard seemed very interested, so Julien continued.
“I invest in clean energy and manufacturing processes that don’t require huge amounts of fresh water to sustain their product. I also invest in firms that specialize in water reclamation and in ideas on how to clean up former industrial sites to restore the land. Garou does all these things, but they get involved when the operation is larger than a few people in a garage. I provide seed money.”
“Sort of likeShark Tank,” Richard suggested as he sipped his coffee.
“Something like that…sustainable logging and preservation of old growth forests is also of interest to me. I’m very interested in bamboo as a potential resource. It’s really a grass, so it’s sustainable, and often a great substitute for wood in applications like flooring. I have a startup that intends to use bamboo in clothing. My home in Redmond has bamboo flooring.”
“Wow, we have a lot of the same interests. I think that the only way we will be able to bring good manufacturing jobs back to the US is to find a process that produces the least possible environmental footprint.” Richard sipped at his juice.
“That means recycling industrial waste water and finding substitutes for the harsh chemicals used in some industrial applications which use methods of waste disposal that eventually turn the disposal area into a Superfund site when the storage containers leak. Although I spend most of my time in Manhattan overseeing the production of all of the companies under the Garou Industries umbrella, my real home is in Washington.”
“I’d like to see it.” Richard cast his gaze downward as if his request was too big.
“We will. It’s June, you have to apply in order to start school in September. We can go sometime in July or early August before classes begin. You have to request your transcripts from MIT and apply to NYU. You can do all of that online. I’ve seen your computer and personally, I think you need a new one. I’ll put the expense voucher through Garou. As an employee, you are entitled to a computer and a phone.”
“But I’m not even working yet.”
“You are working by going to school and by being my apprentice, so to speak. We’ll get you a few suits, and you can start work under my personal supervision.” Julien smiled at Richard, rather pleased with himself.
“Won’t that piss some people off?” Richard asked with a note of concern in his voice.
“Not at all. This is the way Garou does business. I’ll introduce you to other interns who also live with their mentors. Garou is not only a company. We promote a certain lifestyle that includes mentoring and in a city like New York, new interns may not make smart living choices because they don’t know the city. Living with your mentor gives you access and alleviates concern for your welfare. When one of the Board of Directors takes an interest in a man, he is automatically provided with security.”
“Why is that?” Richard lifted an eyebrow.
Julien wasn’t sure how to sell this without lying to his Mate, but he took a deep breath and continued. “When you have eight men who control hundreds of billions of dollars, they become targets as do those around them. So security becomes a necessity. If you don’t mind, I’ve assigned Charles to you, and Marcel will drive you wherever you wish to go. If you move out on your own as my intern, security will still be necessary. That’s why it’s easier for you to stay with me.”
Richard pursed his lips then nodded. “I can see that.”
“Let’s finish up here and get washed and dressed. Julio and Etienne will be here soon.”
§ § §
Richard took the elevator back upstairs. The string wasn’t there. He rubbed his eyes. A floater, that’s what it was. His father occasionally had one in his eye. They appeared like little strings his father told him. This wasn’t a little string, but it could still be a floater. That would explain why it keeps appearing and disappearing. Having solved the mystery to his satisfaction, he went into the bedroom to change.
Thirty minutes later he was out of the shower, dressed and down in the great room to wait for Julien. Although the townhouse was laid out as a turn of the nineteenth century residence; Julien decorated it so that it had a more modern, albeit traditional, flair.
Julien was downstairs when Richard arrived, and the table was set for nine. “Are we expecting anyone else besides Julio and Etienne?”
“They will bring their assistants, and of course Denis and Charles have to eat.”
Richard nodded. He had a lot to learn about his new life.
Their company arrived at ten, and they sat down at the table to eat. Isabel served Julio and Etienne first, then Julien and him. Next, was Etienne’s assistants followed by Julien’s. It must be a mark of respect for their guests.
“Are we going to Mr. Abbott’s for Richard’s work suits and shirts?” Julio took a bite of his salad. “Richard, you have to let Mr. Abbott make your suits. You’re a reflection on Julien, so you have to dress well.”
“I don’t think I can afford bespoke suits. I have to be able to pay Julien back.”
“Nonsense, it’s like a uniform. Julien won’t press you for the money. When Donal found Alexei, Alexei offered to pay for my school and my salon because I helped Donal. I thought about it and was going to refuse, but then I realized that once I established myself, I could give a leg up to someone else.”
