Page 86 of The Estate
Reports in hand, he headed for the door. As he opened it, he glanced back, “Oh and Rachel.” He waited until she’d looked at him. “Good job.”
Only when the door had closed behind him did Rachel allow herself to collapse into the closest chair, a wide grin on her face.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
May I Have This Dance?
Cal surveyed the ballroom pleased with how everything was arranged. The linens looked excellent. The flowers had arrived on time and added vibrant color to the ballroom.
So far, so good.
Now he just jinxed the whole thing.
Which made him think of Rachel and her banter about jinxing things. It brought a smile to his face, along with a touch of sadness.
He couldn’t think about that now. He had to stay focused.
The Connecticut Historical Society Gala was underway and was going along quite well. There were some last-minute hiccups, but nothing they couldn’t handle. He’d already checked in with Joel and Jake who were busy cranking out the appetizers. The kitchen was hectic, but the organized chaos was running perfectly.
Entering the foyer, he glanced around. It remained surreal to see people walking around in all their fancy clothes in what he still thought of as his grandfather’s home.
Smiling, he nodded to a server as they returned to the kitchen. The food appeared to be a big hit. The venue's perception wasalways better with great food and drinks, despite it being out of his control.
Watching the people as they mingled, he was shocked to see his parents walking toward him. He didn’t know they were attending. Although he was kinda glad he hadn’t. It would have made his stress level even higher, if that was possible.
“Mom, Dad,” he greeted them. “You look very nice. I was unaware you were attending this evening.”
"I don't know why," his father answered. “The Historical Society Gala is a perfect networking opportunity for our business. And yours,” he added after a moment, surprising Cal.
“This business, Cal.” His mother shrugged. “I simply do not see the attraction to this kind of work.”
Cal suppressed a sigh. He did not feel like talking business tonight. He had no desire to know the outcome of the meeting yesterday; he wanted to preserve the dream for one more night. Besides, why ruin what should be a great night? Although without Rachel here, it wouldn’t be nearly as fun. Tomorrow would be soon enough to hear all about the demise of the estate.
“I know you don’t understand my work nor my drive to continue building and growing the property, but it is my life’s work for as long as I am able.” He sighed. He doubted his parents would ever get his passion for the estate. “Nevertheless, tonight isn’t the time or place to discuss the future of White Hall. If you’ll excuse me, I have guests to attend to.”
He started to walk away when his father added, “Well, it seems that Rachel found some merit in your plans.”
He froze before slowly turning back to them.Had he heard that correctly?“I’m sorry,” he said. “Can you repeat that?”
“Rachel, the consultant. She found some promise in your plans to open a distillery. She not only pitched it to us as a viable option, but her report lays out how it is the superior long-term option.”
Cal felt as if he'd been struck.What happened at that meeting?“Rachel provided you with information about opening a distillery at White Hall?”
“She did.” His mother sniffed. “Quite frankly, when we left, we had every intention of calling the owners and demand she be fired or, at a minimum, demoted.”
Cal felt his stomach clench. Rachel had jeopardized her job for him and his dream. He scowled, just thinking of how easily his parents could derail her career.
“While we still feel she transgressed,” his mother continued, unconcerned about Cal’s reaction. “When we reviewed the data she provided about potential income and year-over-year growth potential, your father and I held off lodging our complaint.
“She included material from your business plan, complete with the expansion details and projected earnings from liquor sales both in-person and shipped.”
Cal’s mind was reeling. He could barely take in what his mother and father were saying. But he was also confused as to how some of his long-term plans for White Hall had ended up in Rachel’s report.
“We don’t agree with nor understand your desire to do this,” his father chimed in. “But we can’t ignore the financial advantages and potential long-term prosperity of the distillery.”
“In addition,” his mother added. “We are very much in favor of gifting our clients bottles of spirits from the family estate. That has a certain amount of panache.”
“Given all of that,” his father continued. “We think your expansion plan and the distillery are the way to move forward with White Hall.”
