Page 11 of Broken Headboards
“Congratulations, Willy,” Taylor smiles. I can’t really tell if he mispronounced Willis’ name on purpose or if he just doesn’t give a fuck. “You got that right.”
“I know this is Clarendon Tower and all,” Willy Wonka continues, his whiny voice making me want to stuff my ears with cotton balls. “But this sounds like a regular contract. Why are we all here?Fast Furnishing Solutionswould take care of it in no time.” He snaps his fingers for emphasis, but that just makes him look like even more of a dork.
Everyone in the industry knows that FFS should read asFor Fuck’s Sake, as in “for fuck’s sake, why does my house look like a nursing home from the 80’s?”
Yeah, his reputation isn’t the best.
“You raise a valid point,” Taylor beams, and I can almost see dollar signs twinkling in his eyes. “Thing is, both the board and I agree that Clarendon Tower could use a facelift. The building has won numerous architectural awards and is the building of choice for the world’s elite. As it stands, it’s the most valuable building in New York, but we believe that there’s some room for...improvement.” He takes a deep breath, looking around the room and enjoying the look of anticipation on everyone’s face, and only then does he continue. “As such, whoever gets the contract will also handle the furnishing of the rest of the building.All of it.”
Holy fucking Christ.
If Taylor said what I think he just did, then we’re talking about a laundry list of common areas to furnish. My brain starts working faster than a cash register as I start to do the math. There are dozens of common areas in the building, all of them massive in size. Just think of it: and a single deal for a single area would probably mean dozens of millions of dollars.
In profit.
If we’re talking about a deal encompassing areas such as the bar, the lobby, the gym, the theater room, and God knows what else is in the building, then we’re talking about...holy shit.
For a long time, no one says a thing.
Which means that, just like me, everyone’s doing the math. Except I’m faster than the rest of them. Before I can stop myself, I jump up to my feet.
“Are you really willing to shell out $1.5 billion dollars in furnishings?”
“Close,” he smiles. “From our initial appraisal, we predict we’ll have to award at least $1.8 billion. But we still have to consider your proposals, so there’s some leeway there.”
No wonder Ashley was excited on the phone.
This is the deal of a lifetime.
Sure, I have an apartment at Clarendon Tower, and I own a multimillion-dollar company. But with a deal like this, I’d be part of the billionaire elite. Just imagine what I could with that much money. More than just beat my competitors inside the state, I’d be able to go toe-to-toe with the biggest players in the world.
Oh, I can already imagine all these Italian designers and Swedish executives digging a bunker as I show up on their doorsteps, ready to go thermonuclear on their asses.
Yup, I’m definitely getting ahead of myself. But now you know why I’ve called my companyDomina—because I dominate everything.
“What’s the deadline for our proposals?” Willis charges again. In return, he gets one of Taylor’s smug grins.
“We don’t exactly have a deadline. Instead, we’re going to hold a competition,” he announces. For a fraction of a second, I almost expect him to drop some swords right on the middle of the conference room and tells us to fight to our deaths. “Or a series of competitions, to be more precise. It will cover the next three months and, depending on how you fare, you’ll receive points for your performance. The winner gets ten points, second place gets five points, and the rest...well, the rest get free coffee.”
So, there aren’t going to be any sword fights anytime soon, but this sounds to me like a fight to the death all the same. Whoever manages to secure this deal will top the industry in a heartbeat.
“Thank you very much, Mr. John. We couldn’t be happier about having Draper Pierce as our strategic ally. I’m sure the future will bring a great many rewards for both our organizations. As for you,” the vice president of the board turns his attention toward the businessman in attendance, an almost sadistic grin on his face. “Good luck. I think it doesn’t need to be said but—”
“Winner takes it all,” I mutter under my breath, completing his sentence as the words echo in my head, making my heart pump faster. “Winner takes it all.”
