Charley (28 page)

PJ’s voice and vigorous hug brought me back to the real world. I hugged and kissed him a bit longer than is polite in a public place, but I didn’t care. My anchor was here. “You better say something nice about my hair or I’ll cut you off. No sex for a month!”

“Your hair is fantastic! I love it. Is that enough to get my sex allocation back?”

He stepped back and took both my hands in his huge fist and kissed them. He choked up as he whispered. “But especially, I love why you let it grow out natural. I love you.”

Before I had a chance to break down, I said. “Come on. Let’s get your luggage. We have a meeting to get to.”

My SUV responded into life, and we backed out of the short term parking garage and headed quickly for the First Commerce Bank downtown. “Have you heard from your agent?”

“Not yet but I talked to him this morning. He was meeting with someone inside the group who might shine some light on them. Hopefully they’re legitimate. He’s promised to call me before 12:30.”

I told him about Ronnie’s concerns. “PJ, do you think I’m doing the right thing?”

PJ was nothing if he was not a diplomat. “Charley, it’s your bar and it’s your business, regardless of the past. You’re a smart business woman. You need to do what
you
think is right. When you let others decide for you, you’ll always second guess yourself.”

We rode in silence into Nashville. As I turned off I-40 to cross the river, my mind was still distilling all the options. Pulling into my parking spot and shutting off the SUV, I sighed, “I guess you’re right.”

We walked the three blocks to the bank and into the Board room, a few minutes behind time. I smiled and apologized for being late to everyone in the group. Mr. Quinn of the Investor Group was there with two assistants, presumably his attorneys. They were huddled at the long oak table and reviewing some papers, probably the documents for our partnership. Ronnie, Shelby and Terry were standing in the back, munching on the small sandwiches Ms. Watson had kindly provided to go with the sweet tea and cokes.

“Mr. Quinn. So good to see you again. Would you like something to drink? Coke perhaps or tea? Sorry I can’t offer anything stronger.”

“No, thank you Charlotte … Please, may I call you Charley? Everyone else seems to.”

“Certainly Melvin.”

I nodded and sat down at the head of the table. “Guys, let’s get started. Shelby can you bring me a glass of tea please? Okay Melvin, the floor is yours.”

“Thanks Charley. As you know, your attorney Mr. Weldon has been meeting with our legal staff to be sure the concerns you expressed have all been addressed. Some aspects of our initial presentation have been modified, which I assume Mr. Weldon has discussed with you.”

“Yes. Terry and I met several times on a couple of issues.”

“Good. We have a final document drawn to begin what I hope is a long and profitable relationship. I have a copy for everyone.”

Quinn pulled seven folders out of his briefcase and slid one to each of us, with two left on the table. “Extras if you need them.”

Kind of feels like Ronnie described it. All business. No ‘how are you’ or ‘isn’t it cold out?’ No small talk. All very efficient.

The room fell silent while eight pairs of eyes read through the contract. I heard a hum and har or two, but nothing else but the steady whine of the heater, bringing warm fresh air to the room. I’m not a detail person, and generally trusted Terry to get the best deal for us. It surprised me somewhat to see PJ bent over the documents, his finger carefully tracing out each line. Except for me, he didn’t have a stake in this deal. Mary Lou said he was a plodder who weighed up everything. I saw him glance up from the text, consider something he read, and go back to reading. I have to say, that gave me a lot of confidence.

Ten minutes into the session, a phone rang. We all gave a nervous snicker as we looked up at the offending sound.

“Sorry folks, I was expecting a call.” PJ took his phone out of his pocket. “Hello … Okay … You sure? Just a minute.”

He slid his chair back and said to us all. “I really have got to take this call.”

When he walked by me, he stopped at my side and wrote on my notepad. Do
not
sign anything until I get back. This is my agent. He excused himself and left the room.

“Shall we continue?” Mr. Quinn uttered, in a calm voice. I just couldn’t think of him as a Melvin. “Are there any questions at this point?”

Shelby raised his hand.

“Yes, I have a question. Section four, item two … on profitability. It seems to me that requiring a profitability contingent on the quarterly …”

But he was interrupted as PJ came back through the Board room door. “Excuse me. Charley I need to see you now. I think you might want Ronnie and Shelby to join us.”

The invitation to include Ronnie and Shelby sounded more like a command than a request. I looked around and said. “Gentlemen, if you will excuse us. Ronnie would you and Shelby join me please?”

Terry sat there with his eyes and hands screaming what about me? Quinn nodded, and closed his folder.  “We’ll wait for your return, Charley.”

As we walked out the door, PJ pointed to the phone and quietly asked Shelby whether there was a room where we can have some privacy. Shelby led us to a small office off the Board room corridor.

When we were settled, PJ spoke. “This is Tom Hall on the line. He’s my long time agent and has advised me on investments for many years. He has numerous other athlete clients, a couple of whom are in the Player’s Investor Group. Tom, I’m going to put you on the speaker phone.”

“Hello everyone. PJ can you tell me who is there?”

“Charley Howard, who I’ve told you about, plus Ronnie Mitchell, Charley’s restaurant manager and a good friend, and finally Shelby Loomis, Charley’s banker, and another good friend.”

“Is the attorney Weldon there?”

“No.”

“Good.”

I thought now it was time for me to get in on PJ’s act, whatever it was, and introduce myself. “Tom, this is Charley, good to talk to you. What have you found out?”

“Charley, gentlemen. PJ called me a couple of weeks ago and asked me to see what I could find out about the Player’s Investor Group. As it turns out, several of my clients are investors in this group. On their own I might add, not by my recommendation. I was able to talk with two of them earlier about this particular investment. They were excited about acquiring your business Charley. One of them … you remember Terrance Matthews, PJ? Well Terrance was particularly excited, and was anxious to tell me that I’d screwed up by not getting him in on this investment. Kind of wanted to rub my face in it, you know what I mean?”

PJ responded immediately. “Yeah, I remember Terrance, biggest trash talker in the league. What did he have to say?”

“It seems that there is more to this deal than acquiring a restaurant with the idea of developing a chain. They don’t want the restaurant; they want the building the restaurant is in. They’ve been in negotiations with a major hotel group, but Terrance didn’t know the name. The group wants to put a major hotel along the river front, there in Nashville. Their plan is to design a hotel which takes into account the unique architecture of the strip, between First and Second Avenue. They have secured options on the other properties, and are paying handsomely for the options, I might add. The only property left is the three story building, housing Jimmy’s Bar and Grill.”

I was completely mystified and fired back. “I haven’t heard from anyone wanting an option on the building.”

“No Charley, you haven’t heard anything because you don’t own the building.”

There was a silence, as I tried to take in what he was saying. “So, who does own it? Were you able to find out?”

“Yes, I did. The building is owned by a trust.”

I could feel something welling up inside and I was getting hotter and probably redder. “Well who are the trustees? What do they say? Am I in danger of losing the entire lease? Are they going to kick me out and sell out to this hotel group?”

“Charley, the Player’s Group couldn’t find out who the trustees were, so they contacted several law firms in Nashville to see if any of them might know. They were directed to one specific attorney, in a relatively small firm downtown. Apparently, his father was the attorney who set up the trust. The promise of a healthy cut of the profits was enough to get him to tell them all he knew, including the trustees and the provisions of the trust.”

There was no way PJ’s agent was stopping there. I remained calm, but answered back in my very determined and business-like voice. “And? And? Come on Mr. Hall. Who is this attorney and who are the trustees?”

There was a silence and a cough at the other end. I waited, and finally he continued in a quiet voice. “The attorney, I’m afraid, is Terry Weldon. I think he has been your business attorney for years?”

“What? I’m sorry Mr. Hall. Your source is mistaken. Terry is my friend.”

“My source is positive, Charley.”

“And the trustees?”

“There are two trustees. If I’m not mistaken, they are in the room with you. And PJ is not one of them.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing and exclaimed very loudly. “What?”

The room fell silent. I looked at PJ. He was as surprised as I was. I turned first to Ronnie and next to Shelby. I couldn’t say one word; not a single word to the two men who I thought were my friends. They just stood there with their heads hung, and very sheepish looks on their faces. My blood had begun to boil.

I turned my back to them and spoke directly to the phone. “Mr. Hall. Is there anything else you can tell me?”

“Charley, the trust does have a special provision that the building cannot be sold as long as Jimmy’s Bar and Grill is leasing the space. The Player’s Group intends to set up a situation, where Jimmy’s would either go out of business, or be moved to another location. That is one of the reasons they want you to change the name, they did mention that to you, didn’t they?”

“Yes, they did.”

“Well, they know that changing the name always effects business. They are counting on the name change and massive improvements to slow down your business, get you deeply in debt, and force a bankruptcy, or persuade you to relocate the business. Either way, they hoped that once the provision requiring Jimmy’s as a leaseholder was removed, they could option the building and complete the property acquisition.”

“Thank you, Mr. Hall. I’m so grateful. You can’t imagine how much you have helped me.  Come to Nashville sometime, I want to thank you personally.”

After a long pause, I turned to the three men and hissed. “Stay here, I’ll be back.”

With lips tight and head high, I marched my five-ten frame out of the room, and straight back to the Board room.

As I entered the room, Mr. Quinn stood up. “Ah … you’re back Charley … we can continue.”

His calm voice however had just the opposite effect on me. I was anything but calm! He sat down but I stayed standing. “Gentlemen, I have just received some information that I must immediately act upon. First, Terry Weldon, you’re fired. You have been my friend for a long time. I even considered marrying you. But I just found out you stabbed me in the back.  Now only did you betray our friendship but you violated the attorney client relationship by revealing information to Quinn about my business and about matters that pertain to my business all without my permission. Tomorrow, I will be filing a formal complaint with the State Legal Ethics Board, charging you with revealing private client information.”

Terry hung his head. “Charley, you don’t understand.”

I ignored Terry and turned to Quinn and continued forcefully. “Mr. Quinn. I will not be entering into a partnership with you. I understand your intentions are, let us say, less than honorable, and that the real attraction is not Jimmy’s, but the building which houses Jimmy’s. We will
not
be abandoning that building and therefore your proposal is worthless. Save your money … if you even planned to have anything invested.”

I was on a roll, and to be honest it felt good!

“This meeting is over, I’m sure you will understand if I don’t show you the way out. Your partner, my ex-attorney, Mr. Weldon, can help with that. Good day gentlemen!”

And I turned, walked briskly out … and rushed to the ladies room down the hall. I dropped onto the sofa in the ladies lounge. To my surprise, I was quite relieved. I laughed out loud.
“Damn am I glad that is all over!”
My heart was beating out of my chest, my hands were sweaty, but I was happy.

Now, to deal with Ronnie and Shelby.

I tried to be mad at them, but I just couldn’t be. Next to PJ, they were the closest friends I had. And on so many levels I loved them. I couldn’t be mad, because I knew they loved me as well. I heard a quiet knock on the ladies room door. Shelby’s beautiful voice came through.

“Charley, are you okay?”

“I’m okay. I’ll be out in a minute.”

When I walked out of the door, there were three very concerned men waiting. They looked like three children who had just made a mess of the living room, and were cowering at the foot of their mom waiting for their punishment. It was tempting to continue the charade, but I couldn’t subject them to that, they looked whipped enough.

“Come here the two of you.”

I held out my arms to Ronnie and Shelby.

“I love you both, but I’m totally mad at you both too. You have some explaining to do.”

Shelby was doing the talking. “When Jimmy, Ronnie and I started the bar we had a chance to buy the building out of bankruptcy. My father, or rather dad’s bank, was the largest creditor, so we were able to buy it for next to nothing. We figured if the bar didn’t make it, the three of us would own a potentially valuable piece of property. And we were right. You, Randle and my Teresa were born later, as Jimmy’s Bar, now named, grew and Nashville’s tourist business grew around it.”

Shelby stopped and paused a minute before continuing.

“By that time we knew Jimmy’s was going to be big, and the three of us would have a gold mine on our hands. There were three partners and three children: Randle, and you, and Teresa.” Looking at Ronnie he continued. “Ronnie is gay and had no children.”