“I hope it’s nothing serious.”
“She doesn’t think so.”
“Let’s sit. Do you want any coffee? Water?”
“I’m good, thank you. Let’s get straight to it.”
She’d barely sat down when she took a stack of papers out of her bag. A second later, I realized it was the agreement with all sixty-five comments. She wanted to go through every point in person.
This woman was killing me.
“I want us to clarify the points I marked,” she said the second I sat down.
“Tess, going through all those comments will take hours. I only have forty minutes.”
She stared at me, pressing her lips together. “Then why did you agree to this meeting?”
“I hadn’t opened the document when I replied. I assumed there were a few big things you wanted to negotiate. I like discussing delicate issues in person. I told you we don’t invest in companies; we invest in people. We believe in interpersonal relationships, in building trust and having the right chemistry.”
I was sure that would earn me points, even charm her a little. It didn’t. She glanced down at the stack of papers.
“Well, personal chemistry or not, a contract is what dictates the terms of a collaboration.” She tapped her pen against the papers, looking back up at me. Her eyes were full of fire and determination. She wasn’t going to ease into this.
I pinned her with my gaze, letting her know I could play just as tough.
“Those are standard terms in this industry but also negotiable.”
“That’s exactly what I’m here to do. Negotiate.”
“Tess, I’ve read the first twenty comments. Your position isn’t that of someone who wants to negotiate. It’s of someone who doesn’t want an investor at all.”
She straightened up, rolling her shoulders. “I just want a fair deal,” she said after a beat.
“You think I’m out here to scam you?”
Her determination faltered for the first time, vulnerability replacing it. I was on to something that explained her overly defensive behavior. I wanted to get to the bottom of this.
Every instinct in me wanted to move to the other side of the table and sit next to her, to touch her and reassure her in every way possible, but I didn’t want this to turn personal. Not yet, anyway.
“No, I don’t think that,” she replied softly.
“Talk to me, Tess. Did someone try to scam you before?”
She sighed, crossing her fingers in her lap. “In the early days, yes. And then a few years ago, an investor was interested in us. He pulled out at the last moment, and we’d already promised our suppliers that we were growing our business, and as such, they prepared for more orders. Needless to say, it gave us headaches.”
And no doubt it left them with a sour taste too.
“Tess, I’m not here to make false promises or scam you.”
“I think you’re out to maximize your profits.”
“Everyone who pursues business is. Profit maximization does not come at the expense of the entrepreneurs.” I looked her in the eyes. “Tess, why don’t we schedule another meeting, one where I can allot a few hours and where Skye can attend as well?”
“Okay.”
“Also, I’ve noticed that some of your comments are about legal lingo. I can give you the number of our lawyers, or you can ask one you trust. That way, we save time and focus on the important points.”
“We have a lawyer in the family. I’ll arrange for that.” She nodded, rising from her chair.