“These are working prototypes, right?” he asked me, peering at a vacuum Justin Gandy had designed—a wireless one with a battery that beat the top brands in the market in both durability, strength, and longevity.
“Yeah. They’re all being manufactured.” I rubbed my chin. “It’s great being a railroad billionaire. He uses companies already owned by his family to produce the stuff.”
“What about product control?” Eric asked.
“I’ve seen his gadgets firsthand, Eric. They’re top of the line.” I wasn’t joking either. Gandy’s kitchen island product was phenomenal.
My kitchen was barely used, and quite large, and even I wanted one of the damn things.
The speakers on that shit were the bomb.
“We’re talking high end quality for a mid-range price tag. It’s only achievable because of who he is.” I shook my head, awed a little by what Gandy was doing. “He pulls together all the family’s contacts and creates these products that will actually make people’s lives easier.”
“You sound like you have the ad copy down to pat already,” Eric jibed good-naturedly.
“They’re great products to sell. All of them. It’s a good account if we’re willing to abide by his wishes.”
Eric rubbed his chin again. “He wants you up there for how long?”
I shrugged. “However long it takes.”
Eric frowned. “You know that’s not specific enough for the board.”
“Yeah, I know. But from what he said, we can pin him down to contracts for the products lined up here. Once they’re done, he might add more.”
“How many does he have?”
“He’s like a mad genius hermit. Inventing is pretty much all he does. Plus, I think he’s been storing all these projects up since he was a kid. His grandfather died two years ago, and ever since then, he’s been working to get these things out there.”
“I need to speak with the board.”
I nodded. “Of course.” I pointed to a file I’d been working on. “There’s some of the ad copy I’ve created thus far, as well as some ideas for marketing that has Gandy’s approval.”
Eric flipped through that file too. His eyes widened. “This is good stuff, Cooper.” He tilted the pictures of the island around. “What about things like photo shoots? All our contacts are here. I noticed one of his stipulations was that we use locals where we can. Is that going to be a problem?”
“No. His PA has contacts apparently.” I studied Eric. “It’s a weird situation, but it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity too. Some of these products won’t get far without great marketing, but some of them sell themselves. If we can get in on the ground floor here, only Christ knows what Gandy will include us on next.”
Eric nodded, his attention split as he looked at all the paperwork around him.
“I understand. I’ll call the board together right away. In the interim, are you going to finish up the Peabody account?”
“Yeah. It’s almost wrapped up. I worked on it when I was away.”
Eric beamed at me. “You’re a fucking machine, man. I assume that you’ll still handle your clients if the board does agree for you to move up to Maine for part of the time?”
“Of course.”
“And meetings? You’d come back for face to face appointments?”
“Naturally,” I told him, trying to sound relaxed when my heart was beating like a damn drum.
I had him, and I knew it.
We’d both been in the industry far too long to fail to see the potential in what Gandy was creating. Eric trusted my opinion on the quality, so the ideas themselves were like gold when the products would be made to a high standard.
Speaking to the board was just a formality. I knew it, Eric knew it.
He caught my eye and grimaced. “You’ll miss New York when you’re up in country bumpkin land.”