“It’s a pitch deck,” I said.
“So that’s a yes,” Gavin muttered.
“Just give me a minute,” I promised. “It’s a good slide deck.”
Cory sighed, took another drink of his beer, and gave me the go ahead. I powered up the presentation and walked them through it. “We’re going to invest in seven to twelve small businesses in a single corridor; that way we’ll get the maximum effect for our dollars.”
“And what is the maximum effect?” Cory asked.
“A noticeable improvement in the neighborhood,” I said. “I want a place I can point to with before and after photos. I want a significant revitalization and an area that can draw a crowd. I’m looking for businesses that can generate a large amount of traffic but that are currently struggling.”
Cory looked at Gavin, and Gavin looked at Cory. I could tell they were thinking the same thing. After a moment, Cory chanced a look at Patrick, and I felt left out. There was something they were communicating to each other silently, only I didn’t know what it was.
“What?” I asked.
“I think I know some place you could start,” Cory said.
“Where?”
Cory didn’t finish his statement. Instead, he gave Patrick a hard stare, daring him to challenge whatever it was he had come up with. Patrick narrowed his eyes, unsure whether he liked the idea or not. I still wasn’t following. They were all on the same page without me, and I was getting irritated by the back and forth.
“Spit it out,” I demanded.
“He wants you to invest in my sister’s bakery,” Patrick answered.
“It’s perfect.” Cory jumped right in as soon as the ice was broken. “The entire place is run down, and an infusion of money would really help clean up the lobby. But the pastries are the best in town. Really, you gotta try them.”
“It’s not just the pastries,” Gavin mugged.
Cory smacked him in the arm. “Shut up.”
I considered the opportunity. All joking aside, it was probably a good investment. The question would be whether there were other places in the same area that needed renovation. I didn’t want to water down my money by picking random spots across the city. I could walk back the neighborhood idea a little bit, maybe choose two or three streets to clean up. As long as there were a few other businesses in the area, Cory’s bakery could be a winner.
“I’ll think about it,” I agreed.
Cory took another sip of his beer, shooting a smug look at Gavin. Gavin rolled his eyes, apparently having had enough of the conversation. I put the laptop away, and we moved onto other things. By the time I left, I was jazzed. It looked like I would have the assistance of their investment firm to help me with my project. And we might have the first of several struggling businesses to revive. Things were looking up, and I was confident this would bring me one step closer to my ultimate goal: being the next mayor of the city.