‘You could do a lot worse, that’s all I’m saying.’
* * *
It’s getting dark by the time Elliott and Dad reappear. I’ve read the Saturday paper from cover to cover and, after a prompt from Mum, had a long conversation with Gerald about the Land Rover, which looks completely unrecognisable. The light-blue bodywork is completely dent free and even the death rattle has gone; I wouldn’t say it purrs exactly, but it certainly sounds a lot healthier than when I had it. I can’t help noticing how he strokes it as he talks about it, and Margot confirms that he’s like a man in love. She tells me that he often takes it to off-road events, bringing it home caked in mud, but that he then spends hours meticulously cleaning it until it shines like a new pin.
‘How did you get on?’ I ask Elliott, as the gates swing closed behind us and I turn back towards Sevenoaks.
‘It was brilliant! Thank you so much for introducing me to him. I’ve got masses to think about, but at least I can see a way through now.’
‘Good. I’m really pleased he was able to help.’
‘Oh, he’s done more than that. Depending on what I decide to do, he’s given me names of people that can represent me and make sure I get the best deal.’
‘And do you know what you want to do?’
‘I think so. Your Dad told me I basically had three options where Nutsy was concerned. I could do nothing and just let things carry on as they are now, although he made it pretty clear he didn’t think much of that as a plan. I could sell the rights, although he told me there was no way I should accept the opening bid. He advised me to get some professional negotiators involved, who would probably demand double as an opening gambit, before settling somewhere between the two figures. He quite rightly pointed out that, if they’re offering fifty million, they’re expecting to make a whole lot more than that otherwise it simply wouldn’t be viable. So, the negotiators’ job is to figure out the maximum the buyer is prepared to pay and agree on that. He called that the “spend a couple of million but make twenty in return” option.’
‘And the third?’
‘The third is potentially the one with the biggest return, but only if I’m prepared to give up everything else and focus solely on Nutsy. Basically, I’d have to pay to get the game translated myself, negotiate contracts for the merchandise, work with agencies around the world to promote him, and so on. It would be a full-time job and a lot of travel but, if I do it right, I stand to earn much more than I’d ever get from selling him.’
‘Which one do you like best?’
‘Oh, I think I’ll sell him. I get what your dad was saying about the potential financial returns if I dedicate everything to Nutsy, but there’s much more to life than money.’
I smile. ‘Such as?’
‘Well, I’ve just started going out with this amazing woman, actually, and I’d like to be around to see where that goes. And anyway, I’m still going to end up with more money than I’ll ever know what to do with.’ He places his hand on my thigh as he leans across to kiss my cheek, and it’s all I can do to keep my concentration on the road.
‘There’s no such thing as “more money than you know what to do with”!’ I exclaim, trying to ignore the almost crippling desire I feel for his hand to be about two inches further up my thigh than it is now. ‘I’m surprised he didn’t tell you that.’
‘He did, actually, but I couldn’t really get my head around it.’
‘It’s simple,’ I tell him, as I reluctantly remove his hand from my lap, squeezing it tightly so he knows I’m not rejecting him. Far from it, I just want to make sure we get back safely, and then I have plans for not just his hand, but the rest of him too. ‘You make a few million and you buy yourself a nice house somewhere and the Ferrari you said you felt like a tit in. Or maybe you make several million and get yourself a private jet and a yacht. There are always bigger houses, more houses, faster cars, better jets, and larger yachts. There will always be something you can’t afford. If you’re happy with your lot, then it’s not a problem. If you’re greedy or prone to envy, it means you’ll never be content, no matter how much you have.’
‘Yeah, I get that, but, as I told you this morning, I’m not an ostentatious person.’
‘You aren’t an ostentatious person now, but money changes people, Elliott.’ I turn to him in the darkness. ‘Please don’t let it change you.’
‘I won’t, I promise. Or if I do, I’ll try to make sure it only changes me in good ways.’
‘Talking of which, did he give you any ideas on the charity stuff?’
‘Yes, loads. He told me a bit about what he does and how he doesn’t like to work with big charities because he can’t see where his money is going. Did you know he goes and helps out at a soup kitchen for the homeless every week?’
‘He told you that?’
‘Yup. Every Thursday he gets up especially early and joins a group of volunteers that take a vanload of hot food to the Strand in London. They dish out the food, offer advice on benefits and so on. None of the other volunteers know who he is, or that he pretty much bankrolls the organisation behind it. Pretty cool, huh?’
‘He must have really taken to you to tell you about that,’ I say. ‘Apart from the fact that he doesn’t want to come across as Lord Bountiful, which he says would be patronising, there’s a security issue too. The only people who know are either people he trusts, or people who need to know as part of their work.’
‘He was really passionate about it. He explained to me how complicated a problem homelessness is, and how some charities simply focus on getting people off the streets and into flats, but that they’re often incredibly lonely when that happens, and they frequently end up back on the streets because that’s where their community is. There are also huge issues around mental health and addiction that have to be addressed in many cases. He was telling me about a scheme he runs to help the homeless into work. Even though the success rate is fairly low, it gives people the opportunity to help themselves and get a sense of purpose, which makes it worthwhile. I think it might be something I’d like to get involved in as well.’
‘Yeah. I remember when he first told me about that. I didn’t get it, because most of what he does is all about the return being greater than the investment, and this completely flies in the face of it. He said to me, “People always say you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. That’s true, but you can’t even give the horse the choice if you don’t build the bloody well!”’
Elliott laughs. ‘I can hear him saying that.’
‘So, what now?’ I ask.