Alice

Jack

"Hello?"

"Mr. Carlisle?"

"Oh hey Jenifer,"

"Hi, Sir I'm just calling to remind you of your five O'clock meeting with Dean Corriea from Atlantic,"

Shit. It had completely slipped my mind. I look at my watch, it's Four, "Okay, thanks Jenifer."

"What is it babe?" Karen says as she nuzzles up to me, "Its nothing, love, Just a meeting I have at five that I'd completely forgot, its Four now, that means I have to go get ready." She sighs, "Can't you just stay a little while longer?"

I look down at her and its so tempting to lay back down, but this meeting is really important. I kiss her on the forehead, "raincheck babe..." she frowns.
***
I tighten my tie and adjust the cuffs of my dark blue suit. I'm ready for to secure atlantic as a client at carlisle industries.

Joseph steps out to greet me as I approach the car, "Good morning Mr. Carlisle."
"Mr. Carlisle huh.." joseph smiles, "well sir, we are on the job, I've gotta be professional," I chuckle, "Alright Joseph, whatever you say."
"Come on man, I'm just having some fun," Joseph never fails to lighten my mood, he's been with me for a long time, he's no longer just a driver/bodyguard. I genuinely consider us friends.
We proceed out of the mansion grounds and head toward the carlisle building. "So Jack, you seem like you've got a lot on your mind, what's up, trouble with the clients?"
I sigh and rub the back of my neck, "It's trouble with pretty much everything, the clients, home, my personal life,but I can deal with it, this new client, Atlantic, if we sign them and absorb their shipping company in to carlisle industries we can expand greatly, and we'll have a lot less problems shipping parts over to assemble our tech, right now that's my only focus."
" You've done a lot of big deals like this in the past man, what's different about this one?"
"Well.. what's different, is the big block headed son of our sole shareholder, the shevrakians..."
"Wait, Mr. Shevrakian, the old guy, has a son?"
"Yea.. and he's no walk in the park to deal with... he just returned from a few tours with the army, he took leave to take over his father's shares... as a thirty five percent owner, he has a say in what goes on now. Mr. Shevrakian has always trusted me as the sole C.E.O of carlisle industries and has never had interest in any decision making... his son however, I've met, and had interactions with, he's brash, irrational and not easy to work with."

"Wow, sounds like a lot... so you're saying he returned home and now he wants to do what his father hasn't been doing which is voice his opinion in the company and affect the running of things?"

"Yes... which I have no problem with someone doing, once they are capable... from my past experience with him, he doesn't know shit and his dad Mr. Shevrakian, can't control him, but technically, Casper Shevrakian, that's Mr. Shevrakian's son's name, doesn't own any part of the company, his father does, and his father calls the shots."

"Ah, so he's a barking dog with no teeth."
"Yea, hopefully his father is smart, but who knows, a few tours may have changed Casper for the better, so we wont have to rely on his father."
"Guess you'll see man, good luck."
"Guess I will... you won't need to come back for me joseph, just drop me of, I have personal business to attend after this meeting, I'll use one of the cars I have at the building."

"Okay, just holler at me if you need anything."
"Will do."
We arrive at the Carlisle building,its busy as always, the huge blue building is the biggest building in this part of town and that's something I'm proud of. Joseph drives off. I'm ready for this meeting.