Chapter 181
Nicolas
When Jason left, I started to return the calls I got while I was out. He wasn’t kidding there where a lot of new companies that is enquiring about us. I phoned the first person on the list and within 20 minutes on the phone he asked me to send him a contract and we had a new app to design. The next company sounded so familiar but I had no idea why, I’ve never done business with them before but non the less I called and Mr. Fritz PA answered. “Mr. Fritz office good day, how can I help you?” “Good afternoon this is Mr. Brown I’m returning Mr. Fritz call.” “Oh yes Mr. Brown just hold on for a second.” “Thank you.” When the other person answered he answered “Nicolas how are you?” Clearly, he knows me but I had no clue who I was speaking to but I didn’t want him to know it. “I’m very good and you Mr. Fritz.” “Oh, please what’s with the formalities it’s Benjamin speaking.” “Oh, jeez Benjamin, I’m so sorry I knew I know the companies name but I couldn’t place a face to the company. And then above that I didn’t know your surname.” “No worries, now how are that little girl of yours?” “Getting bigger everyday with new challenges.” “Don’t I know it and don’t try to tell her she’s your little girl and will always be, they don’t like that.” “Oh, believe me I made that mistake already.” “Did she tell you she’s almost 12 and not a baby anymore?” “Something like that. But how can I help you, Benjamin?” “Well Nicolas we are looking for a new company to service our IT equipment from the servers to the keyboards. Is that something you do?” I didn’t want to tell him no because you never ever say no to business you rather make a plan, that was always my fathers moto. “Yes, off course I can help by when do you need us to start?” “In a month I’ve given the other company notice they just didn’t do their jobs properly.” “Yes, off course we will be able to start next month anything else I can help with?” “Actually, yes we want to have an app that makes our business more accessible for the younger generation, everything these days needs an app.” “Off course do you know what you want? What it should do?” “I’m not sure that’s why I called you.” “Okay how about I get my director to come and sit with you or whoever you are putting in charge of this and they can talk?” “That sounds like a great plan thank you Nicolas I’m a little out of my dept when it comes to apps.” “No worries that is why we are here, should David call your PA and set up the meeting?” “Yes, please that would be much appreciated.” “Anything else I can help you with?” “Yes, when are we going for that round of golf?” I had to laugh clearly this man loves his golf. I wouldn’t say I was a pro by all means but I did know how to play.” “We’ll find a date Benjamin.” “Please call me Ben all my friends do.” That took me by surprise I didn’t know we were friends. He totally made me forget my train of thought. “Okay Ben I’ll ask David to call your PA today and we can get the ball rolling.” “Thank you, Nicolas, then we’ll talk later in the week with that date.” I laughed “Yes Ben, I’ll call you. Bye.” “Bye Nicolas.”
I wasn’t so sure I’ll be able to have a golf date with Ben not if I’m going to start a new department in my company a part I dismantled years ago when I took over. But first things first, I need to talk to Luther make sure I didn’t bite off more than we can chew. I called his office. “Yes Jason?” He answered. “It’s me can you come to my office please?” “On my way.” That’s the nice thing of the people I employ they will drop everything when I call them. There was a knock on my door and Luther walked in. “Where’s Jason?” “I send him out on a long lunch; he had to deal with Karen and Anton so I let him go out and reboot.” “What’s the story with Anton now?” “Honestly, I ended our friendship and now he wants to call Jason tell him he should make an appointment with me for him to explain himself and then he as the audacity to say if I don’t call him his ‘girlfriend’ won’t help Nicol with her charity.” “He really thought by threatening Nicol, you would give him a second chance?” “Apparently he did.” “Okay so besides Anton that’s a dick, what’s wrong?” “Nothing is wrong I want to run something by you although I must tell you I already committed to doing it.” “Okay what are we doing now?” He said as he sat down because he knew something was up.
“I received an offer to service a company, servers, computers everything IT.” “But we don’t do that anymore.” Luther stated the obvious. “I know that but can’t we start again?” “When does this company wants us to start?” “Next month.” “Fuck Nicolas that is so soon, how are we going to get this up and running?” “It’s big money Luther we are also designing a new app for them.” “I know it’s big money but you already have more money you know what to do with.” “I need to build something big for my children Luther.” “Children?” “Yes, don’t say anything but Nicol is pregnant.” He looked at me in shocked. “Seriously you are not even engaged yet.” “But we will be very soon.” “In that case congratulations Nicolas, I know this is what you wanted.” “It is, but please don’t say anything, Nicol will kick me if she knew I told someone.” “I won’t but clearly, we need a plan to restart that department again. We have the space we just need the staff.” “Any legal implications for us if we do this?” “No, we are into IT so there is nothing I need to file, obviously I’ll just draw up a contract and then you need to call Sarah and ask her to put an add up and we have to start with interviews.” “Okay great you start with the contract and I’ll start with Sarah but first I need David to call the company and organized a meeting for the app they want.” “You get on that I’ll start with the contracts and look at the salaries we can offer them.” “I need that before Sarah can do the advert.” “Yes, Nicolas I know I’ll have it for you in the next hour.” “Thank you, Luther.” “What will you do without me.” He said as he walked out of my office “I called after him” “Have peace in my life.” Luther just laughed as he walked to his office.