I slept like a baby right through the night. Nothing relieves tension like great sex. I awoke about 6:00am, two hours before my breakfast meeting with Mr. Ferris. I put on some coffee and grabbed a quick shower while it brewed. I sat at the dining room table, sipping my coffee and going over the notes I'd made early last evening.
I fixed my hair and put on my make-up. I'd picked a light tan business suit to wear this morning. The skirt was short but not too short. I checked myself out in the mirror front to back, hoping Mr. Ferris would approve of my attire.
I made the drive up to Ferris's house in Fountain Hills. I was right on time. The same man who'd met me yesterday came out and opened my car door. He escorted me to the front door of the house. The man opened the door for me and I stepped inside. The foyer was wide, leading down to a huge livingroom. I could see clear to the back of the house, which was mostly glass. It looked out onto the covered patio and the pool.
Mr. Ferris came out of the kitchen area towards me. We greeted each other and shook hands. Ferris guided me through the house towards the small dining area off the kitchen. They had prepared a breakfast buffet style so you could pick what you wanted to eat. I eat a pretty light breakfast, if any at all, so I won't get drowsy later on in the morning. George and I sat in the small dining area off the kitchen and ate our breakfast. There was plenty of coffee. I'm a bit of a caffeine addict. When we finished eating and the lady had cleared the dishes away. I pulled Ferris's folder out of my attaché.
"I worked on some investment strategies last evening and I've come up with some ideas I think we might want to discuss." I said, sounding professional.
I handed Ferris the notes I'd written down and he looked them over. He scanned them at first and then read them word for word. After a lengthy review of my work, he looked at me and smiled. He started bouncing questions off of me as quick as I could answer them. I was trying my best to sound like I knew what I was talking about but I felt I was falling short. Maybe I was in over my head.
Michael and Janine came into the kitchen to get some breakfast. Their presence distracted Ferris long enough to give my brain a chance to get back on track. Michael and his father chatted about some things Michael was to take care of while he was down in Tucson today. I suddenly felt Janine's foot rubbing up and down my leg. I didn't pull my legs away; I just let her have her fun. Janine finally got tired after awhile and quit toying with my legs.
Ferris suggested he and I discuss things outside where we'd have more privacy. I thought it a little strange he didn't want to talk business in front of his son. Maybe he didn't want to talk with Janine present.
Ferris and I walked out onto the patio and around towards the other end of the pool. There were some lounge chairs all around the pool. We picked out a couple and sat down.
"Michelle. I'm not all that crazy about having your firm handle my financial planning. I don't really trust Frank Henderson all the much. He's a lousy golfer and I figure he's probably the same at business." Ferris boldly stated.
I know Ferris could plainly see the disappointment on my face. I was at a loss for words. I didn't feel I was to blame for failing to lock down this account. I had Frank Henderson to thank for that. I expected Ferris to escort me to the door. I reached for my attaché and purse but Ferris put his hand on my arm.
"I might be willing to let your firm handle my financial accounting if they would agree to my terms." Ferris said. "It's either my way or no way at all." Ferris went through a whole list of terms. Topping the list was that I would have to work exclusively with him, no other accounts. He didn't want me spending time on any other accounts. Ferris wanted me to make the transactions directly, eliminating any middlemen. That way he would feel comfortable the transactions were made the way he and I dictated them. That might be a problem. Everything would have to be processed through Banks, Kellogg and Henderson. I didn't think I could comply with that term. Ferris also wanted me to work at his home office instead of at the firm's office. I wasn't sure about that term either. The rest of the terms were fairly minor. I jotted all of them down and reviewed his demands. I told him I'd get with my superiors and see what I could do. I'd have to do some hard and fast selling. I knew I couldn't do the transactions directly. I wasn't a licensed stockbroker or real estate agent. Not meeting all Ferris's demands might kill our chances of locking down his account. He wanted an answer and he wanted it by the end of the day!
I headed back towards downtown Phoenix to the office. I found Marla in her office. She could see from the look on my face, things hadn't gone well at the breakfast meeting. I briefly told her about Ferris's demands in order to get his account. Even then, it wasn't a done deal. She phoned Jason Price to let him know. He ordered us both to his office immediately. Jason met us at his office door. He looked pissed at best. He motioned us into his office and pointed towards his conference table. I could just hear the axe falling towards my head.
I pulled out my notes and covered each one with both Jason and Marla. We could work some of the terms with Ferris but not all of them. Working with Ferris's account exclusively wasn't a problem. I would have been doing that anyway. Working at his home office instead of the firm's office could be worked out with direct computer connections to the firm's network. There was no way I could make the transactions directly though. I'd have to go through the firm's licensed stockbroker to buy and sell stock. There was no way around it. Banks, Kellogg and Henderson had their legal staff handle all real estate transactions. I'd have to run transactions through them. Jason felt Ferris was trying to skirt using the firm in order to eliminate paying the costs for handling his account.
I was hesitant about telling them what Ferris had said about Frank Henderson. I decided they should know. Ferris's remark didn't surprise Jason or Marla.
"Hell, no one trusts that bastard!" Jason exclaimed. "No one!"
Jason wasn't happy with the way things looked, none of us were. We sat there for awhile trying to decide what our next step was. I suggested I get back with Ferris and tell him what demands we could and couldn't meet. At least, he'd know we'd tried our best to comply. All he could do was say "no".
"Do you think Ferris is attracted to you?" Jason asked.
"You mean. Do you think if I fucked him, I could get his account?" I asked sharply.
"Well. That's where I was headed. I wasn't going to be quite so blunt." He replied.
"I don't think Ferris is the type to let his dick to his thinking for him." I snapped. "If he was, don't you think I'd have already fucked him?"
We finally decided our only recourse was for me to get back with Ferris and tell him what demands we could and couldn't comply with. There weren't any other alternatives. Marla and I went down to the food court on the ground floor and ate lunch. I was too nervous to eat so I just drank some ice tea.
After lunch, I headed back towards Ferris's home. I knew I wasn't going to make him happy but at least he'd know I'd tried my best. I pulled into Ferris's driveway and proceeded down towards the house. His bodyguard met me when I pulled up in front of the house. I'd have to explain to him what I was doing back but he didn't ask. He led me around to the back of the house instead of the front door. George Ferris was in the pool, Janine was laying out on a lounge.
George got a big smile on his face when he saw me and the bodyguard approaching. He swam quickly over to the edge of the pool. I leaned down so I could talk with him. Janine was far enough away so she couldn't hear our conversation.
"Well, I've got some good news and some not so good news." I stated, waiting for some sort of facial response from him.
