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“We came down here with ten thousand ecstasy pills that sold out within two weeks. Our strategy was to start with the clubs and grow from there. It worked for us in New York, so we gave it a shot down here.”
Club goers are the easiest customers to start with. They are more open to taking recreational drugs to enhance their night.
Nick chimes in. “We had to ship another ten thousand pills down here to keep up with demand. We are down to our last two hundred, though, and when they run out, we are finished. If we had more capital right now to buy a warehouse to produce our own, we will see bigger profit margins.”
“Do you have a warehouse already or are you still in the pre-purchase stage?”
Nick waves over the server before saying, “We have a meeting with a real estate agent later this afternoon to look at our top three choices. My favorite pick is the most expensive, but it has intercoastal water access and more privacy than the other two.”
The server takes our empty salad bowls and refills our waters.
John adds, “That one is a huge liability because it’s almost double the price, and it’s further from any of our other businesses.”
“I understand your hesitation based on the price, but water access is a huge perk. If we partner with your family, we can send product from our cargo ships down here to you, and vice versa.”
Our wine glasses are filled as several servers bring large platters of seafood.
The first platter is full of pasta in a garlic butter sauce, another is piled high with lobster tails with clarified butter, and a third is full of steamed mussels, clams, and oysters.
After making sure we don’t need anything else, the servers leave the three of us alone.
“This looks and smells amazing.” My stomach growls in agreement.
“Let’s eat, enjoy the food, and table the heavy talk for now. You can look over the folder when it’s convenient, and we will answer any questions you or Arturo have.”
We raise our wine glasses in a toast before taking a sip. The citrusy flavor explodes on my taste buds. It’s been a while sinceI’ve had wine, but I’m not one to refuse when another family is being hospitable.
We load up our plates and dig in. I don’t like eating in silence. It reminds me of the nights when Dad would come in looking haunted.
That was before I knew what really went on. Before I knew the horrors that came with this lifestyle.
“So, Nick, are you planning on staying down here, or are you moving back to New York?”
Nick’s expression changes. Gone is his carefree smile and in its place is a hardened, blank slate.
I shouldn’t have pried, but it was an honest mistake. John said this operation was for his retirement. How was I supposed to know there were bad feelings mixed in?
“I haven’t decided. It was supposed to be a temporary move. I was going to help Dad get set up and established down here and then go back to New York and run things up there.”
“I can understand the indecisiveness. It’s important to make sure your established businesses don’t fall through. Over the past few years, I’ve thought about moving back to New York over a dozen times, but my hockey career is in Savannah.”
If we are going to partner with the Valentinos, they need to be transparent with their intentions. I’m not one to beat around the bush, especially when my family name and reputation are on the line.
“What about when your hockey career is over or if you get traded?”
I won’t be traded off the team. Neither will Rhett, Spencer, or Gage, but I can’t tell him that.
“When I’m done with hockey, because I retire or any other reason, I will assess business and go from there. It also depends on a lot of other factors.”
I don’t explain those other factors, but the biggest one is dependent on what happens with Giuseppe Rossi.
The topic of our conversation changes to a much lighter tone. We talk about sports for a little while before talking about family traditions.
John laughs and says, “I just hope that Nicholas is happy, successful, and meets a great woman to settle down with.”
I’m reminded of my childhood. Francesca and I spent the evenings talking with Dad and Uncle Tony about our futures and their hopes for us.
Dad used to say the same thing. He wanted me to meet a nice Italian woman and settle down and start a family of my own.