Page 99 of Levi

CHAPTER24

Levi

My to do list was alreadybulging, but the addition of the Thonix line of products is making my head spin. The last three days have been a whirlwind of meetings, conference calls, video calls and brainstorming sessions. Since there’s so much to do and so little time, Jules cajoled her dad’s former assistant to come back to work for her—I guess I should say, us. Alice Blanchard was one of the last three people still holding the fort until Hillary opened her bitchy fucking mouth. Once we quashed any insecurity around her paycheck, Alice eagerly signed the new employment contracts. I’m glad she did. The woman is a machine. Our deadlines are aggressive. A newbie would simply not be able to keep up.

When Linc surprised us with his early morning visit, there wasn’t much time to go into the nitty-gritty details surrounding my new business venture with my girl over breakfast. He invited Jules and me to his place that same night. Once Micah was tucked in bed and sound asleep, we filled him in over a nice bottle of red and more dessert. I was expecting my brother to be polite and wait until it was just two of us to chew me up for my brash decision. To my surprise, Linc was blown away. In fact, he congratulated me for jumping in with both feet. Just like Shane and Collin, he believes Jules is sitting on a gold mine. She was floored all over again.

So now it’s all systems go!

It’s going to be a fine juggling act spearheading two businesses, but sometimes in life, you have to burn the candle from both ends.

After spending a morning with Jules and Alice, we spent the afternoon with her dad’s lawyers. By the end of week, all her former employees––including the Twatts––will receive a reminder to keep their mouths shut. Then, we were off to meet with her accountants. Tomorrow, we’re meeting with my lawyers to create a new business structure with the Dennison brothers. Great news, we secured a kickass coder for the app. The other thing that can make or break the launch of our crowdfunding program and the Fit Thonix VIP 100 Club, is marketing. It’s imperative for the rapid growth of the business. Buying TV spots would be prohibitive. And frankly, I don’t think it’s a gamble that would pay off. Social media is more within reach. The key is to produce an entertaining video that gets shared over and over again.

My phone rings.

It’s like telepathy.

I snatch it from my desk, eagerness bubbling inside me.

“Hey, Dom,” I say, answering the call. “I was just thinking of you!”

“Hey, Levi,” she says. “I’m sorry I’m only now calling you back.” I called her at nine o’clock this morning. “I had to finish editing a video to meet a deadline.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I tell her. “I got back to the office not long ago. Had you called earlier, I wouldn’t be able to talk to you. Your timing is perfect.”

“Good. Word has it you’re wearing a lot of hats these days,” she teases.

“How did you hear that?”

“Collin dropped by Rod’s studio yesterday as we were wrapping things up, and the three of us went for drinks.”

I chuckle. “Collin is so excited.”

“He really is. He couldn’t stop talking about the CycleThonix bike that’s going to revolutionize the way people work out at home.”

“I hate to say this, but I have to agree with Collin. Once we figure out the technology, there’s no stopping us from being industry leaders.”

“So, it’s true? You’re actually going into business with Collin Dennison?”

“AndShane,” I stress.

“Yeah, but Shane is the sane, levelheaded one. Of course you want to join forces with him. Collin, on the other hand, is a loose cannon,” she laughs.

I join her.

“It’s a façade, Dom.”

“I don’t buy it,” the amusement in her voice is audible.

“Collin is a great businessman. He brought some incredible ideas to the table. He’s one hundred percent invested. He has name recognition and a face––and body––women love. Along with Jules––the CEO––and Shane, he’ll be a great representative for the brand.”

“What about you? Are you going to be representing your brand?”

“You know me, Dom. I’m more of a behind-the-scenes kind of guy. It’s a professional hazard.”

“Good one,” she laughs. “From what Collin describes, this sounds like quite the project.”

“It is,” I confirm. “You’d think I didn’t already have enough on my plate.”