Her voice was steady.Was she unaffected by my touch?I’d have to up my game.Damn, dude, you’re not a teenager.Get control of yourself.“He only said there were some areas they wouldn’t allow him into, but we assumed it was a liability issue with nonemployees being on the manufacturing floor.”
“Makes sense.I’m glad you told me jeans and boots.”
“Safety issue and, this way, you don’t look like an accountant.”
“And what does an accountant look like?”
She gazed up at me, and I almost leaned down to kiss her.“That is a trap and not a question I’m prepared to answer.”We stopped in front of a steel door, and I rang the bell.It took a few minutes before a man wearing a hardhat and safety vest opened it.
“Can I help you?”
“We’re from Fantasies, Inc.”
“Come…on…in.I’ll go get the boss.”We stepped inside, and he slammed the door and walked back the way he’d come with a “wait here” thrown over his shoulder as he passed through a gate in a floor to ceiling chain link barrier.The sign above the gate cautioned entry.HARDHAT AND SAFETY GLASSES BEYOND THIS POINT,over a list of other safety concerns.No open-toed shoes, no food on the manufacturing floor, no photographs permitted, and about ten more rules.
“Interesting,” Valerie said.
“What?”
“He looked surprised to see us.”
It was odd, but there could be an explanation.“Well, we didn’t use the front entrance, so it’s possible he didn’t know we were coming.”Rustic had been given plenty of warning we were going to be here.
“Maybe, but there was more than shock when you said we were from FI.”
“Oh?”What did she see that I didn’t?I was usually pretty good at reading people, but my attention had been focused on Valerie.I gave myself a mental shake to remember to keep my head in the game.
Valerie had always had a better internal radar than I did with certain things.That would come in handy today.Before she could elaborate, a large, balding man, slightly out of breath, walked through the gate and up to us, hand extended.“Welcome, I’m Fred Kline, the owner of Rustic Designs.”
“Lucas Bryer and Valerie Ray.”Fred was older; I was estimating he was in his late fifties.We shook hands.
“Nice to meet you.Ready for the tour?”
Why did Fred seem stressed?“Yes.We’re both really interested in how your furniture is made.”
“I was surprised when I got your call the other day.Marcus was here two weeks ago.”He glanced around.
“This is a big acquisition.Our boss wanted our perspective.”It wasn’t a lie, but I wasn’t about to mention we were in finance.It was easy enough to find out if one looked.
Fred nodded, but his eyes looked worried.“Safety concerns and insurance prohibitions prevent me from taking you onto the manufacturing floor, but I’ll take you to the area where we can view the completed products.”
“I was under the impression Marcus had been shown the manufacturing process.”
“Oh, yes.”Fred pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and mopped his forehead with it.“We weren’t in production, so I allowed him to look over our equipment.”
He was nervous.This was curious.“I see.”It was awfully quiet here for manufacturing to be happening.
Fred took us through a side door and down an enclosed corridor to an area where the finished pieces were stored prior to packing and shipping.Some of the designs had multiple pieces, and others just one.Valerie shifted from one foot to the other.
“Are you okay?”I asked her quietly.
“Yes.But I need you to explain some of this to me later.”She waved her hand.“I’m not sure what I’m looking at.”
“I see.”I looked at Fred.“Is there a liability issue if I show Valerie how some of this works?”
“Not at all.Just be careful.”A female voice called his name.“If you’ll excuse me… I need to see what that’s about.I’ll let you roam the floor.My office is over there.”He pointed to the corner.“Just come in when you’re ready.”He scurried off, and I frowned.
“He’s nervous,” Valerie commented.
