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Five new stores?
I scribbled that line in the margins of the printed document I’d been staring at all morning. It was one thing to see the vision for the next five years atWholesome Foodsup on a screen,a whole other to have it right in front of me.
I scowled at the line. It was supposed to replace where I’d crossed outtwenty new stores. That was a stretch for a period as short as five years, even for me. Risky endeavors didn’t scare me, but putting a plan for four new stores a year for the next five years—doublingthe current number of stores—was practically breakneck speed.
It was too much.
Just five though?
One new store a year was safe, and perfectly manageable, which… was what made it so unattractive.No guts, no glorywas the first thing that came to mind when I wondered what my father’s advice would be, if he was still here.
Wholesome Foodswas his brainchild, after all.
When he left it in my hands, it had been with the understanding that I wouldn’t let it grow stagnant, that we would innovate and expand, provehisfather wrong about Black folks wanting bougie groceries.
His words.
I refused to be reckless with his legacy, but pussyfooting around our growth wasn’t going to cut it either.
I scratched out the previous line, replacing it withten new stores.
No question mark.
We would open ten new stores over the next five years.
Thatwas a prospect to be excited about.
Instead of moving on to the next part of the vision statement, I woke my computer up, navigating to the folder our market research team had already put together. Even though I knew the list of possible expansion cities like the back of my hand, I still wanted it in front of me to reference as I thought through exactly where those ten new stores might land.
“Mr. Sterling.”
I frowned at the formality of Shiloh’s greeting over the intercom, not to mention this time wasalwaysuninterrupted. It was built into my schedule.
Brows furrowed, I hit the button that would allow her to hear my response. “What’s going on, Shi?”
“William Stark is at the security desk downstairs, insisting on seeing you. He says it’s urgent. Should I let him up or inform him on how to make an appointment?”
From the inflection in her tone, it was clear whatshepreferred. She didn’t play the pop-up visitor shit and knew it wasn’t my preferred method of engagement either. It went without saying that the only reason she was even entertaining him was his place as Nalani’s father.
The same reason I told her to allow him up.
Showing up here was a bold ass move, and I was curious to hear what was on his mind.
Some bullshit, no doubt.
William Stark was exactly the kind of man I endeavorednotto be—weak-willed, selfish, reckless, just to name a few. His mistakes in business aside, when I showed up in theNectaroffices, I’d hoped to findsomethingI could respect about him, anything that made me view him in a somewhat positive light.
So far, the only thing working for him was that he hadn’tcompletelyrunNectarin the ground, and if I had to make a wager, my money would be on foolish luck.
It was awonderthat he’d raised a woman like Nalani. Her mother had surely borne the brunt of the work there. Even her barely-out-of-college brother, who research told me was more interested in innovative tech than any sort of corporate shit, would’ve been an improvement over William.
Nalani and Soren just needed their eyes opened.
Moments later, my door opened, and a clearly irritated Shiloh appeared.
“William Stark to see you,” she said, in a professional tone that contrasted the restrained annoyance in her eyes.
“Thank you, Shi. Go have a nice lunch, on me,” I told her, offering a smile she met with narrowed eyes.
