AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter twenty-four
Roland
The sun creeps in through the curtains, bathing the room in a soft, golden light. I stretch my limbs, feeling the satisfying release of tension. Today is a crucial day for my business, and I intend to start it off on the right foot.
I slip out of bed and make my way to the bathroom. The hot water cascades down my body, energizing me like an invigorating waterfall. I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, beard dripping wet, dark hair slicked back, and olive-toned skin flushed from the heat. "Looking good, Roland," I mutter under my breath. I grin at myself. A little bit of self-appreciation never hurt, at least not after the chaos of the past couple of weeks. I get dressed and sneak out of the suite, careful not to wake Maddie or the kids. They deserve their rest.
I head to the hotel's dining area where I grab a coffee and croissant. I pull out my phone, scanning through the numerous emails from New York and our suppliers in South America that have piled up overnight. My fingers fly across the screen, tapping out swift responses with each bite of flaky pastry.
"Good morning, Roland," a familiar voice greets me from behind. I glance up to see Brett sauntering over with a cheeky grin plastered on his face. "Got any juicy gossip from the Big Apple?" he quips.
"Nothing worth sharing," I reply.
"What a shame. I was hoping my secretary had slept with the receptionist by now," Brett says with a cheeky grin that makes me chuckle.
"Don't think they'd tell us that, would they?"
"Nah, but I'll find out." He takes a seat opposite me. "Let's focus on today's meetings then, shall we?" One thing I love about Brett is that he is super social and fun but can switch into full business mode at a moment's notice.
"Yup." I gulp my coffee as Brett orders one for himself, then we get down to business.
An hour later we leave the hotel for our meeting. Our car is waiting just outside, its sleek black exterior glistening in the morning sun. We slide into the back seat, exchanging small talk with our driver as we make our way through Frankfurt's bustling streets.
"Can you believe it's been a year since we first approached them about roasting our beans here and six months since our last trip?" Brett muses, leaning back in his seat.
"Time flies when you're building an empire," I quip, grinning at him as we pull up to the factory. It's an impressive building, all steel and glass with huge silos looming overhead. A tangible sense of anticipation buzzes through me mixed with a hint of nostalgia for when our business was still just an idea scribbled on some old notepad we found in a bar.
"Welcome back!" The factory manager, Hans, says, greeting us with a firm handshake as soon as we step out of the car. "We've been looking forward to today."
"Thanks, Hans. We can't wait to see what you've got in store for us," Brett replies, matching the man's enthusiasm, pumping his hand.
"Come, let me show you around." Hans beckons us inside, pointing out various machines as we weave our way through the factory floor. The air is thick with the rich aroma of roasted coffee beans, and I feel a surge of pride knowing that this could be where our product is produced. We met with several coffee roasteries in different cities on our last trip, but this is the one we felt would be the best, though we have a second one in Berlin lined up if that turns out not to be the case.
"Since our last meeting, we've made some upgrades to our equipment," Hans explains, gesturing toward a row of gleaming stainless steel roasters. "These babies can handle up to ten thousand pounds of beans per hour while maintaining the exact roasting profile you require."
"Color me impressed," Brett says, his eyes wide with admiration. I nod in agreement, my mind already racing with the possibilities this new capacity could offer our business.
"Consistency is key for us," I add, running a hand along one of the pristine machines. "How do you ensure that every batch meets our standards?"
"We have our ways," Hans replies, a proud smile spreading across his face. "We have an in-house quality control team that rigorously tests each batch to ensure it matches your specifications. Rest assured, your beans are in good hands here."
"Sounds like you've got everything covered," I say, exchanging a satisfied glance with Brett. With each passing moment, I feel more and more confident that this partnership will be the perfect next step for our company.
"Shall we continue the tour?" Hans suggests, leading us further into the factory. I nod. I think this is going to be a good visit.
The tour wraps up with Hans assuring us that their factory will more than meet our expectations and we head to their offices. There, we sit down with their CFO and start crunching numbers before finally wrapping things up. As it turns out, the numbers add up and I feel confident we can sign a contract in the next couple of days.
I smile as we make our way back outside–our European expansion is finally becoming a reality. To be honest, I was the one not wanting to expand at first. I wanted to be absolutely sure we first knew what we were doing in one continent before we tackled the next. Being in the game for some time we've now learned the pitfalls–and opportunities. But it's important to understand that each market is different. Success in one market doesn't grant you success in another. Just tackling different states in the US taught us that lesson.
"Let's grab some lunch," Brett suggests as we exit the factory, his stomach audibly growling.
"Sounds good to me," I reply, my own hunger now making itself known. We find a nearby café and settle into a cozy corner booth, the irresistible aroma of freshly baked bread wafting through the air.
"Can you believe this place?" Brett grins, glancing around at the quaint décor. "Feels like we've stepped straight into a postcard."
"Quite the change from the bustling streets of New York," I admit, taking a bite of my warm, crusty baguette.
"Speaking of New York," Brett says, pulling out his MacBook from his leather messenger bag, "we should probably catch up on some work during our downtime." He shoots me a knowing look, aware of my constant need to stay connected.
