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There was only one option left: Josh’s plan B.
Amy stood and hefted her bag. “It looks like we're done here.”
I stood as well, replacing the coin in my pocket. “Sit down. We’re not done yet.”
She stared at me blankly and started for the door.
“Please, Amy, I may have a solution to this impasse.”
She reached for the door handle and turned, with a hint of a forced smile. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Quigley.”
* * *
Amy
“Don’tyou owe it to Samantha to hear me out?” he asked. “And it’s Liam.”
My hand was on the door handle. The meeting had been a giant waste of time, but his challenge struck a nerve. He was right. I had a duty to keep listening to his bullshit if there was the slightest chance it could lead to something helpful. I owed it to Sam and everyone else at Tiffany’s.
Spending any more time in this man’s office was not high on my list. He had seen me naked, for Christ's sake. But I strode back to the couch.
“I’m listening.” Though he made it impossible to concentrate.
He took a deep breath. “I’d like to invest in Tiffany’s,” he said, as if it hurt him to admit it.
“So you’re willing to take a minority stake? Why didn’t you say that earlier?” Now things were looking up.
He cocked his head. “No, not with company money but my own.”
That came from left field. I tried to process what he had said. “You personally?”
He smiled. “Don't be so surprised. I come from a very wealthy family.”
Wealthy was one thing, but somebody who could write a check for tens of millions of dollars after two meetings with us was a completely different level of rich.
“Couldn’t that be a problem with your board?” I asked. “Getting in the middle of a transaction that was supposed to be for the company?”
“Let me handle that. Since it's clear you won't sell the entire company, it's no longer a viable option for Quigley-Fulton.”
“Do you still have that term sheet I gave you?” I asked.
A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Yes, but I think the terms need to be reset.”
Well, there it was. The deal wasn't sweet enough for him.
“Let's be honest. You desperately need a cash infusion, and you're not going to get anywhere near the price you're asking from anybody else you're talking to.”
“That's not——”
He raised a hand to interrupt me. “Amy, I have plenty of sources in this town. I know you've reached out to at least a dozen investors, and none of them has been willing to go any higher than about half of what you're looking for. The bank won't extend your line of credit, and without additional capital, your growth rate is going to tank——and with it your valuation.”
He was certainly well-informed. We had been to fourteen investors and the best offer we'd gotten outside of his was sixty percent of the valuation we were looking for. He was also right about the implications for our growth rate if we didn't raise additional capital soon.
“I take it you have a proposal?” I asked. He had the upper hand here.
He steepled his hands. “I do. I'd be willing to invest twenty million for the twenty-five percent you were looking for, with one or two slight changes.”
I let out the breath I’d been holding. This was sounding better and better. I had been afraid he would use the opportunity squeeze us for a larger share and less cash.
