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I head to my room and shut the door.
It’s time I found my own place.
15
FRANKLIN
It’sthe last morning meeting before I head to the airport.
I remained in San Francisco for another three days and had to cancel my date night with Penny. The contract is drawn up, and I’ll send it to her when I land in New York. Trades and stock have consumed my time, so we’ve barely spoken in the last couple of days.
I agreed for her friends to stay over. If that’s what she needs to be comfortable in the house, then so be it. She said her friend, Hugh, brainstormed ideas with her.
Employing Penny was about giving her a break and using her ideas. I don’t want her to be influenced by friends or colleagues who think they have more experience than her. She needs to take a risk and believe in herself. With a splash of confidence, Penny could do great things.
I have set up a meeting for you to meet my brother, Jobe. Run your ideas by him, and he’ll provide a contact list of suppliers and trades. He also has a great architect who will be ready to go as you need him. Let me know if you need anything else.
The following morning, I burst into the HCM NY boardroom.
“Gentlemen, what do you have for me?” The meeting is in progress. I remain standing and don’t take a seat at the head of the long table. I walk slowly around the room as my portfolio managers and analysts pitch their best money-making ideas.
Caleb, my COO in New York, opens the meeting at nine o’clock for the West Coast to attend online. Finding a suitable time for all country zones is troublesome. I glance at my screen to analyze the numbers.
“Morning, LA, afternoon, London, and for those of you still awake in Singapore, welcome. We’re now twenty-eight percent up for the year to date. We’re here for short and long, sells, covers, all alpha welcome.”
Keeping out of the eye of the camera, I take each step as slowly as I would if I were balancing on a tightrope. It gives me a chance to assess my team’s body language. “Lana, where are we with that IT company?”
She glances at me and then at her screen. “It’s promising.”
“Are you confident?”
She fidgets in her chair before folding her arms. “I’m certain.”
I eye her a moment before looking at George, a portfolio manager. Our compliance officers are watching staff like an eagle eyeing its prey. Only it’s a trade and a due diligence process. At Hendricks Capital Management, we pride ourselves on good ethics and honest trading, unlike some crooks who slip under the radar with borderline illegal trades.
My grandfather and father set up outstanding, long-term investment strategies to get this company where we are today. I’m steering HCM to bigger investments, taking larger risks with solid backing.
If Lana has any insider information, she knows it’s a risk. Her risk. Not mine. The authorities use software to find patterns in data and trading. We have been investigated twice, and it’s brought unwanted attention to every hedge fund. A dozen companies are out there that would like to bring HCM down, and it dates back to years of doing business with my father.
“George, how is that technology company handling the supply issues in China?” I grab the back of a leather chair, and all my attention for the next thirty seconds is on George.
“The short is promising. It’s been a positive event. A more marginal growth than people would have you believe.”
I give him a nod and turn to Caleb. He’s the meeting moderator today, though the portfolio managers usually lead it.
For the next twenty minutes, we have people around the globe sharing their research on how we can profit from buys. My LA analysts have logged in from their homes before work to check the market and confirm if stock is up.
“What insights and ideas can we offer?” Caleb asks.
I take a seat in the back corner of the room and listen. I don’t intervene even for a lemon. Researching a lemon might lead to a great idea. This is the time for my employees to be heard.
When the meeting concludes, I head into my office for a private discussion with Caleb.
As I sink into my leather seat, I can’t help but glance at my cell on the desk—no new message from Penny, not that I’m expecting one. She is my designer, that’s all. But God, I can’t help thinking about her long hair and how good it feels in my fist, her perfectly fuckable mouth, and her rounded ass.
“Whose idea has you on edge?” Caleb scratches at the salt and pepper whiskers along his jawline.
“What?” I snap out of the fog, clouding my brain. “No, the meeting was positive.”
