“I’ll check it out,” Renee promised. It seemed like an atypical investment to her too, but she loved the idea. There was something so appealing about the store, and she was fascinated by Spencer when she read the article. She sounded like such a strong woman and a decent person. She was only three years older than Renee, but had done so much with the store to honor her grandfather’s memory. The article also mentioned that she was divorced and had twin seven-year-old sons. She had a very full plate and seemed to be managing it all. The article also said that her father’s regime had been brief and somewhat colorless, and Spencer had put life back into the store when she took over. She was a very attractive woman.
At the end of the meeting, Mike assigned Renee to assess both options, a high-volume, low-priced brand similar to the first one that had done so well for them, and a possible purchase or investment in Brooke’s, although he would want the current owner to continue to run it, since she seemed to hold the secret to their success and was apparently part of the magic. Mike was sure that the other option would be a better investment for them, but there was something about Brooke’s that had enchanted him, just as it had all their loyal customers, according to the article.
Spencer had her own staff meeting that morning, and Paul brought up the subject of investors again, for all the reasons he had mentioned before. Spencer shut him down very quickly. Their fashion director, Beau Vincent, agreed with Paul, and said so to Spencer. He felt that they needed to develop an online presence and sell through the internet, and he loved Paul’s idea of an annex, although finding a suitable building in the neighborhood, not too far from the mother ship, would be challenging. Marcy said she agreed with both of them. Spencer looked annoyed at the end of the meeting, and even more so when her mother called her. Eileen still had a network of secretaries she spoke to who told her the gossip they heard from the various department heads they worked for.
“Why are you looking for investors?” Her mother landed on Spencer’s nerves with both feet, as she usually did, with half-truths and rumors.
“I’m not. Paul Trask thinks we should get a big influx of money to make some improvements, and I’m opposed to it.”
“Your grandfather and your father didn’t have investors,” Eileen said in an accusatory tone that was all too familiar to Spencer. She’d heard it all her life.
“Neither will I. Your spies should be more accurate if they’re going to give you insider information. I’m not taking investment money. We can manage without it.”
“Are you trying to move uptown?”
“No, I’m not,” Spencer said, exasperated. Her mother never showed any interest in the store, except to gossip and criticize it, and her daughter. “I wish you’d stop listening to gossip, Mother. The people who tell you that stuff don’t know what they’re talking about, and it just gets you wound up.”
“I’m not wound up. I just want to know what you’re up to.”
“Why? You never cared about the store while Grampa Thorny was alive, or when Dad ran it. You hated it, and you said so all the time. Why are you always looking over my shoulder, accusing me of something I’m not doing, and criticizing me for it?”
“That’s not fair,” Eileen complained. “I’m just trying to be supportive.”
“No, you’re not. You think I’m going to screw up and fall flat on my face, and you want to be the first to know so you can have a front-row seat when it happens. I’m sorry to disappoint you. I’m not taking investors. We’re going to keep on doing what we do now and have always done.”
“Maybe you should modernize a little,” Eileen conceded. “I like shopping online. I’ll bet your grandfather would have made that possible, even if your father wouldn’t have.” Spencer knew she had that right. Her father hated change of any kind. There had been no improvements during his tenure, and too many good things he had eliminated.
She got off the phone as quickly as she could and was exasperated for the rest of the day. She was distressed by Paul Trask’s ideas about an investor, and his persistence about pursuing them. They were valid suggestions, but not if it required an investor to make them happen. God knows who they’d get, or how much of a percentage of the business an investor would want. Spencer didn’t intend to give up a single percent to anyone. She was certain her grandfather wouldn’t have.
Spencer had a dozen problems come across her desk that afternoon, most of them relatively easy to solve, but annoying anyway. And at five o’clock, she got a call from the White House, from the First Lady’s personal secretary. She was coming to New York to shop the next day. She wanted to come to Brooke’s, but it was a massive project for her to go anywhere on a personal mission, even shopping. Security measures would have to be in place. All employees in the building had to be vetted and cleared by the FBI, or they couldn’t be there. The building had to be carefully checked by the Secret Service, and all exits guarded. The First Lady’s security detail would prefer if the store would be closed during her visit. And there could be no leak or statement beforehand about the visit to the store, to jeopardize security. The First Lady was landing the next day and wanted to be at the store by four o’clock, so they would have to close early to accommodate her.