Franklin chokes on a mouthful of whiskey. “You’ll need a billion-dollar investment,” he mutters.
“I’m looking in Australia.”
He freezes, then downs his whiskey and comes back to lean on the desk. “Beside the mining industry, what investment Down Under will earn that sort of money?”
I shrug. “I don’t want billions. It doesn’t bring happiness. I want something for when I am home. We can stay and oversee the workings, knowing it is ours.”
“Have you spoken to Jobe about a real estate investment? Hotels or apartment blocks?”
“Nope. I don’t want anything like that. A small team of staff and something more intimate.”
He circles his finger. “Double back. And Charlotte wants to go to Australia with you? For how long are we talking?”
“Months. I’m not asking her to come and live there with me, but after I finish playing, I want to spend time with my family. My friends. It’s been over ten years, and I have lost touch with who I was.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
Before I answer, he stands and walks to the other side of his desk.
“Yes and no. I will stay here for her, but there will be times I’ll need to go home.”
He picks up some balls from the table and rolls them around his fingers as he slowly paces by the window. “I failto understand how she can leave when she is the governor of the LA Sharks.” He stops and stares at me. “What am I missing?”
I hold up both hands. “Nothing. I haven’t discussed it with her. I was hoping for ideas and contacts.”
“You have my family to deal with if you force her to resign.”
“I won’t.”Fuck!
He keeps pacing. “I have one idea. Only as I was looking into it myself.”
I sit forward and wipe my sweaty hands on my pants. “Where?”
“In South Australia… it’s ideal. Ever thought of owning a winery?”
“Where?”
“McLaren Vale.”
My stomach flutters with excitement. “Love the area.”
He sits behind his desk, taps away on his keypad, and then turns the monitor. “Grandfather and father were in an accident five years ago, and the wife is struggling to keep it afloat. Kids are not interested in running the winery or the cellar door. It had a great reputation ten years ago, but their marketing skills did not compete with the newer, more savvy wineries.”
“Nothing like a challenge.”
“Since you have the funds, you can pay trained staff to run the winery and still visit when you return home. I suggest you build small apartments for people to stay and immerse in the experience. I can set you up with the best accountants to ensure it’s not a dwindling business. But you need to think about marketing. I can help there, but you want something that stands out above all the other wineries and appeals to influencers. After researching the area, I found that there is huge competition. If I were steering youon the right path, I’d say to buy in Napa Valley. But I know that’s not the direction you want.”
I stand and shake his hand. “Thanks, Franklin. I appreciate your time. If you send me a contact, I can take it from there.”
He shakes my hand. “Not a chance. My expertise is stopping people from fucking others over. I’ll handle this.”
I grin. “I want Charlotte’s life to be about experiencing new things. A big adventure.”
“Good luck with that, BJ.”
Walkingalong the hallways of the LA Sharks offices, the only thing that has changed in three years is the names on the doors. I nod to the staff as they pass by, all knowing my name. They smile like I have always been here, and this is my home.
I stop outside my favorite door and knock twice.
