“Here’s our wonderful son,” my mom announced, touching Kevin Kramer’s sleeve lightly. “I know you two have to talk business. But don’t keep him long! He’s our guest of honor.”
“So glad you came out to see your parents,” Kevin said, clapping me on the shoulder. “I know they miss you.”
He was already pretty drunk. Was this meeting even going to be productive?
“You wanted to discuss investing,” I prompted.
“Well, yeah,” Kevin said, taking a swig of his beer. “Your mom called me and wanted me to talk to you. She’s worried about you.”
Of course he didn’t want to invest. Of course this was yet another ploy by my mother to control me.
I never should have come to this party.
“I see,” I said icily.
“Now, now,” Kevin said, resting a hand on my chest, “don’t think I don’t want to invest in FarmTech Solutions. I do. I hear Chris Winchester is investing in your company, and I have money I’m looking to park somewhere, but”—he said, taking another swig of his beer—“I gotta say, Matt, I got to say, I’m a little worried that you’re letting your personal life distract you from your business. I need to know that you’re a hundred percent on board and that your head is in the game.”
“Of course it is,” I practically spat, knowing where this was going.
“Your mom and dad told me some concerning things about Merrie,” Kevin continued.
“If you think I’m getting back together with Hensley,” I said coldly, “I’ll stop you right there.”
“I’m not saying that I don’t condone cheating, but Merrie.” Kevin made a face. “That doesn’t seem like the move of a smart, driven businessman, you understand?”
“Not really.”
“She’s dragging you down. You need a nice wife. You know, my daughter is graduating from Yale this summer, top of her class.”
Yeah, because you bought a new building on campus, but hey, what do I know.
“I’m perfectly happy in my current relationship.”
“I just think you should explore all your options.” Kevin finished his beer. “But let me know when you come to your senses, and I’ll invest.” He wandered off to grab another drink.
And that’s the end of a very unproductive meeting.
I was seething as I walked through the party, trying to find Merrie.
Who the fuck did my parents think I was? Also, while Kramer did have a big fund, it was not like I didn’t have access to capital. Sure, a lot of my capital was tied up in investments, but I also had relationships with some of the premier investment firms in Manhattan. Kramer’s money might be easy money, and he wouldn’t be constantly looking over our shoulder like the Svenssons—or God forbid, my sister—would, but I would take a contentious meeting in which Greg Svensson was constantly a hairbreadth away from burning everything to the ground over some doughy wannabe bigshot investor who was my parents’ puppet.
Matt:Kramer is a no-go.
Eli:How did you blow it?!?
Matt:It was a setup from my parents.
Eli:Dude…and I thought my parents were fucked up.
“There’s the love of my life!” Henley wrapped her arms around my neck. I jerked, trying to disentangle myself, but she wrapped her fingers around my tie.
“Hensley—”
“I knew you would come back to me eventually,” she cried, “and here you are.”
“I’m not here for you.”
Hensley pouted. “Your parents said you had come home to apologize.”
