first. “Nick and I have given this a good deal of thought. We want to eventually become the venture capitalists for small scrappy companies like this and prepare them either for sale, like we’re doing, or to go public. A lot of people out there have great ideas but don’t know how to follow through. We’ve figured out how. We might do another small company again and sell that to make sure our feet are well and properly sodden, but we’re selling.”
Nick added, “We want to strike while the iron’s hot. Before someone else comes and tries to copy it with something subpar. First to market is key.”
She nodded. “And Toshino, Inc. is banking on that with their purchase. But their team has asked again if you won’t both stay on to run it and lend your names to increase the value.”
“That’s a nonstarter,” Lex said.
Nick agreed. “Look, Annabelle, we’ve both worked hard to distance ourselves from our pasts. My name might tarnish the brand. While this is meant to be an app for the want-to-be jetsetter, Take Back the Night is still aiming for the elite kind of clientele. That’s the whole point. If you start attaching the name Wexler to it, you’ll get every low level sleaze ball from here to Dubai who wants to party with the big boys. Our business clients bank on the exclusivity and the class. They won’t be thrilled with riff raff joining up. And unfortunately, the Wexler name comes with riff raff.”
She sighed and swished her red hair over her shoulder. “Any way to change your mind, Lex? The Chase name screams luxury. Hell, even royalty. We’ve already taken the steps to protect you from your father’s corporate raiding.”
Lex might have different reasons than Nick for keeping his anonymity, but he was still not lending his name. “Sorry, Annabelle, no can do. Even if we do manage to keep the sale quiet until it’s final, when my father does find out, he’s going to make attempts to block it. To try to claim it for CET. I want to be as separate from him as humanly possible.”
She shook her head, no doubt lamenting the loss of additional commission if she’d garnered them a bigger deal. “Very well. Toshino, Inc. is presenting this as their offer.” She slid the paperwork in their direction. “It’s understandably smaller because of the removed brand recognition. But it should make the two of you happy.”
The offer was in the ballpark of what Lex had expected. And it meant he could tell his father to shove it. “That’s fair.”
“That’s a lot of fucking zeros,” Nick mumbled.
“Well, you fronted the initial capital so you should know the valuation,” Lex said.
Nick’s eyes bugged. “Yeah, mate, but it’s one thing to know theoretically what it’s worth. It’s another, entirely, to see that number put down in front of you.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “To be honest, Lex, I thought you were full of bollocks.”
Lex laughed. “So you sunk your money into something you thought was bullshit?”
“More like I sunk it because you told me to. I have faith in you , but I couldn’t see what you could see. But fuck, mate. I see it now.”
Lex wasn’t sure if he should laugh or sucker punch him. “Well, thank you for the glowing endorsement.” He turned his attention to Annabel. “Are they still insisting I sit as CEO?”
She nodded. “Yes, you’ll see it in line 4 section A. You’re to sit as CEO for a term no shorter than six months following the sale of the company. At the end of that term, they will pay you a generous severance.” Her smile grew broader. “Between now and then, as long as you two don’t receive any undue negative press, you’ll be golden.”
Lex barely heard what she said the rest of the meeting. All he knew was his freedom was so close he could taste it.
Chapter 3
It’s not exactly like I ran away from home .
Abbie burrowed deeper under the covers. Packing up all her things and leaving DC behind for London was the
Nick added, “We want to strike while the iron’s hot. Before someone else comes and tries to copy it with something subpar. First to market is key.”
She nodded. “And Toshino, Inc. is banking on that with their purchase. But their team has asked again if you won’t both stay on to run it and lend your names to increase the value.”
“That’s a nonstarter,” Lex said.
Nick agreed. “Look, Annabelle, we’ve both worked hard to distance ourselves from our pasts. My name might tarnish the brand. While this is meant to be an app for the want-to-be jetsetter, Take Back the Night is still aiming for the elite kind of clientele. That’s the whole point. If you start attaching the name Wexler to it, you’ll get every low level sleaze ball from here to Dubai who wants to party with the big boys. Our business clients bank on the exclusivity and the class. They won’t be thrilled with riff raff joining up. And unfortunately, the Wexler name comes with riff raff.”
She sighed and swished her red hair over her shoulder. “Any way to change your mind, Lex? The Chase name screams luxury. Hell, even royalty. We’ve already taken the steps to protect you from your father’s corporate raiding.”
Lex might have different reasons than Nick for keeping his anonymity, but he was still not lending his name. “Sorry, Annabelle, no can do. Even if we do manage to keep the sale quiet until it’s final, when my father does find out, he’s going to make attempts to block it. To try to claim it for CET. I want to be as separate from him as humanly possible.”
She shook her head, no doubt lamenting the loss of additional commission if she’d garnered them a bigger deal. “Very well. Toshino, Inc. is presenting this as their offer.” She slid the paperwork in their direction. “It’s understandably smaller because of the removed brand recognition. But it should make the two of you happy.”
The offer was in the ballpark of what Lex had expected. And it meant he could tell his father to shove it. “That’s fair.”
“That’s a lot of fucking zeros,” Nick mumbled.
“Well, you fronted the initial capital so you should know the valuation,” Lex said.
Nick’s eyes bugged. “Yeah, mate, but it’s one thing to know theoretically what it’s worth. It’s another, entirely, to see that number put down in front of you.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “To be honest, Lex, I thought you were full of bollocks.”
Lex laughed. “So you sunk your money into something you thought was bullshit?”
“More like I sunk it because you told me to. I have faith in you , but I couldn’t see what you could see. But fuck, mate. I see it now.”
Lex wasn’t sure if he should laugh or sucker punch him. “Well, thank you for the glowing endorsement.” He turned his attention to Annabel. “Are they still insisting I sit as CEO?”
She nodded. “Yes, you’ll see it in line 4 section A. You’re to sit as CEO for a term no shorter than six months following the sale of the company. At the end of that term, they will pay you a generous severance.” Her smile grew broader. “Between now and then, as long as you two don’t receive any undue negative press, you’ll be golden.”
Lex barely heard what she said the rest of the meeting. All he knew was his freedom was so close he could taste it.
Chapter 3
It’s not exactly like I ran away from home .
Abbie burrowed deeper under the covers. Packing up all her things and leaving DC behind for London was the
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