“I hope so, Miguel, because this deal he proposes could change the way we all do business. He must really trust you to have you broker it.”
“I believe he does,” Miguel said, pride evident on his face.
“Good! Then I must trust you too. Y’know, even though me and your boss butt heads from time to time, there is always respect.”
“With that in mind, he wanted me to discuss the final terms of our proposal to become your new distributor. I know you and Senor Alejandro have discussed the basics, but I thought you might want to see the numbers in black and white.”
He handed me a folder, which I in turn handed to Harris. He opened it and scanned the paperwork it contained. When he finished, he smiled and handed it to Orlando, who did the same when he was done reading.
“Alejandro did tell you that this deal hinges on one thing, didn’t he?” I asked.
He nodded. “Yes, you want Senor Alejandro’s 1957 Corvette Roadster.”
“He did tell you I used to own that ’57 Corvette Roadster? It’s been a sore spot between us for years.”
I pointed to a picture of me standing next to a fully restored red and white classic 1957 Corvette Roadster with barely one thousand miles on its engine. I’d lost the car to Alejandro in a poker game almost twenty years ago, during a business trip to Las Vegas. That was the last business transaction we’d done, because I believed he’d cheated in that game, miraculously pulling a straight flush to my full house. In any other situation I would have protested, but considering I was in his part of the country, he had several of his men there, and I was alone, I figured it was best to give up the keys. I’d regretted that mistake to this day, but my baby was finally coming home. Of course, now I had to pay 2011 prices for its return, but I was glad Alejandro had taken good care of it.
“I hated parting with that car.”
“And he equally hates parting with it now, sir, but in the interest of business and good relations, he has agreed to your terms.”
“Glad to hear that.” I glanced over at the boys. “Orlando, Harris, what do think of the deal we’ve made? Should we do it?”
“I can’t see any reason not to. It gives us a steady supply of inventory for the next five years and covers all my concerns,” Harris explained.
“It’s a no-brainer, Pop. These terms are almost as good as Lee’s when you take out the shipping.”
“Very good,” I said, reaching across my desk to shake his hand. “Miguel, it looks like we have a deal—as long as I get my Roadster back in one piece.”
“I can assure you we will take the utmost care in delivering the Corvette to you, Senor Duncan, as I will be here personally to ensure delivery once payment is made. That is why Alejandro wanted to make sure we met.”
“My brother Junior will be your contact for transport on our end,” Orlando said. He was all into the details, back from whatever mental vacation that trip to Long Island had him on. “How do you plan on making delivery of the Roadster, considering its value?”
“A special tractor-trailer transport fitted with special bracing and retrofitted to fit classic cars. It keeps them from picking up any damage during the trip. We use them a lot for this type of transport,” Miguel replied calmly.
“Yeah, so do we. What about security? I mean, we’re not talking about a few Camrys here. If that car is what you say it is, it’s worth more than both our paychecks.”
“It’s worth more than both your lives,” I interjected.
“Of course. All will be secure, as per your father’s arrangement with Alejandro. We, of course, will guarantee delivery.”
“Sounds good. You can see me about payment,” Orlando confirmed, looking at me with a smile as he checked off on everything. He handed Miguel his card. “Junior will get with you and nail down the route and delivery date in the next few days, but don’t hesitate to call me if something comes up.”
“Bien.”
“How long are you in town?” I asked as we walked out of my office.