Chapter 12

I thanked the driver as he dropped me off on the street in front of the Tropicana. I checked in and went to the business center and I purchased a legal pad, a ruler, and a couple large mailing envelopes. In my room, I started to draw on the pad. I drew boxes and pallets from all different views. I also drew air controlled systems and conveyors.

When I finished, I had designed a set of wheels built into the floor of the trailer. With the push of a button, the wheels would rise up and make the floor a set of rollers to make loading and unloading containers much easier. There would also be a hydraulic lift in the front of the trailer to raise or lower the front end by up to five degrees. This would allow gravity to help with the loading and unloading process.

We'd also build metal boxes that would hold pallets up to two-high. We could use these for partial loads. If a customer needed to send some freight that only took up a fractional load, they could use the containers to control the contents, which could be unloaded at a pre-defined warehouse, and if required, they could then transfer the containers to smaller trucks for delivery. The containers could be of different sizes. In a fifty-two foot trailer, we could have thirteen four-foot boxes from back to front and then load them either single or double high. Two boxes wide would fill the eight-foot wide space.

I'd also use the plastic wrap to wrap the pallets, which would help reduce the load separation issue and reduce theft. When I finished the drawings, I made certain to label every piece and then wrote a long description of the function, purpose, design and measurements for everything on the page.

When I finished, I was very pleased with my work, but noticed that I had been at it for almost twelve hours straight. I felt tired, hungry and in need of a shower and shave. After washing up, I went to the business center and produced a copy of all the pages I had just finished, placed them in an envelope, and sent them to Craig in Nashville. I placed the originals in the envelope that I had previously purchased.

By that time, it was after three AM. I went to the snack bar which was the only thing open and ordered a slice of pizza. It was filling, but not anything to write home about. I was getting a second wind, but knew I wanted to talk to Craig before I got back on the road. I hung the "do not disturb" sign on the door and went to bed.

I woke up feeling better. It was only one in the afternoon, so I had slept around six hours. I was hungry, but instead of eating in the hotel, I got into a cab and directed him down to Henderson, Nevada. There we had a truck stop about four hours from Flagstaff. I wandered around to see how they were managing things. I was happy that a guard stopped me when I tried to walk out the trucker's side of the plaza. She told me that I needed to get an ID badge with a barcode for them to allow me on the commercial side of the building. When I went over to the office to get the badge, they asked me some questions, which it seems I answered OK. They issued me a badge and the guard then allowed me access to the commercial side. She asked me about my truck and when I told her I didn't have one, the plaza manager approached me. I explained that I worked for the owner and was stopping in to check to make sure that everything was working out OK. His name was Rich Delmont and he was very nice. We talked for an hour or two about the scanners and the use of the bar code system. He showed me the office with the dispatchers and another office with the sales people and accounting people.

We walked out to the far part of the plaza to the Maintenance building and saw guys working on various trucks. He said that they were making a profit on the oil, tires and truck maintenance. "Although we had the building, it wasn't set up to run every day. I made a call and got the go ahead to open it up. To support the truck drivers, we even have a shuttle that comes out to pick up the drivers that are having work done, so, depending on the amount of work they request in the work order, they can spend a couple of days in Vegas. They do the oil and tires while they have their dinner. We have guys radioing ahead to reserve a spot and make a point to stop at this location for their work."

I told him that he was doing a great job. I also suggested to him that if he had any ideas that could potentially improve the overall process, he should pass them along up the line. We were walking back to his office when I stopped and punched my code into the apartment door. When I did that, I caught him off guard. He said that no one ever told him what was behind the door and no one had a key or knew the combination. With that statement, I showed him the apartment and then stepped into the bathroom to get rid of some coffee. We went down and ate dinner with Rich at the restaurant. I ordered my favorite, the chicken and waffles.

Rich said, "I had never heard of chicken and waffles until they opened this diner. I had never heard of a place called Dani's either. I think that they're a new place just for our plazas. When I originally saw the chicken and waffles on the menu, I thought that whoever put that on there was dumb as dirt, and we would never sell a single order. I even ordered it, so I could laugh at how silly it was. Man, whenever I come in here to eat, I have to make myself not order it again. I'd blow up like a balloon if I ordered it as often as I wanted. We even have Dani stopping by tomorrow for a ceremony. She invented the recipe and the restaurant concept, and I understand that it's doing very well. We don't own it, so I'm not sure about the profits, but they're always busy and those waitresses sell a ton of chicken and waffles."

"Dani is coming here tomorrow?" I asked.

"She's going to a lot of the stores to make sure they're up and running and to meet the people working for her."

"I'll have to come back and see that. What time do you expect her to arrive here?"

"I'm not sure, but Marge is the manager here and she'd know." He waved at Marge and she walked over and said hi to Rich. He asked about Dani.

Marge said, "She's flying in tonight around seven and then coming out here at ten in the morning to meet everyone. Her plan is to stay and do a quick ceremony at eleven to start the lunch shift. She's really a great gal. I met her in Orlando when I flew out there for training. She was right out of school, but knew what she wanted and how she wanted everything. The plan she has for the workers and the customers is great."

I thanked her and when I looked at my watch, I noticed that it was almost six. I asked Marge if she could get me a piece of cardboard and a marker. She had the cook cut out the side of a box of oranges and I wrote Dani in big black letters. I thanked Rich for the tour and Marge for the information and then went to find a cab. There were three in the lot filling up on the cheap gas and drinking some coffee. With that, I walked over and asked one for a lift to the airport and we were off.

I was standing at the bottom of the escalator down to baggage claim for thirty minutes holding the sign that I had made with 'DANI' on it, before I heard the scream of a very excited woman. "Britt, oh my God, I can't believe that you're here."

She pushed past a couple of people, jumped into my arms, and kissed me face all over. I let her down to the ground and told her I was happy to see her.

"What're you doing here? I haven't seen you in forever and whenever I ask anyone, you're off working somewhere. Reggie said you stopped in for a beer, but I was out opening stores."

"I ate some chicken and waffles today and had to see you. I'm also visiting plazas for work and found out that our timing was close enough to stick around and see my favorite restaurateur."

"Looks who's talking, Partner. Can we share a room or are you with someone?" she asked.

"I have a room at the Tropicana. Can you cancel yours?"

"I'll call them right now. I'm only in town for a night and then off to California for another location tomorrow."

"We should make the most of it then," I said.

"I'm starving. I got on a plane at four o'clock and now its ten Eastern time. I refuse to eat the crap they serve on the plane."

She only had a carry-on bag, so I got a cab and directed him to the Monte Carlo. The hostess held Dani's bag while we went to Andre's and had a baby spinach salad and the best rack of lamb in the state. We both enjoyed talking about our busy schedules and the tremendous satisfaction of seeing what we were working on so hard, finally showing some signs of success. I told her that Marge had great things to say about her training, and about the great lady, she worked for and ran the business.

Dani said, "I want to talk more, but I want us naked in bed as soon as possible, while we do it."

I skipped the coffee and paid the check. We grabbed a cab and went back to my room and climbed in bed. We made love and then just held each other and kissed for a while.

Dani pulled back and said, "Britt, when we were in school, I never really understood what you meant when you said that you didn't have time for a girlfriend. I never understood when you said that you wanted to make a large difference in families' lives. I never understood how much of your life you were giving up, by ensuring that you protected others by not allowing them to follow you. Now I do. I've opened fifty restaurants or I should say that we have since you and Marshal own forty-nine percent. We have almost three hundred and fifty more in the works. I already have requests in areas that have been open a few months to open new locations in town and not just at the truck stops. I have many people who depend on our business and me, to make ends meet. Many single moms work at Dani's. We have suppliers and others that also rely on us. It's a big responsibility."

"Dani why do you think Marshal found Scott Mitchell and brought him in to run the business? As EVP of operations at Steak and Shake, he understood all the needs you'd be facing. You're the owner and figurehead of the organization. They serve your recipes. You don't need to worry about what kind of rags they're buying to wipe the tables, or if the new store opening in Topeka has enough spoons or other everyday stuff. You need to ensure that your customers and your employees are happy and that they are following the policies, procedures and quality standards."

"I thought I'd just run everything and it would all just fall into place. Marshal recommended Scott and it took me about five minutes talking to him to figure out that I didn't know crap about building a restaurant chain. For four of those minutes I was in denial. Scott hired ten regional managers the first week. He set up supply chains and contracts with all of our suppliers. I finally just stood back and got out-of-the-way. I made sure that our managers were properly trained and that they were delivering the customer experience I was looking to achieve."

"I'm proud of you. I'm sorry that you're working a hundred hours a week, but that will slow down in a couple of years."

"Ugh, I feel worn out already. I feel like all I do these days is sit on airplanes and smile. I almost feel like a politician."

"Do you want to sleep or go out or stay in and have sex?"

"We just had sex. Can we go to the casino? I've never been to a casino and I've heard stories from you and Reggie."

"Sure," I said.

We went down and decided to stay at the Tropicana. I told her that first I'd need to sign for some chips since I didn't have that much cash on me. She sat down and I told her I'd be right back. I found the manager and asked for a line of credit. He asked how much and I told him ten grand. He took my ID and my credit card information. After a telephone call, he had me sign a form and handed me ten chips that were worth a thousand dollars each.

I thanked him and he wished me luck. I went back out to the floor and Dani was playing a slot machine. She was smiling and pulling the arm.

I said, "Hey, how are you doing?"

"I'm winning. I put money in and it spits money out. I started with fifty dollars and now have about a hundred and fifty."

"That's great. You'll end up losing if you keep playing, but in the short term you can make a lot of money quickly."

"I know, but I became bored waiting for you. A lady came by and asked if I needed change, so I thought I'd give it a try."

"It can be fun in a mindless sort of way."

"What do you want to play?" she asked.

"If I'm trying to win, my normal game is playing poker, but I also play craps or blackjack if I'm just trying to play and have fun."

"Can we play craps? Will you teach me?"

"I like craps. It's a very social game. In craps, you aren't trying to beat the person next to you and they can't take the card you needed to make a black jack, so over time, it can become a fun game. Even the dealers get bigger tips when you win, so except for the casino and the pit boss everyone is cheering for you to win."

"Let's go."

I led her over to the table and we took two spots next to the dealer. This way if she or we had questions, it would be easier to talk to the person that could help. I understand the odds and the fun you can have playing the middle of the board, but I prefer to play the Pass line and the odds bets. I keep it simple, but play longer without losing as much.

Dani and I each put a thousand dollar chip on the table and she just parroted me for the first couple of rounds. We won some, but lost more. After about an hour, we both had lost a grand, so we decided to switch tables and things started to pick up. We were playing the Pass line and then maxing out the odds bets. Each of us put down another thousand. There was a young couple standing next to Dani. They both were a little drunk, but not quite over-the-top drunk. We were winning and the girl gave Dani a high-five. As we kept playing and winning more and more, the girl would hug Dani after a big win. Their celebration was getting the immediate attention of the girl's date and me.