Chapter 17

As he dropped off all the girls, the limo driver received a big tip. Karen invited Lauren to spend the night at their place with me. I'd kept some of the pot, so we were all having a beer and smoking in the living room. As I sat there, I felt distracted, and Lauren asked me what was wrong.

"I'm sorry; I was thinking about a problem that I'm having at work."

"What's the problem? I'm studying to become an engineer, so maybe I can help."

Karen and Diane were there, so I didn't want to say anything negative, but I said it anyways. "In anticipation of some new big orders, we opened another plant. What's happened though is that all the big hardware stores want to keep cheaper and less efficient filters, so they can give their customers a choice. As a result, we might have to close one of our factories, and lay off the workers. I need to figure out a way how to sell more filters."

Lauren, who was in the middle of holding in a lung full of smoke, let it out and said, "Make cheaper filters in one of the factories."

I almost fell off the chair, and then looked at the clock. It was three-thirty in the morning, and I was sitting there feeling quite drunk and stoned. I looked to Karen, and she said, "I'll buy anything you got to sell, but you have to fuck me first."

"I'm also serious. I'll fuck you, but would you consider buying cheaper filters from us, or more specifically, can we make them for you?"

"What's the difference?" Diane asked.

"We don't want our names on the cheaper ones, because we sell our better ones for a premium, based on quality. We could make a Home Depot brand filter that is better than what you sell now, but in the same price range. Instead of two layers of our special fabric around a mat of fibers, we could just do a single layer of fabric. It would say Home Depot around the edge."

"At what price?"

"If I could cut the price down to a dollar twenty-five would that be low enough?"

"Possibly, if it was better quality than what we sell now. That's still almost sixty percent off the premium filter."

It was three-thirty on a Sunday morning, and all I wanted to do was call Larry, Jim, Stick, and Cheryl. I decided to meet with Larry on Monday to see if he would be interested, and scope out the requirements for quality and price. If he were in, then I'd call Jim. I felt so keyed up that I took Karen to bed, and dragged the other two along. They were all bisexual, and before I passed out, I had sex with Karen and Lauren. It was humorous that now, I'd been to bed with Diane twice, and hadn't had intercourse with her yet.

Sunday I was on edge, and went for a run around the park. I kept running while I went through the entire set of pros, cons, and components of the potentially new product line. When I stopped running, and decided to walk, I took stock of the situation. I'd been running for over an hour, and just realized that my clothes were dripping in sweat. Although I felt tired, my mind was clear, and I suddenly realized that I now had a plan. I was walking back through the park toward Peachtree Road, and Karen's place when a guy on a bench stopped reading his paper, and said, "You finally stopped."

"Excuse me?"

"You were making me feel lazy after you bolted by here on your fifth lap of the park."

"I'll feel it later, but if felt good for now. Have a nice day."

When I got back, Lauren had gone home to study, and Diane was out shopping. Before I could move towards the bath to take a shower, Karen asked me to dump my nasty clothes straight in the washer. After finishing my shower, I dressed, and we went out. We walked a couple of blocks, and found a restaurant where we enjoyed a late lunch. With full bellies from the good meal, we decided to continue our walk. As we walked, I felt myself daydreaming and enjoying her company. All of a sudden, she broke my concentration, by saying, "Don, thanks for thinking about everyone when you bought those tickets. After work, I don't always like hanging out with my boss, but it seems that our personal relationship has gotten better after Vegas, and again last night. I recognize that it's good for business, but he and his wife were fun, and on top of that, I'm was glad that I could drink a little more, and smoke a bit at the after party. Home Depot and Lowe's both have drug policies, so don't mention it to him that we smoked together. They test you when they hire you, and again if they have cause."

"I won't say anything. Larry is older than you are, but he's a nice guy. I hope that he's willing to listen to my idea about the lower end filters. It could help us a lot, and give your customers better filters."

We didn't party, or go crazy on Sunday night. I slept with Karen, but just held her. We were up early, and I followed her into the office. It was only seven forty-five, and they didn't expect her until eight. Larry was in the office looking at a report, and sipping coffee. Watching him do a double take when I walked in with Karen was humorous, but that was between them.

"Good morning Don, we had a great time on Saturday night. Thanks again for thinking of us."

"I was happy to do it. I had lunch with Karen yesterday, and we were talking about an idea that I had. I wanted to know if you had a few minutes to discuss it."

"I have forty-five minutes that I can spare."

He invited me in, and closed the door. I said, "Larry, I'm going to talk honestly with you; when we got the orders from all the companies out in Vegas, Jim wanted to make sure that we could deliver what we'd promised. So what did he do? He went out and bought a larger factory to bring us to three nationwide. It is now our largest, and has the best equipment available in the market. After you ran your tests, we reduced the order, because you decided to keep the crappy filters so you could offer your customers a lower cost alternative."

"Are you guys OK?"

"Financially we're fine, and we'll deliver your filters as promised. Our problem is that we have too much capacity to justify keeping three factories open. I don't want to see one of them close, and see friends laid off. I want to increase sales and orders to justify keeping it open, and to keep our employees employed."

"I'm not sure what you're asking for, but I'm still listening."

"What do you think of my company producing a low-end filter, as a Home Depot brand filter? It will be a more efficient filter than the low-end one you're currently carrying. However, it won't be close to the one that we're selling to you as our premium filter. I don't know price-wise what we need to beat, but without talking to Jim I'd guess around a buck twenty-five for a filter, which will be three times better than what you're selling now, but with the Home Depot logo around the cardboard frame."

"We just had a price increase from our supplier from ninety cents to a dollar a filter. I think it's because they're selling less filters. We sell it for a dollar twenty-five. If we bumped it to a dollar fifty, we'd make less of a percentage, but the same profit per filter. I'd be interested if you could test it, and could prove the increase in performance. I like that we'd have our brand on it."

"We sell quality, and we can't afford to sell the lower end filter with our name on it. It would still be a step up from what you're selling now though."

"Talk to Jim, and check to see about pricing and performance. In theory we have a deal."

Although I stood, and shook his hand, what I wanted do was hug him, and kiss Karen, but I didn't do either. I calmly walked from the building, and then got in my truck. I drove out of the lot, then pulled over, and screamed. My body felt all tingly, as I tried to calm myself down. Once I felt OK, I started to drive towards Charlotte. I wasn't sure why, but I needed to know that it wasn't just Larry that I had on board.

Four hours later, I checked into a suite at the Dunhill Hotel. I called Cheryl's office, and Debbie told me to say hi to my brother before putting me through. Cheryl picked up, and said, "Good afternoon Mr. Powers. What can I do for you?"

"I'm in town, and wanted to meet with you."

"You told me to expect you in town once a month, or so. My body can't take that type of activity every couple of weeks. I'll try to keep up with you though."

"It is a business call. I can stop by the office, or you can come by my suite at the Dunhill."

"I'm really booked until four. Can we have a business dinner at your hotel? The restaurant is great."

"I'll be in the bar at five, and have reservations made for six. I look forward to seeing you."

She looked nice when she came in. We had a drink, and then sat down for a nice dinner. After they cleared the dishes, and they poured the coffee, she said, "I thought that this was a business deal."

"It is. I have an idea that I want to run past you." I went on to cover the same things that I had just discussed with Larry. She loved the idea, and was comfortable buying at the same price-point as Larry.

I offered her a trip up to the suite, she thought for a second, and said, "Let's keep it special. Call me next time you plan to come to town, and make sure you're here for the entire weekend. I love the endless passion we have. I'd hate to cheapen it with a one and done get together, and that's all I have time for at the moment."

It was about eight when I got back to the room, and I called Jim at home. He sounded stressed, so I asked what was new with him.

"I had someone come look at the Orlando factory today to give me an idea of its worth if I decide to sell it. This is the place where it all started, but it was much smaller back then."

"Jim why don't you think about getting it retooled, so we can ship all the existing business to the new factories. Once we do that, we can run our new line out of Orlando?"

"What new line?"

"The one I just sold to keep the factory open."

"Quit fucking around, and tell me what you did."

I explained my idea, and about my handshake deals with Lowe's and Home Depot. He put the phone down, and then picked it up in his den. He said, "We can do that, because you didn't take into account that with the new process, we can place the fabric straight across the frame, and eliminate the need for the baffles. As a result, we can now build a filter using one-sixth of the fabric, which is the most expensive part. That means that we can eliminate the need for a few people in the process. They'll not be lost though, since we can use them in packaging and shipping areas, because the quantities will be triple what we now do in a single shift. In addition, we'll have to make sure that we have a good supply of the different frame materials for the different companies. We should also arrange to have boxes for them similar to what we now do in our contractor programs. We'll have eyes to make sure the right filters go in the right boxes. Right now, I make fifty to seventy-five cents a filter. My first calculations at a buck twenty-five, show an eighty-eight cent margin before I give you a big chunk of it."

"Poor you. I need an independent test for the performance."

"This is just a sheet of fabric, and I've had it tested a hundred times when they were developing it. I can send over a report in the morning, and then have a sample made up, and tested again. This is great. I'll retool the factory with updated equipment. We'll still have capacity, but will have more than enough to justify all three sites. You've just lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. When are you going to visit Orlando next, so I can take you to dinner?"

"I'm supposed to close on my new place at the beach next week. I'll do that, and then fly to Minnesota and Illinois to meet with our other big chains. If we have small independents that are still offering the cheap brands, we can create a new brand DP filters to replace that crap they currently carry."

"What does the DP stand for?"

"Don Powers, Dumb People, or Double Profits, you take your pick. It is just something besides Airflow Technologies Premium Filters."

I heard him laugh, and could feel his smile through the phone. I had to make the long drive back to Orlando, but broke it up into two days, so I could stop to play golf in Jacksonville. Monday came, and I closed on the new condo. Mom had helped pick out furniture somewhere between crappy, and overpriced.

She explained that what she selected was purely functional furniture that looked nice. In the future, as I found other things that I liked, or found a style that pleased me more, then I could replace it piece-by-piece, room by room, or do a total make over. After we signed the papers in the sales office, the installers, who had parked by the freight elevator, then started moving. Tuesday the cleaning crew came in, and Tuesday night I moved in. Rhonda and Susan moved in on Wednesday. Maggie stopped by with an apple pie to welcome us in as neighbors. We were all happy that we were there.

Thursday morning, the waves were good, so I grabbed my board, and called into the girls that I was going surfing. There was a sand bar about a hundred yards up the beach from our condo. The waves were good right there, so I walked up the beach, and paddled out. I said hello to the two other guys sitting out past the breakers. I introduced myself, and told them that I'd just moved to Cocoa from Orlando. Bruce and Willie introduced themselves, and welcomed me to town. Willie said, "If you need anything, let me know, and I can make sure you're hooked up, dude."

"Well, if you know someone I'm definitely interested. Driving to Orlando to buy some weed isn't in the stars. I'm not a big user, but from time to time I like to relax some."

"I can make sure you're set up there."

I saw a wave coming, and rode it. The feeling of surfing is like no other. Susan and Rhonda were walking up the beach when I got back out to Bruce and Willie. Bruce said, "Look at those honeys walking this way."

"Those are my roommates, Rhonda and Susan. They also moved in yesterday."

"Dude you're a lucky bastard."

I just smiled, and then paddled up the beach some to place me into position for a set that was rolling in. By the time I rode the wave, and paddled back out, the girls were in the line-up. Bruce and Willie had already introduced themselves, and they were all talking. It was great not having to drive back to Orlando or awake at four to drive to the beach, and hope the wave report was accurate. At quarter 'til eight, Willie and Bruce said they had to leave for work at Ron-Jon's, so they caught some waves, and rode them in towards the beach. Susan said that she had some appointments, and had to go, as well.

Rhonda volunteered to keep me company, so we rode waves until ten. As we were walking back to the condo, I asked what her plans were.

"I'm going to settle in my room, and do whatever I need to do to make sure that my stuff is in order."

She worked for Stick, and she can work Saturdays, so I wasn't going to pry. I showered, and called the buyers at Menards and Ace before calling my travel agent to book the trip. I was leaving Monday afternoon, and would be home on Saturday night. It was short notice, but I had to work with the buyers schedules. I'd bring my clubs, and play golf between appointments.

It was later in the afternoon when I knocked on Maggie's door. I told her that I was going to the grocery, and was wondering if she had time to help me. She smiled, and went in to grab her purse and sandals. We went over to Publix, and we walked the aisles together. She helped me pick out the things that I don't know about. I needed to buy all the staples like spices, flour, baking powder, and things that I didn't know what their use was. She had her own cart, so I'd add things too it when she wasn't looking. I paid for her groceries, and then mine. She said that I didn't have to, but didn't fight me hard when I insisted.

She put her cold stuff away, then came over, and helped me set up my kitchen. Rhonda was reading a book in the living room when I carried in the first of three loads from the truck. She didn't offer to help, but she was reading, and seemed happy. The high quality of my appliances and cookware really impressed Maggie. She organized the refrigerator and the pantry, explaining what went where and why. It was later in the afternoon after we had put everything away, when she asked if I wanted her to help fix a meal.

"Free cooking lessons? If you'll stay, and eat with us, I'd be happy to cook with you."

She was a great cook, and we had some of the apple pie she'd dropped off for desert. Susan had a good day, and now Rhonda was finished settling in. I gave Maggie a hug, and she had a tour of the finished condo before heading home. I walked into the living room, and Susan was working on some paperwork. Rhonda was in the kitchen. She said, "We can make a list of things we need for when we go shopping. I think we need some wine, and should stock up on beers, as well."

I told her to make a list, and, as we find things we need, or run out of something, we can put them on the list, and then the next person to go to the store can pick up what's on the list. They both agreed.

Friday the waves were good, so I surfed until ten. Susan was out in time to leave for work by eight, and Rhonda went to work after surfing with me until ten. I wonder what she would have done if I'd surfed until noon. She was already getting on my nerves, but we needed to figure out a pattern or relationship that we were all comfortable with.

I took my coffee out to the balcony so I could sit and listen to the waves, and relax. Susan and Rhonda were both at work, and I was alone. I heard the door open on Maggie's balcony, so I called over to say hi. She stuck her head around the front part of the wall where I could see her. I held up my cup of coffee, and asked if she wanted to join me for a cup. She smiled, and agreed to come over. I met her in the kitchen, then pulled a key out of the drawer, and gave it to her to hold for me if I ever locked myself out. She said that she would give me a key to her place for the same reason.

We sat on the balcony, and got to know each other. She asked about my money and work.

"I work in sales for a company that sells air filters. The dad of my brother's girlfriend owns the company, and he offered me a summer job. I told him that I wanted sales, and he set me up on straight commissions. He thought that if I was lucky, and worked hard that I might close enough deals to cover my gas money for the year. I worked hard, and got very lucky. He has opened two new factories to accommodate the additional business, and I have another deal that looks like it will add a ton of new business to the company. I'll be in the mid-west all next week closing the deal."

"I'm glad you're not some trust fund baby. I don't have much respect for people that aren't willing to work. If you need a cook, or a maid, I can always use a little extra cash."

"I need both. I want the three of us to keep up our own place, but there's a difference between picking up, and being clean. I also don't cook well. If you want to fix dinners a couple of nights a week, I'll eat them, and you can teach us to cook at the same time."

"Thanks Don, you don't know how much this means to me. Living on a fixed income sucks."

"I wouldn't know, but if you need anything just ask. I can sip lemonade while I watch you wash my truck in your bikini."