Windsor Greetings - Chapter 4: The Cousin Meeting
Alex meets with his cousin, Kenny, to procure a majority stake in the family business. Things don't go as planned.
Hey, Friends! Thanks for tuning into Chapter 4 of the Windsor family saga. If you haven’t read chapters 1, 2, or 3, start here.
In the meantime, please enjoy the next chapter in the saga of the Windsor family and their greeting card empire.
Previously On Windsor Greetings
Over dinner, Alex confides in his mother that Windsor Greetings is on the brink of collapse—and that he’s quietly buying out family shares to take control and save it. What he doesn’t realize is that Tyler, lurking outside the doorway, hears everything.
Table of Contents
Chapter 4: The Cousin Meeting
Chapter 4: The Cousin Meeting
Alex pulled up to Foundation, a tiki bar in Milwaukee—exactly the type of place Kenny would ask to meet. From across the room, Alex saw him at the bar with a Mai Tai in hand and several empty tiki mugs to his side. He looked like he was celebrating, or maybe he was just an alcoholic.
Alex made his way to the bar.
“Holy shit, there he is!” Kenny proclaimed to no one and everyone at the same time. He got up and gave Alex a big hug. “The computer genius hath returned!” Alex, always the youngest of his generation of Windsors, took a lot of crap from his siblings and cousins growing up. Some things never change, he thought.
Alex hugged him back. The scent of Mai Tai was thick on his breath. They exchanged a few pleasantries, and Kenny signaled to the bartender for another round.
As a startup founder, Alex was familiar with the art of negotiation. He knew that the key was understanding the interests of the other party. Fortunately, Kenny wasn’t complicated. He didn’t care about the Windsor legacy, he didn’t want a seat on the family council, and he sure as hell wasn’t interested in finding meaning in his work. He didn’t have plural interests. His interest was singular: Kenny wanted money.
So long as he didn’t have to work, and could continue his slow march towards liver failure, he’d be happy.
Since Windsor Greetings hadn’t made a profit in three years, his shares had been essentially worthless. This wouldn’t be complicated, nor would it be terribly expensive. Alex figured he’d have not just a verbal agreement, but the paperwork signed in the next twenty minutes.
The bartender returned with three fresh tiki mugs.
“Who’s that one for?” Alex asked.
Kenny looked across the bar and towards the bathroom. Emerging from behind the door was Tyler, a leather folder in hand, and a big smile on his face.
“Why, that’s the newest minority stake shareholder of Windsor Greetings,” Kenny said.
Alex had underestimated Tyler.
Stay Tuned
Want to see what happens next? Check back every Tuesday — and don’t miss my weekly creative roundup on Friday.
Until then,
-Mike
Integrity- doing the right thing when no one is watching. Alex will prevail in the end.
Checkmate!