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Valerie Knowles, Bruno’s business manager, pursed her lips. In her sixties with a graying bob and silver spectacles, she was a humorless type of person and had come on board within the past two years. Involved in all aspects of his business, she mostly presided over his ownership in a vodka brand, oversaw his partnerships with family in other investments, and presided over Santana Kitchens—his restaurant group under Santana Foods—which invested in other restaurants.
Thanks to this small team and other staff, he’d been able to cut back on the time he spent working on business matters.
“Today, Kristopher,” Bruno said.
The James Beard Awards celebrated excellence in the restaurant industry and included awards for media, leadership, and chef and restaurants. Being nominated was a prestigious honor.
“All right, all right. Here are the categories. Garlique was nominated for Outstanding Restaurant. You were nominated for Outstanding Restaurateur, and Oasis was nominated for Best New Restaurant.”
“Wow,” Lang said, looking impressed.
“Congratulations.” Valerie squeezed his wrist.
All three members of his team clapped.
Bruno was pleasantly surprised. He’d been nominated for Outstanding Restaurateur last year and lost, but this year he’d earned three nominations. Having Oasis—his newest venture in Las Vegas on the list—was especially satisfying. None of his other restaurants had been nominated in that category, and he’d been more hands on with that project than any other, moving to Vegas for months to make sure every detail of the decor and the food was up to his rigid standards. His hard work had paid off in an unexpected way.
“How do you plan to celebrate?” Lang asked.
“Good question, I?—”
A knock sounded on the door, and his executive assistant poked in her head. “Bruno, there’s a Ms. Liburd here to see you. She doesn’t have an appointment, and she said she’s willing to wait. What should I tell her?”
Marissa. His brain immediately conjured soft curves and scented skin.
“Give me a few minutes, then you can send her in.”
She nodded and ducked out.
“Well, I’m afraid we’ll have to wrap up this meeting, and I’ll think about how we should celebrate. Did we cover everything?” Bruno asked.
Valerie closed her portfolio. “You’re sure you want them to lower the price point on the products? They’re not going to be happy.”
“I am.”
Saying the manufacturer wouldn’t be happy was an understatement. They’d already balked at his requests up to this point, and now he wanted to lower the price, all thanks to his conversation with Marissa the other night. That meant the deal would stall yet again, but she’d made him reconsider the goal of the products and push for more moderate pricing. He presented the same argument she had. Quality, healthy food should not be out of reach for the average consumer.
“If they don’t agree, we’ll find someone who does,” he said.
“Lang and I will address the changes with them and talk to the attorneys about the other revisions to the contract that you requested. Hopefully, we’ll have a draft for you in another week or two.”
“Kristopher, when will you be able to issue a statement about the nominations?” Bruno asked.
“Tomorrow morning at the latest. You want the wording to be similar to last year’s?”
“Yes, and I don’t need to see the text. You know what to do. Anything else?” Bruno looked around the table.
When none of them said a word, he stood and the two at the table followed suit.
After saying goodbye, Kristopher disappeared from the computer screen and Lang and Valerie headed out the door.
Moments later, his executive assistant knocked and led Marissa into the office. Bruno sat on his desk, arms crossed, taking in her appearance. She was once again dressed modestly in a long-sleeved silk blouse, but cream slacks this time. Her hair was in its signature bun, her black glasses perched on her nose.
“Hello,” she said quietly.
“Hello, it’s good to see you. How is Theo?”
“Doing well and back to himself. His father had a stern talk with him. I’m hopeful the conversation will make a difference, and he’ll behave himself from now on, but I doubt it.” She shook her head and emitted a short laugh.
