man, did she know her stuff.
After holding George’s rapt attention for several minutes, a faint pink tinged her cheeks. “Forgive me. You came to see Mike. I did not mean to intrude.”
“No problem. What you said is very interesting.” George took a seat at Mike’s urging. “Actually I’d like to hear more sometime.” He glanced at Mike. “Assuming we’re still doing business after this meeting.”
“What’s going on, George?” With grim acceptance, Mike sat in his own chair. “What’s making you unhappy?”
Gina started to leave, but Mike waved her back inside. “Stay if you want,” he said. “This is your business, too.”
Surprise flickered in her eyes, and then a pleased smile lifted her lips and she reclaimed the chair in front of the computer.
George snorted. “Need reinforcements to help me change my mind?”
Mike hated being baited. “Tell me what the problem is and I’ll see if I can fix it.”
“Simple.” George shrugged and pursed his mouth in an annoying show of indifference. “Mondavi is willing to give me a larger percentage.”
“That’s hard to believe. You know damn well we pay top commission.”
“I’m telling you straight.” George smiled. “Maybe Mondavi wants my business more than you do.”
Mike drummed his fingers on the desk. The guy had to be bluffing. “Well, like I said, we’re already paying top dollar. I don’t know that there’s anything more I can do.”
“Okay, but you understand…” George shrugged again and started to get to his feet. “I like you, Mike. I’ve enjoyed doing business with you. But that’s the point—this is business. I have to go for the highest profit.”
“ Scusi, um, excuse me.”
Gina had been so quiet Mike had almost forgotten she was sitting in the corner. Both men looked at her.
Her lips were pursed, her brows drawn together. Confusion never looked so pretty. “May I ask a question?”
Mike figured no harm could be done at this point. It looked as if he was losing an account. “Go ahead.”
George sank back into his seat with a condescending nod toward Gina.
“You are an independent distributor, si? You work for yourself?”
George nodded patiently, but Mike narrowed his gaze. She was up to something. Her accent was more pronounced and she looked entirely too innocent—in spite of the shrewd gleam in her eyes Mike had not seen before.
“You sell and distribute the Scarpetti wine to retail stores, si? ”
George glanced at Mike, the corners of his mouth lifting in amusement, and then nodded at Gina.
“And you do not feel it is profitable enough to continue to sell our wine.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” George said. “It’s just more profitable dealing with Mondavi.”
A pleased smile lit her face. “I understand.”
“If you say so.” George chuckled.
“We’ll talk about it later, Gina,” Mike said.
“Oh, yes.” She sighed. “I was so worried the distributors would be upset with the new catalog. But now I see there is no problem as it has nothing to do with your decision. Everybody will be happy.”
“What catalog?” George looked from Gina to Mike, his eyes growing angry. “I didn’t hear about any catalog.”
Shit. Mike hadn’t, either. Had he been left out of the loop again? What the hell was going on?
Gina’s eyes widened. “Perhaps I should not have said anything. My proposal has not been approved yet.” She shrugged. “But it makes sense to me to ship direct to retailers. We have been established for a long time. Our wine sells itself.”
“What are you guys trying to pull?” George’s eyes blazed at Mike. “You can’t cut out the distributors. We have a contract.”
A contract the idiot was trying to weasel out of, but Mike didn’t point that out. He leaned back in his chair. “I frankly don’t know enough about the plan at this time to discuss it. But considering your reason for being here, it’s a moot point, isn’t it?”
“I said I was
After holding George’s rapt attention for several minutes, a faint pink tinged her cheeks. “Forgive me. You came to see Mike. I did not mean to intrude.”
“No problem. What you said is very interesting.” George took a seat at Mike’s urging. “Actually I’d like to hear more sometime.” He glanced at Mike. “Assuming we’re still doing business after this meeting.”
“What’s going on, George?” With grim acceptance, Mike sat in his own chair. “What’s making you unhappy?”
Gina started to leave, but Mike waved her back inside. “Stay if you want,” he said. “This is your business, too.”
Surprise flickered in her eyes, and then a pleased smile lifted her lips and she reclaimed the chair in front of the computer.
George snorted. “Need reinforcements to help me change my mind?”
Mike hated being baited. “Tell me what the problem is and I’ll see if I can fix it.”
“Simple.” George shrugged and pursed his mouth in an annoying show of indifference. “Mondavi is willing to give me a larger percentage.”
“That’s hard to believe. You know damn well we pay top commission.”
“I’m telling you straight.” George smiled. “Maybe Mondavi wants my business more than you do.”
Mike drummed his fingers on the desk. The guy had to be bluffing. “Well, like I said, we’re already paying top dollar. I don’t know that there’s anything more I can do.”
“Okay, but you understand…” George shrugged again and started to get to his feet. “I like you, Mike. I’ve enjoyed doing business with you. But that’s the point—this is business. I have to go for the highest profit.”
“ Scusi, um, excuse me.”
Gina had been so quiet Mike had almost forgotten she was sitting in the corner. Both men looked at her.
Her lips were pursed, her brows drawn together. Confusion never looked so pretty. “May I ask a question?”
Mike figured no harm could be done at this point. It looked as if he was losing an account. “Go ahead.”
George sank back into his seat with a condescending nod toward Gina.
“You are an independent distributor, si? You work for yourself?”
George nodded patiently, but Mike narrowed his gaze. She was up to something. Her accent was more pronounced and she looked entirely too innocent—in spite of the shrewd gleam in her eyes Mike had not seen before.
“You sell and distribute the Scarpetti wine to retail stores, si? ”
George glanced at Mike, the corners of his mouth lifting in amusement, and then nodded at Gina.
“And you do not feel it is profitable enough to continue to sell our wine.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” George said. “It’s just more profitable dealing with Mondavi.”
A pleased smile lit her face. “I understand.”
“If you say so.” George chuckled.
“We’ll talk about it later, Gina,” Mike said.
“Oh, yes.” She sighed. “I was so worried the distributors would be upset with the new catalog. But now I see there is no problem as it has nothing to do with your decision. Everybody will be happy.”
“What catalog?” George looked from Gina to Mike, his eyes growing angry. “I didn’t hear about any catalog.”
Shit. Mike hadn’t, either. Had he been left out of the loop again? What the hell was going on?
Gina’s eyes widened. “Perhaps I should not have said anything. My proposal has not been approved yet.” She shrugged. “But it makes sense to me to ship direct to retailers. We have been established for a long time. Our wine sells itself.”
“What are you guys trying to pull?” George’s eyes blazed at Mike. “You can’t cut out the distributors. We have a contract.”
A contract the idiot was trying to weasel out of, but Mike didn’t point that out. He leaned back in his chair. “I frankly don’t know enough about the plan at this time to discuss it. But considering your reason for being here, it’s a moot point, isn’t it?”
“I said I was
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