life beyond this world? An idea William wrestled with often. If so, how would he ever explain to Fran, who had played an essential role in building this great fortune, that he parted with half of their estate for a famous fashion model nearly thirty years his junior?
“How should I tell Willow that I’ll need her to sign a prenup?” William asked James the following morning.
“Do what any negotiator would do,” his friend advised him. “Be open, kind, thoughtful—and then present her with a prenup that offers her the lowest number you think she might accept.”
“But I have no idea what that would be!”
“Oh, come on, William! You’re a lot tougher on the company that provides the firm’s cleaning services. Buck up, man. This is about your family’s fortune!”
James had reason to be more than a little enthusiastic with William about a prenup. Since having introduced them, Willow had cut off any and all of the brief encounters he so happily anticipated.
As far as James was concerned, she could use a bit of a beating down. Yes, he was being an ass about it, but he did not like having his needs ignored.
“So, I’ll start with a hundred million if the union should fail,” William said, then quickly corrected himself and said, “No, two-hundred and fifty million dollars, take it or leave it.”
William winced. “That’s harsh. I think I’ll ring up Bob Ivan, he’s done family law for years and must have some idea of what formulas are used for setting a reasonable amount.”
“Bob would be a fine one to ask,” James said, knowing that Ivan had a sharp eye when it came to the bottom line. “He’s been on one side or another of enough Belvedere marital cases that he probably knows a lot more about this than either of us.”
“The hardest part is I don’t even know how to approach her about all this,” William sighed.
“Take her out to a great dinner, pour a lot of champagne into her, and then get her to sign on the dotted line.”
“James, try to be serious! I want to be fair to Willow, but I also want to honor Fran’s memory and the plans we made together both for our own families and for our foundation.”
“Pick up the phone and call Ivan; if nothing else, it’s a start,” James concluded, saying he had to get back to his office for a client conference call. He chuckled at his law partner’s indecisiveness. He’d love to be in the room when William and Willow had this conversation!
While William sat down to call Ivan, James, in the privacy of his corner office slipped out his cell phone and touched Willow’s cell number. It was time the two of them had a little talk. He doubted she’d blow him off so quickly this time, considering what he was about to divulge.
Willow was not pleased by James’ insistence that they talk privately in a room he had reserved for them at San Francisco’s W Hotel. But when he warned her that she might be on the cusp of being tossed out of her little Belvedere love nest, she reasoned that it was time to find out what he knew.
They met for drinks at the bar. There, Willow pressed him, “Tell me everything you know.”
Instead, Finch reached into his inner pocket. Pulling out a room security card, he whispered in her ear, “You want some secrets, and I want some favors. Let’s go upstairs and negotiate.”
Willow hissed back, “This better be worth my time and effort.”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” James replied with a sly smile.
James waited until Willow was completely naked. Then, standing behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his lips into the sweet scent of her neck.
Pulling herself away, she turned to him and said, “I get the point. You want to play. But first things first.”
“But we haven’t played in such a long time,” he reminded her.
“This is what we’ll do, lover. You tell a little, and then we’ll play a little. Then you’ll tell a little more. Got it?”
“Sounds like
“How should I tell Willow that I’ll need her to sign a prenup?” William asked James the following morning.
“Do what any negotiator would do,” his friend advised him. “Be open, kind, thoughtful—and then present her with a prenup that offers her the lowest number you think she might accept.”
“But I have no idea what that would be!”
“Oh, come on, William! You’re a lot tougher on the company that provides the firm’s cleaning services. Buck up, man. This is about your family’s fortune!”
James had reason to be more than a little enthusiastic with William about a prenup. Since having introduced them, Willow had cut off any and all of the brief encounters he so happily anticipated.
As far as James was concerned, she could use a bit of a beating down. Yes, he was being an ass about it, but he did not like having his needs ignored.
“So, I’ll start with a hundred million if the union should fail,” William said, then quickly corrected himself and said, “No, two-hundred and fifty million dollars, take it or leave it.”
William winced. “That’s harsh. I think I’ll ring up Bob Ivan, he’s done family law for years and must have some idea of what formulas are used for setting a reasonable amount.”
“Bob would be a fine one to ask,” James said, knowing that Ivan had a sharp eye when it came to the bottom line. “He’s been on one side or another of enough Belvedere marital cases that he probably knows a lot more about this than either of us.”
“The hardest part is I don’t even know how to approach her about all this,” William sighed.
“Take her out to a great dinner, pour a lot of champagne into her, and then get her to sign on the dotted line.”
“James, try to be serious! I want to be fair to Willow, but I also want to honor Fran’s memory and the plans we made together both for our own families and for our foundation.”
“Pick up the phone and call Ivan; if nothing else, it’s a start,” James concluded, saying he had to get back to his office for a client conference call. He chuckled at his law partner’s indecisiveness. He’d love to be in the room when William and Willow had this conversation!
While William sat down to call Ivan, James, in the privacy of his corner office slipped out his cell phone and touched Willow’s cell number. It was time the two of them had a little talk. He doubted she’d blow him off so quickly this time, considering what he was about to divulge.
Willow was not pleased by James’ insistence that they talk privately in a room he had reserved for them at San Francisco’s W Hotel. But when he warned her that she might be on the cusp of being tossed out of her little Belvedere love nest, she reasoned that it was time to find out what he knew.
They met for drinks at the bar. There, Willow pressed him, “Tell me everything you know.”
Instead, Finch reached into his inner pocket. Pulling out a room security card, he whispered in her ear, “You want some secrets, and I want some favors. Let’s go upstairs and negotiate.”
Willow hissed back, “This better be worth my time and effort.”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” James replied with a sly smile.
James waited until Willow was completely naked. Then, standing behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his lips into the sweet scent of her neck.
Pulling herself away, she turned to him and said, “I get the point. You want to play. But first things first.”
“But we haven’t played in such a long time,” he reminded her.
“This is what we’ll do, lover. You tell a little, and then we’ll play a little. Then you’ll tell a little more. Got it?”
“Sounds like
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