Uncovering Love

The Chopard's

CALEB CHOPARD'S P.O.V.

Starting a business from the ground up wasn't easy for my family, but it got us where we are today.

Ever since I was a child, my father would take me to spend the day in the company. Not because he wanted to, but because he had to. So, I would sit by his desk and make drawings with crayons, while he made calls and closed deals. I would listen to words and conversations I understood nothing about, wondering about why my father was suddenly yelling or being unrealistically pleasant on the phone.

As I grew up, those conversations that initially seemed to be all babble to me, started to make sense. I had begun to be invested in the content of those dialogues, asking my father who the person was, what their business was, why it was important for us to make that deal, and all other questions I had the curiosity for. He would always answer happily, explaining in detail the importance of every little thing. And with that, he started teaching me about the business. 

"Are you nervous about tonight?" My personal assistant, Cora, asks me as the plane lands in Boston.

Cora is a very efficient employee. She's a single mother to a 3 year old boy and currently graduating from business school. She shares her apartment with her best friend, Lina, who takes care of her son when she has to make business trips with me, which doesn't happen very often.

I lift a brow at her, "do I seem nervous to you?"

"Come on, you know what I meant. This is Lockwood we're talking about! Your father has been trying to close this deal for years."

My father's company that, since last year, started transitioning the ownership to me, is a solar panel's business. Green energy stuff. We're very big in the California market and fortunately, because of our success, we're now looking to expand to the rest of the country.

"Lockwood," I scoff, "the arrogant prick, you mean?"

Considering that our company is relatively young (30 years in the market), my family is what older companies (80 years +) would call young money, them being old money. Apparently for them, this is an issue. The whole problem revolves around trust and money, meaning, they often think we're untrustworthy because they can't be sure of our financial stability, nor if we're good enough to secure our spot as selling leaders. Also, they deal with business in a different way that we do: what they value most is Name (who you are, where you stand), and what we value most is efficiency.

She frowns, "you know you're not going to meet with Lockwood himself, right? I mean, you kind of are."

"I know. His father's still an arrogant prick, though."

Although I know Samuel Lockwood is not my father's favorite person, and rightfully so, I have nothing to say about his son, Abraham. At least, not yet. I tend not to judge a person without knowing them first; I don't think that would be fair. All I know is that the Lockwood's are very big in Las Vegas, and that's a market I want the company to be a part of. If they close the deal with us, all of their 24-hour casinos will be fueled with green energy, which is going to save them tons of millions of dollars and attract new clients for me. When people like them show the world they have faith in people like us, it's going to be very beneficial for business.

She shakes her head and gets up from her seat across from me, "keep your eyes on the prize, Caleb."

I smile, "it's in the bag." If God wants it to be.

I climb down the stairs of the jet right behind Cora, running my fingers through my black, messy hair. I undo the top button of my white shirt, considering the warm summer breeze—not as warm as LA's. It's even a bit chilly, if I'm being honest.