French cuffs. Italian shoes.
In contrast to Ben—faded denim shirt, faded jeans, huaraches.
And Chon—black Rip Curl T-shirt, black jeans, Doc Martens.
Handshakes.
Intros around.
Ben.
Chon.
Jaime.
Alex.
Jaime and Alex are your classic early-thirties, Tijuana-spawned, San Diego–born, dual-passport Baja aristocracy. Went to school in TJ until they were thirteen, then moved to La Jolla so they could attend the Bishop’s School, then college in Guadalajara. Jaime is an accountant, Alex is a lawyer.
A&J aren’t flunkies or errand boys.
They’re highly valued, well-respected, handsomely compensated upper-middle management in the BC. They have stock options, medical benefits including primo dental, pension plans, and rotating use of the company condos in Cabo.
(Nobody ever quits the Baja Cartel. Not because of blood oaths or fear of getting clipped, but because … well, why would you?)
Ben serves lunch.
Wraps of duck in hoisin sauce with green onions. Club sandwiches with pancetta instead of bacon, smoked turkey, and arugula. Trays of sushi, platters of salad. Fresh fruit—mangoes, papayas, kiwi, pineapple. Pitchers of iced tea, Arnold Palmers, ice water. Gourmet cookies—chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin.
Coffee.
Very nice, very fresh.
Alex gets down to business.
“First of all,” he says, “thank you for arranging this meeting.”
“Pleasure,” says Ben.
As if.
“We appreciate your willingness to dialogue,” Alex says.
“Dialogue” is a noun, not a verb, Chon thinks, annoyed. “Decapitation” is also a noun, whereas “beheading” could go either way.
“I can’t help but wish,” Ben says, “that you had extended an invitation to talk before you took certain actions.”
“Would you have responded?” Alex asks.
“We’re always willing to talk.”
“Really?” Alex asks. “Because the last time someone had a market dispute with you, I believe you settled it with a shotgun and very little, if any, conversation.”
He looks pointedly at Chon.
Chon looks back.
Fuck you.
“I can assure you,” Alex says, “that we are not some motorcycle gang.”
“We know who you are,” Ben says.
Alex nods, then—
CUT TO:
56
INT. MONTAGE SUITE – DAY
ALEX
We view Ben and Chon’s as a prestige product—a good cut above the norm—and we would continue to market it that way. We’re very aware—and appreciative—of the fact that you have a dedicated customer base with a prime demographic, and the last thing we want to do is disrupt that.
JAIME
Concur. Absolutely.
BEN
I’m glad to hear it.
ALEX
On the other hand—
CHON
Here it comes.
ALEX
—on the other hand, your sales structure—and I think you’d admit this, Ben, if you were to be really candid— is wasteful and inefficient. You’re very liberal in your compensation policies, your profit margin is nowhere near where it should be—
BEN
According to you.
ALEX
No, that’s right, according to us, and we want to reorganize that to bring it up to where it can be.
JAIME
Maximize its full potential. Think “greatest and highest use,” Ben.
Ben gets up, pours an iced tea, and walks around the room.
BEN
You’re smart enough to realize that our retail customers—the high demographic that you value—are used to buying the product from the people that they’re used to buying it from. It’s more than just a business relationship. If you try to replace those people with …
CHON
A bunch of Mexican field hands.
BEN
. . . an anonymous sales force, it just won’t work.
ALEX
That’s where we’re counting on you, Ben.
BEN
How so?
ALEX
To deliver your prime customer base along with your fine product.
CUT TO:
57
“Our demand,” Alex says, “is not that you stop growing your product. Our demand is that you sell your product to us at a price that allows us to realize a reasonable profit. A big piece of that puzzle is your continuing to produce the product and helping to retain the customers who purchase it.”
Jaime nods.
Apparently Alex got it right.
“So basically,” Ben says, “you want us to come work for you.”
“Effectively, yes.”
