Post by Steve Sinclair on Feb 9, 2019 1:50:17 GMT
2005
Brooklyn
Outside of his warehouse is Nanook leaning on a stack of pallets again. For someone who doesn’t ship anything he has stacks and stacks of pallets all over the place. Inside the old warehouse that is ESM headquarters is Joe Jones and KC working on some things, mostly strength training on Joe’s knee he had repaired. Michael's Caddy pulls up and comes to a rest. It’s been a couple of days since the whole bonus check blow up and Nanook didn’t hear a thing. As Michael climbs out of his Caddy Nanook spots the black eye and it’s not hard to miss either.
“What the fuck?” Nanook says as he puts his pen down in his notebook.
“Yeah yeah! I know.” Michael says as he slams the door to his Caddy.
“Who was the broad?” Nanook says jokingly. This actually causes Michael to laugh.
“Shit. The bitch is my brother. You know what that fucker told me.”
“No! What?” Nanook says, he loves gossip.
“He told me the check I got was my airfare check. My bonus check was cut and he doesn’t know how in the memo it said bonus. You believe that shit?”
“So what happened?”
“I called him a liar. So yeah. He hit me. I hit him. Shit got broken. Julie Ann (Steve’s wife) was screaming at us. The kid was crying.”
“Jesus.”
“Yeah I feel bad about that. Neither one of them should have seen that especially the kid you know. But! What the fuck you suppose to do you know.”
“So now what?”
“After shit settled down. Julie called the office. They said that they had my check but don’t know what happened to it. They ended up cutting me a new one.”
“But?”
“I think Steve told them to cut me one just to make me happy you know. I don’t think there was ever a check. I just don’t trust him you know. He’s always been trying to fuck me over. My own brother. Trying to make sure he gets more than I do even though I bust my ass just as much as him.”
“Yeah.” Nanook says as he leans on the pallets.
“I don’t know.” Michael says as he slides his hands in his jean jacket pockets. “Can I ask ya something?”
“Sure.”
“I was offered a job with another company. Back in Japan. They want me to run their dojo.”
“Really?” Nanook a little surprised by the nugget of info.
“It’s a real good offer too. Full control too. They really want me. They see what I’ve done there for here you know. They tell me, Why send everyone to the states so your brother reaps the rewards of your hard work. He would have never found those guys without you. Why don’t you start your own deal, grow your own brand.”
“And?”
“I don’t know man. It’s so tempting. The money, you know. The money sounds like it could be real good. I have like five guys right now there who I know can be huge fucking stars if someone gave them a shot. I’ve been hiding them from my brother.”
Inside Nanook is throwing a party.
“I took them to the dojo and I’ve been working with them there. They know I’m the man who can get them to New York and get them on TV and shit. But I don’t know. I think I can build a huge company there with them there. A solid foundation of top notch talent.”
“You know Steve will lose his shit if you bolt.”
Michael laughs. “Yeah! Yeah he will. He’ll wedge his ass in the next plane.”
“You know it. Or send my fat ass!”
The two of them laugh. After a couple of minutes Michael shrugs.
“I don’t know man. I go back in a week…”
“What would make you stay?” Nanook asks.
“What do you mean?”
“Listen, I only want to see you happy. That deal sounds promising and I wouldn’t blame you if you jumped on it. But would could your brother do for you to make you stay and forget the dojo?”
“Seriously man, just treat me as equal. That’s all. Make me equal with everyone else in the company. Everyone else has a bigger slice of the pie than I do. Just like Raven, Steve, you, Julie, I helped make the ESW what it is today you know. That’s all. I just want to be equal.”
Nanook nods. “I get it. I don’t think it’s fair either. I don’t understand why he treats you like he does. It’s not right.”
“I know.”
“I know I’m not the only one who feels that either. I tell you what Michael. I’ll talk to Steve. He listens to me to a point. I’ll pick a time where he isn’t all moody and shit and I’ll feel him out. For you. Okay?”
“Thank man. I appreciate that man.”
“Awe it’s the least I can do you know.”
“Thanks man. Yeah.”
“I’ll see what I can do. I’m not making no promises.”
“Nah! I get it. I get it. Thanks man.”
After some more words and bullshitting, Michael finally leaves. Nanook flips open his notebook and starts to jot down what Michael told him. Armed with new info, it was time to go visit Steve……….
Brooklyn
Outside of his warehouse is Nanook leaning on a stack of pallets again. For someone who doesn’t ship anything he has stacks and stacks of pallets all over the place. Inside the old warehouse that is ESM headquarters is Joe Jones and KC working on some things, mostly strength training on Joe’s knee he had repaired. Michael's Caddy pulls up and comes to a rest. It’s been a couple of days since the whole bonus check blow up and Nanook didn’t hear a thing. As Michael climbs out of his Caddy Nanook spots the black eye and it’s not hard to miss either.
“What the fuck?” Nanook says as he puts his pen down in his notebook.
“Yeah yeah! I know.” Michael says as he slams the door to his Caddy.
“Who was the broad?” Nanook says jokingly. This actually causes Michael to laugh.
“Shit. The bitch is my brother. You know what that fucker told me.”
“No! What?” Nanook says, he loves gossip.
“He told me the check I got was my airfare check. My bonus check was cut and he doesn’t know how in the memo it said bonus. You believe that shit?”
“So what happened?”
“I called him a liar. So yeah. He hit me. I hit him. Shit got broken. Julie Ann (Steve’s wife) was screaming at us. The kid was crying.”
“Jesus.”
“Yeah I feel bad about that. Neither one of them should have seen that especially the kid you know. But! What the fuck you suppose to do you know.”
“So now what?”
“After shit settled down. Julie called the office. They said that they had my check but don’t know what happened to it. They ended up cutting me a new one.”
“But?”
“I think Steve told them to cut me one just to make me happy you know. I don’t think there was ever a check. I just don’t trust him you know. He’s always been trying to fuck me over. My own brother. Trying to make sure he gets more than I do even though I bust my ass just as much as him.”
“Yeah.” Nanook says as he leans on the pallets.
“I don’t know.” Michael says as he slides his hands in his jean jacket pockets. “Can I ask ya something?”
“Sure.”
“I was offered a job with another company. Back in Japan. They want me to run their dojo.”
“Really?” Nanook a little surprised by the nugget of info.
“It’s a real good offer too. Full control too. They really want me. They see what I’ve done there for here you know. They tell me, Why send everyone to the states so your brother reaps the rewards of your hard work. He would have never found those guys without you. Why don’t you start your own deal, grow your own brand.”
“And?”
“I don’t know man. It’s so tempting. The money, you know. The money sounds like it could be real good. I have like five guys right now there who I know can be huge fucking stars if someone gave them a shot. I’ve been hiding them from my brother.”
Inside Nanook is throwing a party.
“I took them to the dojo and I’ve been working with them there. They know I’m the man who can get them to New York and get them on TV and shit. But I don’t know. I think I can build a huge company there with them there. A solid foundation of top notch talent.”
“You know Steve will lose his shit if you bolt.”
Michael laughs. “Yeah! Yeah he will. He’ll wedge his ass in the next plane.”
“You know it. Or send my fat ass!”
The two of them laugh. After a couple of minutes Michael shrugs.
“I don’t know man. I go back in a week…”
“What would make you stay?” Nanook asks.
“What do you mean?”
“Listen, I only want to see you happy. That deal sounds promising and I wouldn’t blame you if you jumped on it. But would could your brother do for you to make you stay and forget the dojo?”
“Seriously man, just treat me as equal. That’s all. Make me equal with everyone else in the company. Everyone else has a bigger slice of the pie than I do. Just like Raven, Steve, you, Julie, I helped make the ESW what it is today you know. That’s all. I just want to be equal.”
Nanook nods. “I get it. I don’t think it’s fair either. I don’t understand why he treats you like he does. It’s not right.”
“I know.”
“I know I’m not the only one who feels that either. I tell you what Michael. I’ll talk to Steve. He listens to me to a point. I’ll pick a time where he isn’t all moody and shit and I’ll feel him out. For you. Okay?”
“Thank man. I appreciate that man.”
“Awe it’s the least I can do you know.”
“Thanks man. Yeah.”
“I’ll see what I can do. I’m not making no promises.”
“Nah! I get it. I get it. Thanks man.”
After some more words and bullshitting, Michael finally leaves. Nanook flips open his notebook and starts to jot down what Michael told him. Armed with new info, it was time to go visit Steve……….