Willows and Oaks

1.1

Yellowstone Season 1: Episode Part 1

<17 years later >

Beth's POV
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"Yeah, uh... sure is building something," Beth speaks into the phone when she hears a rapid knock on the door,

"Beth?" She looks up then turns back to the window continuing her conversation on the phone with a roll of her eyes "Of course he didn't. He couldn't find his ass with both hands."

Jason steps into the room, "Bob... Bob needs you."

"Give me a minute."

Shaking his head, "I don't think he has a minute."

Beth sighs as she hangs up the phone and follows Jason down the hall then into a meeting room with Bob Schwartz sitting at the end of the table with a stammering opposing figure, Craig, across from him.

"God damn it, Bob, I didn't come here to do business with these people. I came here to do business with you."

A glass door opens with the sound of heels making their way into the room, "I can hear you screaming halfway down the hall, Craig."

Beth makes her way towards the end of the room and rests against the meeting hall glass windows staring Craig down, causing him to glance back at Bob with a stare of desperation;

"I thought we were gonna try and work this out, Bob."

"We've been trying to work this out for three hours, Craig. This is the alternative."

Beth leans in, "We don't want to merge. No one wants to merge with you. You have a three-to-one debt ratio. It'd be easier to sell VCRs."

Craig looks at Beth with a narrowed glare, I'm not gonna be bullied by your hatchet man, Bob. We will pull our funds, and we will take our business down the street to Chase. We're just asking you to suspend the dividend.

Bob shaking his head with sympathy, "We're just asking you to suspend the dividend."

"And kill the stock!"

Tired of the current situation and Craig's pathetic attempts to save his company,

"What do you think's gonna happen when I dump our 18% share tomorrow morning? I'll tell you what. The stock will drop below 10, the SEC will suspend trading, and every creditor you have will file on you. Your company will be Chapter 11 by Friday, and since we're your largest creditors, I can promise you there'll be no negotiating then. I will be CEO of IL Energy by Monday. I will fire every fսck¡ng employee. Then I will sell your leases and equipment to Chevron for 30¢ on the dollar, and you, buddy, will have the unique distinction of being the only drilling company to go bankrupt in the largest oil boom of the last century. Won't that look good on a resume?"

Craig frantically shook his head and spoke lowly in a voice of disbelief, " I started this company in my garage."

"That's where it's gonna end up if you don't suspend the dividend and allow us to assume management."

Craig stares back at Beth and then at Bob.

"Don't look at him." Beth starts, "You're dealing with me now. So what's it gonna be? Are we restructuring your company tomorrow or killing it?"

Craig chokes down his pride and shakes his head confirming the deal.

Bob leans forward and pays Craig's arm " Good. You made the right choice, Craig. We'll get you through this." Leading his team out of the meeting hall with Beth following behind.