When Harry met Sally? Okay, maybe not. Let’s go with kinda like when Harry met Sally, from a friend’s perspective maybe?
Well, when Tom met Gina there were sparks. Although, neither of them publicly acknowledged their interest, at first.
Gina has worked at the holding company for over seven years. She was dedicated to growing business for the company as she was good at her job. She was eager to grow her portfolio and secure her future financially, but was starting to feel that maybe she had traded away the hope of a husband and family for her work.
She had met her share of good men, but wasn’t serious enough about having a family until recently.
Gina’s boss Jim, is an entrepreneur who had owned and operated a number of successful businesses and his wife JoAnne is his marketing manager. While Jim was a mentor for her work, JoAnne had become a good friend and confidant. Jim had many connections around town and was always actively looking for new opportunities but was keenly focused on continuing and expanding his friendships.
First meeting
Jim was courting one of his friend’s brother to sell him a piece of his tile production company. Tom had started as a brick and tile guy, but thought there should be better products on the market and began to produce his own tiling and floor products. Since both of these men were builders, they understood each other and also became quick friends.
Jim and Tom had a meeting in the office to discuss potential business plans and the two ordered in lunch in the big conference room. This is when Tom and Gina met for the first time. Gina felt that spark that she hadn’t felt in quite some time, and Tom didn’t seem to notice her. Although that is what she thought. To ask Tom, he said his heart warmed and thought maybe he saw that something he was missing.
The two men talked for some time, and Jim invited Gina to participate in a working lunch. Gina didn’t want to intrude, but her business mind took over as she always sought out opportunities to impress her boss. Gina was asked to explain what the holding company could potentially do for Tom’s company. She dutifully shared the opportunity and benefits, but said later she couldn’t concentrate. She thought that opportunity and benefits was a suitable subject, but she didn’t mean necessarily from a pure business perspective.
Gina left the meeting and bumped into JoAnne near the front office. JoAnne asked Gina how the meeting went. She didn’t know that JoAnne had planned the whole encounter.
JoAnne encouraged her husband to meet in the office since it was an opportunity to show him the full spectrum of the business. She secretly was a match maker at heart.
Gina didn’t let on at first, talked about the potential business growth, but since she was clearly flustered it was obvious to her. JoAnne then asked if she had noticed Tom, the man himself. Gina simply said YYESSS!
After Gina left the conference room, and Tom watched her leave and he felt like he was missing her already. Jim noticed and told Tom that his wife had set up the situation where they would meet in the office. Jim didn’t suffer any fools and knows his wife inside and out. They had met as friends, who had been set up by their good friends themselves. Jim let Tom know that JoAnne thinks of herself as a matchmaker, but secretly doesn’t want anyone to know it.
The second and lasting encounter
Tom didn’t let on (to JoAnne) the next week when he went to the Christmas dinner party at Jim and JoAnne’s house. He was eager as he was told all of Jim’s employees would be there. He quickly scanned the room, but didn’t see Gina, who was in the kitchen helping cook for the festivities.
They were both happy to see each other again. They chatted and spent a moment or three under the mistletoe. Tom asked her out on the spot and they have been together since.
Tom had previously reached out to Jim to make sure that Gina would be there, but Jim never told JoAnne who kept asking who was attending from his growth market.
It has been five years and Gina has the family she always wanted. Tom has that second half of his heart.
The holding company was flexible enough for Jim and JoAnne to build a great business and to lend itself to continue to expand their extended family through JoAnne’s secret business as a matchmaker. Jim is proud of her and her secret plans.
