Corporate Wars Part
Three
by
Diana Walker and
Reagan Kavanagh
This
work of adult fiction, loosely based on
characters portrayed by Russell Crowe, includes adult language and
experiences;
you have been warned. No
copyright
infringement on the original work is intended. Copyright
Diana Walker 2007.
DIANA
“We’re
on.”
“How you
doing, Boomer?”
“I’ve
had better days, but at least the waiting is
over.” The waiting was over for him;
mine was only beginning. All our plans
were now in his capable hands. However
this war turned out, we’d be fine as long as we were
together.
“I love
you. I have
absolute confidence in you. Now go do
what you need to do.”
“Thanks,
Lady, for all the prep. I love you.
Talk to you tonight.”
*
I’m amazed
at how Max and Terry can compartmentalize and
differentiate between their work and personal lives. Since
trouble started brewing at TEO, seeing
them together after hours, you’d never know work stress had
increased. The four of us have continued with dinners at
one or the other’s homes with lots of laughs; we’ve
even traveled together when
Max and Terry ‘needed’ new suits.
That trip was a
pretext for several underlying agendas. Terry needed the
R&R to escape the crushing
workload he’d been under since the tensions had
started. He and I hadn’t even thought about
TEO’s
management on that trip. I did think it
was sweet that Terry wanted to show me the England he knew. Meeting
Nigel and Amanda Groome was a major
step in integrating me into his prior life and trying to make it our
life. Meeting Marjorie on her home turf
was icing on the cake. I think the whole
trip turned out pretty fucking well.
Terry and Max have
also managed to help each other outside
work. Terry and I helped Max and Reags
move. Max came up to help Terry when he
got the wild hair up his ass that he
wanted to fix the cross fencing in the front paddock. With
the outside fences being pipe and cable,
they don’t need much in the way of repair – herding
the horses away from the
section I’m working on, a quick check for rust, a new coat of
Rustoleum, and I
was finished. I’d chosen to go with
mostly horsewire fencing inside the perimeter so I could easily
rearrange
pasturing when necessary; all I had to do was unhook the wire, roll it
in some
semblance of order, and pull up the T-posts.
I have a couple of very small holding pens with wooden fencing for
injured
horses who needed some sun without allowing
them much room to run around and be silly and risk re-injury.
I’d designed the pens long before The
Hawthorne became a boarding facility.
Now, they’re used to quarantine new horses until Junior and I
know for
sure we won’t be nursing a barn full of horses with the
sniffles because we
introduced a new horse with a disease the vet check didn’t
catch. One of the new boarders we’d quarantined got
overanxious to meet his new herd and broke through one of the top
rails. I think I’ll put Hank with Buck to learn
some
better ground manners; Honey would encourage the twerp in his bad
behavior just
to spite me.
Except for Max
breaking his hand and joining Terry in the
“Ringless Gang,” that day went smoothly.
Max had even set aside
his distrust of ‘TEO Terry’ to allow
him to broker a peace treaty between Reags and him. I think
Terry offered to negotiate out of
self-preservation; the fights between Max and Reags are legendary, and
somehow
Terry and I end up housing one of the combatants until they cool
off. I know they’re desperately in love, and to
watch them when they aren’t arguing, you’d never
believe the explosive tempers
that lie under the surface of those calm, self-controlled faces.
The tension between
Terry and Max isn’t always ongoing even
in work situations; Terry told me how well he and Max had worked
together when
they met with Skinner to entice him to manage part of the
firm’s
portfolio. They’d functioned like a
well-organized team, one taking the lead, the other emphasizing
additional
points. Perhaps placing a $2.5 million investment
with the right broker is the incentive they need to get TEO back on
track.
They also have the
added incentive of their own strong
friendship to make the work partnership successful. Their
shared military background allows them
to see the world and the way men relate to each other in the same
light. Throughout history, soldiers have fought primarily
to protect their comrades. You can dress
their motivations with all the flowery words in the world, but when the
battle
starts, soldiers fight to protect the man next to them.
That military
background is so ingrained in both Terry and
Max they operate on it without even considering how much the military
influences them. Their bearing, their
speech, their economy of movement are all manifestations of their
training, but
being male, I doubt they see their similarities. All they
know is the work they do together happens
easily. Terry likes to be on the cutting
edge of technology, and he can explain its intricacies to Max so it
makes sense
to him. Once again, their army
backgrounds give Terry a sense of how to phrase the information so Max
can
grasp it easily.
Terry can also
describe modern female actions to Max and
reflect his own understanding, flawed though it might be. I
can see that I still baffle him at
times. Terry has a better understanding
of the stresses and joys of modern marriage than Max does right now;
he’s been
through it once though Marjorie is a much different woman than
Reags. Marjorie’s ‘profession’
was being married to
a British officer; she’d been raised to it all her life no
matter her
rebellion. Reags has her own independent
professional life. The opportunity to
learn from Terry’s combination of having been married to a
traditional woman
and his subsequent successful romantic life gave Max a greater chance
of
success with women when he first joined the firm. I have no
doubt Max could attract women, but I
also suspect he had a hard time knowing how to handle them outside the
bedroom.
Terry lightens Max;
the two of them don’t do much outright
laughing together, but Max’s intensity dissipates when the
two of them are
together. Terry enjoys pricking Max’s
pomposity, and Max can rein in Terry’s ego.
The
two of them are competitive in everything, and that isn’t all
bad. It makes both of them better, but they do
take it to an extreme on occasion. Terry
has come home after working out with Max, and he’s been
worthless for the rest
of the day. He’s had to sit in the
Jacuzzi soothing overstressed muscles because neither one of them would
give a
pound when they were lifting free weights together at the
gym. Eventually, right before they do irreparable
damage to their bodies, sanity kicks in, and they call a
draw. The only consolation I have on those days is knowing
that Reags is dealing with similar aches and pains in Max.
Terry and Max also
have another reason why they are tied
inextricably – Reags and I. Terry and
Reags are the two most important relationships in my life; I know Max
and I are
the most important for her. I can’t
imagine what I’d be like without both of them.
I hope I don’t have to find out.
DINO
I’d expected
to see Terry sometime today for a discussion
when I saw Max and him head for the conference room. I
didn’t expect Terry’s tone to sound so
normal. “Want to join me for
lunch?”
“You
buying?”
He shrugged and
grinned.
“Sure, ya cheap bastard.”
I rubbed my hands
together in glee. “If that’s the case,
let’s walk over to Y.O.’s.”
I grabbed my coat and
cocked my head at Sooze as we left. Terry kept the
conversation on Ellie and me until
we were seated and beers were in front of us.
He hoisted his
glass.
“Cheers, Mate.”
“What
prompts you to open your wallet today?”
“I needed to
talk to you away from the office though the
topic does involve TEO.” He waited for
the waitress to take our order before he continued.
“Have you
needed Ross since we fired him?”
Alex Ross was not the
topic I’d expected today. “Not
really.
I had to click a few extra sites on the Net to get some general
information that Ross might have known off the top of his
head. Nothing big.”
“So you
haven’t missed him.”
“No more
than I’d miss a case of the clap.”
“I really
didn’t give you much of a chance to keep him, did
I?”
“You had a
reason for asking the question. I didn’t know what
at the time, but you and I
have both followed an unspoken order on more than one
occasion. Tio, I was glad to do it this time. Do
you want him back on the payroll?”
He picked at the scar
over his eye. “That’s not for me to
say. He’s your guy. I jumped to a
decision on him that was
rightly yours. That judgment started a
chain of events that came to a head today.
Max wants to run the company.”
“Izzat
so?” I started
running through the talking points Sooze and I had created.
To watch Terry tuck
into his chicken fried steak, you’d
think he was talking about a change in the Logistics command at
Pendleton. The man is cool under fire whether it’s
in a
firefight or office.
“I think
I’m the better man to guide TEO.” Here
comes his pitch. “I have a better understanding of
our
industry because I’ve been in it longer.
I’ve a sixth sense about the dangers our clients
face.”
“Yeah,
Buddy, you do.
Cost the Cho family a bundle to relocate, but you were right.
Next time could you convince the family to
move a little earlier than the night before their house is
raided?”
We could laugh at that
close call now. The Cho’s had been so grateful
every wealthy
family in the region now called TEO their responder.
“Stability
is crucial to our clients; they look to us to be
there when they need us. Any sort of
change makes them nervous. Humans don’t
deal well with change. We don’t need to
make any outwardly visible changes.”
“Spare no
effort to make life around TEO appear unchanged?”
His rumble was almost
a chuckle without much humor. “That’s
about it. I’m not asking you to act on anything
right
now. I don’t want you carrying out any
unspoken orders. If it comes to an
election between Max and me, I am asking for your vote.”
He’d finally
given me something substantial to address.
“We’ve known each other a long time.
You’re almost like an older brother to
me.” He smiled and jerked his head to
the side. I’m three years older than he
is chronologically; he’s at least ten years more mature than
I am. Maybe having Henry forced him to get his shit
together and cut out the half-baked life I’d led for so long
before Ellie. “We’ve been through a lot
together. When we started TO, we had to dig into our
own pockets to buy note pads. In spite
of that, you always made sure I had enough money to eat when I was
tapped. You’ve come by your reputation as a penny
pincher honestly.
“Terry, I
have the utmost respect for your talents in the
field, and I’ve seen you grow as a manager.
You’ve never made a serious mistake either place. I
owe you my life literally and figuratively …but
I won’t guarantee my vote to you.” A
flicker of disappointment crossed his eyes and disappeared.
“You and Max
need to work out whatever the hell is bugging
you amicably. Sooze and I are sitting
this one out.” Here comes the tricky
part. “Neither one of us is going to aid or abet
either one of
you until this is
settled. We’ve signed a neutrality
agreement.”
He sat back in his
chair.
“Fair enough. I can’t say I’m
pleased with your stance but you’ve …laid out your
intentions clearly. I’ll do everything in my power
to settle this
quickly and fairly. I don’t want either
you or Sooze to suffer from an adverse impact from something so
stupid.”
“Does Dee know?”
He smiled slightly and
did his quick nod.
“How’s
she doing with it?”
“She’s
a trooper.”
“And saved
you the consultant fees.”
He nodded.
“She wants
us to go see Ross and sort things out.
Think about whether you want him back and let me know.
I’ll extend the offer when Diana and I see him
if you want.”
“Tio, I
fired him, not you.
You’ll have enough on your hands getting the whole Ward/Ross
personal
history laid to rest. I’ll think about
rehiring him.”
SOOZE
Max ushered me into
the conference room within an hour of
Terry and Dino returning from lunch. I
have to hand it to Terry and Max; both are outstanding tacticians at
least in
the office. Since I haven’t been
deployed with them, I only have second hand information and
suppositions about
how good they are in the field. In their
military days, they must have been very good as generals and majors are
not
promotions that come easily. I know
they’re good in their current profession as well;
they’ve come back from
every one of their deployments. Every
year we hear about an operative who didn’t make it home from
the field; it’s
the hazards of the job.
“Sooze, I
have no wish to keep you from your work any longer
than is required.”
“The front
desk should be quiet as long as the world tries
to get along with each other. We don’t
have any appointments scheduled.” Quiet
in an office. Now that was an
oxymoron. I’m sure our phones ring less
than the average office because of the far-flung locations of our
clients; over
half of them are in time zones opposite to ours, and they do try to be
considerate. I think we finally have
most of them trained to email. They’ll
get a quicker response on mundane matters.
Of course, if any of our cell phones ring, it normally means
we’re going
to earn our pay.
“Inasmuch as
we cannot control the world I shall come
directly to the point. I have concerns
regarding Terry’s management style. I
believe it has become detrimental to the health of our firm.”
“Go
on.” Nice. Max has been working with a
consultant. ‘Management style’ is not a
term that comes
naturally to him.
“I believe a
change is in order. I wish to accept the responsibility to
guide
the firm. I ask for your support in this
endeavour.”
“Max,
you’re a fine man.
I’ve watched you become a valuable addition to this
team. I appreciate everything you’ve done for
Dolores. You’ve given her an excellent
example of what traits to look for in a husband.
You’ve been a surrogate father and both guided
and corrected her when she wouldn’t listen to me.
That’s why it pains me to tell you I won’t give
you my vote if it comes to that.
“You and
Terry need to work out whatever the problem is that’s
bugging you. You need to be gentle with
each other. From a purely personal point
of view, I’d hate to see the best in the business disband now
that I’ve made
partner. Dino and I are sitting this one
out. We’re not going to support or
oppose either of you in this situation. Dino
and I are staying neutral.” I think I
covered all the points Dino and I agreed on.
Max sat back in deep
thought. “I understand your position. I
had hoped for your assistance in convincing
Dino of my suitability. I see that will
not be possible.” He rested his elbows
on the arms of his chair and tented his fingers before
continuing. “I will respect your wishes; Terry and
I will
work together to find a solution satisfactory to
all.” He seemed to consider his next words before
speaking.
“Why would
you believe a possible outcome could include
TEO’s dissolution?”
Max’s
consultant hadn’t gotten to the results section of his
work. “Let’s say you replace Terry as
CEO.” He nodded crisply.
“Terry
will leave.”
BUSINESS
LINE
Dallas
Morning News
Business
Page Staff Writers
Alejandro
Mouton has joined Darlington Homes as Vice President of Construction. His prior experience has
included work with
Carolina Construction and Ripton Roofing.
This
is a
major step for a young man. We
wish him
the best.
***
Pendle
Investments named Judy Irby as their Chief Analyst.
She joins the investment firm with the
mandate to shore up their struggling currency trading accounts.
Ms.
Irby
began her career with the local Federal Reserve Bank and comes to
Pendle from
arch rival Boyington Traders.
***
Thorne,
Espan, and O’Reilly are pleased to announce Suzanne
Robertson-Vega has accepted
partnership with the firm. She
joined TEO
in September 2001 as Office Manager.
Should
we
expect a name change sometime in the near future?
***
Carole
Swearingen has joined the Adele Hunt Design Studios as a Design
Consultant.
TERRY
Fuck! Why
did today
have to be a slow news day? Yes, the
column effectively buried Sooze’s snippet amongst the other
announcements, but
with Max dropping his bomb yesterday, its appearance was too
convenient. I don’t believe in coincidence.
That bloody question
at the end of the blurb about her could
be taken so many ways. To the casual
reader, the staff writers were asking about a change to the company
name. On the surface, both Dino and I are single.
Ellie had opted to forego the engagement
announcement, and the wedding was a few weeks yet. Could they
be speculating on Sooze marrying
one of us? Or had some reporter gotten
wind of the management struggle within TEO?
All the staffers at
the Dallas
Morning News
suffered
from the staff redundancies last fall. Morale
was poor; management had lost their employees’
trust.
When they let one of
their two Mexico City bureau blokes go, Dino had
decided to pick him up as an information source; Marty was in place,
had
excellent contacts of his own, and wanted to stay close to his
wife’s family. I doubt we keep him for long as he
already
has other news outlets discussing offers with him. In the
interim, TEO’s retainer keeps him off
the dole.
Another result of the
downsizing was the business notices slipping
into a gossip column rather than news analysis.
It had to; when thirteen business reporters were laid off and the
business pages ran short handed, the editor had one of the remaining
gossip
columnists transferred to him.
In more normal days,
this news would be a nit within TEO,
good for a laugh. I’d talk to the
affected partner, in this case Sooze, and we’d decide on what
action to take,
if any. If the planned response required
assistance from our other partners, we’d bring up the idea at
the morning staff
call and sign them up. More often than
not, we’d handle the discussion in the hall or coffee bar on
the fly.
These aren’t
normal days, but I could turn the announcement
to my advantage. Max thinks that I don’t
consult him enough and make unilateral decisions. Since
he’s in the midst of the pissing
contest this ‘news’ report may or may not mention,
I’ll bring him in to fashion
our response. I’d like to bring Sooze in
at the same time, but with the volatility of the situation, I
don’t want to put
her in the middle of a possibly tense scene.
I’ll check with Sooze on her preferences once Max and I are
finished.
I hit the intercom
button to his office. “Max, will you come see
me?” I’d rather pop down to his office,
but that
would cede too much strength to him. Unless
and until Max takes over this firm, I’ll control the
interactions as much as I
can; that means discussions are on my turf.
“Certe.”
I could make our
meeting less confrontational by moving it
from my desk area. I settled on the sofa
and dropped the folded news section on the low table in front of the
armchair I
expected him to take. When he walked in,
he carried his own copy of the questionable paper.
“You’ve
already seen it.
Good. What’s your take on the
article?”
His head barely moved
in registering his surprise at my
question, but it was there. I could hear
his distaste for the article clearly.
“It is vile, slippery gossip. They
have libeled both the company and Sooze by use of a single
question.”
MAXIMUS
The summons to
Terry’s office surprised me. We had not spoken
since our frank discussion
in the conference room. His immediate
focus on the topic at hand and his question to me regarding it was an
indication of his continuing interest in the health of our enterprise.
“This has
gone beyond mere subconscious bias to an
intentional agenda. It’s not only us,
however. Mouton and Pendle both took
serious hits in today’s column. I’d say
Pendle is doing some serious investor relations
today.” He sighed in sympathy for them.
“The innuendo regarding Sooze can be
interpreted so many different ways we actually came off sweet as a
biscuit.”
“Why is
Sooze absent from this discussion?” Whilst opening
his deliberations to me was
reassuring in its indication he was willing to consider all
perspectives, the
named partner whose opinion should be most valued was not in
attendance.
“Not time
for her yet, Max.
You and I could be the basis for this article’s appearance
now. We need to sort this out first. Sooze will
have the final say, as she’s the
public face on the announcement.
“They’ve
had the press release for yonks; publishing it now
seems suspect though I don’t have a sense they intended the
layers of meaning
they achieved. I view it as new beat
writers gone wild with their prior stylistics not yet refined to a new
desk and
overworked editors who had to set some priorities on what they tackled
first. The Business
Line column
is the least
of their worries.” He looked to me to
confirm his assessment.
“Though they
should be through their period of adjustment, I
must agree. Distrust of all news media
is high. This is but another example of
the reason for wariness. You do not
believe the impetus for this came from within our
organization?”
“Why would
I? You
operate above board. It’s in neither of
our best interests to have our disagreements aired in public, no matter
how
veiled the reference. Sooze and Dino
said they’d not help or hinder either of us.
This shit hurts both of us.
“To counter
the news article, I say we focus on the factual
aspects of Sooze’s partnership. All our
business contacts received the actual information in a timely fashion
so this
will be old news for them if they bother to think on it. We
had the celebratory dinner at the club once
we’d signed all the papers. An office
lunch out somewhere posh today wouldn’t be amiss to reinforce
a united
appearance. If anyone asks about the
name change, we go with Sooze’s line about TEOVR sounding
off.”
“I agree
with you thus far.”
“Good.
Do you have anything
else to add?”
This was clearly a
test on Terry’s part; he expected me to
indicate how I might better succeed as leader of this firm.
Until the leadership issue is settled, there
would be more feints and parries between us.
On this particular instance, I could do no better than the course Terry
had laid before us this day and said as much.
“With our
current knowledge and at this point in time, no.”
“There is
one more thing I want to say to you. I like our quick
decision-making method. We’re nimble and fast
because of it. I make sure those who need to have input on
the decision have it; you won’t always be involved.
You may not even be informed. I won’t have us
hamstrung by many unnecessary
‘processes.’ This time I had the ideas
on how to handle the situation; I may not always.
I’m open to suggestions on most topics.”
I inclined my head at
his words. The four of us had initially discussed the
wisdom of announcing Sooze’s partnership.
All agreed a carefully worded press release would do no harm to the
firm. Sooze had drafted it with no mention of our
work. I could not fault Terry for the
newspaper’s unfortunate timing and style; to do so would
point a finger at all
of us.
Terry invited Sooze to
join us, and we stood as she entered. She, too, had a copy of
the newspaper in her
hands. She laughed as she saw our
copies.
“What a
mess! I can’t
even send a bragging copy to my brother.
He’d interpret that stupid question in the paper as me
carrying on an
office romance with one of you. He’d be
on my case again about marrying.” She
sat on the couch at the end opposite Terry.
“I’m sorry guys. When I sent the
Business Editor the reminder email last week, I didn’t expect
them to become so
vindictive!”
“No
wurries. If you
don’t mind, we’ll counter the name change comment
– if it’s asked – with your
TEOVR line. A little humour here will
deflect a lot of suspicion.”
“Though
suspicion may not exist in all quarters, such a statement –
if pressed for one
by the media – may serve to deflect that which does
arise.”
Terry nodded his
agreement.
“We’re good at camouflage. If we
have to address the name change, we’ll be sure to give you
credit, Sooze.”
“Please
forget the part about a name change sounding Scandinavian.
Dolores found a desk at Ikea she likes. I don’t
want anything that could be construed
negatively about their culture attached to me.
They’d leave out the assembly instructions.
I’ve had enough retaliation already this
week.”
We laughed at her
feigned consternation.
“Make
reservations for lunch today at your favorite upscale
place. A little flag waving is in
order.”
“I’m
not so sure about the flag waving part, but I’m always in
favor of lunch if you’re buying.”
“Anything
else you’d like to do to handle this, Sooze?”
“Nah.
I sent Roberto
a copy of the press release already. He
doesn’t need the newspaper. I think in
this case, less is more.”
Terry rose signifying
the meeting was over. “Let us know what time for
lunch.”
SNAPSHOTS OF BOARDROOMS
AROUND THE COUNTRY
| Dallas Regional Director
for major insurance company (DRD) |
The information about the
Robertson promotion at TEO finally showed up in the paper today.
|
| Corporate Suit 1 |
Old news.
Why bring it up?
|
| DRD |
There’s a hint of
more change to come for them. A
vague reference to a name change.
We might want to rethink sending them new policies
for a while.
|
| Corporate Suit 1 |
As long as they stay the
responders on my policy, I don’t care if we hold off on
sending them new business. I’m
willing to gamble with policyholders’ safety.
We’re in the business of legalized
gambling. |
*
| Terry |
Dick’s Last
Resort is not what I would call upscale.
|
| Sooze |
But it is
the reporters’ office away from the office.
Be a good boy and wiggle your fingers at the big-haired blonde over
there.
|
| Dino |
Which one?
|
| Terry |
I’ll wave, but
I’m not making eye contact.
Exactly why am I doing this?
|
| Sooze |
She’s the one who
wrote today’s column.
|
| Max |
You made more than
reservations today.
|
| Sooze |
Dick’s
doesn’t take reservations.
I had some spare time.
I used it productively. |
*
| Local Manager 1 |
I got a news alert about
TEO. What’s
going on?
|
| Local Manager 2 |
I read it as more fall out
from the News advertising inflation scandal. They still
haven’t gotten back on track.
|
| Manager 1 |
Are you sure
TEO’s stable?
|
| Manager 2 |
I saw the whole office
together at lunch at Dick’s.
Their waiter was having a bit of fun about the whole
thing with them. He
was calling Espan by O’Reilly’s name. Thorne was Robertson, but
his falsetto sucks. They
seemed to be having a good time with it.
|
| Manager 1 |
I’ll ask again. Are you sure
they’re stable?
|
| Manager 2 |
The firm’s stable
as they come. Frankly,
I think you have to be more than half-crazy to be a negotiator on a
kidnapping. Do you
realize how much stress they’re under when they negotiate? I’m glad they don’t
sweat the small stuff.
|
| Manager 1 |
Well, what’s the
nonsense about changing the name?
|
| Manager 2 |
They’re not. They like the way TEO
sounds. Sooze said
she didn’t care if her name was on the door as long as the
money was right. The
smile on her face said the money’s good.
|
| Manager 1 |
Maybe we ought to look at
our contract terms with them.
|
| Manager 2 |
Don’t think
that’s a good idea. Sooze
will be taking a more active role in our renewal talks.
She’s a tougher negotiator than any of the
guys could ever hope to be. She
has a teenaged daughter’s lifestyle to support! |
*
| VP Southwest |
Where will it all end? Political correctness got
TEO as well. Did
they promote her to avoid a lawsuit?
|
| Director Dallas Office |
Sooze?
Not on your life.
They’ve treated her well.
She had no grounds to sue.
They always treated her like a partner. They just hadn’t
gotten the paperwork done to make it legal until now.
|
| VP |
Well, then they must be
weak men.
|
| Director |
(Laughing)
Next time you’re down here, I’ll
get you a meeting with them. You
can say that to their faces if you still believe it once
you’ve met them. |
TERRY
Max may have made his
challenge, but work’s been quiet since
then. He’s been tucked away in his
office. I’ve done my best to carry on as
if nothing’s changed. I’ve popped in on
Dino to chat and trade insults; Sooze had maintained her good-natured
arse
chewing on all of us.
I checked
everyone’s afternoon schedule before shutting down
my computer for lunch. As I left my
office, I looked down the hall to Max’s and saw his closed
door. Dino was happily munching a sandwich with
Ellie who was in town for a scheduled trial.
I stopped at Sooze’s desk to be sure she knew I was on my way
out.
“Would you
like for me to bring you something? I’m headed down
to Porto di Roma.”
“That would
be great!
An antipasti salad will be fine.”
“Dino looks
like he’ll be of no help to you until Ellie
returns to court.”
“No, but
that’s fine.
I’m waiting on a return call.”
She looked uncomfortable.
“Is that
anything that should concern me?”
“In better
times, I’d have you take it. This week,
I’ll reschedule for Max.”
I walked around her
big counter and sat down in the straight
chair next to the main fax machine. “Max
won’t be able to take the Sloane conference call this
afternoon?”
“I
don’t know. He
blew out of here about eleven-hundred.
He looked concerned. He didn’t
say where he was headed, but I’m betting it has something to
do with Reags. I left a voicemail for him, but he
hasn’t
called. This is not like
him. I emailed and called Brett Sollar
at Sloane but haven’t heard back from him either.
Sloane is having an all day meeting, and Max
was scheduled at fourteen-hundred.”
Max may not like my
solution but …. The only good answer for this
situation was
for me to come up to speed on their information quickly and take the
call for
Max if he wasn’t back.
“Sooze, we
can’t reschedule.
We’ll have lost the opportunity.
Their next all day meeting will be next month at the earliest, possibly
next quarter. One of the big selling
points with Sloane was our accessibility.
They won’t understand how important a baby is unless
it’s one of theirs.” I squeezed the
bridge of my nose.
“At least
I’ve met Sollar.
I’m the right man to stand in for Max if he doesn’t
make it back in time. When you hear from Sollar, let him know
about
the possible change. Gloss over Max’s
absence – unavoidably called away. We’ll
reinforce how TEO can take care of their needs even if their primary
contact is
unavailable.”
I didn’t
have to ask for the file; Sooze was already in her
file cabinet and handing it to me though she looked worried.
“What do I tell Max?”
“When he
calls, transfer him to me. This is my decision.
I’ll have to find the right words for him to
understand it’s the right thing for the
firm.”
My stomach growled,
and Sooze spoke up. “I think we just had a role
reversal. You go get up to speed, and I’ll make the
lunch run. Meatball sandwich?” I nodded,
got out my wallet, and handed Sooze
a twenty.
*
Max walked in the
front door at 2:15 and joined the
in-progress call. I handed him the notes
I’d taken before he arrived; I’d covered the site
visits he’d made in the last
quarter to their satisfaction, and they sounded pleased with the
seamless way
we worked together. I was glad it wasn’t
a video conference so our clients couldn’t see the tense body
language on our
end. We said our good-byes to the Sloane
team and faced each other across the conference room table.
“We dodged a
bullet that time, Mate, thanks to your detailed
notes on the visits. They’ll apply some
pressure on the Dodson family in Nigeria to pay more attention to the alerts you
send."
He inclined his head
in acknowledgment. Some of his offended pride left
him. “Brett Sollar was unavailable when I
left.”
“It’s
their quarterly meeting.” Sollar had finally called
whilst Sooze was on
our lunch run. “He’d been in it all
day. They check their phones at the
door. That's a hell of a way to run a
business if you ask me. Don’t know how
they can be on top of their work. We
filled our slot on their schedule; they saw we can be available even
with
emergencies.”
“I thank you
for your participation. Dr. Fletcher would not allow
Cassandra to
drive after her appointment.”
It had been
Reags.
She’s the only person currently in the world who could have
rattled Max to
the extent he’d not nailed down arrangements.
“How is she?”
“She
believes she is fine.
She has been admitted to hospital for observation. Her blood
pressure had a momentary spike; her
physician feared preeclampsia and wishes to observe her
overnight.”
“Christ,
Max. I
appreciate your effort to be here for your meeting, but you had to know
we had
your back. That’s why we’re a
partnership. Our responsibility’s
shared.” I was starting to lecture Max
out of my own frustration. I took a deep
breath and let it out; it calmed me so I could continue my discussion
with Max
and not sound like a bloody professor. “Why
don’t you go on back in case she needs you?”
He smiled
sheepishly.
I know that look. Reags had
ordered him out. I wouldn’t make the
poor bugger admit it.
“Well, fair
enough; we’ve other work to attend to. Do you need
me to fill in the blanks on my
notes?”
“They are
complete,” he answered as we left the conference
room together.
MAXIMUS
I had done little
productive since my first discussion with
Terry other than to observe his behaviours and consider my
decision. In fairness, I could not fault his overall
management.
His work in this
stressful time has not suffered. His social obligations on
behalf of the firm
have resulted in two requests for meetings; the work will benefit Dino
and me
if we are successful in securing the parties’
contracts. Terry has remained jovial and steadfast.
I can find no fault in his information
requests.
Terry is called upon
daily to make numerous decisions that
go unremarked because he handles them well.
I doubt even he sees their import, assuming he pauses so long as to
consider
them. They are decisions of a nature ingrained
to men born in this time. I have learnt to
recognise what even a slight shift in the Nikkei average may mean to
other
markets, yet it takes me one beat longer to consider them fully whilst
Terry
has already begun integrating that knowledge into the operation of our
organisation.
There is an
informality in Terry’s demeanour I cannot
duplicate. His ease when entering a room
is one relaxing to others. Life was both
more formal and more dangerous in my time, and I have been unsuccessful
in
discarding my innate caution and wariness.
Whilst we share a military background, Terry’s life away from
the
battlefield did not involve the deadly intrigues I faced in daily
life. There is a place for both of our approaches.
I have seen
Terry’s solemnity in treating a grave situation
with the dignity it deserves.
Unfortunately, a single, momentary surprise when his mannered
response was required – but lacking – triggered our
impasse.
I replayed
Cassandra’s words regarding my responsibilities
to her and our children. The gods have
seen fit to allow me to be the father I have wanted to be for
millennia, yet I
am unsure in my pursuit of that most honourable role. I had
once been married to both a woman and the
empire; I had ultimately failed both. I
now have an opportunity to correct my errors and learn from my
mistakes. I winced at the possibility of defeat in my
long desired roles.
Cassandra had spoken
of the indomitable force presented me
by Terry and Diana’s combined resources.
I do not pretend to understand their union yet their love and
commitment
are apparent to any who see them. They
are a formidable team. Diana’s
meticulous planning coupled with Terry’s execution brings me
to a simple realisation;
I can do no better than Terry in the leadership of Thorne, Espan, and
O’Reilly. In face of that reality, I endorse his
continued leadership.
TERRY
I’d finally
finished all the calculations the impact of the
loss of the AlFouad policy had on Sooze, Dino, and Max this
year. I was about to change the wire transfer
amounts on all of our annual bonuses Dino had provided me.
Mine would be reduced and theirs increased to
the full amount the Saudi’s contract would have provided my
three partners. The last step was to send the notification
off
when Max’s soft knock on my open door interrupted me.
“Terry, have
you time for a discussion?” His stance had none of
the hostility apparent
in his entry to my office earlier this week.
“Sure,
Max.”
I stood and joined him
at the conversation area by the door. He took his normal
place in the wing chair,
and I forced myself into a relaxed posture on the sofa.
“We must
bring this madness to an end.”
“I
agree. It’s not
productive for any of us. We’re lucky
Dino’s gut hasn’t acted up on him again.”
“In our
initial discourse, you said I have little idea of
all you do. I have watched you with
interest this week.”
“What did
you learn?”
I leaned forward to hear him.
“I now
realise that I could do no better than you at guiding
Thorne, Espan, and O’Reilly. A change in
management would require extensive travel to meet with our clients to
allay
their concerns.”
“Fears, Max, fears.
This kind of change would go beyond concern
in the
clients’ minds.”
He inclined his head
acknowledging our difference in what
his takeover would engender in those we strive to protect.
“That is a task you would be far more suited
to accomplish than I. Sooze has led me
to believe that should I become Chief Executive Officer, you would not
be
available to make those trips.”
I knew funding
Sooze’s degree to supplement her common sense
would be useful someday; I didn’t think its payoff would come
so soon. “She was right. This firm is
more than how I earn my
living. It’s part of who I’ve
become. TEO is another person in my
life.” When the fuck did I start
thinking TEO is as important as Diana? I
need to find some balance in my life. “If
you take over and I remained, my continued presence would rot the core
out of
something incredibly important to me. I
couldn’t have that happen.
“There’s
another reason I couldn’t stay. It
wouldn’t be fair to you. You’d always
wonder if I was second-guessing
each of your choices whether I was or not.
Make no mistake about it, Max.
Sometimes what we deal with does come down to a choice, but only one
man
can make it.
“Do you
still want to head the company? If so, this isn’t
over.”
“I want TEO
to grow and thrive. When I began this campaign, I had
concerns
about your ability to keep us viable. I
have observed your commitment to that task.
On reflection and acknowledging your many accomplishments, I might have
more easily pursued my goal through other means.
“Whilst my
commitment to this firm is deep and abiding, that
portion of my life which fulfills me and permits me to function as a
principal
for TEO lies outside this suite of
offices. I have the great fortune to experience the
love of a good woman and the home she makes for me, for our
children. I did not have that in my previous
existence. I want to BE a good husband to my wife and a
participating father to my child as I watch him grow to be a
man. I cannot do that as CEO of this or any firm.”
“I’m
hearing you say ‘TEO’ and
‘us.’ Does that mean you’re
staying?”
“It does, if
you wish me to remain.”
“Did we
manage to come through this with friendship intact?”
“On my part,
yes. It
is my hope you bear me no malice.”
“I
don’t; additionally, Diana wouldn’t let
me.” Max smiled, stood, and held out his
hand. “Mate, we’re not quite
finished.” He took his seat again with a wary
look. All peace negotiations have conditions on
each side. I had agreed to all Max’s
terms. TEO had some terms of its own necessary
to protect itself.
“It’s
not that bad. I
need to be sure I understand what drove you to taking this
action. I heard the specific incidents, and I can
learn from those. Can you?”
“My
frustration built over time. I had been accustomed to sole
and absolute
command, answerable only to Caesar. This
venture – my partnership with you, Dino, and Sooze
– has been my first true
experience in partnership, in working as part of a team. It
is clear I have yet to become a fully
participating member of this team, and that is a frustration for me; it
has
nothing to do with you or our other partners.
That is my inadequacy, and only I bear the responsibility for
it.”
“I
can’t manage your reactions for you. Only you can
do that, and it’s a requirement
that you do. Max, you worked your way up
through the officer corps. On your way
to sole and absolute command, you had to coordinate battle plans at
least. You have
successfully participated in a team before you came to TEO;
it’s called the
Roman Army. In most ways, TEO is a team,
and you are a valued member, but when all is said and done, ultimate
command is
mine. I don’t know any way to make that
more palatable to you.
“We’re
not going down this road again. I’ve set up an
annuity so TEO isn’t caught short
again with a recalcitrant partner. Call
it an insurance policy. You let your
‘frustration’
loose again without sufficient cause, and I’ll ask Sooze and
Dino to join me in
buying you out. I doubt they lay out the
next time.”
I stood and held out
my hand to him as a peace
offering. He stood and shook my proffered
hand. “To a long lasting partnership.”
I went back to
approving the annual bonuses that had been
languishing on my desk. I rechecked the
revised amounts, changed the bank’s notification form, and
sent it. I smiled as I strolled down the hall to let
Dino know about his improved circumstances.
