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I nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Family members are the ones we can place the most trust in, and that makes them—you in this case—more valuable, and difficult to replace.” So, he wasn’t firing me on account of my relationship to him? “There is nobody in this building I can trust as much as you.” He was linking himself to me and his future would be in part determined by my success, however that was measured.
I nodded, feeling grateful, and relieved. “Thank you. I promise I’ll do better in the future. Tell me what I need to do.” I might have to give up drinking to accomplish that, but I didn’t want to find myself in this situation again. I wouldn’t let him down.
He nodded slowly. “I’m sure you will. “Here’s what we’re going to do. I’m promoting Martin to take over your portfolio in acquisitions.”
“What?” Acquisitions was everything I did. It was my job. Not only did I enjoy it, I was damned good at it too—the best.
Dad raised a hand to stop me, which was probably good, because I would have given him a dozen reasons that putting Martin in charge was a bad idea. He was a good bar buddy, but Martin’s abilities didn’t match his ego. He’d be ready in two maybe three years, but not today. “Just listen for a moment.”
I made the zipping motion across my lips, even if it was childish.
“The Vagabond deal is important to us.”
That went without saying, and I was halfway to finishing it up.
He tapped the paper again. “That girl—in addition to being the DA’s daughter has and uncle is in the Michigan Commerce Department, and we can’t let this incident affect the approval process.”
I nodded along, understanding full well how subjective merger approvals could be and wishing the girl from last night had been a stripper instead of someone politically connected. I sighed and looked down at my lap. This had turned into a shitshow. I couldn’t even remember if I’d banged her.
“Are you listening to me?”
“Yes, sir.” My response was well oiled after years of lectures. “We want to avoid any blowback from her uncle.”
“That’s right.” Dad shifted in his chair. “I’m putting you in charge of community outreach.” His voice was softer now, softening the blow, but not apologetic.
Community outreach? That sounded like kindergarten compared to acquisitions.
“The company’s reputation has taken a hit,” Dad continued. “We need to become active in the city, be seen as a contributing member of the community, doing good deeds and supporting good causes. We need the public to see McAllister International as a force for good in the city. How you accomplish that is up to you. Do what it takes, just do me proud.”
I nodded as if I understood, which I didn’t, but I’d been given another chance, and this wasn’t the time to mess it up. At leastdo what it takesmeant I had free rein and didn’t report to anybody. “I’ll make our reputation a hundred times better, I promise… And then I can get back to acquisitions?”
“We’ll discuss that when the time is right.” He stood, ending our meeting. “The board is behind this.” He didn’t have to add the wordsfor now, as they were implied. It also closed the door on any appeal of the decision.
“Thanks, Dad,” I said, lifting out of my chair. This would be our last conversation on the topic for a while. Whenever Dad added, “when the time is right” to a statement, he meant to not bring it up again. He’d be the sole judge of when the discussion would be continued. I’d learned that the hard way.
He nodded. “I’m sure you’ll do well down there.”
Down there—yes, this was a downward move, not a sideways one. “Sounds good.” I didn’t have a choice. This was my only path forward—even if I didn’t know what community outreach meant or how long this was going to last. My only other choice would be to leave the company, and I wasn’t a quitter.
When I opened the door, Martin was still there, and he stood. He’d been summoned to come take my job.
“You can go in now,” Anita told him.
He smiled at me as he passed. “Good luck.” That glint in his eye was hard to miss. He’d been itching for a promotion, but I never thought Dad would give him a job as big as mine without sending him for a rotation in London first.
“You too,” I managed without any feeling.
Dad hadn’t been specific about what would happen after I knocked this new assignment out of the park, like I did everything he gave me. At this point, asking him to clarify would show weakness, and that wasn’t going to happen. He hadn’t raised a weakling.
After the door closed behind Martin, Anita asked, “Well?”
“How much do you know?” This was a rhetorical question, given that little went on without Anita taking care of the details.
She shrugged. “Did you accept?” She knew everything about Dad’s plan, except my reaction.
“You’re looking at the new head of community outreach.”
