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Duncan looked triumphant at his breakthrough.
“But what does that have to do with me no longer being your CIO?”
“Well, I wanted to confirm that you could be happy living in a city, as long as you had the right people around you.”
“Okay…”
“What if you opened up your consulting business as part of Brandt Investing International? I’ve been toying with the idea of a small business arm for a while. So much of our work is with these big companies, but not with smaller companies for whom a fraction of our normal funding could make a world of difference. I think your vision could be a part of that. Why wouldn’t they want to work with us, if we could offer them funding and technological expertise? It would set us apart.”
“You would do that for me?”
“I’m not doing anything for you, Hayden. You’ve earned this. I’m sure that folder you’re clutching there has a bunch of projections and research that backs that up. I’d let you walk out that door if I thought that’s what was best and would make you truly happy, but this way we get to keep working together, you get to be in the same city as Preston and sometimes me, and you get to keep your girl.”
The smile that had been growing on my face fell off when Duncan mentioned keeping Charlotte.
“What’s that face? You don’t get to keep the girl? Did you do something stupid?”
“Ha. I don’t think so. I’m just not sure I’ll get to keep her. Charlotte has a very similar type of meeting with her boss this morning and not all outcomes of that end with her staying in DC.”
Duncan nodded.
“Well then, you’ll run this new venture from wherever she is, maybe. I bet we can make it work as long as it’s on the East Coast.”
I sat back in my chair, a little stunned.
“Let’s keep talking about it. I assume you were going to give me a long notice, anyway?”
“Oh yes, of course. I figured at least three months.”
Duncan nodded.
“Okay, perfect. Let’s plan on you staying CIO through the first quarter of next year, and we’ll keep talking about how we can make a place for your new venture within Brandt Investing International. Now, get the hell out of my office and go get some real work done. I need to give my assistant something to do besides sleep out there.”
I laughed and stood up, suddenly much less depressed about going up to my office than I had been in the last few weeks.
“Thanks, Duncan. I’ll see you tomorrow for that meeting, if not before.” I extended my hand to shake his.
Duncan had the same firm handshake he had when he was helping me practice for my first college interview during my junior year of high school.
He rounded the side of his desk, returning to his CEO chair, as I turned to make my way out of his office.
“Oh, and Hayden, I’m going to be in DC a lot more starting in January. I’m making some hires in the UK and in Germany that should mean less travel for me. I hope that will add to the things that make DC a city you would want to live in.”
I turned back to see Duncan was facing away from me, looking out the window. Perhaps he wasn’t quite as good at being alone as he thought.
“It definitely will, Dunc.”
He turned around and smiled at me.
“Now, I’m going to go scare the shit out of your assistant, I’m assuming he’s nodded off by now. Take it easy on him, okay?”
“I make no such promises.”
Chapter
Twenty-Seven
Charlotte
