Running my family's company has become a cakewalk. It helps that my father and grandfather both groomed me from birth. My father is still the Chairman while my grandfather has retired. I'm the CEO and oversee quite a few of our local and international branches. Emry could take the same position in his family's company…. if I let him. With my travels, I feel better if he's with me. If he becomes CEO of Diacorp our schedules would conflict a lot. I just know it.
"Hah, Maddox. I know that the two of you are married and it's only been three years since you became CEO, but he needs to help them run their corporation."
"And why can't Anna do it?"
"The same reason as the last time you asked. She's studying to be a doctor in her third year of college."
"Hmph! Father-in-law isn't hassling me...why are you?" I mumble.
"Because he asked me to hassle you!"
"..."
"Listen Maddy, if you don't loosen that leash, sooner or later you will lose him completely."
"Hmph. We're still newlyweds. I will pull it tighter if I have to."
"Maddy!" Dad shouts with so much vigor.
"Don't call me that!" And now our tempers have flared, setting the air around us ablaze with intense heat.
Our butler, Henry, begins to take a few steps back leading towards the living room door.
I inhale deeply and close my eyes.
"Next year," I say, with my eyes still closed.
I hear him breathe and sense the smile gracing his face as he says, "Good, I will tell Pete."
Then patting my shoulder as he makes to leave, "Make sure that he transitions well. It might take a whole year to train his replacement."
Ah….! Well...at least this will put a smile on his face.
That night I told him what my father and I agreed to. It was as though I was looking into the sun, the brightness of his smile filled my heart with such contentment. It's not that I wanted to stifle his skills and talents. My desire to possess him all to myself just consumes me sometimes.
"I will put out an ad and start conducting interviews for my replacement." The joy in his voice filled the entire house.
"Hahhaahhaaa! Are you that happy?"
"Mmh…"
I smooth out his hair which resembles a golden sunset and unconsciously run my fingers through the tangled waves. His jade eyes peering up at me. So beautiful that I could just sink into him.
Embracing him in my arms, I take a deep breath letting his spicy musk cologne tickle the hairs of my nose. He sinks into my chest, and we just stay there.
Sometime during the day, the two of us had fallen asleep right there on the couch, still wrapped in each other's arms.
The sound of sizzling and chopping wakes me up with a start. Inhaling I smell the mouth watering scents of steamed artichokes, tomatoes, beans, and wild rice. He knows how to spoil me!
He has days when he gets in the mood to cook for us and I do too. It looks like today is one of those days and he even kicked Madeline out of the house completely this time. Usually let's her help him gather the ingredients.
"Need help with anything?"
"Um...yea, setting the table." He puts his hand up to stop me from entering the open spaced kitchen. "But wash up first!"
"Okay, okay."
I come in wearing a cotton shirt and shorts after a short cool shower.
"How about some red wine tonight?" I say, entering the kitchen finally and walking towards the wine cabinet.
"Hmm...mm….sounds good!"
We sit next to each other enjoying our food and the other's company.
*
It was harder than I thought to find a replacement. I wanted to make sure that they not only fit with my standards but that they meet his parameters too. Maddox is a hard man to please. He's cold, collective, and determined. When someone messes up one too many times they are out on the street! I sit in on a few interviews with Jane and Esther. They are his two secretaries. It's our job to weed out the undesirables and unqualified applicants from those that appear to have the most potential.
It's not until the actual interview that we can really see the person and decide from there. Resumes mean little to me. I find that they can easily be faked, regardless of the ironclad references which they may or may not have paid for. In this cruel world of business, you need to learn how to read people and ask the right questions to garner their true responses. After everything was done, we were down to three potentials after the first and second rounds of interviews with over fifty people. Next, Maddox will sit in on the interviews of these three people. Two men and one woman made it through the grueling process.
"So, what do you think?"
"It's up to you. Who do you think can fill your shoes, Emry?"
"Hmm…Jim is good, but he has an easy tale and looks like he would end up giving up information with the right persuasion."
He nods and says, "Yes, I agree. And I'm not very fond of him. He smiles too fucking much."
I laugh at that. I should've known that would be his reason.
"Well, I like Lucia," Esther says calmly, looking over her application and resume again.
"I think that Phil is excellent. He reminds me a bit of you, Mr. Gray." Her eyes fall on me as she speaks.
That's the problem that I have with that one. He is too similar to me for my liking. I don't want him making moves on my husband. I don't like him.
"Lucia it is," I say.
She's great. Quick-witted, intelligent, confident, and knows what to say, when to say it.
I catch Maddox nodding his head in agreement with me.
"Esther, send the email and have her start tomorrow. Make sure that she knows the first 90 days will consist of her shadowing Emry and learning the ins and outs of the company," says Maddox as he stands up to leave. We follow suit.
"Jane, get all of the paperwork and make certain that she signs them. Have you called the notary?" I say to her as we walk the corridor back to our offices.
Well, it's Maddox's office but outside is the large and spacious lounge that holds our sturdy and amazing contemporary desks. Mine is directly adjacent to the large frosted glass doors with Esther next to me and Jane across from us. I had started clearing my things out the other day so I don't have much left to move, just the essentials that I need to train the replacement and carry on with my duties until I'm officially gone in eleven months.
At the same time that I'm training Lucia, I'm slowly taking over the reins of Diacorp from my father as the CEO. He will continue to be the chairman like Maddox's father for a few more years until he's ready to throw in the towel.
After Maddox told me about all of this I was practically bouncing off the walls but at the same instance, I was wondering why he decided to let him do this? What was his motive? I thought for sure that he would never, ever agree to let me take over my family's business after he almost forced me to become his PA for the last six years. I was even more surprised when I found out that it was his father that persuaded him. I think my dad must've pressured his dad.
From what I know of their relationship over the years, when no one else is around or they think no one else is around, my dad can talk him into anything! I know that they have been friends for as long as Maddox and his friends have been friends, but I know for a fact that that man is an exact copy of Maddox…or Maddox is an exact copy of him…? Hahahhaa….whatever this power is that my dad possesses over him, I wish to learn it so that I can effectively have a better hold on Maddox.
Thinking of this, I call dad to have lunch with me after making sure that Maddox knew whom and where I was having lunch with.
"Excited to finally take over the reins from me, son?" He smiles happily while patting me on the back as we take our seats on the restaurant's deck.
"Yes, very." I smile even brighter.
The waiter comes up and takes our orders. I begin the conversation.
"So dad, what leverage do you have on Mr. Palmer?"
His eyes shoot up at me. I saw a small trace of fear in his eyes before it quickly disappears. He sips his chardonnay and, placing the glass down, he stares at the stem and base of it for awhile twirling his fingers around it. He breathes deeply and looks back up at me.
A small smirk appears on his face just then.
"Where should I start?"
"Just give me the unabridged short version."
He chuckles under his breath, lowering his head. Looking back up he leans in his chair and looks out at the cars and people passing by below.
"We were in high school. You know that we grew up together. But what you don't know ...." He exhales deeply, his voice is low…almost a whisper. "....all of us grew up together. James, Carter, Alex, and Steven. The things we did as kids. Hahahaa…we were terrible. More so than our sons. I…tried to keep you from being exposed to their sons, because I just knew that they would end up like we did in high school. The shit we did…and still do…I didn't want that for you. But your grandfather and your mother wanted you to be in that school. Generations of our families have gone there without a miss."
He turns his head to me just as the food arrives.
When the waiter leaves he continues…but I feel like I know where this is going.
"I could get past the killing and brutal fights. None of that fazed me. But the other things…" He pauses taking another sip of his drink and a small bite of food.
I started eating as soon as it was dropped down in front of me. I'm hungry. And I think I know how this story will end.
"....We still…after you kids were born we said that we would stop those punishments as they were but it didn't stop. In fact, it got worse. So much worse." He tilts his head up and closes his eyes.
I put my fork down and ask the heart wretching question, "You fell in love?"
He closes his eyelids even tighter and chokes out a "Yes."
I nod. I knew this already. I kind of walked in on them having a small chat in whispers that ended with Mr. Palmer squeezing him close to him and kissing him like his life depended on it. It was after I was forced to witness Ethan and Marcus going down on each other.
Lowering his head, my dad looks over at me with a sign of sadness in his eyes. Then a curious frown falls on his face as he sees my response.
He begins to laugh and starts eating again.
"How long have you known?"
"Since tenth grade. That's around the same time that the guys started doing their little punishments too. By the time that I saw you and Mr. Palmer in the cigar lounge that night, I started to become numb to that sort of thing. I mean, watching those guys in a full blown orgy from time to time no longer had the shock effect on me. Maddox made sure of it. …But the emotional attachment…" I pause and take a sip of my cabernet. "...I mean, I could tell and I knew but what about our moms?"
"Of course, they knew! Remember, they went to high school with us and we were dating back then. They saw everything and didn't blink twice." He laughs as he reminisces, "But those girls were true monsters! I can't say they did any sexual stuff, but beatings, fightings, killing, they did all of that too."
I nod at that too. I know all of those women. They are a real piece of work even my sister is a brute when pushed too far.
"Ah, dad. You should've known that I would get sucked in eventually. Hell, I married one of them."
"Mmh…yea, that boy was never going to take no for an answer and I wasn't going to try it. But Cyrus is puddy in my hands." He grins taking the last bite of his food.
"I know, but how do you do that? I can't seem to get Maddox to bend the way that I want him to."
He lifts a brow and wipes his mouth with his cotton napkin from his lap.
"Well, it's the way that you say your words. You have to know which buttons to push and when to push them. You know his weaknesses just like he knows yours. When I push those buttons just right, I can get him to do anything I want and he likes that about me. The control, the power that we both possess over each other is better than with our wives. So, give a go and see what you end up with. But don't do it too much or he will grow to despise you."
"I understand. After sixteen years, I would hate myself if I didn't know his weaknesses."
I enjoy having lunch with either of my parents. Definitely more than with my sister! She can be a bit much sometimes, even if she is elegant about dismissing people.