Whatever the exact causes are for her disposition, it’s possible the tension won’t get sorted between us until we talk, but I’m leaning into the notion that a talk about building a family might be better suited for when we’re both in better moods.
In the meantime, we have our biweekly owners’ meeting to focus on.
Across the conference room table, Nate nods. “I like women.”
I hide my smile before Sabrina turns her glare from him to me.
“That’s exactly what I’m talking about,” she huffs.
“Personally, I like the Wilde guy,” Weston says. “And not just because he has a cool name.”
“Just because he has a cool name,” I say at the same time. Despite his refute, I’m not sure I believe him. “Even if we can get him to come on board here for a while, he’s made it clear he wants to end up back in Los Angeles.”
“Which could work out great for us,” Nate says.
Sabrina looks torn. She wants an L.A. office almost as much as she wants us to hire a woman, not that the two are mutually exclusive. “If we hire the Wilde guy, I don’t know why we wouldn’t just keep him where he is and open an office there now. Damn, I wish Maria was interested in moving to California.”
“We can’t put someone brand new—whether it’s Cole Wilde or Maria Salvatore—in charge of opening a new office. They’d need to get some time under their belts, preferably in the New York office since it’s our busiest.” It’s past time for the business to expand, but I want a second office on the East Coast, myself. We already have enough accounts here in New York to divide up, and selfishly, I’d like to see a satellite upstate or in Connecticut. Someplace that would be ideal for raising kids.
I recognize that this bias is a terrible reason for dismissing Cole Wilde as a candidate. The guy has a good resume, and both rounds of interviews were impressive.
But so were Maria’s.
“One of us could go out to L.A. temporarily and set the place up with him.” This comes from Cade via Skype. He’s on the last leg of his one year travel-the-world with his family tour, and though he’s still technically on a leave-of-absence, he’s been participating in our owners’ meetings more and more lately.
This time he’s actually in a Reach office, having joined Dylan for this call in the London office.
“But you’re not volunteering for that, I’m guessing, seeing how you just bought a house in Sherborn.” I’m probably not supposed to say anything since Cade doesn’t even know I know.
“Outside of Boston?” Nate asks. “That’s a nice area.”
“Guess the cat’s out of the bag. Thanks, D.” Cade only sounds slightly miffed, but he still takes a stab at payback. “Actually, I was thinking you and Sabrina.”
Besides Nate, who could never leave the New York office since he’s the glue that holds this place together, I know the others think Sabrina and I are the best option for relocating since we don’t have kids to uproot.
Sabrina doesn’t need another excuse to put off a family so I don’t want the idea even on the table.
I attempt a redirect. “Boston would make a great location for an office.”
“I was going to make the same suggestion.” Dylan has been relatively quiet until now. The circles under his eyes suggest he stayed up late, drinking with Cade, or he still isn’t getting much sleep with the twins.
I’m a little jealous of both possibilities.
Thinking about babies, I glance toward my wife. She’s pinching her bottom lip with her fingers, and the look in her eyes is one I recognize. She has an idea of some sort. For once, I’m not sure I want to hear it, but I ask anyway. “What are you thinking, Sabrina?”
She puts her hand down from her mouth. “We could hire both Cole and Maria. Cade and Maria can open an office in Boston now. Meanwhile, Cole could work with us here in the New York office for a year or two, and then we could go help him open an office in L.A.”
“We don’t need an office in L.A.,” I say.
She holds her ground. “In two years, we will.”
“Not if we expand here now.”
“The rate our numbers are growing says that we’ll need both.”
“If that’s true, we can send Cole out on his own then.” I don’t mean what I’m saying. Reach is my baby. Two years would not be enough time for me to entrust a new office to be set up without my oversight.
Sabrina calls me on it. “You’d never send someone out on their own.”
“We’re not moving to L.A,” I say definitively. Subject closed.
Sabrina’s eyes narrow in rage, but she keeps her mouth shut, which means this will likely be an argument she’ll save for later, when we’re alone.
Goody me.
I’m surprised she’s letting it wait, to be honest, especially since this tension is about much more than who we hire or where we expand the office. This decision has a far greater impact on our lives. She must realize this too, otherwise she’d keep pushing, audience be damned.
Speaking of our audience…
A glance around the table says that the tension between us has not gone unnoticed. Before I can smooth things over—because holding us together seems to be my job—my secretary sticks her head into the conference room. The interruption alone is unusual since Simone knows when I say Do Not Disturb that I mean Do Not Fucking Disturb. Even more unusual is that she’s interrupted to tell me I have a phone call.
It takes effort to keep my voice down. “I thought it was obvious that—”
“I know, but he’s insisting and—”
“Since when has—?”
Simone continues over me, “I didn’t know if I should say no to Holt Sebastian.”
The tension from earlier relaxes as curiosity takes its place. Even I’m intrigued, though I’m not the first to voice it.
“Holt Sebastian?” Weston and Sabrina say the name in unison though with very different tones—the former full of awe, the latter with something akin to disgust.
“That’s what he said. The caller ID confirms the call is coming from the Sebastian Center.” Simone is usually a tough, unflappable, no-nonsense kind of employee. That’s why I took her with me when I moved from Tokyo to New York. I’ve never seen her get flustered, but right now she’s dangerously close.
“Is he one of the main Sebastians?” Dylan asks. “I can’t keep all the names straight.”
It’s a fair question. The Sebastians are modern-day Rockefellers who dominate in both industry and media.
“He’s the newly appointed CEO of Sebastian News Media. Transferred over from the Industrial side. He’s Samuel’s son. Definitely one of the main ones, and definitely one with a lot of power. He’s got a reputation for being kind of brutal about business. Very intimidating. Not that I, uh, have experience with that or anything. Real asshole.” Weston sounds more impressed than put off, and I’m not the only one who notices.
“You finally find someone to knock Donovan off the pedestal you have him on?” Cade is also an asshole. Not that I’m complaining.
“Hey, I’m not the one with his name tattooed on me.”