One thing at a time, Stone.
I opened the refrigerator and was please to see that Vivian had recently gone grocery shopping. Fresh fruit had been cut and placed in airtight containers. My housekeeper was a godsend.
I sat down on one of the kitchen bar stools and began sifting through emails on my phone while I ate an assortment of melons and berries. I spotted one from Krystina and immediately opened it first.
TO: Alexander Stone
FROM: Krystina Cole
SUBJECT: Your Offer
Alexander,
After careful consideration, I have decided to accept your proposal. However, a few changes needed to be made to the plan that you laid out. I have attached a modified version of the buyout.
If you are in agreement, I would like to formally discuss it this afternoon. Please let me know what time works for you.
Krystina
Buyout?
The contract was not a buyout. I was giving her the company straight out. Curious, I clicked on the attachment and read through it.
Her plan was no longer a transfer of ownership, but a buyout that was similar to a rent-to-own. She had researched fair market value for a firm that was the size of Turning Stone and renegotiated her salary to be a considerable amount less. The difference in her salary, as well as a portion of Turning Stone profits, would be paid to Stone Enterprise in the form of monthly payments with a term date.
I sat back in my chair, stunned over how well she played her hand. Her idea made sense, and I couldn’t believe that I didn’t think of it myself. I should have known that Krystina would not accept an entire company for free, but rather work to obtain it on her own.
Miss Cole, you will never cease to amaze me.
Her revised plan would certainly stop Stephen and Bryan from balking so much. I forwarded her email on to them and requested that they meet in my office to discuss the new proposal at three o’clock. I then typed a quick response to Krystina to let her know what time to meet us, and also reminded her of our shopping appointment later after work.
I hit send and smiled to myself, looking forward to having a very interesting day.
****
I sat down behind my computer with a steaming cup of coffee. I sipped it slowly, waiting to feel the surge of caffeine through my veins while I reviewed my calendar of appointments and list of things to do for the day. My first two days on the job had been long and tiring. I was beginning to understand why Alexander wanted someone to take charge of Turning Stone Advertising.
While the company was profitable, it was apparent that it was not Alexander’s main business focus. Between getting to know the somewhat reluctant-to-accept-change employees and sorting through existing and future ad campaign opportunities, I quickly learned that I had my work cut out for me. The employees, while creatively competent, could use some formal guidance. That fact alone was intimidating. I knew that I could handle the job aspects, but there was a big difference between being a boss and a leader. Having never had my leadership skills put to the test, I could only hope that I was up for the challenge.
I exited out of the calendar application and opened my inbox. The first thing to populate was an email from Alexander. It was in response to the one that I sent that morning.
That was quick.
Nervous butterflies danced in my stomach. I wasn’t sure how he would take to my offer, but his reply came remarkably quick. I hesitantly clicked on the email.
FROM: Alexander Stone
TO: Krystina Cole
SUBJECT: Re: Your Offer
I’m glad that you’ve finally decided to break the silence. And here I thought that I would have to take you over my knee. I may still do exactly that, as just the mere thought is more than a little bit appealing. You’ve been away from me for too long, Miss Cole.
I’ve scheduled a meeting for us with my account and lawyer. Come to my office at 3 P.M. today so that we can discuss your proposal with them further. I don’t imagine that it will take very long. We should be done in plenty of time to follow through with our plans to costume shop tonight.
Alexander Stone
CEO, Stone Enterprise
I frowned after reading his email, not knowing what to think about it. He didn’t give me any inclination as to whether or not he was going to accept my offer. To me, it wasn’t up for debate. I had thought long and hard about Alexander’s proposal, which was the reason why I avoided him for two days. I needed to think on my own without the interference of his intensely determined sapphire eyes.
Ultimately, I concluded that taking Turning Stone free and clear was simply something I could not do. I would have been perfectly okay with managing the company or exploring partnership possibilities down the road, but I could never accept it freely if I hadn’t earned it. There was no pride in that. I valued the rewards that came from hard work too much.
I reread his email, looking for some sort of clue in regards to which way he was leaning. He said that he wanted us to met with his accountant and lawyer, which could potentially mean that he was considering the revised deal. That was a good sign. However, I knew Alexander. He was anything but predictable. I needed to be braced for anything that he might throw at me.
I glanced up when I heard a knock on my office door.
“Come in,” I called.
Clive, the lead marketing coordinator for Turning Stone, came in.
“Good Morning, Miss Cole.”
I shook my head at the way he so formally addressed me. He, along with the other employees at Turning Stone, were used to Alexander’s ways. I wanted them to be more relaxed with me, as I believed that totalitarian rule over them would only result in stifling their creativity.
“Clive, I’ve already told you. There’s no need to be so formal. Krys is fine with me,” I said with a light laugh.
He smiled sheepishly.
“Sorry, old habits die hard. I’ll try to remember in the future.”
I returned his smile, hoping to put him more at ease.
“Don’t sweat it. So, what do you have for me?” I asked, noting the large portfolio case that he was carrying.
“Billboard designs for Wally’s. Carol and I just finished the layout. If you have a minute, I’d like to go over them with you.”
“Sure thing. Let’s see what you came up with,” I said and stood up to walk over to the small conference table that sat in the corner of my office.
Clive pulled six different billboard designs from the portfolio case and spread them out over the table. The designs were sleek and polished, clearly displaying the diversity of the city while using catchy phrases to emphasize the high quality product standards of the grocer. However, I couldn’t help but feel like they were missing the essence of what Wally’s truly was.
“What do you think?” he asked.
“Overall, I think that you and Carol did a fantastic job with them.”
“I sense a ‘but’ in there,” he remarked somewhat dejectedly.
“Well, I do have a suggestion to make. Wally’s is a family owned business and a staple in so many communities. I think we could use that to our advantage with a few very subtle changes.”
I went on to tell Clive my thoughts on what to do, as well as share my first hand knowledge about the company. At first, he seemed skeptical, but he listened attentively. I watched him carefully while I spoke, not wanting him to think that I was putting down his creativities, but merely wanted to explore the possibility of capturing an additional audience. When his expression changed from being doubtful to enthusiastic, I knew that I had broken through.
“This is all great info!” he exclaimed. “I’m going to get with Carol again. We need to think out of the box on this one.”
I smiled at his newfound excitement over the Wally’s campaign. It was contagious.
“We do. Just keep in mind that Wally’s is trying to make a recovery after falling on hard times. I suggest that we keep our long term activities to ads that are proven to work,
but still incorporate fresh ideas into shorter term ads in order to see what sticks.”
“I think we are going to have to appeal to each individual community separately,” he mused.
“I agree. Communities are the best place to start. Do you think you can have the new designs done by Friday? I have a meeting scheduled with Walter Roberts and I’d like to show him what Turning Stone has come up with.”
“It will be tough because we’re kind of backlogged, but I can shuffle a few things to make sure that it is.”
I frowned at hearing that, as I had been thinking about the staff’s workload just that morning during my cab ride into work. I had concerns over the many clients that were still waiting on design proofs.
“Clive, what do you think about hiring a few temps to get us caught up?”
I could see the relief sag in his shoulders immediately at my question.
“That would be extremely helpful, Miss Cole.”
I raised my eyebrows at him.
“Miss Cole?”
“Sorry. That would be extremely helpful, Krys,” he said and grinned.
“Thanks,” I laughed. “Let me see what I can do about our staffing issue. There may be a temp agency that Mr. Stone already uses that could be of help. Either way, when we start looking at candidates, I’ll want your input on who we bring onboard.”
Clive, who had begun putting away the billboard designs, stopped what he was doing at looked up at me in surprise.
“You want my input? Really?”
“Yes, really. You’re the lead marketing coordinator. Why wouldn’t I value your input?”
“Well, I just…” he trailed off, and appeared to be searching for the right words. “When we heard that Mr. Stone was bringing someone in to take over Turning Stone, we all assumed that you would be some hotshot New York City know-it-all. Those sentiments grew stronger once we saw how he pulled out all the stops for this new office. But I must say, I’m happy to see that you’ve been proving otherwise. I think I am going to enjoy working for you.”
“I’m happy to be here,” I said earnestly.
Smiling to myself, I headed out of the planning room feeling relatively pleased with how day three at Turning Stone was shaping up to be. I could only hope that my meeting with Alexander would go just as well.
CHAPTER 16
I glanced at the clock. It was nearing three o’clock and I was expecting Krystina at any minute. Stephen and Bryan were sitting in my office, both arguing their opinions on what I should and shouldn’t do about Krystina’s offer.
“I like her tenacity, Alex. She could have just taken the company free and clear, but decided to earn it instead. I think her proposal is smart and well thought out,” Stephen argued.
“That’s why you’re the lawyer and I’m the accountant,” Bryan quipped. “You’re not looking at these numbers. Yes, she is offering fair market value, but I am looking at the long-term loss of potential revenue.”
I shook my head at Bryan.
“Bryan, I’m not concerned about the long-term loss,” I reiterated. “Turning Stone was a venture designed to help the businesses that have lease agreements with me, nothing more. It was never a get-rich plan. I think you’re over stating the loss.”
“What is she defaults on the payments? Then what?” Bryan pressed.
“She won’t. And if she does, Stephen has included a lien clause just to appease you,” I rebuked. “If the payments are not made, the company defaults back to Stone Enterprise. However, I highly doubt that it will come to that. I trust her capabilities. In fact, I think she’ll succeed in making Turning Stone a very lucrative business.”
“That’s just more reason to not sell it off,” Bryan muttered.
The phone on my desk buzzed. It was Laura.
“Mr. Stone. Miss Cole is here,” she said somewhat tersely.
I smiled to myself, imagining the possible scene outside of my office. After the way Krystina had burst in here on Monday, I was fairly certain that Laura considered moving furniture to block Krystina from entering without permission ever again. I had to refrain from laughing at the idea as I leaned forward to press the intercom button.
“Send her in please,” I said into the speaker.
When Krystina came in, her brilliant brown eyes locked on mine. She looked determined, but wary at the same time as she moved to take a seat in between Bryan and Stephen.
“Hello. I’m Krystina Cole,” she said politely and extended her hand to each of them.
While they exchanged introductions, I couldn’t help but to take in her appearance. She was wearing a navy blue suit, the jacket outlining the curve of her waistline and breasts in the most delectable way. It was the same suit she wore when she came to my office for the very first time. And when I saw the triskelion necklace that I bought for her clasped around her neck, my cock instantly sprung to life.
Yes indeed, Miss Cole. I have been away from you for far too long.
I looked at Bryan and Stephen. They were both carefully assessing her. I expected as much, but planned to just observe them for the time being. They needed a minute to get to know the woman that I nearly handed a division of my company over to.
“We were just discussing your plan to buyout Turning Stone,” Stephen said to her. “It appears that you did your research.”
“Alexander put a lot on the table. I felt that it was important to know what I was getting into,” she replied evenly as she eyed me ever so subtly. I couldn't help but to think that there was a double meaning behind her words.
“Yes, and I couldn’t agree more with her idea,” I told the three of them. “It’s the best solution for all parties involved.”
“So you’re open to it?” Krystina asked and her eyes lit up.
“Of course I am. I’ll admit that it wasn’t something that I considered until you presented it, but it makes perfect sense. I understand why you wouldn’t accept the company outright.”
“I’m curious, Krystina” Bryan chimed in. “I was highly against the original offer, but it was extremely beneficial to you. What made you decide to not accept it?”
Bryan’s tone was sarcastic, and a stark contrast to the cordial attitude that Stephen took. But Bryan was different from Stephen, especially when it came down to money. He was testing her and it pissed me off. However, just as I was about to rip into him for it, Krystina spoke. Her tone was light, but her eyes held a fierce determination.
“Look, gentlemen. Neither one of you know me,” she began and looked back and forth between them. “I understand your hesitations and suspicions when it comes to me.”
“It’s our job to protect Stone Enterprise’s legal and financial matters,” Bryan stated bluntly. “That’s what we are paid to do.”
“Hey, Bryan. Chill. Just hear her out you old scrooge,” Stephen joked.
Bryan sat back in his chair, folded his arms, and looked pointedly at Krystina.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t help but to think that Alex’s personal interest in you is clouding his judgment.”
“I’ve thought the same thing,” Stephen commented offhandedly.
“Enough!” I snapped. “Neither one of you should be concerning yourselves with my personal life.”
My temper simmered below the surface, just waiting to erupt. Friends of mine or not, they were both precariously close to being fired.
“It’s okay, Alex,” Krystina interjected. “If I were them, I would be thinking the same.”
“This is not an attack on your personal life,” Stephen explained calmly, the voice of reason as usual. “Stone Enterprise has been very successful because of sound business decisions that were made by you, Alex. Bryan is just doing the job that you’ve asked him to do, and the same goes for me. If we weren’t questioning this, then we’d be shirking our responsibilities. Krystina, Alex just spent the last hour expressing his belief in your capabilities. And while he isn’t a stupid man by any stretch of the imagination, I think that I speak for both Br
yan and myself when I say that we would like to hear your testimony on the matter.”
“Stephen, don’t treat this like one of your court rooms,” I warned. “Regardless of what Krystina says, the decision to sell off Turning Stone lies with me and me alone.”
“Alexander the Dictator,” Krystina remarked.
Stephen immediately started to laugh.
“You’ve got that right!” he goaded.
I looked to Bryan and saw the corners of his mouth twitch. Krystina, on the other hand, merely sat there with a smirk on her face. I shook my head, somewhat amazed by the effect that her quick wit had on people. In just three words, even if she was poking fun at me, she managed to instantly defuse the tension in the room.
When she began to speak again, she looked pointedly at me.
“I will succeed with this, Alexander. I’m too stubborn to let Turning Stone fail. But it’s more than just that to me, which is why I refused to accept your original offer. There is something to be said about pride and self worth. I believe that hard work and diligence enhances an individual’s character. It gives a broader appreciation of one’s own achievements. Taking a handout isn’t my style, even if given with the best intentions. Perhaps that’s a foolish way to view it, especially considering the fact that I was offered a golden opportunity. But to me, accepting would give me no sense of accomplishment. I need to know that I succeeded all by myself.”
I smiled at her, knowing that she said exactly what Stephen and Bryan needed to hear. The way that they looked at her, it was almost as if they were seeing her for the first time. And in a way, they were.
Yes, gentlemen. This is the woman that has turned my world upside down.
“Well then,” Bryan said and smiled. He seemed more at ease, and not nearly as suspicious as he did a few moments before. “It looks like we have a contract to review now, doesn’t it?”
Stepping Stone Page 13
