A familiar rush courses through my veins, one I haven’t felt in decades. The Big 5 are back together again, or rather, the Remaining 3.
It’s Sunday, but I’ve been working all weekend trying to make sense of things—trying to figure out how Friday’s meeting could have gone so wrong.
“Barry, Lindel, I’ve gathered you here for an urgent matter I’d like to discuss.”
Lindel is already seated. Barry is navigating the chair I have out for him.
“What happened at that meeting—is reprehensible!”
Lindel glowers, as though I’m wasting her time. “Creg, she’s already quit. She’s gone. She left right after the meeting and won’t be back. You should be happy.”
“I’m not talking about the little upstart mouse. I’m talking about Tom Wellington and Gabriel Icor himself.”
There it is. I said it. The elephant in the room. I know what Tom did isn’t lost on the other Remaining 3, but for some reason, it’s something hard to address. To even put into words. Probably because we bought into it for so long.
Gabriel Icor, however, well, I’m sure we all expected that.
“Ever since Tom was named CFO by Gabriel’s dolt of a father, he’s held an enormous amount of sway at Icor Tech. Maybe too much.” I look at the two of them, hoping they see the very obvious writing on the wall.
“Are you saying you liked Remi’s proposal?” Lindel said, a look of surprise on her face.
“It wasn’t bad,” Barry cut in. “I saw where the numbers made sense. I was even going to tell her as much, that is until she popped off about my cousin. It was like—”
“She was prepared for it. It’s obvious Gabriel coached her into saying that. After all, Gabriel had been feeding her ideas,” I say with distaste.
“Actually, it wasn’t Gabriel,” Lindel snaps.
Barry and I look at her, confused.
“I talked with Analise yesterday. I found out that even though Gabriel gave Remi some information, her initial presentation was all her own. And Gabe never told her about Barry’s cousin.”
Barry’s chubby fingers fidget on his lap. I’ve had to deal with his fidgeting fingers for upward forty years now, and I’m quite tired of it.
Finally, he says, “So who told Remi about my cousin?”
“We don’t have concrete confirmation, but the only person that makes sense is Tom, who Analise said viewed it ahead of time.”
So I’m right. Tom is not to be trusted. He never was.
Lindel clears her throat, and I can tell she’s angry.
“We brought this on ourselves. Gabriel worked his ass off when his father died, trying to undo all the damn bullshit his flashy-ass father left him, and we never gave him a chance. It was never enough for us. We took everything out on him and disallowed him from getting anything done.”
Barry and I stare at Lindel, knowing what we’re in for. Lindel is not shy, and she knows when to make her points—perhaps this one should have been made years ago, though.
“So, don’t you go bringing up Gabriel this or Gabriel that. If we go under, there’s no one to point the finger at but ourselves.”
“We’ve weathered the storm now for—”
Lindel cuts me off. “Oh, Cregor, shut your mouth. Look what happened to companies like Compaq and Blockbuster. Did they ‘weather the storm?’ If we don’t adapt, we will eventually go under. It’s only a matter of time.”
“So, you suppose we should let Gabriel go all willy nilly and make whatever changes he wants?” I say.
“Did I say that? No, I did not. What I’m saying is we should allow him to present his ideas without our negative comments. The Big 5 still hold a lot of weight in that boardroom, and every time you make a snide remark, Cregor, he loses ground.”
Damn, she’s right.
I have been an obstacle to Gabriel for quite some time, but I always reasoned it to be for the good of the company. After hearing Lindel talk, though, I’m not so sure.
“Well, now what?” Barry asks.
“We see if we can undo the damage,” Lindel replies. “I’m not a numbers woman. I’ve always figured that to be the CFO’s job, but I’ve been talking with Analise a lot lately, and she’s confirmed some suspicions of mine. To say it plainly, we are running this company ass-backwards into the ground, and it’s gonna catch up with us real soon. We are in for a world of hurt if we don’t change our ways.”
We look at each other, solemn, ashamed. Each of us has played a role in the shenanigans, no one more than myself.
“So, what do you suppose we do?” I ask. “To undo whatever damage we’ve caused.”
Lindel looks satisfied that she has our agreement.
“First, we need to figure out what Tom’s end game is. Analise knows what went on inside that meeting, and she clued me into something. Tom failed to mention the pop-up shops on Friday, even though he damn well knew about them. It would have solved that little inland travel problem, making it more viable. This means he wanted a good idea to fail.”
“So, one of the main flaws in her plan wasn’t a flaw at all?” Barry says, a critical look on his face.
“Not at all, and Remi couldn’t speak to it because the deals still going through.”
“I knew something wasn’t right!” I say, scratching my chin.
“That’s not all, and this has to stay here. It appears there was a little love triangle going on between Gabriel, Tom, and Remi. Now, I’m only telling you this to show you just how manipulative Tom is being.”
“We knew about Tom because of the flower shenanigans,” I say, “but this speaks to Gabriel’s and Remi’s character.”
“Look, I puzzled this out with Analise, and let me tell you, it all happened rather unexpectedly. We know Tom’s seen with a revolving door of women, but Gabriel has been wholly focused on the company for the last four years.”
“And he’s about to be married,” Barry interjects. “Making his role worse.”
“Yeah, but he’s marrying to save the company. I didn’t really know why until Ana clued me in. It’s Gabriel’s safety net if he can’t turn us around. Work out a deal, a possible merger. Save the company—save jobs. The woman he’s engaged to is a damn lesbian for crying out loud!”
My eyes grow wide. A lesbian?
“Very few knew of the engagement. The Remaining 3 were told, but we keep our traps shut. Apparently, Tom was left in the dark. Somehow, he found out, and he released the information at just the right time to have the greatest negative impact. We all saw what we thought was a shady business practice, but it was just Gabriel doing whatever he could to save our damn jobs. And, from what Ana says, it just about broke Remi’s heart.”
“I don’t understand what Tom’s motive is,” Barry says. “He’s just over 30 and the CFO of Icor Tech. Why bite the hand that feeds you?”
Lindel sighs, relinquishing her control of the conversation, and we sit there in silence, mulling over our mistakes.
I had not expected Lindel to hijack my meeting, but the woman’s done good work, and as our meeting draws to a close, I realize I have to do something I’ve been avoiding for a long time now.
I have to meet with my daughter, Ana, and find out what’s really going on.
CHAPTER 30
Remi gets a severance…
“So, I see you graduated from Cornell at age nineteen. That’s quite an accomplishment,” Meghan says.
We are seated on her white, leather couch, putting together a women’s empowerment video.
I smile for the camera, my hands fidgeting on my thighs. “Yeah, it’s definitely not what I would recommend for many, but it was the right path for me.”
“And from there you went on to get your Masters?”
“Yes. I could have received it in half the time if they had just let me take more classes.”
“What was it like when you started your first job at Icor Tech?”
“It was amazing. I interned with them before I graduated and then went on
to become the youngest person to hold a program manager position with them at twenty-three.”
“But that’s not all. You went on to become a director too.”
“That’s right. Gabriel Icor himself offered me a director position.”
We talk for thirty minutes about women in the workplace, the push for S.T.E.M., and even dating. Finally, the interview needs to close.
“With such an amazing position held at such a young age, why are you out looking for a job now?”
“You know, Meghan, I just hadn’t realized what I was missing out on. Working for Icor Tech had been a dream of mine, but it’s all I know. I don’t feel like I can properly assume a director position without gaining more industry experience.”
Meghan casts me a secret wink, and I know I’m killing it.
Meghan gives her closing remarks, shuts off the cameras, and I slouch back on the couch.
“Would you be offended if I just lay pantless?” I say, unbuttoning my top button.
“You do you,” Meghan says as she puts the ring lights back against the wall.
Leaving Icor so quickly after receiving my promotion is a detriment to my career. It reeks of scandal. When Meghan suggested we get ahead of the gossip, I was initially fearful, but after thinking on it, it’s the only way to spin the situation to my advantage.
Yes, I was a complete idiot for getting involved with Gabriel Icor, but it did not affect how I did my job. I deserve to land on my feet, and with this interview, it will give the appearance that I’m not hiding anything.
I’ve been sleeping on Meghan’s couch for a week now, helping her with a few projects and creating databases and spreadsheets to help her run things more efficiently.
Unfortunately, I had already surrendered my key to Mr. Sokolov, so I’m technically homeless. With any luck, though, I’ll be gainfully employed soon.
“It’s going to take me some time to edit, then we can throw this up.” Meghan gives me a hopeful smile.
“I can do the editing if you’d like?”
“If you would be so kind.”
This video is going to be the first in a series of videos by Might Be Meghan interviewing inspirational women. She got the idea when I was destitute, crying on her couch. A way to help me out without seeming too obvious. Soon after this one releases, we will release one with Meghan interviewing the woman who founded Style-Rex Salon. A salon specializing in unique looks highlighting cultural heritage.
The founder, Ishi Rue, wears her own hair in an exaggerated anime style she says speaks to her ancestry while allowing her to have fun and be an individual.
I’ve edited two videos in the week I’ve been with Meghan. It helps to pass the time and take my mind off my worries, not that it helps too much.
A knock sounds on the door, and Meghan goes to answer it. A minute later, she comes back into the room, a manilla envelope in hand.
“It’s for you,” she says, setting it beside me.
In the upper left-hand corner, Gabriel Icor’s name is stamped.
“I can’t,” I say, pushing it in the trash.
Meghan is quick to retrieve it. “It could be work crap.”
“I don’t work there anymore.”
“But they still have your stuff. They still have Kibbles.”
I chuckle, imagine the havoc the monster cat is wreaking.
“Let them have Kibbles.”
“I’m opening it.”
“Don’t you dare!”
“You can legally take people’s trash, and you canned it.”
“I’m not sure that’s how the law works.”
But Meghan doesn’t seem to care, and as she tears the manilla envelope open, I can’t help but look on, eyes wide with horror.
Meghan’s pretty blue eyes widen. She blinks, shaking her head slightly.
“Do I want to know?” I ask.
“Well, it appears Mr. Asshole Billionaire left you a parting gift in the tune of $200,000, and he says he’ll hold your stuff for up to six months, the monster cat will have his room and board paid for at a vet of your choosing.”
She thumbs through the documents, pulling out one in particular.
“He’s also included glowing letters of recommendations and a list of places that would be happy to hire you on.”
My lip shoots up in a sneer. I push the documents away.
“Like, you do realize he could have given you nothing—no money, no help.”
“You do understand that to him, this is nothing. A drop in a Hoover Dam sized bucket is what it is. Wonder how he plans on making it up to his fiancé, that is, if he’ll even tell her.”
“Don’t you think it’s curious she’s never seen with him? I mean, you know nothing about her. Not even her name.”
It does bother me, but not enough to think about it too hard. Billionaires play by their own rules, and maybe they wanted to keep things quiet, with only their families attending. With what Tom had said, she is probably an heiress of some sort.
“Please, I don’t—”
“Well, you’re going to have to talk about it eventually.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Do you think you’re going to get better just wallowing in my apartment, editing videos, eating carbs, and…did I mention the wallowing?”
“I just don’t fucking understand. Why did he act all sweet? Like he was a good guy. He’s just an asshole cheater.”
“I really feel like there’s more to this. Like you should maybe pick up the phone and call him.”
As if Meghan had some kind of sixth sense, my phone starts vibrating, but it’s not Gabriel—it’s Analise. She has tried to call me four times since I left I Friday, each time I let it go to voicemail.
“Pick it up!” Meghan says.
“No, I can’t.”
Meghan grabs my phone, hits answer, smirks, then handing the phone back to me.
“Damn you!”
Analise: Remi!
I want to hit end, but when I hear her voice, I get a rush of emotions. I remember what it was like, sitting in my office, gossiping. It may have only been for a few days, but my time with Analise was precious, as I’ve had so few friends throughout my life.
Analise: Remi, I know you must be furious. You have every right to be. Please, just let me explain.
Fresh tears come as I hold the phone, a million thoughts rushing through my head. If anything, Analise was worse than Gabriel. She could have at least warned me. But no, she played the role of fake friend too well.
The line eventually goes dead, and I feel relief.
“Don’t you ever do that again,” I say, glaring at Meghan.
She pouts, and I find it hard to stay mad at her. She has good intentions but very poor execution.
“Just throw it all away.”
Meghan hikes a brow. “Throw it all away? Throw away this check, which you so richly deserve? Throw away your household goods? Throw away…your giant cat?”
“Everything is replaceable, and if anyone deserves that cat—it’s Gabriel.”
CHAPTER 31
Gabriel courts Kibbles…
“How the hell is this thing even real?” Sayo says, staring at the massive cat named Kibbles with disgust.
“Just don’t move too quickly!” I hold up a hand to advise caution. “You wouldn’t believe how fast she is.”
“What the hell did that girl feed it?”
“Actually, I called the vet, and it’s not Remi’s fault. She inherited the cat from her grandmother last year. She’s actually down five pounds. Maybe that’s why she has such a temperament.”
Sayo takes a step toward the beast, but a guttural hiss stopped her in her tracks.
“Are you sure you want to take care of this thing?” she asks.
“She’ll eventually go to a vet, but for now, it’s my…last connection to…”
All at once, we are silent. Sayo, Kibbles, and I stand staring at each other, not sure how to proceed.
Remi has no
idea that I’m standing here thinking about her right now. That she hasn’t left my head. That I can’t sleep, and I’m now clinging to her obese cat like a security blanket.
Last night, in the desperate throws of sleeplessness, I decided I would try to cuddle the terrifying creature named Kibbles. I lured her to my apartment with Pounce treats, then nearly threw my back out lifting her, bringing her to my room, and hoisting her onto my bed. I work out pretty regularly, so the weight itself wasn’t an issue. It was how she jerked her solid mass of flesh that did me in.
It was a fight I couldn’t win, but I tried nonetheless. Now, my arms are covered in scratches, and a traumatized cat now stalks my apartment.
Sayo’s flew into town earlier this week, coming to live in Icor Tower sooner than expected. In a few days, a press release will go out, and over the next couple months, Sayo and I will be the talk of the town. Our schedule is packed, seeing us at all the hotspots, not just in New York City but across the entire US.
We will be a dream couple, two attractive people in their primes, hailing from prominent families, with more money than anyone could hope to spend in a lifetime. But none of that matters to me.
A lot of problems came out of that meeting. Tom harboring a huge, life-changing secret being one. Remi should be the last person I’m thinking about, but she hasn’t left my mind. Not for a minute.
“Call her,” Sayo says from across the room in a tone that makes it sound so easy.
Sayo knows I don’t want her in my business, so I say nothing.
The board meeting lost me what little trust the board had in me, as well as the woman of my dreams. Needless to say, it was a bad day.
It is stupid to think that there is only one woman for any one man, but if that is the case, Remi would be mine. She’s the perfect mix of smart, sexy, and sweet.
And I can’t believe I lost her.
“While you are clearly engaged in your personal life, I’ve been thinking about the future of Icor Tech. Your upcoming meeting tomorrow should be a big one. I want to be present.” Sayo crosses her arms over her chest but doesn’t take her eyes off Kibbled. It’s simply too great a risk.
The Billionaire's Board Page 19
