“So, Franklin?” he looks up at me. “What is it that you want?”
“I don’t want to leave my company,” he says flatly.
My body tenses.If he pulls out of this deal now, I am going to hit the fucking roof.
“Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying,” Barnes adds, spreading his hands out wide as I feel a vein pulsing in my temple. “I can’t keep going as I did. That’s never been on the table. That’swhyI’m selling, after all. My wife would leave me; my kids would disown me. I’ve lived for work my entire life, and this deal was always about stepping back. But I’m not ready to retire. Not yet.”
I’ve wondered many times how this meeting would play out, but I didn’t expect this. I was anticipating wrangling with the man for weeks or even forcing him to take a deal he didn’t want by coercing him.
Instead, we appear to be having our first adult conversation.
“Alright, then what are you suggesting?” I ask.
He gives a slow smile. “I want stability and you want a smooth transition,” he says. “I want my people to be safe in their jobs, and you want productivity and good morale. How about we agree that I’ll remain on for two years to assist with the changes, on a part-time basis. I’ll work with you to manage the restructure when it comes, and help with an efficient handover.”
I lean my head to one side as his gaze meets mine. He’s a cocky son of a bitch; I’ll give him that.
“One year,” I say.
“Eighteen months,” he counters.
“Alright. But a percentage of the buyout is contingent on hitting targets at the end of the next financial year.”
He squints at me. “And all decisions around people management will be decided jointly?”
I scratch my jaw. “You’ll have to work with Kendrick on that. But yes. In principle, we can agree. But Iwillstep in if you don’t compromise on anything.”
There’s a long, tense silence, and he stares me down. I’m not sure if it’s a test, but I don’t blink. Then, he stands up, extending his hand.
“Agreed.”
I stare at him in shock. “What? Just like that?”
He shrugs one shoulder. “Just like that. I trust my gut, and it’s been uneasy throughout everything we’ve discussed to date. Today is the first time I’ve felt on firmer ground. I wasn’t ready to walk, and now I don’t have to. I can ensure my children are safe and my company’s legacy is intact, helping you make your millions as a partnership.”
I rise to my feet, elation coursing through me.
“Deal.”
We shake on it, and the tension in the room evaporates as he nods at me. He’s about to head out of my office when he realizes he hasn’t put his shoes and socks back on, and we share the first laugh we’ve had in weeks.
After he’s fully dressed again, I follow him out, excited to tell Amelia the good news. But as I leave my office, I find her desk is clear, the chair neatly tucked underneath.
Checking the time, I frown at the clock, realizing that it’s after five and she’s already left. I walk Barnes to the elevator, shaking hands with him once more, before I head back to my office.
I pour myself a drink, going to stand at the window and saluting the New York skyline as I have done many times before at the conclusion of a deal.
But it’s hollow. Dulled.
I want Amelia, and for the first time, it has nothing to do with sex. I want to thank her for her input and for her soft, kind nature, which draws people to her so effortlessly. I’ve never seen Barnes so congenial before, and I’m certain it’s because of her.
“What the hell is wrong with me?” I mutter into the window as the clouds of fog roll in beneath me, blanketing the city and obscuring everything from view.
Chapter 29
Lucas
Ileave the office still agitated, an itchy feeling beneath my skin that I can’t shake.
