Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 78304 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78304 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
“Aww, well, don’t give up on finding love. And once you do find it, don’t let it go.” He smiles at me, but I can feel the sadness in his tone.
Working for Samuel for as long as I have, I’ve watched him go through losing his wife, his daughter moving away—I never knew her personally, but he’s talked about her over the years—and most recently, falling in love again. He’s the smartest man I know, but he’ll be the first to tell you he’s made a lot of dumb choices over the years. Seeing as he privately owns a multibillion-dollar company, I’m going to bet most of his choices were smart regardless of how he feels now.
Still, I nod in agreement since I’m not about to tell him that finding love doesn’t seem to be in the cards for me. It’s not that I’m some man-whore playboy. I’m too busy to have a different woman in my bed every night. Hell, if I were willing to settle down, it would probably mean getting laid more often. But I’ve learned the hard way that it’s easier said than done.
The truth is, the naive, younger me thought by my age, I’d be married with kids, but moving up the ranks in a company this size and this competitive doesn’t happen while you’re out looking for love.
I started off in the mailroom when I was eighteen and had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. From there, I was promoted to errand boy, getting drinks and food for the bigwigs.
But then a few years later, Samuel saw something in me and took me under his wing, helping me become the businessman I am today.
I went from the broke guy women wanted to fuck, but didn’t want to settle down with because I couldn’t provide for them, to the millionaire that women only want for my money.
There is one other option—the wealthy women. I tried dating that type because at least they wouldn’t want my money since they had their own, but they were so stuck-up that I couldn’t even handle having a conversation with them, and it was even worse in bed—imagine a dead starfish lying in the center of the bed.
So, for now, I’m just cruising along, focusing on work and my future. I might be getting older, but I figure I still have plenty of time to find the right woman.
“So, I hear congratulations are in order,” I say once we throw our bags onto the back of the golf cart and jump in—Samuel driving. “Retirement, huh?”
“Yeah.” He chuckles. “That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about. I was hoping to speak to you before the article was published, but you were out of town on business, and I felt this conversation would be better in person.”
My heart pounds against my chest, as I hope this conversation is going where I think it is. Having been the Chief Operating Officer for the past seven years, there’s only one position higher than my current one—CEO. And since that position has been Samuel’s and I thought it would remain his until the day he died, I never put it into my head there was a chance of me getting it. But now, with him formally stepping down, the position is open.
“A year ago, if anyone had said I’d be retiring at sixty, I would’ve laughed in their face,” he says, driving over to the first hole. He parks, but doesn’t attempt to get out, so I stay put as well. “This business has been my entire life since I started it almost forty years ago.”
I nod in understanding, knowing firsthand how hard of a worker he is—or was, until he met his now wife. Lately, he’s been spending more time with her than at the office.
“I’ve watched you grow up from a lost teenage boy to a hardworking businessman,” he continues, turning to face me. “And I’m so proud of everything you’ve learned and accomplished.”
I listen, waiting and hoping for the words to come.
“A year ago, you would’ve been my only choice for CEO, but I’ve been doing a lot of soul-searching the past several months, and I don’t want whoever steps into my position to make the same mistakes I made. You remind me of myself when I was your age, and while that’s a good thing businesswise, it’s also a recipe for self-destruction.”
I say nothing, confused as fuck and hoping he’ll explain what the hell he’s talking about.
“I want someone hardworking to become the new CEO, which you are,” he adds. “But I also want someone who has and understands family values. After all, he or she is going to be the new face of the company. I’m not saying they have to be married, but I’m looking for someone who can take what I’ve created and make it more family friendly.”