“It was a pleasure meeting you both,” Blake said, his voice warm but measured as he stood up stretching his towards the representatives of the corporate events planning company, who wanted to work with Carter Industries on their forthcoming anniversary. “We’ll certainly consider your proposal. And get back to you.”
“Thank you, Mr. Carter,” the man nearer to Blake said, shaking his hand. His smile was wide and hopeful.
The other person, a lady, shook Blake’s hand too.
He felt the weight of their eyes on him as he shook their hands, each grip firm and confident. He could sense their eagerness, their belief in their ability to elevate Carter Industries to new heights.
“We’re confident we can deliver a campaign that will truly resonate with your target audience,” one of them said, his voice brimming with enthusiasm.
“We’ll be in touch.” Blake nodded, his gaze unwavering. “You enjoy your day.”
After they left, Blake turned to the chief operations officer, who was in the meeting with him, a flicker of doubt crossing his face. “What do you think?”
Meredith, a woman with sharp eyes and a keen understanding of Carter Industries’ operations, simply shrugged. “They’re good, but I’m not sure they’re the right fit for what we are looking for.”
“Exactly my observation,” Blake sighed. “They are relatively new, but they seem to know their onions. It’s only that they lack experience.”
“We still have two companies coming tomorrow,” Meredith opined. “Why not wait and hear what they offer?”
“I think that’s the best thing to do,” he agreed with her. “So we’ll continue tomorrow then.”
“Okay, Blake,” she stood up. “Enjoy the rest of your day.”
“You too,”
The weight of the decision settled on his shoulders. He had promised to get back to them, but he wasn’t entirely convinced about them. He needed time, time to weigh their proposal against the others, time to find the perfect partner for Carter Industries.
Blake settled down to work after she left. He opened a memo from the executive director facilities to read. But he just couldn’t concentrate.
“Focus. Blake, Focus,” he told himself, groaning. He had been staring at his laptop screen for quite a while now although the memo was just two pages. It had been three days since dinner at his parents and the showdown between him and his father. He didn’t like to have issues with his father, but he knew he just had to stand up for himself. In fact, he had been avoiding him since.
He stood up and strolled to his liquor shelf to fix himself a drink. But he dropped the bottle of rum he picked back. He had been trying to cut back on his alcohol intake. Blake decided to visit the company’s rooftop garden instead. He hadn’t been there in a long while. He climbed the stairs, breathing in the fresh air and admiring the panoramic view of the city.
The garden was a sanctuary for the staff, a place where they could recharge their batteries and enjoy some peace and relax. As he strolled through the garden, Blake came across a group of his colleagues practicing yoga. He joined them, and together they flowed through sun salutations and other poses, breathing in sync with the rhythm of their movements.
Blake’s phone rang in his pocket. He stopped what he was doing and brought it out.
“Wow,” he thought to himself, seeing that it was his dad calling.
“Dad,” he said as he answered the phone.
“Hello son,” the older man sighed heavily. “How have you been?”
“Good, Dad,” Blake retorted.
“Do you have a minute?” Can you come over to my office?”
Blake hesitated a moment before saying, sure.”
He cut off the line and took the elevator back to their floor.
His old man was sitting on the couch in the entertainment area when he got into his office.
“Dad,” he said casually and sat down opposite him on another couch.
“Son,” he pushed his frame to the edge of the couch. “I want to sincerely apologize to you.” He looked into Blake’s face. “I am wrong for trying to run your life on my own terms. I am deeply sorry.”
Blake heaved a sigh of relief. “It’s okay Dad. I am glad we are on the same page now.”
The older man nodded.
“I don’t want you to run away from me, please.”
Blake chuckled.
His phone rang again. He brought it out from his jacket pocket. On looking at the screen, it was the detective calling.
“Hey detective,” he said after swiping across the phone screen.
“Hello, Mr. Carter,” he said. “We need you at the station right now. The culprit had been found.”
“Good job, officer,” Blake sprang to his feet. “Is the person male or female?”
The detective chuckled, “male, and he’s someone you know very well.”
“Someone I know?”
“Yes.” He said, “Caleb, the staff you fired seven months ago.”
“Are you kidding me?” It surprised him. “Caleb? He was laid off for misappropriation of funds.
“You know, I told you that it’s probably going to be someone very close to you. And I am only able to make this fast progress because of your cooperation.”
Blake had been working closely with the detective, providing any information he could to help solve the case.
“Yes, you did say that,” Blake nodded.
“His twisted attempt to gain more power sold him out,” the detective said from the other end. “His main goal is to destroy your reputation. Will you be willing to come over now?”
“Sure, sure,” Blake said with enthusiasm. “I will be with you shortly.” He ended the call and returned his phone into his pocket.
“What is going on?” His father asked.
Blake told him all the detective just shared with him.
“I have to leave now,” he started walking to the door. “I still have a lot to do today.”
“Yes,” the senior Carter agreed with his son. “See me when you get back, we need to talk about the Chicago office.”
“Okay, Dad,” he opened the door and let himself out.