Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33230 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33230 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
I straighten my shoulders and give a nod to the lawyer. “Let’s get this dog and pony show over with.”
“Am I the dog or the pony?” Mel whispers in amusement.
“Definitely the pony--pretty and something everyone wants.”
She’s still snickering as we walk into the boardroom to face her dad. Everyone stands as we enter. I feel like tugging on my collar but know that any fidgeting will be taken as a sign of weakness.
“Who the hell are you?” Senator James demands. He’s standing at the head of the table as if he owns everything. Around the table are the older aunts and uncles who look frail and ready for the grave. No wonder they didn’t fight when the Senator came in. At their age, I’d want to be lying on the beach with Mel’s ass in one hand and a drink in the other. I’m guessing James was born later in life for Mel’s grandparents.
“I’m the new board member,” I announce. “You’re in my seat.”
There’s a swift, collective inhale of breath in the room. Senator James opens his mouth to release some boring diatribe but I flip out the papers I just signed and shove them in his face. “You never belonged here. These are Mel’s shares.”
“Th-th-they are not,” he sputters.
“They are, actually. The will deeded the shares to Miss James and while she was a minor, it was within your power to control those but she is now of age and may dispose of them as she likes.”
“She can’t sell a single share without agreement of at least two of the other shareholders,” Senator James declares.
There’s another gasp at his admission. His chin goes up. “I was taking care of my daughter’s assets.”
“You told us that they were your shares,” one of Mel’s aunts points out. “We repeatedly asked you for a copy of the will and you assured us you were abiding by its terms.”
“I was abiding by them. Every decision I made was to increase the profitability of this company.”
“You used this company and its profits to fund your senatorial campaign,” another gray-haired person pipes up.
Senator James huffs. “And in return, I was able to secure projects for this company that increased its profitability.”
“You got us involved in a huge lawsuit over insider trading last year,” says the aunt.
“We had to lay off ten percent of the staff due to a downturn in sales,” adds another.
I step forward, pull the chair from behind Senator James’s ass and plant myself in the seat. Mel stands next to the chair and glares at her father. I’m in a weird James sandwich. I roll it forward to the table and pretend like I know what I’m doing. “Per the terms of the will, Melody did not sell her shares. She signed a proxy to me. I’ll be voting her shares and running this company with all of your assistance while Mel and I go to college. Obviously, I will be relying on you all for good advice. Once college is over, I will take full control of the company at that time. I’ve agreed to a nominal--”
“Big--” interjects Melody.
“--nominal,” I repeat, “salary with full benefits. When I graduate, I’ll expect a raise which reflects the increase in profits.” I hope there’s some. “What do you say? All in favor, raise your hands and say aye.”
Every single person’s hand goes up, except for Senator James.
“This is ridiculous. A whole circus!” he blusters. “I’ll be calling my lawyer.”
“Please do,” says Mr. Bailey. He steps forward and holds out a card. “I’ll be expecting your phone call.”
Mel’s dad looks furious. Time for him to go. “If you don’t leave, we’ll get security up here.”
The family nods their heads vigorously. Senator James angrily adjusts his tie, lifts his chin high enough that I can see the moles below his collar and marches to the door. “This isn’t the end of it,” he warns. “You’ll see.”
“It is, though,” the lawyer murmurs, winking at Mel and me.
I keep my hands folded and eyes straight ahead. From my fighting days, I learned that half the battle to winning is ignoring the opposition once you’ve landed the right blow. They’ll fold in on themselves from fear. I don’t know if it will work with Senator James, but I try it. Seconds later, I hear a slamming of the door. The tension drops dramatically. We can all finally breathe. I give the room a smile. “I promise you that everything I do will be for the sake of Melody and her family so if you’ll help me, I think we can get this company back on its feet.”
The group of gray-hairs all converge on me, pulling me to my feet, slapping me on the back with some serious and surprising power, kissing Melody’s cheeks and generally doing a lot for people who I didn’t think had that much energy in them. After many promises to visit, the room empties out until it’s just Mel and me.