richard hayden x reader (tommy boy)

ch 3

the next time you saw tommy and richard again, it was a meeting. again, you weren't sure why you had been called there until tommy had opened the door, insisting for you to come inside the board room.

frank rittenhauer continued speaking as you entered, not wanting to take up any seats. you instead opted to stand behind richard. you attempted to smile softly at him, but he just shook his head, nodding in the direction of tommy's antics. you chuckled quietly, listening to what the men had to say.

"ladies and gentlemen, we're in real trouble. zalinsky industries has an offer on the table to buy us out," frank began. you rested your hand against your cheek, observing the people occupying the room. tommy's new stepmother and stepbrother had their own seats, which surprised you. you knew they had inheritance left to them, but it felt odd for them to be here for this.

"but as you realize, 'callahan' has been family owned since tommy's great grandfather laid the first brick... and i'll be damned if that's gonna change on my watch." frank sat down while speaking, looking out over the table of callahan higher-ups.

ted reilly cleared his throat, now speaking up. "frank, if we sell while our value's still high, everyone who owns stock in this company stands to make a lot of money— that, of course, includes you, mrs. callahan, now that you and tommy are the primary shareholders."

mrs. callahan shook her head, speaking softly. "it seems vulgar to think of money at a time like this." she glanced at the table sorrowfully, her son, paul, having a far-off look in his eyes as he sat there silently.

frank interjected, "i don't wanna hear the word 'sell' again! but ron," frank turned his attention to the man potentially loaning the company money, "we do need that loan to keep us afloat until we figure things out."

you looked between the two men solemnly, realizing the future of callahan auto looked dim.

ron sighed whilst looking at frank. "i'm sorry, frank, but we can't do it. tom got in way over his head when he built the new brake pad division. the bank just can't take any chance in putting up anymore money. now, let's face it! when big tom died, callahan auto may have died with him."

you sighed, watching as richard tenses up as well. you shook your head.

an older man, one you didn't recognize, now spoke up.

"if this factory goes under, the whole town goes under!" he exclaimed. the woman next to him, presumably his wife, added to his statement.

"and that's when the whores come in."

you snorted, doing your best to stifle your laughter at the woman's sudden outburst.

"here we go," most of the men grumbled.

paul spoke up, and you swore it was the first time you had heard his voice. "excuse me, what was that?"

"men laying their trick money down, twenty dollars to pay the rent... maybe instead i'll spend it on the whore!" she continued.

"she's got a point," you joked, earning looks from those around you. richard scoffed, shaking his head.

ted explained ron's reasoning, as if that outburst hadn't just happened. "frank, i really don't think we have any choice!"

you sucked in a breath, carding a hand through your hair. you'd just landed this job, and now the entire business was about to go under?

the tension hung heavy in the air as you leaned on the back of richard's chair haphazardly.

"... maybe i can help."

heads turned as tommy spoke up for the first time that meeting. you swallowed hard, wondering how tommy could possibly save an entire company from corporate death.

"i'll... i'll give you everything i've got. my house, the stock... if i give you that stuff as collateral, then would you give us the loan?"

everyone seemed to shift in their seats, looking at one another in surprise. ron looked around, at a loss for words.

"uh, yes, i suppose so."

you breathed out a sigh of relief, although still failing to see exactly how this would save the factory.

"wait a second, what are you saying, tommy?! you just wanna... hand over your inheritance?"

"right, if it'll help get the brake pads going. my dad said the new pads were the future of callahan!" tommy said, hope written all over his expression.

"okay, but... who's gonna sell 'em?"

the question was palpable, everybody and nobody wanted to help out all at the same time. you could hear a pin drop from the silence of the room.

"i will. i'll go on my dad's sales trip."

your head snapped up to look at tommy, shock written all over your face. richard rolled his eyes at tommy before turning back to look at you, chuckling softly at your surprise.

"i'll be damned!"

"whores running around doing their little 'behind shake' for the men folk..."

you could barely hold in your laughter at the woman's sudden outburst again.

"i kinda like her idea," richard chimed, pointing to the old woman. you snorted loudly, covering your mouth as richard looked back at you again, seeming a tad bit proud of himself for pulling that reaction out of you.

"for christ's sake! once during the war i visited a prostitute, and my life has been a living hell ever since!" the woman's husband exclaimed.

you shook your head in faux disappointment. "should've expected that one."

"now hold on a minute, do we really wanna put the future of the company in tommy's hands?!" ted exclaimed in exasperation.

frank shrugged. "we're running out of options here, ted! i can hold out zalinsky for a couple of weeks. what have we got to lose?"

"how about the jobs of three hundred people..." ted trailed off. richard nodded in agreement. "no offense, tommy, but you don't know the first thing about brake pads."

tommy sighed. "hey, i know i'm not the option you guys are looking for, but i feel like i gotta do something!" tommy stands up, walking to where his dad's chair used to sit in the board room. "hey, you're right. i don't know much about this stuff..." tommy trails off before looking over to you and richard across the room. "but they do!" tommy points suddenly in your direction.

you and richard look at each other before suddenly saying, "oh no."

"that's right! richard knows more about brake pads than anyone in here, and y/n has been writing reports on every aspect of those things for almost a month now!" tommy saunters over to the two of you, throwing an arm around you in the process.

"and, richard, since you were my dad's right-hand man, i'd say you have, eh, the rest of the year pretty much open!" richard groans as tommy points out the blank spaces on richard's calendar.

"time out! bad idea," richard scoffs. "i don't think anybody could help baby huey out there on the road!"

you nod in agreement. "yeah, i haven't even been here that long! there's no way this is a good idea whatsoever!" you protest.

frank looks between you, richard and tommy, eyes shifting. "you have any better suggestions?"