Can't Let You Go

Chapter 29

***LIAM***

Just because I don't want to be part of Alaris's corporate social climbing society, doesn't mean I don't see its potential usefulness. Helping Tally in any way I can manage is motivation enough, but jumping directly into the fray would be playing against expectations and give the impression that I'm actually interested in the company. To that end, I even argued about starting on Tuesday instead of Monday.

Knocking on Uncle Robert's office brings a flash of memories since I haven't been inside since it was my father's. The booming baritone that answers, however, is quite different from my father's clear tenor.

"Come in."

"Uncle, good morning. Here I was thinking I was early, but I find you already immersed in work."

"You're fine." The warmth of his voice is also different from the coldness of my father's. "I'm just an early bird. I arrive and leave earlier than everyone else. In theory. In fact, I find myself here late too many times. Right now, though, things are pretty settled so I can probably leave at three for a few weeks."

"Well, I'm here and at your mercy. What do you want me to do?"

"Your degree is in computer engineering?"

I nod my head. "Dual with computer science."

Uncle rubs his chin as though he has a beard and thinks for a moment. "We haven't got a branch that would suit that, except for IT of course, but even if I put you in charge, I doubt Father would see a support team as worthy of his grandson. What do you want to do?"

"Maybe it would be best if I learned about the company and subsidiaries first then I could see what interests me."

"Fine, fine." Pressing the intercom button, he instructs his assistant to set me up in an office and get the company's current prospectus to me. "Read that and you'll get an overview of what we do and where we stand in the market. My son spent so much time in this deciding phase that he got the whole thing memorized."

"Speaking of, I forgot to ask him. What does he do here?"

Uncle Robert sighs, "His official title is Vice President of Marketing. His unofficial title is Number One Schmoozer. It seems like his only skill is sweet talking, so I put it to use by sending him out to represent us. He basically socializes all day, so he's rarely here. I don't know how useful that is, but when it comes down to it, he's a good opener and closer."

"Who does the work in the middle?"

"Me, the other VP of marketing, the head of the subsidiary he's working with, or the lawyers. It depends on the situation."

"Ahh." I nod my head and rock on my heels.

His primary assistant, Maggie, knocks on the door and peeks her head in. "Everything is ready now, Sir."

It takes me a moment to realize that the 'Sir' she means is me.

Uncle waves me off as he answers his phone, his tone stern - family mode off, boss mode on. Along the way to my temporary office, we pass my cousin's, so I stop to look inside. "Is he not here today?" I ask Maggie from behind her.

"No, it's the holiday season. He'll be out giving gifts and taking people to lunches. That sort of thing." She stops in front of a door a few meters down. "This is you."

"Why are there several empty offices up here?"

"In the past, before I was here, all the VPs had their office on this level. At some point, I believe after your uncle took over, most of them were relocated to their respective departments or to the subsidiary they oversaw."