Fifty Shades of Maybes

CPOV

I just got out of a very long tedious meeting with the William Roach. The owner of a small local publishing company based here in Seattle. Roach is looking at retiring and wants to sell but doesn't want to sell to an 'outside' company. He started the business 35 years ago with a business motto of cultivating local authors by a local company and wants it to stay that way.

The business is doing well. Not as well as it could be if it had an influx of money for upgrading systems and staff but for its size and what it does it. It has a more laid back atmosphere than what I would like to see but that could change easily if I decide to buy it.

Roach came to me because, well, in his words. I was raised local, I built my business local and I have stayed local as my company prospered and I could have gone anywhere in the world to base my business. To be honest, I couldn't care less why he came to me. The man wants out of a decent business that's making a profit, which means that I could buy it for less than if I were to try to take it over, I could put in a few million in upgrading the systems and renovating the building, and with my PR and legal departments, easily work in bestselling authors with the potential for negotiating movie rights and merchandising. The potential is there to take this small business and make it huge. That's what I find intriguing and why I am even considering this.

As I'm contemplating the benefits of adding this business to the GEH portfolio Andrea buzzes me, "Sir, Mr. Welch is here to see you."

Pushing the button to respond, I tell her to send him in. I wonder what he has found in relation to SIP. I told him that I wanted preliminary background checks on all executive and upper management staff as soon as possible. If I'm to buy this company, the staff will all be kept on per Roach's request but I also have GEH to consider – and that's my priority – no one and I mean no one will be kept on staff at SIP if they could be detrimental to GEH's reputation, i.e. to me. If anything shows up on anyone being looked into, then Roach will be informed and decisions will be made at that point. I'm giving this man a hell of a lot more leeway than I would normally but then I didn't go after SIP and Roach, he came to me.

"What can I do for you Welch?" I say when he walks in the door.

Closing the door and walking over to one of the chairs in front of my desk, Welch sits and looks at me and I swear the man is nervous. Shit, I don't think I've ever seen him nervous before.

"Sir, I need to take a leave of absence. A few months maybe more."

"WHAT!" Roaring at him. Fuck! This can't be happening. There are four people, just four that I count on every day. I can't afford to lose any of those four, and Welch just happens to be one of them.

When he doesn't respond, just sitting there looking at me with a raised eyebrow I continue, slowly, "Why?"

"Personal reasons, Sir. I'd rather not get into them. I will if you wish but I'd rather not."

Well fuck that! If I am losing one of my most valued employees there had better be a better fucking reason than 'personal reasons'.

Templing my fingers together and resting them against my lips, I think how best to tell him that he'll be required to answer me.

"Welch, I depend on you, Barney, Taylor and Roz everyday with everything that has to do with either myself, my family and my business. Anyone else would be able to give me 'personal reasons' as a reason for needing a leave of absence except you four."

His eyes never leaving mine but I see the shift in his shoulders as the square like he is getting ready to do battle. What the fuck!

"Sir, my daughter was been diagnosed with stage four Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma several months ago. She was undergoing chemo and radiation but neither seem to be working. Her mother and I have decided that it's time to just let her enjoy her life while she's still here. I want to spend that time with my family."