Destination Love

Destination Love - Chapter Five

Taylor studied her tiles before placing them on the board to form a word. "Thirty-five points." She wrote her score on a note pad, and glanced across the table at her mother, "You're awfully quiet."

"Sorry," Lily's gaze moved from her tiles to the board and back, "I guess I have a lot on my mind."

"John?"

"No." Lily sighed, "You."

"Me?" Taylor leaned her arms on the table, "What have I done to cause you to think?"

Lily laughed, "It's not really you, it's more the situation with Sloan and Jillian."

"Oh."

"I have been thinking that perhaps it would be a good idea to bring someone in at the corporate level, that will balance it out."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, perhaps you should have a COO."

"A COO?" Taylor picked up her phone, and swiped through her messages. "Let's face it, Mom. There's nothing in the title. I do everything. We both know that."

"Okay, I don't care what title he has, but I want Alex to help you with the company."

"Wait, what?"

"I'm serious. I think he will help balance out the family decisions."

Taylor returned her phone to the table. "Mom, you've known this guy a few days, and you want to give him control of the company?"

"No, of course not. You will still have full control. I just want to give you help. I think all your siblings respect Alex, and they will listen to him."

"So you really don't think I'm doing a good job here?"

"It isn't that. I just hate seeing this conflict. I think Jillian is going to keep fighting against you until she gets her way, or you fire her."

"I'm not going to fire them."

"Demoting them will force them to quit, and we don't have another Dixon to replace them."

"Maybe its time to promote within. Monica has been at the Castle for a long time. She could run it efficiently."

"I'd rather not. We also have to consider the fact that the twins have some really good ideas, but nothing is going to get past the others."

"You want to dissolve the board?"

"In essence, yes."

"In essence, what does that mean?"

"I think the family is too broken to make decisions for this company. I don't think your siblings are going to fight Alex. I think he will help reinforce your decisions."

"As long as he agrees with me."

"That's the idea." Lily said, "You can meet with him before the family meetings and has things out. It's important that the two of you are a united front."

"Yeah. Right." Taylor carried her coffee cup to the kitchen.

"You have a problem with him?"

"No, I haven't even met him."

"He's been here for days. How can you have not met him?"

"The timing just hasn't been right. Every time I set a meeting, something comes up and I have to go, or he gets called away."

"I've invited him to Friday's Board meeting."

Taylor poured herself another cup of coffee, and returned to the table. "Thanks for telling me before Friday."