“Hey, Ryder. A few of us are heading out for drinks. Friday night, what do you say?”
Anyone who didn’t know how to drink like a fish didn’t belong in the business world. He stretched and shook his head. “No, thanks though. Late meeting in LA last night, so I’ve got some catching up to do.”
“Ha,” Dev laughed, nodding knowingly. “I read you. Hangover or hookup?”
Ryder faked a laugh and nodded. “I wish. Nailed the footwear deal.”
“Oh, nice. Come celebrate. You know you want to.”
“You know it, but I’ve got way too much on my plate right now. I’m trying to nail down a deal with Bellamy Athletics, but they’ve got massive potential and are smart to shop around.” A few hoots in the hall, and he knew it was going to be a rowdy night. If he didn’t have a golden excuse, he’d hear about everything he’d missed ad nauseum next week. “First round on me next time, from my cushy new office,” he added, lifting one side of his mouth playfully, and added an eyebrow raise.
“Gene give the word yet?”
Ryder relented to a moment of brutal honesty. “Fuck no. He keeps giving me the look and saying we should talk soon, then he’s at the golf course or something and completely forgets.”
“Fuck, I thought that seltzer campaign was going to be the trick. Still…” Dev said, nodding like he was off to a metal concert, his nose scrunching and about to rock a few riffs. “Ryder Mallory’s next on the list for that corner office,” he said, punching his own heart and gazing longingly in the distance. “Don’t forget about we peons, still digging our way through the trenches.”
He faked a laugh and nodded. “Now get out of here so I look like a hard worker.”
The raucous finally made their way out of the building, and his stomach broke the stark silence with a rumble. He checked his middle drawer, but there were no more protein bars. Fuck. Another hour, and he could heat up something at home.
At seven thirty, the office was dismally silent, the air conditioners on low, the electronics all powered down.
Rising to his feet, he stretched his neck and popped his elbows. Hunger ate away at his gut, his eyes blurred, and he hoped to hell he didn’t fall asleep in the elevator.
The moment the gilded elevator came into view, his boss appeared in his peripheral. Shit. “Ryder, hey, I’m so glad I caught you before you left.”
Relaxing his shoulders, Ryder sported an easygoing smile and nodded. “Gene. Great timing. What can I do for you?”
“Come on.” Gene said like a mischievous grandpa with a secret stash of hard candies, and gestured to his double-sized corner office. “Have a seat.” Gene pointed to the leather sofa that Ryder always thought looked more like a therapy chair than a comfy place to sit. But Gene felt it was more natural to chat as regular guys around the coffee table than across the desk. “Get you a drink?”
“No, thanks though.” Ryder nodded and adjusted to sit up straighter.
Pouring him a few fingers of scotch anyway, his boss slid it across the glass coffee table and said, “Just a sip so we can toast.”
“Well, in that case.” Ryder grinned and picked up the glass, his stomach souring at the idea. “What’s the occasion?”
“We’ll get to that.” Gene artfully ruffled his curly gray mop and smiled. “You’ve been with us for almost ten years. Can you believe how time flies?”
“Sure does,” Ryder nodded. Butterflies flooded his stomach. A decade of hard work, all leading up to this moment. Fuck, this has better be the moment.
“You work harder than any of my other consultants. You remind me of a younger me, bringing everything to the job, every day. You’ve got an incredible work ethic, instincts and talent, and I know you’ve had your eye on a bigger office for a while now.” Gene lifted his glass. He gazed up at the wall of photos, milestones hit by children and grandchildren mixed with him posing with various celebrities at his favorite Scottsdale country club.
“I appreciate the opportunities you’ve passed my way. Taking point on the seltzer campaign was a thrill.” Heart thundering in his chest, he maintained his smile. With what he’d accomplished the last few years, and how he’d nailed the seltzer campaign and leveled up the office with an ongoing fat purse? Not as big, but even the shoe campaign was bigger than any of the projects even Gene delivered, before Ryder’s time.
He should be able to write his own ticket from here on out. Set his own hours, pick and choose his projects.
“You’ll be seeing a lot more like it. In fact, we were thinking it was time you took on a bigger role around here.” With a wink, Gene downed his drink in one swallow.
“That’s fantastic.” Ryder’s breath whooshed from his lungs. He mirrored the raised glass and downed the fiery liquid. Maybe he’d fly off to Hawaii for a week. Alone? Fuck. Would Zoe be up to joining him? If she was still single?
Gene poured them each another round, deeper this time, the decanter clanking against the crystal glass as amber liquid sloshed inside. “Typically, on reaching this point, we would transition you into more of a partner position, strapping you to a desk to build us stronger from the inside. But you’re too good at being my boots on the ground. This company wouldn’t be where it is today without you. I can’t lose your energy,” Gene said with a fist pumped nudge, beaming with inflated pride. “We’ll go over more details next week, but here’s a sneak peek of the rest of your career.”
Here it goes. About fucking time. He could spend the next thirty years playing and sleeping to make up for the last nine and a half. Dust off his skis. Maybe take up rock climbing again.
“Your team loves you. They look up to you. So, I’m putting you in charge of redesigning our entire team development strategy, but not to worry, that’s only a small piece of what’s coming. Big campaigns are your gift, truly, so you can start delegating your maintenance contracts. More travel, meet more people, take on more of the flashy projects. Lead by example.”
Ryder’s chest tightened. Poker face engaged, he hid the confused flush behind a thrilled smile. More…what?
