Another older dad nodded knowingly. He beckoned for an assistant to listen up. “Nessa? Will you book Ryder a flight? I know he’s not going to relax until he’s got a plan.”
Relax?
The assistant began quickly tapping away at her keys.
Ryder didn’t sit, and kept his phone out and ready. “You all have my notes on this. Take it or leave it. We need to level up, and this is the way.” He sucked in a breath through his nose and held.
Delayed at least long enough to have a flight booked for him, Ryder quickly cast the presentation back to the screen and flipped to the dollar signs. A few glanced up, a few played on their phones. Fucking hell these guys were stubborn.
He flipped a few slides ahead to the clickbait style photos of attractive people getting fit like it was better than a Saturday night out clubbing. “Review the data I sent. Do your own research if it would make you feel better. You want high end contracts with big dollar signs, this is it. Celebrities are picking their favorite fitness programs, skincare, fresh organic foods.”
Gene pursed his lips as he flipped through the copy on his own tablet on the table. “I see impressive increases for about the last two years, but before that, meh.”
The assistant lifted her hand for Ryder to come check her progress, while Gene did one of his prolonged ponders.
Ryder rounded the table so they wouldn’t interrupt Gene’s rhythm. “Any luck?”
One side of her mouth tweaked with sympathy. “Bad weather in Seattle, so not a lot to work with. I got you a flight out at six this evening.”
He flicked up his wrist to check the time. Not even ten in the morning. “Fuck. Keep searching?”
She nodded unconfidently. “Sure.”
“Nessa?” Ryder asked, dreading the answer already. “Did you happen to see what kind of storm? Is it near Foothills?”
Her expression dropped even further. “Freezing fog over the entire lowlands that might turn to snow by the evening. Some of the passes…”
“Fuck,” he growled, and stopped fast. “Thank you. Keep searching and book whatever you can get me? I’m heading to the airport to see if I can grab a last-minute seat.”
She nodded vigorously.
Ryder rounded back around the table, ten sets of eyes watching every step.
“Hang on,” Gene said vacantly as he glared at his tablet with deep thought.
He packed up his laptop, not waiting for Gene to finish. “I really need to go.”
“Of course,” Gene said without looking up, and waved as if to dismiss him. “Take the week off. Bring me something concrete on the long-term outlook. Better yet, nail another celebrity brand ambassador, and at next Friday’s all staff meeting, I suspect we’ll see it your way. Then we’ll think about a new hire.”
Ryder halted and gritted his teeth, quickly feigning patience. “I’m taking three months off. That’s why I flew down for this meeting, to present to you all today. Steve is set to take over for me.”
“Do you really want to leave this to your apprentice?”
“Yes,” Ryder growled, and slipped his laptop under his hand, and made it two more steps.
“You know I insist on full bodies present, but if you bring the baby on camera, I suppose you can attend via video call just this once,” Gene said, glowing with his own generosity.
Ryder’s phone buzzed in his pocket again. He quickly checked. Zoe texted,I’m wimpier than I thought. These buggers hurt!
He quickly texted back,Breathe. You got this. Remember your motto and say it as many times in your head as you need to.
I got this, she texted, then another quickly after.Be quick, fresh snow starting to fall.
“I’m not calling in. Pretend Steve is me; he knows everything I do. I’ll see you in April.” Ryder made it to the door, moved his phone back to his pocket, and began to push.
“That’s not what your contract says. Who approved three months of leave?”
Patience down to a thread of shredded dental floss, he growled, “I have more than enough time off banked. HR approved it, where fortunately, we hire decent human beings.” He pushed the door open, fresh air from the open rush of the building warming the freezing meeting room.
