Page 2 of The Rules of Playing with Fire

“Yes,” the CEO said with resignation in his voice.

“And I’ll always be available if you have any questions or concerns,” I added as I pushed my chair back to stand, then gave a sharp tug on each of my cuffs.

The room rose with me. Not that they needed to. I wasn’t their boss. I wasn’t their anything. Still, power had a way of making people feel deferential and helpless.

The only one who kept his seat was the Chairman. I gave him a short nod, and he responded with a terse one.

That was it. The Band-Aid had been ripped off. Of course, the board would deliberate how much of my advice to heed, but if past experience was any indicator, they would follow my recommendations to a T if they wanted to succeed.

If they did follow my recommendations on the layoffs, I knew one person I’d snatch up. She was the only one who knew her shit and had worked hard to prove her mettle.

I called my driver and asked him to bring the car around. Then I called my office, and when my secretary answered on the first ring, I instructed her to procure the coder’s résumé.

“Got it,” she said as I heard the clicking of her keyboard in the background. “Only her?” she asked teasingly.

“What do you think?” I snorted and heard her soft laugh as I disconnected the call.

There weren’t many people in this world who impressed me, and honestly, it made my job easier. But once every few years, I came across a rising star, a hardworking genius, a unicorn who didn’t know their worth. Those were the people I helped place in strategic positions using the network I had created and cultivated over the years. This coder was one such star. She was smart, and she worked hard, two things I appreciated in a professional. Talent, persistence, and diligence, that rare combination, was what made a unicorn. The chances of that happening were extremely rare.

As I saw my car pull around the corner of the building, my phone buzzed, and a familiar name lit up my screen.

“Hey, Tara.” The smile on my face was involuntary.

Tara was a warm soul who had a knack for making everyone around her happy. That she was set to marry my friend Sameer was enough to make me thrilled for the both of them.

But Tara’s voice was devoid of its usual trill. “Mihir,” she said hurriedly, “I have a big favor to ask.”

“Is everything alright?” I shuffled my phone from my left hand to the right as my driver held the door open for me.

“Oh yes, everything is fine,” she said with an embarrassed chuckle. “Are you busy? I hope I’m not interrupting a meeting.”

“Get on with it,” I said as I slipped into the car. She was used to my brusque nature.

“Sona’s coming in today. She lands in about thirty. Sameer was supposed to pick her up at the airport, but he’s stuck in a meeting.” Then she dropped her voice and said, “And I’m stuck at his parents’ house. Can you please pick her up and drop her at my place?”

Sona was Tara’s best friend, who lived in Brooklyn.

“I would’ve asked her to get a cab, but it’s her first time visiting Dallas. I…”

“I know. You want to be a good friend.” I looked at my watch. I had no major commitments until late afternoon. “I’ll get her. And if I can’t, I’ll send my car to pick her up.”

“Thank you,” she said with a heavy sigh. “I’ll text you her flight details.”

“How are things there?” I asked. Big families tended to come with big drama, I’d always held.

“Nothing I can’t handle,” Tara reassured me with her trademark sass. “But it is emotionally exhausting.”

“Can I take you out drinking tonight?”

“Tonight’s the party, remember?” Her voice got sterner. “Hey, you didn’t forget, did you?”

“Well, my parents will be there, and Mom will make sure I am too.”

“Good.” I heard the smile in her voice. “I’ll see you at the condo. Have a late lunch with us if you can spare the time.”

“Sure,” I said and directed the driver to take us to the airport.

When she hung up, I placed another call, this time to Grant, one of my two best friends since grade school.

---