Page 35 of Omega's Midlife Love
Chapter 12 - Alan
“Are you sure about this Alan,” asked Roger Simmons, another former Beischel Equity executive who’d been pushed out by Robert. “Isn’t that just the type of business that will rock the boat with your nephew?”
I sighed and took a sip of wine. “Yes, but he hasn’t really left me alone anyway. I can’t prove it of course, but the way some people react to me is a good sign that he’s still spreading rumors.”
He frowned. “I never would have thought him the type to carry a grudge like that. He’d always been such a respectful young man when Clarence was in charge. It took most of us by surprise when he took over and turned into such an asshole. No offense.”
I nodded. “None taken. I was as surprised as you.”
He sat back and studied me for a moment. “You know I’ve got your back. I won’t be able to move out there right away, but I’m glad to be an investment partner until then. I also know some people on my former team are still looking for jobs and might be able to relocate quickly, plus a few who have indicated that they’re ready to jump ship.”
“I appreciate anybody you can send my way. The more experienced people I have on staff, the better this will be for everybody.”
“Agreed.”
I took another sip of wine. “Has it really gotten so bad over there?”
Roger nodded. “Worse than you’d think. Your old team is all but gone, and mine only has a few token people left in it. He doubled the number of people in legal though, and accounting got a major upgrade as well.”
I frowned.
“From what I’ve heard through the grapevine they’re preparing to switch to a hostile takeover model, and completely abandoning the rehabilitation part of the business. He wants to buy, split and flip.”
“Damn. Clarence would be devastated to know that.”
“He would. As much as I miss him, it’s best he never saw what Robert’s done with his company.”
“Sometimes I wonder if the grief has something to do with it. We’d all expected Clarence to lead for another decade or so, giving Robert plenty of time to prepare, and have him around for several more years as a consultant. Then the accident happened, and Robert was forced to step up as CEO at the same time that he had to bury his parents. Maybe it was just too much.”
I paused. “Or maybe not. He didn’t let it show often, but Robert has always had a little mean streak to him. He might have seen it as the chance to be himself without his parents judging him.”
“The way he forced you, most of the board, and the bulk of the executives out seemed to me like a premeditated move. It was swift, like it had been his plan all along as soon as he had the controlling shares. The only problem was that it was messy. I think it was always his intention to change things as soon as Clarence passed, but he’d expected you to be on the verge of retirement by then as well. He didn’t know what to do about you advocating for the old ways.”
“You may be right,” I sighed.
“Alan?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad to see you getting back to what you do best. Who cares if it pisses Robert off? He can kiss my ass for all his opinion matters. But those small businesses will benefit immensely from what you’re doing, and I think the sooner you get started, the better. He’s already well on the way to being known as a pariah in the business world, and you don’t want to be caught up by association. If people see you doing good work, then they’ll know that all that crap he said about you isn’t true.”
“I think time would have done that anyway. It was hard for people to figure out what was going on when everything was in flux, but blaming me is only so effective when I’m not there. I can’t be a scapegoat much longer, not when they run out of deals I had a hand in.”
“He might still try.”
I shrugged. “People will see through it soon enough.”
Roger studied me for a moment. “You seem different. When you left you were broken, run down and looking for escape. But here you are, ready to jump in to a new business, and happier than I’ve ever seen you.”
I smiled. “I’m finally ready to settle down. I have the most incredible omega named David waiting for me at home.”
He leaned in. “You? I thought you’d planned to be a bachelor for the rest of your life.”
I nodded. “He’s amazing. He started as my new chef, but I can’t imagine my life without him. He’s gentle, passionate, and gorgeous too.”
Roger beamed at me. “You’ll invite me to the wedding, right?”
I chuckled. “When we get there. We’re taking things slow for now.”
