Page 50 of Beautiful Beast

“Excellent point, Adam,” Uncle Dennis returns when no one else speaks.

The team carries on talking about all the work that needs to be done, not that anyone in the room will do any of it. This is the senior leadership team who will have ultimate oversight but won’t get their hands dirty.

That’s not how I work, though. I want to be involved. Being in the trenches fighting alongside my men is something I’m very comfortable doing. Whether it’s business or war, the principles are the same.

Trust. Discipline. Hard work.

While I’m excited to harness the power of Townsend Enterprise to facilitate real global change, I’m not looking forward to the constant politics and drama that will undoubtedly come along with it.

But the leadership team will quickly realize that my tolerance for bullshit is zero. I will have no problem showing anyone to the door no matter how much of a compensation package I’ll need to pay to get rid of them.

I’m against people who cause headaches, and I’ll throw away millions to get rid of them.

The meeting winds down with nothing other than talking getting accomplished – something else that’s going to change. As Uncle Dennis and I are making our way out of the boardroom, one of the finance leaders intercepts us.

I have no idea what his name is and clearly, I need to pay more attention.

“It’s so great to see you in person, Dennis,” he says.

“You, too, Max,” Uncle Dennis replies.

Max. That’s it. Reminds me of a cocker spaniel.

Max could be god’s brother and must be 120. When he turns his attention to me, he looks equally unimpressed with me.

“Where did you say you worked before joining us?” he asks.

His eyes are assessing every detail of my face as though it’s going to give away my secrets. I’ve learned to pick up on the most subtle body language cues and changes to stay alive in very dire situations.

I can detect a finger itching to pull a trigger like nobody’s business and use lethal force to get ahead of the motion.

But it doesn’t take an expert to realize that Max hates me.

“I didn’t,” I return.

Even though he’s old enough to be my father, comes up to my knee, and has the build of a pencil, his stance is tense and aggressive, and his upturned nose almost drips with disdain.

“Care to enlighten me?”

I don’t, but decide to play nice so Uncle Dennis can get back to the hotel room as quickly as possible and rest before his appointments this afternoon.

“I enlisted. My resume is a bit different than most executives.”

“Fighting wars and going to Harvard don’t make you qualified to run this company.”

“Adam is more than qualified,” Uncle Dennis interjects. “He grew up as part of Townsend Enterprises. But it’s more than a birthright. He belongs here, Max. And you and the rest of the leadership team will witness that fact soon enough, I can assure you of it.”

“And I didn’tjointhe team,” I remind my new friend. “I’m leading it. Please don’t forget that point. I understand not everyone is happy about my position, but like it or not, nepotism is a fact of life. Luckily, I’m not incompetent and don’t take any of the opportunities that I’ve been given for granted. If you don’t enjoy working for me, there’s always the option to find another employer.”

“I’ve been working here for over forty years,” Max sputters, his face red as a tomato.

“And in that time, hopefully, you’ve learned to adapt and be flexible to change,” I reply. “Both are critical skills if you want to remain part of a dynamic organization. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have another time-sensitive engagement.”

Without waiting for an answer, I lead Uncle Dennis down the hallway and into a gloriously empty elevator.

“Are you okay?” I ask, concern tightening my face into a painful frown.

Damn, I can’t wait to have fully functional facial muscles again.

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