Page 108 of Juicy Pickle

“Blake’s still missing,” Bailey says. “I’m guessing we won’t see him again. I assumed that Viola was the one upset that you and I were discussing this and would figure it out, but apparently it was Blake.”

“Viola was the target. You were collateral damage.”

Bailey shrugs. “Sounds like it.”

Uncle Sherman stands. “Well, it seems you all have it well in hand. Rhett, it’s your company, you can fire who you like. But I’m betting Bailey’s underutilized and probably should have a bigger role in your company than your assistant. That’s all I will say on the matter.” He turns to Bailey. “It’s been lovely meeting you. I will be out on the next flight in the morning. I think I will have a drink with Ronan and Caprice while you two settle things out.”

I stand to shake his hand. “Thank you for bringing her, Uncle Sherman.”

“I wouldn’t let go of a woman like that,” he says. “Not if you know what’s good for you.”

Then he’s through the back door, out of view.

Bailey waits on the love seat, her hands clasped together.

I’m not sure what to say.

“You left us,” she says. “Not just the company. But me. You didn’t respond to texts. You didn’t answer calls.” She draws in a deep breath. “I deserve better than that.”

Damn. She’s right. “You do. There’s no excuse.”

“Nope.”

Now that Uncle Sherman is gone, I can see she’s upset. She’s revealing it to me, bit by bit.

I walk to the loveseat, but instead of sitting next to her, I kneel before her. She allows me to take her hand, and relief washes over me. I was afraid she’d pull away.

“Do you remember when you talked about how frustrating it was to get passed over for people who were well connected, who had family and contacts who got them what they wanted?”

She nods. “I thought about that conversation a lot after you left.”

“You were right. You’re still right. It is frustrating that this is the way so much of the world works. So when everything was falling apart, and then I got called out in front of the whole company for that very thing, and you had just told me about your situation—the unfairness of all of it made me not want to do it anymore.”

She shakes her head. “It’s not your fault that your uncle wants this for you.”

“But it is my fault if I disappoint everyone when given that opportunity. If I get to keep it because I’m his nephew.”

“I don’t think it’s as bad as that, Rhett.” She pokes my chest. “You have to be resilient. You can’t be so rigid that if things go awry, you snap in two. You have to bend. You have to admit your mistakes. And you have to be up front about who you are.”

“But what if I’m a slacker who’d rather coast than be in charge?”

“Don’t limit your definition of yourself to who you used to be, Rhett. You’re also a control freak who insists on perfection and absolute dominance in our field. Can’t you find an in between?”

I hadn’t so far. “I don’t know.”

“Then get a business coach. Someone who can help you figure out what you excel at, and a schedule that allows both work Rhett and play Rhett to have time. Someone who can help you figure out how to present yourself in front of your employees as both their leader and part of a larger family-based brand of companies. Lots of great corporations are built on family. Just stop pretending yours isn’t.”

“I can do that.”

“None of this is all or nothing. It’s not stay or quit. It’s not fire someone or endure them. We can all learn and shift and adapt.”

“You think Viola should stay?”

“I’m not sure about that, but we should probably listen to her.”

“I hope you mean Gloria should listen to her. I’m never going to be alone in a room with her again after the bikini incident.”

Bailey holds up a hand. “I don’t think I want to know about that. And yes, let Gloria handle that. It’s her job. You have people, Rhett. Good people. Let them do their work.”

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