“You’re really coming through now.”
He paused, letting the fool enjoy the compliment. Then he said, quietly, “I know I drive the people who work closely with me too hard. I push myself just as hard to deliver extraordinary performance. I expect the same from my right-hand man.”
Harrison shrugged. “I’ll give you that. Like climbing this rockface. I didn’t think I could’ve done that.”
Geoff shook his head. “I watched you. You could handle a lot more.”
“You think so?”
“Sure.” Geoff let the full weight of his attention rest upon Harrison. “I’m going to tell you something.”
Harrison sat up slightly. Geoff could count on one hand the times he had confided genuinely important business to Harrison, and the man was flattered—just as he should be.
Geoff told him what Jansten had proposed.
Harrison grinned delightedly. “Holy shit. Number two man in the company! Hell, it paid off, everything we’ve been working toward.” Here Harrison glanced sidelong at Geoff, checking out the reaction on the “we’ve.”
Geoff kept his face blank while Harrison continued, stumbling a little now. “Hey, man, I know long-term that you had your sights on the presidency. But, shit, there’s going for something and there’s getting it. Really getting it. You shot high, and while Dern’s going to be in your way, who knows what will happen in a few years after Jansten is gone? Dern fucks up, and you’re right there. You’ve still got a good chance of getting the whole thing.”
“I’m not waiting that long,” Geoff said, lifting his binoculars to look at Steve and Lisa. Both were climbing the rockface to the right of Geoff. He had to admit to himself, they both looked good. Not in his league, perhaps, and they set chocks for protection—which, to him, missed the point. But there was no denying that they were strong, competent climbers. Geoff watched Lisa for a while, thinking that on looks alone, Kelly had the edge. Not by much, but there. Of course, she was a good eight or nine years younger. Nevertheless, he had to admit that he wouldn’t mind having Lisa by his side. Those classic features, dark hair and blue eyes. A nice body, a little leaner than Kelly’s. Holding herself well on that rock, sweat beading her brow. Strong woman. When Dern had introduced them before, she had shaken Geoff’s hand firmly, looking him in the eye. “We want to have you out on the boat,” she’d said. “I know you and Steve have a lot to talk about.”
Friendly enough, giving him a chance. But he could sense a toughness in her, a wariness.
He switched the binoculars back to Jansten. The old man was sitting not too far away, looking up at some of the other climbers. Geoff saw him wince slightly, then rub his side. Geoff said, “I’m counting on there being something left inside that old guy besides the Pollyanna I’m seeing now.”
Geoff put the binoculars down. Harrison was practically bursting, clearly wanting to ask what Geoff’s promotion meant for him.
So Geoff told him.
Harrison’s face went slack. He looked over at the steep wall across from them. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“You wanted to go along for the ride.”
“After all I’ve done …”
“All you’ve done earns you the right to win it. It’s the difference between going for it and getting it. Now shut up while I show you how to rappel down.”
Geoff sat beside Jansten and watched the others climb the easier rockface, the one with the guides.
“I heard our guides yelling at you some,” Jansten said.
“I didn’t ask permission to climb without protection.”
Jansten smiled. “Never your strong suit.”
Geoff kept his eyes on the opposite rockface, looking out at the small ledge that sloped down toward the ground. “I’ve got to ask you something.”
Jansten smiled thinly. “I would expect you do.”
“I’ve got to ask you if any of the man who has been running this company for the past forty
He paused, letting the fool enjoy the compliment. Then he said, quietly, “I know I drive the people who work closely with me too hard. I push myself just as hard to deliver extraordinary performance. I expect the same from my right-hand man.”
Harrison shrugged. “I’ll give you that. Like climbing this rockface. I didn’t think I could’ve done that.”
Geoff shook his head. “I watched you. You could handle a lot more.”
“You think so?”
“Sure.” Geoff let the full weight of his attention rest upon Harrison. “I’m going to tell you something.”
Harrison sat up slightly. Geoff could count on one hand the times he had confided genuinely important business to Harrison, and the man was flattered—just as he should be.
Geoff told him what Jansten had proposed.
Harrison grinned delightedly. “Holy shit. Number two man in the company! Hell, it paid off, everything we’ve been working toward.” Here Harrison glanced sidelong at Geoff, checking out the reaction on the “we’ve.”
Geoff kept his face blank while Harrison continued, stumbling a little now. “Hey, man, I know long-term that you had your sights on the presidency. But, shit, there’s going for something and there’s getting it. Really getting it. You shot high, and while Dern’s going to be in your way, who knows what will happen in a few years after Jansten is gone? Dern fucks up, and you’re right there. You’ve still got a good chance of getting the whole thing.”
“I’m not waiting that long,” Geoff said, lifting his binoculars to look at Steve and Lisa. Both were climbing the rockface to the right of Geoff. He had to admit to himself, they both looked good. Not in his league, perhaps, and they set chocks for protection—which, to him, missed the point. But there was no denying that they were strong, competent climbers. Geoff watched Lisa for a while, thinking that on looks alone, Kelly had the edge. Not by much, but there. Of course, she was a good eight or nine years younger. Nevertheless, he had to admit that he wouldn’t mind having Lisa by his side. Those classic features, dark hair and blue eyes. A nice body, a little leaner than Kelly’s. Holding herself well on that rock, sweat beading her brow. Strong woman. When Dern had introduced them before, she had shaken Geoff’s hand firmly, looking him in the eye. “We want to have you out on the boat,” she’d said. “I know you and Steve have a lot to talk about.”
Friendly enough, giving him a chance. But he could sense a toughness in her, a wariness.
He switched the binoculars back to Jansten. The old man was sitting not too far away, looking up at some of the other climbers. Geoff saw him wince slightly, then rub his side. Geoff said, “I’m counting on there being something left inside that old guy besides the Pollyanna I’m seeing now.”
Geoff put the binoculars down. Harrison was practically bursting, clearly wanting to ask what Geoff’s promotion meant for him.
So Geoff told him.
Harrison’s face went slack. He looked over at the steep wall across from them. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“You wanted to go along for the ride.”
“After all I’ve done …”
“All you’ve done earns you the right to win it. It’s the difference between going for it and getting it. Now shut up while I show you how to rappel down.”
Geoff sat beside Jansten and watched the others climb the easier rockface, the one with the guides.
“I heard our guides yelling at you some,” Jansten said.
“I didn’t ask permission to climb without protection.”
Jansten smiled. “Never your strong suit.”
Geoff kept his eyes on the opposite rockface, looking out at the small ledge that sloped down toward the ground. “I’ve got to ask you something.”
Jansten smiled thinly. “I would expect you do.”
“I’ve got to ask you if any of the man who has been running this company for the past forty
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