cantankerous as his, thanks to the morning I’d had thus far. “Maybe you need a break, Wade. Take a timeout and go enjoy the tranquillity of Lake Tahoe for a while.”
“Funny you should mention that,” he said, shifting in his seat. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”
Wade going on vacation was hardly a serious enough matter to warrant my rush into the office this morning. There had to be something more to it. Maybe he was going to force me to take a vacation? Or worse…a permanent vacation. Could he do that?
I started mentally poring through my contract while trying to think of any offenses I might have made and whether it was possible that there’d been a secret board meeting to discuss my removal.
“Matthews, are you okay?” Wade’s brow was furrowed with concern. “Christ, man, you’re sweating bullets over there. If you’re sick and need to take some time off—”
“I’m fine,” I told him. “Just not entirely sure what all of this is about. Don’t leave me hanging. What’s going on?”
For the first time since I’d met Wade, he slouched in his chair, looking worse for the wear. “I’m done, son. Ready to hang it up, kick back, and enjoy the rest of my life.”
I was still confused. “What does that mean?”
“It means I’ve decided to retire. Done deal. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time now and don’t need to think about it anymore,” he said with a note of finality, one meant to shut down any argument I might try to throw his way to dissuade him. “Obviously, I wanted to tell you before I announce it to the rest of the staff this afternoon.”
I was stunned silent. The retirement of SSE’s co-founder, Monty Prather, was what had spurred the competition between Cassidy and me, which had landed me the partnership in the first place. But Wade? Striker was his baby. He’d been the one to bring Monty onboard before the doors had ever opened for business. I’d felt sure he’d never let it go, that he’d hold on to it with a death grip until death finally gripped him.
And then an even heavier weight circled my neck like a horseshoe around a stake to bear down on my shoulders. “Of course. Thank you for the heads-up. But I have to ask what this will mean for Striker. For me?”
“Striker is still going to be here. Don’t you worry about that,” he assured me. “I’m not selling, and neither is Monty. But I’m turning over the reins of the day-to-day business to you. Monty and I have discussed it, and we feel given the added stress of keeping us out of the poor house, a larger percentage of the shares would be in order.”
“That’s, um…that’s a relief.” At least I didn’t have to worry about being unemployed. “But it’s also a whole lot of responsibility to take on by myself.”
“Oh, sorry.” Wade laughed. “Forgot the last part. I’m going to see to it that you’re not doing it all on your own. I know you like to take the hands-on approach, keeping your skills sharp with your own clients, and I respect that. Always have. Gotta lead by example, after all.”
“I’m glad you can appreciate that, Wade. So I can expect a replacement for you, then?”
“Well, no one can replace me.” He laughed, metaphorically patting himself on the back. “But I’m not going to burden you with trying to find someone who can come close. I know you have your plate full enough. So before I make my grand exit—and I
am
hoping for an elaborate retirement party,” he not so subtly hinted, “I’ll make sure the most qualified candidate I can find is in place and ready to stand by your side at the helm.”
I wasn’t really sure how I felt about that. Wade was more than capable of choosing his replacement, but I would’ve liked to have a say in the final decision. Still, he was right. I did have a full plate. Dealing with headhunters and conducting interviews would only tie up even more of my time. Time I needed to devote to Marcel and, more
“Funny you should mention that,” he said, shifting in his seat. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”
Wade going on vacation was hardly a serious enough matter to warrant my rush into the office this morning. There had to be something more to it. Maybe he was going to force me to take a vacation? Or worse…a permanent vacation. Could he do that?
I started mentally poring through my contract while trying to think of any offenses I might have made and whether it was possible that there’d been a secret board meeting to discuss my removal.
“Matthews, are you okay?” Wade’s brow was furrowed with concern. “Christ, man, you’re sweating bullets over there. If you’re sick and need to take some time off—”
“I’m fine,” I told him. “Just not entirely sure what all of this is about. Don’t leave me hanging. What’s going on?”
For the first time since I’d met Wade, he slouched in his chair, looking worse for the wear. “I’m done, son. Ready to hang it up, kick back, and enjoy the rest of my life.”
I was still confused. “What does that mean?”
“It means I’ve decided to retire. Done deal. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time now and don’t need to think about it anymore,” he said with a note of finality, one meant to shut down any argument I might try to throw his way to dissuade him. “Obviously, I wanted to tell you before I announce it to the rest of the staff this afternoon.”
I was stunned silent. The retirement of SSE’s co-founder, Monty Prather, was what had spurred the competition between Cassidy and me, which had landed me the partnership in the first place. But Wade? Striker was his baby. He’d been the one to bring Monty onboard before the doors had ever opened for business. I’d felt sure he’d never let it go, that he’d hold on to it with a death grip until death finally gripped him.
And then an even heavier weight circled my neck like a horseshoe around a stake to bear down on my shoulders. “Of course. Thank you for the heads-up. But I have to ask what this will mean for Striker. For me?”
“Striker is still going to be here. Don’t you worry about that,” he assured me. “I’m not selling, and neither is Monty. But I’m turning over the reins of the day-to-day business to you. Monty and I have discussed it, and we feel given the added stress of keeping us out of the poor house, a larger percentage of the shares would be in order.”
“That’s, um…that’s a relief.” At least I didn’t have to worry about being unemployed. “But it’s also a whole lot of responsibility to take on by myself.”
“Oh, sorry.” Wade laughed. “Forgot the last part. I’m going to see to it that you’re not doing it all on your own. I know you like to take the hands-on approach, keeping your skills sharp with your own clients, and I respect that. Always have. Gotta lead by example, after all.”
“I’m glad you can appreciate that, Wade. So I can expect a replacement for you, then?”
“Well, no one can replace me.” He laughed, metaphorically patting himself on the back. “But I’m not going to burden you with trying to find someone who can come close. I know you have your plate full enough. So before I make my grand exit—and I
am
hoping for an elaborate retirement party,” he not so subtly hinted, “I’ll make sure the most qualified candidate I can find is in place and ready to stand by your side at the helm.”
I wasn’t really sure how I felt about that. Wade was more than capable of choosing his replacement, but I would’ve liked to have a say in the final decision. Still, he was right. I did have a full plate. Dealing with headhunters and conducting interviews would only tie up even more of my time. Time I needed to devote to Marcel and, more
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