Wayward Paths and Golden Handcuffs

by S.J. Thomason

  “Yes, Nick. The police can carry the ball forward, but at least they’ll have more to work with. It wouldn’t be fair to Braedon or those twins if the police operated with only partial information. Self-defense, murder after provocation, and premeditated murder are very different types of crimes with very different pardons or punishments. Hopefully they’ll get to the bottom of things.”

  “And we’ll keep our eyes on the case for the children’s sake to ensure that they find a good home if their mother does go to prison. If she did plan the murder, it’s the least I can do for Braedon who can’t defend himself now or be a dad to those kids.”

  “That makes a lot of sense Mom. When do you want to report this?”

  “Let’s head over to the police station after dinner.”

  “Okay.”

  Chapter 30

  Changes at Fox ‘n Fields

  To help his mom in her struggles with cancer, Nick decided not to go back to State to complete his final coursework in the classroom that fall. He’d take his final classes on-line.

  That offered him the benefits of being able to oversee the development project at the Collins’ Foster Home and being able to spend more quality time with his friends and those he’d loved: his mom, Piper, and Tanner. The cancer made him realize just how short life was and that he needed to embrace each moment of his life fully, appreciating those around him. He sat on a couch in the family room and reflected on his recent experiences.

  The doorbell rang. Nick got up to answer it, following his barking dog Chipper to the door.

  “Hi,” an older grey-haired man with a bushy mustache said. “Is your mother home?”

  “Yeah, just a minute.” Nick went into his mom’s office to get her.

  “Mom, someone’s here for you.”

  Catherine got up and walked to the front door, while Nick returned to the couch.

  A few minutes later, Nick watched his mom and the man walk into the kitchen. She pulled up a bar chair along the kitchen island and invited him to sit down. Nick wondered whether he should give them privacy. Maybe he’d just stay quiet.

  “Nick, this is Leo Lazenby. He’s our executive vice president and chief financial officer.”

  “Hi,” Leo said. “You must be Catherine’s pride and joy. She speaks highly of you.”

  “Thanks!” Nick said. He decided to stay put on the couch. It didn’t appear that they needed him to leave.

  After pouring two glasses of iced tea, his mom said, “I’ve come to the realization that as the CEO of our organization, my responsibility is to my employees. A recent study by United Way found that almost half of all Floridians can barely make ends meet. They can’t afford basic expenses for food, travel, and housing, let alone expenses associated with any vacations. A significant number of our own employees are facing these struggles. So as I troll around in my Ferrari or on my yacht, my employees are scrimping on the amount of mayonnaise that they can add to their bologna sandwiches. Is that fair? Therefore, I’m going to announce my voluntary pay cut to the board in our meeting tomorrow morning. I’ll be taking a 95% pay cut.”

  “Oh Catherine. Please. Save me from your bleeding heart. You and I have earned our positions and our pay, through our hard work, education, and commitment to this organization.” Leo contorted his face in such a manner that it was barely recognizable. His nose crumpled with his mustache buckled under it, while his narrow dark eyes squinted.

  “Leo, I’m not asking you to take a similar pay cut. I’m not asking any on the board to do that. Instead, I’m sharing with you my plans as the person who sets an example for those in her organization. Everyone else can make his or her own decisions.”

  “Catherine. I think you’re making a mistake,” Leo stammered. “You’ll be paid less than all of the other board members. You haven’t been paid that little in years. How will you adjust to the new pay? You’ve been making at least a million bucks for the past five years. And then we gave you the significant pay increase that you’re now enjoying. From the looks of this house, you need every penny you make. I’m sure that the tax bill alone is a couple of hundred thousand a year. That would be about a third of your new salary.”

  “Well, I’m planning on selling this house, so the tax bill won’t be an issue. Leo, consider this. Right now, excluding me, the average pay for the next five highest paid senior leaders in our organization for your salary, incentives, stock options, and bonuses is $9.2 million annually. Tan Nguyen, who works as an assistant plant manager in the next building is making $35,000 per year. Tan supports his wife and two kids on that income, which he supplements by delivering newspapers at 3 a.m. in the morning. He gets to work each morning by 7 p.m. and usually leaves just before 7 p.m. He gets home, catches a bit of shut eye, and then gets up to deliver papers for an extra $1,500 per month. Tan isn’t alone. Thousands of our employees are living similarly. Is that any way to live?”

  “No, but we’re not Tan, Catherine, or those other employees. Tan probably doesn’t have a college education or an MBA degree.”

  “Tan has a college education, just not the graduate degree.”

  “Still, Catherine. We’ve all put in our time. He can work his way up as many of us did.”

  “Leo, I did the calculations before coming here today. You are currently being paid two hundred and fifty times what Tan is being paid.”

  “So. I work harder than Tan.”

  “Two hundred and fifty times harder, Leo?”

  “Okay, good point, Catherine. All I’m asking is that you don’t get the board to reduce our salaries involuntarily. We should have a say in this.”

  “Agreed Leo. That wasn’t my plan. Here’s my plan. Starting on September 1st, Fox ‘n Fields will implement a new pay for performance plan, which includes several components: profit sharing for all, a productivity improvement plan for those in our manufacturing facilities, and individual incentive programs for those selling merchandise in the individual stores. Workers will now share in the profits, as long as there are profits and not losses, so each will have some ‘skin in the game.’ Our employees in manufacturing will engage in a new productivity improvement plan in which they will share the savings associated with determining and implementing ways to cut materials, labor, and overhead costs. Our sales and merchandising employees in the retail stores will engage in individual incentive plans, specific goal setting, competitions, and employee recognition programs. By my estimates and benchmarks of other organizations with similar programs, we are likely to generate a seven to nine percent increase in profits for the productivity improvement plans alone. Finally, I’m going to charge a couple of teams with investigating the possibility of a Fox ‘n Fields line of perfume, along with a potential Fox ‘n Fields credit card. Profit margins on perfumes can be as high as 95%, while in-store credit cards can be very lucrative. These plans together should result in a fifteen to twenty percent increase in profits, which account for increased employee morale, improved customer satisfaction, and increased sales. The increases in profits will offset increases in pay due to profit and productivity sharing and bonuses. I estimate that these plans will raise the average pay for our workers to at least $50,000 annually, if not more. Those who work hard will likely earn much more.”

  Nick liked what he heard, so he looked up at Leo to check his expression, which now appeared stagnant, yet his mustache was still strangely bunched up under his nose.

  “The board will probably be receptive to your plan. Just don’t push them on the salary issues. No one other than you will want to take a pay cut. What happened to you? Did you get hit on the head in that car accident?”

  “I guess you could say that I had an epiphany.”

  “Fair enough. I’ll support your plan in our meeting tomorrow.”

  ***

  Nick was happy to hear that the strategic plan was accepted by the majority of those in senior leadership the following day. Catherine was the only one
to take a pay cut, but the good will from the pay cut she took spread throughout lower levels of the organization.

  Employees, stockholders, and the media hailed the program as “forward-thinking,” “incentivizing,” and “brilliant.” Headlines referred to Catherine O’Brien as the ‘people’s CEO’ and as ‘an example for all to follow.’ They wrote stories describing her as the CEO with a heart and a golden touch. She was compared to other CEOs who’d made similar moves in their organizations, including the CEO of an electric company, the founders of an ice cream manufacturing firm, the CEO of an on-line shoe retailer, and the founder of an investment conglomerate. A ripple effect soon followed and numerous CEOs of Fortune 500 organizations around the United States took similar steps.

  Catherine O’Brien took it one step further and joined the country’s richest CEOs in their pledge to give vast sums of their fortunes back to charitable organizations. Catherine’s organization of choice was the Collins’ Foster Home.

  Chapter 31

  Wonder What the Poor People Are Doing?

  In early September, Nick and his mom both closed on their mansion and moved into new home. Their new house had four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a two-car garage and was located in downtown Orange Bay, just minutes from the Fox ‘n Fields office. It was in an ideal location and at a reasonable price, given real estate prices in the area and trends. Nick felt a lot better about his new home than he did about the mansion. It wasn’t lavish, just simple elegance, and it represented living within one’s means in more modest ways.

  Chipper seemed happy in the new home too, probably even happier than she’d been in the mansion; it featured a fenced-in backyard where she could roam freely. And it didn’t have a pool, which she probably liked. She couldn’t swim very well and had fallen into the pool at the mansion a couple of times before being saved by Nick’s mom. Her afternoons now consisted of a series of running patterns designed to protect the family from the local squirrels and lizards.

  ***

  Nick was enrolled in three on-line courses at State, which he needed to successfully complete that semester to graduate in December. He worked about as hard in those courses as he would have worked while in the classroom, yet the distractions of football and women at State weren’t present, so his grades were higher than usual.

  In mid-September, Nick accepted an internship at Fox ‘n Fields in its finance department. He was added to the team investigating the income potential associated with a new Fox ‘n Fields credit card, which was one of his mom’s new strategies.

  Though he said he didn’t want to ride his mom’s coattails, the opportunity to investigate and possibly implement a portion of his mom’s strategic plan was too good to pass up. Plus the job was ideal, given his skill set and academic knowledge, and he considered it to be a stepping stone to higher level positions in the organization.

  He’d use the skills and attitudes that his mother had always instilled in him to succeed. Her words rang like bells as reminders in his mind, “work hard, work smart, and be conscientious and efficient. Take on the extra tasks that no one wants with enthusiasm and never whine, complain, or gossip. Show up early and stay late and dress for the role you want. Give more than you take and always be humble, thankful and appreciative. And most importantly, never forget that you’re expendable; there are always at least ten people banging on the door for your job.” Nick wanted to work his way to the top, so he planned to wear a suit or at minimum a shirt and tie each day on the job.

  He was also overseeing the construction and development of the new homes on the Collins’ Foster Home campus during this time and thinking of way to get the word out about the home. Being a ‘best kept secret’ wouldn’t help when attempting to raise funds for its causes.

  That’s when Piper stepped in. She’d been volunteering at the home for years by counseling and assisting with the children. Nick convinced her to use her skills in social media to help to promote the home. By mid-October, Piper had secured over three thousand followers and fans in two short months on each of three social media accounts by generating a significant buzz about the kids, their promising futures, and the generosity of the community.

  Piper also worked with Nick to plan and promote the upcoming celebration/fundraiser at the home, to be held on Friday, December 19th. In early September, he and Piper sent out the first round of ‘save the date’ letters for the celebration/fundraiser to all of his friends, his mom’s friends, a number of his mom’s employees and board members, members of society, philanthropy groups, individuals in the area who’d been recognized for their giving, and all of the groups with which the foster home was affiliated. In mid-October, they sent out formal invitations to all of the same parties. He also sent an invitation to Michael Clark, along with his wife and family. Michael Clark would be challenging Scott Kinnaird in the governor’s race in early November. To his delight, over four hundred people confirmed their attendance at the celebration, including the gubernatorial candidate and his family.

  ***

  During the last week of October, Nick’s mom caught him in the kitchen one morning before work. “How about inviting some friends over this weekend for a little celebration? .We have so much to celebrate, most notably your upcoming graduation from State and the new homes under construction at the Collins’ Foster Home.”

  “And Halloween.”

  “Oh yeah, Friday will be Halloween. I never really liked that holiday.”

  “Me neither. But I like costume parties. You know, I think I will have a party, Mom. I haven’t seen Tanner and Bob in a while. I’ll give them a call. Nick picked up his cell phone and walked into his room. After he confirmed that Piper could make it, he called his friends.

  “Tanner, I’m having a costume party. Can you and Marlis come by Friday night? You can wear costumes if you want.”

  “Sure dude. Sounds good. We’ll see you then.”

  Nick then dialed Bob. “Hey Bob. Having a small costume gig on Friday night. Wanna come by? Costumes are optional.”

  “Are clothes optional too?”

  “No.”

  “Bummer. Flypaper threw a clothing optional party last month. It was a total blast.”

  “I’m sure. Flypaper lives alone. I don’t think my mom would appreciate a bunch of naked people running around her house.”

  “Fair enough. I’ll be there. ‘Bout time you threw a gig. I’ve been waiting.”

  “Oh, Bob, we moved. We’re in downtown Orange Bay. Smaller house, much smaller.”

  “What! You sold the mansion? Dude. Why? You should’ve thrown a party before you left. I’m disappointed in you dude. That mansion was a chick magnet.”

  “Well, this house isn’t a bad replacement. It’s in downtown Orange Bay, right by the shops and restaurants.”

  “Pool?”

  “Nope, but I’ll pick one up just for you before you get here.”

  “Pick one up?”

  “Yeah, they’re selling inflatable pools at Go-Mart. I’ll pick an inflatable up with a couple of rafts.”

  “Okay, you got me. That sounds cool.”

  ***

  That Friday, Piper came over early and helped Nick get ready for the party. They hung a few party decorations, balloons, and orange Halloween lights around the outside of the house, which supplemented the pumpkins and fall decorations already adorning the front porch.

  Nick filled a large cooler with ice and refreshments and poured a variety of chips and dip into some party bowls. Piper sorted carrots, zucchini, and celery on a plate, centered by some veggie dip. Submarine sandwiches, chicken wings, and hot dogs would further provide good nourishment for their friends.

  He put on a cowboy hat and mask hat and offered the same to Piper.

  “Thanks, now we’re matching,” she said as she sat down on the couch and put her hat and mask on. “Everything looks good. They should be here in a few minutes.”

  “Yup.” N
ick sat down next to her and kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you for helping me get things ready.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Bob was first to show up.

  “Hey there,” he said as he strolled in wearing a worn pair of jeans, cowboy boots and an old t-shirt. “Nice place.”

  “Thanks. What are you dressed as?”

  “A rodeo star.”

  “That’s cool. The cooler is out back.”

  “Perfect,” he said as he moseyed out of the back doors and onto the patio.

  Tanner and Marlis showed up next, followed by a handful of other friends. A few wore costumes, but Tanner and Marlis chose to dress as themselves.

  “Grab a drink and make yourselves at home,” Nick said as he guided each into the house, “the cooler is on the patio deck and the food is in the kitchen.” He walked into the kitchen and grabbed himself a paper plate and filled it up with chips and wings.

  The country music was rocking in the background as everyone milled about and made conversations with one another.

  “Great party, Nick. This was a good idea,” Piper said as she walked into the kitchen and joined him, filling a plate with some veggies and a chicken wing.

  Nick licked his fingers and said, “You helped, sweetheart. It wouldn’t be the same if you weren’t here. You’ve been the best girlfriend a guy could have. I love you, Piper.”

  “I love you too, Nick.”

  He put his arms around her and kissed her in the middle of the kitchen.

  “Get a room,” Bob shouted.

  Nick backed off and laughed. “Nice one, Bob.”

  “Hey, where’s that pool?”

  “Out back. I filled it up just for you.”

  Nick turned his attention back to Piper. She looked perfect, as always. She was wearing a white t-shirt, blue jeans, a black belt and black high heels, which was casual yet feminine. He planned to marry that girl one day. “Follow me,” he said as he took her hand and led her to the couch, where they both sat down next to one another. “You are just so easy and comfortable to be around.”

  “And so are you.”

  “Hey,” Bob called out from the back yard, “Nick.”

  Nick got up and walked out onto the patio to find Bob in the inflatable pool, floating on a raft, which was just slightly smaller than the pool itself. He was fully dressed in his jeans, shirt, and boots.