by Nancy Adams
She let out a sigh. “One day, after one of those late-night calls, I just couldn't take anymore. I told your father that if he didn't find a way to put a stop to it, I was going to take you and leave. We fought terribly, that day, even at work, and a few of our customers overheard some of it. I was so embarrassed, that afternoon, when several of them came into the store and asked to speak to us privately.
“We all went into the back room, and they told us they'd heard about our problems, and wanted to help. Each of them was a local business person, and they said they'd be willing to invest some money in us, if we'd consider expanding and opening branch stores in the surrounding area. The stock they would get amounted to about a fifth of the company; it would be enough to pay off your grandfather, leaving us with control, so we talked it over and decided to accept.”
I'd known my grandfather was a hard man, and it had always been obvious that he never quite approved of my Dad. I had always thought it might be the reason Dad was so supportive of me in my own decisions and choices, but Mom was right; I'd never known this part of the story,
“Anyway,” she went on, “what we learned from that experience was that we didn't want to ever treat you the way he treated us. So, when we talked about you taking over one day, he always made it clear to me that he would want to give you control at that point, let you know without any doubt that he trusted you, and that your decisions were fine with him. To do that, he said, would mean giving you the stock you'd inherit from him anyway when he died.”
I was silent, just letting all of this digest. It made sense, when I looked at it from this perspective, but it still didn't quell my own fears that I wasn't ready for so much responsibility. After all, I was only twenty-seven years old, barely older than Dad had been when he started that first store, and he hadn't had nearly so much responsibility, then, as he was about to dump onto me. Would he have been able to take a company this big and make it work, back then?
Yes, I thought, of course he would have. Dad was the kind of man who would take on anything that came his way and find a way to accomplish it.
But was I really a chip off the old block? Would I live up to what people would expect of Norman Simmons' son?
Well, it wasn't like I was really going to get a choice in the matter, now, was I?
Mom went up to her room to get some rest, and I went outside to walk for a bit. I checked the time and realized that Katelynn would be getting her first break pretty soon, and wandered down to the stream that ran through our property. There was a small bridge over it, and years ago I had built a bench on the bridge, a place where I would go and sit when I needed to be alone, needed to think something through. That day, it seemed like the perfect spot to call her from, so I sat down on the bench and counted down the last three minutes, knowing she'd be waiting for my call.
Ah, the magic of Caller ID! Katelynn's voice came on the line with, “Hey! Hi! I was hoping you'd call right away! How's everything going?”
I smiled into the phone. “It's going good, Baby, how's everything there?”
“Just pluggin' along. Feels kinda strange without you looking over my shoulder, though.” She giggled.
I whispered conspiratorially. “Just so you know, it wasn't always just your shoulder I was looking over!” She giggled again, and I went back to speaking normally. “I'm glad everything's going well. Out here, things are okay, but life is never going to be the same, I'm afraid. Dad's got to slow down, and—well, Babe, I'm afraid he's decided it's time for me to take over the business.” I paused to let her react.
“O-kay,” she said slowly. “So, does that mean you won't be coming back out here?” I was fairly sure I was hearing panic in her voice, and I spoke quickly to calm her.
“Of course not, Babe! I'll be back pretty soon, maybe by the end of the week if everything goes okay. It just means that I'll be the new CEO, and so I'll be wearing more hats when I get there. You didn't really think something this trivial would keep me away from you, did you?”
She hesitated. “Well, I just—it seems to me that you might be too busy to be thinking much about—about us, about where we're going...”
“Katelynn, this doesn't change anything about how I feel about you, and I hope it won't change your feelings for me, either. It really just means that I get the final say-so on what the company does in the future, and what you and I have to decide is how we're going to manage both our jobs and our relationship without letting either of them suffer. I think we can do that, don't you?”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Of course, we can,” she said. “I just don't want to be in your way, Nate; this is a big step for you, I realize that, and I don't want what we've got going on to be a problem while you’re taking over.”
“It won't be. And if I'm going to run this company as well as my Dad did, then sooner or later I'm going to need a woman as good as Mom beside me. She was a lot of the driving force behind the company's success, even if she never admits it, and I get the feeling you'd be just as good for me as she was for him.”
She was quiet for a moment.
“Katelynn?”
“I'm here, you just—you just kind of surprised me with that. I mean, I know we've been talking about possibilities, but I think that's the first time either of us really thought about what it would mean if we end up together. What it would mean for the company, I mean; I'm not sure I'd be anything like your mother, and I'd only want to be your helper...”
It was my turn to sigh. “Baby, you are so like my Mom in so many ways. I'd noticed that early on, and I’m sure it has something to do with how quickly my feelings have grown. But don't let it worry you, Babe, we both have time to grow into this thing. If we do make our lives together, I promise you, you'll make me and Mom both proud!”
We chatted on like that through her break, and she actually had to tell me when it was over. I was willing to keep her on the phone all day, but I had already ignored two calls that beeped in, so I told her again that I loved her.
“I love you, too,” she said, and I smiled again.
“Listen, I'm not sure what all will be going on today, but don't hesitate to call me if you feel the need, even if it's just to talk. I love hearing your voice, and I'll call you when I can, but it won't be a problem if you call me now and then. Got that?”
She laughed. “Yes, Boss,” she said. “Really, Babe, I know you have a lot to deal with right now; I'll wait for you to call me.”
“Well, you won't wait too long, I promise. I love you, Katelynn.”
“I love you, Nathanael.”
We said goodbye.
Checking my phone, I saw that one of the missed calls was from Mom, and returned it immediately. The doctor had signed off on letting the Old Man come home, and she wanted me to ride along to pick him up, so I headed back to the house. The other call had come from one of Dad's attorneys, who wanted to go over the transfer of stock; since it was a transfer within the family, we didn't have to jump through too many hoops with the SEC, but the legal eagles were dotting the i's and crossing the t's, making sure no one would be able to file any objections to my assumption of the stock, or of the CEO's position. I gave him the answers he needed, and by the time we were done, I was back at the house.
Mom had Emerson waiting out front with the car and we were off in a flash. It was almost an hour's drive back to the hospital, but Emerson managed to get around some of the traffic issues and we made it in less than fifty minutes. Dad was already dressed and out of bed, sitting in a wheelchair.
He looked at me as we walked in. “Can you believe this? They won't let me walk my own butt outa here! I have to ride down the elevator and out to the car in this deathtrap.”
One of the nurses in the room gave him what I would consider a warning glare. “That's because we wouldn't want you to fall down on your way out and end up having to stay here any longer, Mr. Simmons.” The tone of her voice suggested that she'd had enough of my Dad and his bossiness, and knowing him as well as I d
id, I was sure I didn't blame her one bit. Like a lot of powerful people, he could be a royal pain at times, and I'm sure they had already gotten their fill of him.
“Whatever,” he said. “Just sign their stupid releases and get me out of here, I've been lazy long enough. I'm ready to go home and start planning my first real vacation in years!”
I got behind the wheelchair while Mom signed off on everything, but the nurse pushed me aside. “Sorry, only hospital staff can push him out.” I think she was enjoying herself, being able to tell Dad what to do for a change. I smiled and let her take the handles, and we all went back down to where the car waited near the front doors.
Dad grimaced as he got up from the chair and moved to the car. He was still having some pain in his groin from where the catheter had been inserted, so we went straight home. He grumbled again as he had to walk from the car to the living room, and once Mom got him comfortable on the couch, we all sat down to talk things over.
“Nathanael,” Dad began, but I interrupted.
“Mom's explained some things to me, Dad,” I said, “and I'm not going to fight you on this anymore. I still wonder if it's the right decision, but I've decided to trust your judgment and do my best.”
He grinned at me, and I wondered if I'd walked into a trap. “You'll do fine, Nate. The company needs one of us at the helm, and I've just got to let it go. You're the next logical choice to take it into the rest of this century, and I'm leaving you with a great top level staff to help out.”
I couldn't disagree with him on that score; I knew all of the top people well, since most of them had been around at least since I'd left the corps and come back to work for the company, and I got along okay with pretty much all of them. As long as they'd accept 'the young whippersnapper' running the show, I didn't really anticipate any major problems.
“Now,” Dad went on, “let's talk about the stock situation. I’m transferring over to you about ninety percent of my shares; with the stock you already own, that will give you an even fifty-one percent stake in the company, so you'll have full controlling interest. Unless you abstain from any votes, which I suggest you do from time to time—keeps the natives happy if they think you’re letting them win one, now and then—you'll always control every decision. That means that you're not a boss in name only, but truly the one running the show; and trust me, that's the very best gift I could ever give you!”
“Yeah, Mom kind of filled me in on Grandpa and what he did to you guys. I do appreciate it, and I want you to know that, but I think maybe we need to talk about another issue, too.”
Dad burst out laughing. “And would that be a certain young lady?”
I nodded smugly. “Yep. I want you to understand right off the bat that I love Katelynn, and I'm going to be heading back out to North Platte later this week. She's capable of handling the store, but I want to finish her training myself, not pass her off to someone else. Besides, we need to spend more time together, figure some things out, because if we do decide to be together, then we've got to talk about things like where she'll fit into the company, or even if she wants to continue working; we've got to decide where we'll live, all that kind of stuff, and all of that will have some impact on how I do my job in the future.”
Dad looked at me kind of strangely, then turned to Mom. “Honey, I know we didn't think this day would ever come, but it has; Nathanael has grown up!”
Chapter Three
Transitions
* * * * *
Wednesday morning came a lot faster than I'd expected, and Dad, Mom and I were in the board room bright and early. The board of directors came in only a few minutes later, followed by a number of the smaller stockholders; since there was to be a vote on the leadership of the company, any stockholder could attend this meeting, and Dad's staff had not wasted any time in letting all of them know about it. The room was big enough to hold about three hundred, besides the board members themselves, and the spectator seating was about half full by the time the meeting was called to order.
Stan Jacobs, the Chairman, called the roll and asked the secretary to read the minutes of the last meeting. This part had always bored me, so I spent the time looking around the room, trying to gauge the amount of opposition we were going to see. A couple of the board members gave me looks that let me know they weren't happy about what was coming, but most of them smiled or tossed me a 'thumbs up' sign.
In the spectator area, I didn't sense any real problems. There were one or two who looked confused, but that was normal with stockholders; most of them didn't know what owning stock meant, other than a possible dividend check now and then. They might cast their shares' votes, but it would be nothing but a formality, since Dad alone had enough shares to make the decision.
Later in the day, though, that would no longer be true. He would transfer his shares to me, and from that moment on, I would King of the Company. My word would be law to all of the employees, stockholders and even board members, because there would be no possibility that I could ever be outvoted in a meeting like one of these. I would own the majority interest, making me not only the most powerful man in the corporation, but also giving me an incredible share of my father's personal wealth; the five hundred and four million shares he would be transferring to me, when added to the nearly ten million shares he'd given me when I'd come home from the Corps, would give me fifty-one percent of all possible votes, but since our stock was selling at almost twenty-two dollars per share, it would mean my personal portfolio would suddenly be worth more than eleven billion dollars.
Who can even comprehend that much wealth? I hadn't even grasped the two hundred odd million I was already worth; all it meant to me was that if I wanted something, I could almost certainly afford it. With the additional wealth Dad was giving me as an early inheritance, I could afford to build a house on the freaking moon, if I wanted to. Who needed that kind of money?
To be fair, Dad had always told me that being wealthy brought with it a great deal of social responsibility, and he practiced what he preached. The company funded a number of great programs like schools and medical programs for kids in underdeveloped countries, and we sent as much food overseas to places where hunger was rampant as we sold in our stores, but that wasn't enough for him.
My Dad spent about a third of his personal income each year on things like feeding the homeless in our own country, providing for inner-city youth programs, clinics where he got some of the best doctors and nurses there are to donate a day or two each month, so that people who could not afford medical insurance could still get treatments they needed. I was very proud of him, and I was already planning to make sure I kept those programs going. What they cost me would never be felt in my personal spending, I knew that, and though I hadn't asked Katelynn how she'd feel about it, I was pretty confident that her only concern would be our ability to provide for our family—assuming we were going to make a family together, that is.
The meeting droned on for a bit, as old business was discussed and stockholders were brought up to date on things like where the next stores would be located, our plans to begin building stores in Mexico and Canada, and the new medical benefits plan we would be introducing to all employees later that month. Everyone seemed pleased with the way these things were going, and then Jake—Mr. Jacobs, that is—announced the real reason for this unscheduled meeting.
“Our Founder and CEO, Norman Simmons, has come before the board with a motion to allow his resignation as CEO, which requires a vote of a quorum of stockholders, and of course, a quorum is indeed present. Do I hear a second?”
Five people spoke up and seconded the motion at the same time, and everyone laughed. Dad said, “Gee, it's great to know you all want to get rid of me! Thanks a bunch, everybody!” The laughter was wide open at that, and Jake was even laughing as he banged his gavel to call us all back to order.
“We've heard motion and second, and so I'll call for the vote. All in favor please raise your hand—and we have an obvious majorit
y, so the motion is passed. Let's all express our appreciation to Mr. Simmons for his dedication and leadership for the past many years.” There was a loud round of applause and many cheers, and Dad waved his thanks. Jake banged the gavel again after about two minutes. “Nominations for a new CEO will now be heard. Mr. Simmons, do you have a nomination for your successor?”
Dad stood again. “I do, Mr. Chairman. I hereby nominate my son, Nathanael Simmons, for the office of Chief Executive Officer of Nate's Stores, Incorporated.”
There was another round of applause, though it wasn't quite as loud as before, and the only cheers were from Mom and my few personal friends among the stockholders. I waved and smiled, as expected, and it died down after only a few seconds. Mom and a couple of others seconded the motion, and Jake called for any other nominations. There weren't any, which almost surprised me even though we all knew what the outcome was going to be.
Jake put it to a vote, and surprisingly, it went immediately in my favor, with only about ten percent of the votes opposing my election. When it got to Dad's turn to vote, he simply smiled and abstained, and the motion was carried; I was suddenly the new CEO.
Everyone welcomed me to my new position, and the meeting was adjourned about a half hour later. Mom and Dad walked with me to his—I mean, my—office, and the staff there was informed of the change. They already knew, I could tell, and it was apparent that some of them were not a bit happy about it, but everyone was polite and gracious. I gathered them all into the office lobby.
“Thank you all, I do appreciate the welcome,” I said. “That being true, however, I know that this will be a rough transition for all of us, and that some of you may feel uncomfortable working for me, after having served my father so faithfully for so many years. Should it happen that any of you would prefer to transfer to a different position, I can assure you that it will be approved, and that there will be no loss of pay or seniority.”