Adam sat quietly for a few minutes ruminating over what the next step would be. He glared at Kane and finally said, “Masterson, do you expect me to believe that you didn’t know that this was going to happen. Any executive worth his salt would have foreseen a defection of this magnitude. It doesn’t make any sense that you missed it.”
Marcia, looked at Adam with disbelief. Why did he say that? I told him that Kane couldn’t have known anything in advance. All the companies verified that. Sometimes Adam has a real stubborn streak in him. I don’t like him when he’s like this. I hope that he doesn’t do anything stupid to assuage his bruised ego.
“I’m sorry you feel that way, Mister Hampton. I wish I had known. We might have been able to save them. I am as shocked as you are about this. They were all good customers. They paid their invoices on time. That consortium made them a damned good offer to get them to turn. One good thing is that only one of them was a Neo-Weaves customer. Any more and it would have been a disaster. This change must have been in the works well before Hampton announced that they had enough stock to take over Preston. So don’t blame yourself for them leaving. It is obvious that there wasn’t any way either of us could have prevented it from happening.”
Adam heard him out, but the flushing of his face presaged what was coming. “Spare me the speeches, Masterson. I’m not buying it. Why should I blaming myself for anything, but I know in my gut that you hand in this, somehow. I’ve decided that your continued involvement in the merger is counterproductive. So, I’m releasing you from your commitment to us. I want you off our property immediately. Get out, now!”
Marcia stood up and glared at Adam. “What are you doing,? Kane has worked harder than anyone during the past month to make this merger work. I told you that I was assured that he couldn’t have known about this in advance. I need his help to maximize the potential of the expanded Hampton Sportswear line.”
“I’ll give you all the additional analysts you need them, but I want that man out of here, now.”
Kane gathered up his personal laptop and headed for the door. He turned to Marcia. “I thank you for being the civil one at this company. Keep on in the direction you’re headed and it will all work out. This company will do just fine in the long run because of people like you and in spite of its unstable upper management.”
He smiled at Adam, turned and left the office.
Marcia wanted to go after Kane, but thought better of it. Instead she turned to Adam. “What the hell is wrong with you? Do you realize how much more difficult it is going to be without his input Without the VP and now Kane, I’m going to have one hell of a time making this merger work. Sometimes I don’t understand what motivates you.” She left the office and asked Adam’s secretary to have the file boxes moved to her office.
Adam called the security desk to check that Kane. He followed up with strict instructions that Kane was banned from ever entering the building.
Kane returned to the Belmonte and switched his room billing to his personal account. The front desk had already prepared the new signature card when Adam called to cancel any future charges to the Hampton account.
Adam’s impulsiveness had taken Kane by surprise. He hadn’t expect to be cut loose, especially by the man who had warned him that he planned to extract every last drop of his blood. He wanted to see Marcia before he made any concrete plans, but decided against talking to her at her office in the fear that Adam would find a way to penalize her as well. Instead, he called his mother to give her an update on his experience with Adam Hampton.
Evelyn Littleton didn’t take the news graciously. “I warned you to be careful with that son-of-a-bitch. I don’t know how you kept from punching his lights out.”
“There was nothing to be gained by doing that, although I must admit that I was tempted to wipe that smug look off his face. There’s more satisfaction in knowing that he’s going to have his hands full when more customers jump ship. The word will get around fast. They’ll find out, over time, that Hampton isn’t as nice to do business with as I was. Well, that’s behind me now. I’ve got to move forward.”
“So, what are your plans, now?”
“Well first, you’ll be glad to know that I have a love interest in my life. Her name is Marcia Bloom. She’s the lady I’ve been working with on the merger.”
“How could you be interested in her when she’s working for that man?”
“What? Did that just come from the woman who’s been bugging me for years to date more. Aren’t you the one wants more grandchildren running around? Look, I’m no longer obligated to Hampton and she can go out with anyone she wants to. She turned out to be a very special lady, she’s nothing like him. Besides, I’m thinking of moving away from Connecticut. I can start a new business anywhere in the country. I think that this could be the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. We haven’t talked about anything like that, but I felt a closeness growing as we worked together over the last month. I’m hoping that she’ll want to go with me. I intend to find out tonight.”
Evelyn was quiet for a while. Finally she asked, “When did you decide all this?”
“I’ve been thinking about it since I lost the company. I’ve got to do something with my life. I don’t see any opportunities in New England that interest me. Anyway, it’s probably best for me to make a fresh new start away from Connecticut. Having Marcia with me will make it that much sweeter.”
Her voice had an air of sadness as she said, “I guess I’ve always known that one day you’d be leaving Connecticut, but I’ve dreaded the day it would happen.” She got quiet for a minute and then finally spoke, “Of course, you’re right. You go get that girl and make a life for yourself. Goodness knows you deserve it.”
Evelyn was careful to mask her real feelings as she thought, I’m sure going to miss him, but he needs to spread his wings. He’ll do all right whatever he decides to do.
“Thanks, Mom. You know I’ll come back as often as I can and you will always be welcome to come and visit. It would do you well to get out of this town more often.”
“Have you thought about what you will do if your young lady doesn’t share your plan for the future?”
“If that should happen, I’d be heartbroken, but I know that either way, I have to get out of this town.”
“Well, let’s not borrow trouble. She’d have be out of her mind not to want to run off with you.”
“I hope your right. Let’s get together for lunch tomorrow. We can talk more.”
“I’d like that. Why don’t you come over here. We can order in like we used to.”
“Sounds great, Mom. I’ll see you tomorrow, then, around noon.”
Kane took a shower and watched a talk show on TV until 5 p.m.. By 6 he was parked in front of the Sedgwick Arms. He buzzed Marcia’s suite but there was no answer. He was prepared to wait as long as he had to. At six thirty Marcia drove up next to his car. Her face lit up when she recognized him. She waved and motioned for him to follow her in. He parked next to her in the carport.
The gray sedan parked a block away in its customary out-of-the-line-of-vision location.
“I was going to call you, but I thought it was best not to make waves for you at your office. I thought it would be better if I met you out here.”
“I was going to call you at your hotel, but I was afraid that they might tell me you checked out and left town. I don’t know what I would have done, then. I hoped you would come here.”