Can't Fix Cupid

I grit my teeth, imagining how public opinion would feel if I kicked him right in the ass. He can mock it all he wants, but that small group of brilliant minds that I formed come up with some amazing ideas, some of which I presented today. I know in my gut that they’ll be key in moving my company forward. And that goal is very important to me. I want Knight Enterprises to continue to be successful years—decades—down the line. I want it set up so that my successors can reap the benefits of my vision.

The fact of the matter is, while Knight Enterprises is successful, we’re old news with old ideas from when my grandfather and father created this business.

But I’ve been in charge for three years now, since my father passed away, and I finally have enough experience and a handle on things to start making some changes with confidence. But old board members are intent on stopping these changes from happening. Fortunately for me, the board is strictly advisory. I don’t have to gain their votes to make a decision. I do, however, prefer to get everyone on board with my ideas. I’ve found it creates smoother transitions.

The things I presented today are just the beginning. Things we can slowly build or just dip our feet into to feel out the response. A new trendy restaurant venture, a clean living construction company, a dating app, security startups, even some things in artificial intelligence and robotics. They’re not our norm by any means, and some of them are a bit risky, but they have excellent potential and could put Knight Enterprises on an entirely new map.

“Knight Enterprises should continue to focus on what we’re successful at. If we waste resources on some of these things, we could lose millions.”

I cut him off. “You’re basing those asinine projections on guesses and misknowledge,” I tell him before he can continue to make the rest of the board nervous. “Despite some of these ventures being more risk-driven, they’re also fiscally opportunistic. You would know that if you’d take a minute to read the research in the report in front of you,” I tell him pointedly as I point at the projection screen behind me. “In today’s technological climate, we need to keep things forward-thinking. Even if we lose some money at start up, we have plenty of other profitable businesses to make up for it.”

Pierson shakes his head and starts arguing about some of the information in the binders that my personal team worked on for today’s presentation. Bored, I glance over at Jim Harvey, my VP and best friend. Harvey is blonde, amiable, and annoyingly likable. Everybody likes the bastard. He’s essentially the polar opposite of me.

Harvey catches my look, and I see his lips twitch in response. He probably knows I’m envisioning muzzling Pierson and tossing him out of the room.

“Are you listening, Knight?”

My eyes cut over to Pierson.

No, asshole, because all you’re doing is repeating yourself for the third time.

I’ve had enough.

I look at him with a bored expression on my face. “Which part are you questioning that I heard?” I ask. “Was it the part where you implied that you don’t understand enough about the social media aspects to have any real knowledge of our new marketing strategy ideas? Or was it the part where you mentioned Knight Enterprises should stick to what it knows—i.e., what you know. Because if it’s the latter, I’m confused about what you think you do here. So please, enlighten me.”

I know I’m being a dick, but I’m fucking over listening to him.

Pierson sputters. “Capital gains and real estate,” he answers. “I suggest what properties we should be focusing on.”

“Exactly,” I tell him. “You sit on this board as my advisor for our real estate ventures because that’s your expertise.”

Pierson’s lips draw into a thin line, showing off his displeasure, but I don’t give him time to argue again.

“I’ve heard your concerns, but I disagree. This is what we are doing, so I suggest you start backing it or, at the very least, help aid the transition. Because if you don’t, I think it may be time for you to consider retirement.”

Pierson blanches, turning about three shades darker red than he already is. Some of the other board members fidget nervously in their seats. It’s not often that I throw my weight around in the boardroom. After all, I’ve been trying to build up a solid foundation of trust so that they can respectfully tell me their real opinions and feel comfortable enough to give me their ideas. But Pierson has been getting way too negative and overbearing lately, and it’s time I shut it down. If he walks because of this, well...that would just be an extra perk.

“If I may…”

My eyes flick over to Tonya West, my leading marketing strategist. I respect the hell out of her and her knowledge, and she holds a lot of weight with the other board members. Brunette, nearly as tall as me even without heels, she’s wearing one of her signature “power suits” as she likes to call them.

I nod for her to go on.

She holds up one of the spreadsheets from the presentations. “I’m very interested in these ideas, Knight. You know I’ve been telling you for months that I think we should be more publicly accessible and put our name and image out there, so I’m behind these sorts of changes.”

I nod, thankful as fuck that she said that. If I can get her support, maybe it’ll even out all the negativity from Pierson.

“I particularly like the boutique restaurant idea. Foodies will eat it up. Pun intended,” she says, earning some chuckles around the room as the tension dissipates. Tonya is thirty-something, takes no shit, and won’t hesitate to hand someone their balls. But unlike me, she also has a softer, more charismatic side.

“But what I’m really interested in is the dating app,” she goes on. “I think this is the perfect direction to go with the least amount of risk involved. I also think it could be extremely successful. I just have one issue.”

“And what’s that?”

“Well, you.”

My shoulders tense. “Excuse me?”

She tosses down the report and smooths back a strand of hair. “Let’s be honest here, Knight. You’re one of the best faces of corporate America. Young, successful, easy on the eyes,” she adds matter-of-factly with a wave in my direction. “And for these new ventures, the best way to play this would be to use your face to make Knight Enterprises more personable. The public wants to like you. But for the last several months, you’ve been viewed as nothing more than an asshole playboy who broke a Hollywood starlet’s heart.”