More Than Hate You (More Than Words)

I’m in the same boat. “Why?”

My buddy lets out a long breath. “I eventually realized a damsel in distress who needed my shoulder, my guidance, my understanding, and my direction to get through even the simplest day wasn’t fulfilling me. I need a woman who challenges me, who matches me in drive and intellect, who…completes me, as corny as that sounds. I don’t have to take care of Nia. We work together to take care of us. Jesus, this is getting deep. Is something going on?”

And here comes the unavoidable decision. I owe Evan too much to shut him out, especially after he’s been painfully honest. “I’m falling for Sloan, for all the reasons you just mentioned.”

“Shit.”

“It’s incredibly inconvenient,” I admit.

“You’ve got to rein it in, buddy. You haven’t stopped Reservoir from coming after Wynam yet. And we still don’t know the identity of the spy reporting our business to Sloan.”

“But I have kept her from dragging our names and Stratus’s through the mud.”

“So far. But she seems to be one step ahead of you.”

That’s less important to me than what happens next. “Professionally, she needs me more than I need her. So I’ve got the upper hand.”

“For the moment. But later?” he asks rhetorically. “Where is Reservoir financially?”

“It’s still inconclusive,” I hedge. “But it doesn’t look good.”

“Great! Maybe the solution is to buy them out and take over.”

And crush them. That’s what he means.

“Fire everyone, absorb the parts you want, and junk the rest?”

“That makes the most fiscal sense. Why would I run parallel organizations?”

Without a compelling reason, he wouldn’t. And I wouldn’t expect him to, especially since he’d lose money doing it. “What about the parts and people worth saving?”

“If there are any, you’ll help me figure out how to maximize them.”

And if I do that, it will crush Sloan. “I have another idea…”

“Tell me.”

“Well, I’m not done assessing Reservoir’s financials yet…” Technically, it’s true, though I already know they’re in the toilet. “But it’s clear they need an infusion of cash.”

“Why would we give the competition money?”

“Two reasons. First, the loan will come with strings. Tight ones. They’ll have to agree to certain terms before we deliver the funds, which means the organization is already loosely under our control. You’ll appoint an interim CEO—”

“That’s easy. You. What’s the other thing?”

“Why not Sloan? She knows more about the business.”

“Because her first loyalty will always be to Reservoir and her father. Yours will be to Stratus and me.”

His logic is sound. I can’t fault it, but I’m torn. “And second, no matter who Wynam gives their business to, we win.”

Evan turns quiet, and I know my brilliant, methodical pal is studying my proposal from every angle. I just hope he agrees. As far as I can tell, it’s the best way to give both Evan and Sloan what they want. While I get what I want.

“I see one problem,” he says.

Probably the same one I see. “I know. A mere loan isn’t enough to tie up the organization. We have to do more than inject cash and take temporary control. We have to prevent them from using our investment to improve their position, then ousting us the minute they don’t need us anymore.”

“Exactly.”