I let go of the chair and put my hands on my hips. "Why are you so adamant that I leave the GroGreen project behind? Normally, we review projects for months. Is there something else you want to say?"
"I just want you to stay focused on what's best for your career," Stan said.
"And what if I've decided I liked the hands-on, community outreach aspects of the campaign? What if the new position I want is on the front lines?" I asked.
Stan sat back down in his chair and gave me a stern look. "Then I would have to point out how those positions need to deal with social media and public relations much more than your current job. You'd have to get used to the spotlight, cultivate it, seek it out."
I sat down before Stan could see me cringing. "Seek it out?"
"There's no product, no sale if there isn't buzz. And, yes, marketing and advertising take care of a lot. But, with big companies like Hyperion, we need to create an image. Our executives are the face of the company to investors and media alike nowadays. Though, if you like the hands-on stuff, you won't mind hosting the charity events instead of just sending them money." Stan drummed his fingers on his desk while he watched me take that all in.
"Isn't that why we hire people like Rainer Maxwell?" I asked.
Stan smacked his hands down on the desk. "Exactly. But he won't be around to take the heat of the spotlight for you anymore. You'll have to do it yourself."
I mumbled. "Not exactly my strength."
"I would have thought this would be a relief for you, Tasha. Why stress about that when you can create a management position for yourself? Play to your strengths and create your own position."
"You sold the company. What's going to happen to everyone else? All the other junior executives? My teams?" I raised a shaky hand to my forehead. "All my team members are going to be out of jobs?"
Stan came around and leaned against his desk in front of me. "You can bring your entire team with. There's still time to hash out all those details. And don't you think you've made the other junior executives enough of a nest egg that they can try to fly the nest on their own?"
"What if I wanted some of them to come with us?" I asked.
Stan crossed his arms over his chest. "Some or one in particular?"
I met his glare. "You said yourself that Rainer has a talent for dealing with the spotlight."
"You don't need him, Tasha."
"He's amazing on the front lines, cultivating the spotlight, all those things you said. Why wouldn't you want him to join your new venture?" I asked.
Stan threw his arms up in the air and stomped back around his desk. He scratched his stubbled chin and glared down
at me. "You know this isn't a productive conversation. Where has your focus gone?"
I stood up. "Focus? You're the one that knocked me sideways with this news."
"And your first concern was Rainer," Stan muttered.
I popped my mouth shut and sat down. Stan was my mentor because not only did he have the near-legendary business acumen, but he could read people. Normally, it was a skill that cleared away all the obstacles and made for easy negotiations. Now, it just felt as if he could see through me, things that I didn't even want to admit to myself.
"How can you not realize that Rainer Maxwell will be fine? He'll always be fine. His family is obsessed with money and legacy, so while they push him, they won't let him fail. Besides, he has the crown jewel of society just waiting to marry him. He'll be a made man then and can do whatever he wants in any corner of the world." Stan sat down across from me. "I pay attention to the gossip, and Ellison Ramsey will give him everything he and his family has always wanted."
The news of the company sale started to set in. That was the only reason my hands wouldn't stop trembling and chest hurt. My vision blurred and I told myself I just needed a minute to grasp the career change ahead of me. I was fine. Stan had already offered me a new job leagues better than being a junior executive. I had no reason to be upset.
"Shouldn't we celebrate with a drink?" I asked.
Stan flinched at the wobbly tone of my voice and jumped up. He poured us two short whiskeys and handed me one. "Now, is there something you want to tell me?" he asked.
"I want more vacation time?"
"Tasha, you don't have to pretend with me. What kind of mentor would forget to help his protege deal with the other aspects of life? There's more going on here than business."
His phone buzzed, and I took the opportunity to retreat to the corner window. Stan was right. There was more going on than business, but it was all tangled up together in my head. The fact that Hyperion had been sold meant that I would not see many of my colleagues except in social settings. That meant I would always see Rainer with Ellison.
I would never get to argue over the best dim sum with him, or laugh over our competitors’ unfortunate spelling mistakes. The only moments I would have with Rainer now would be with his lovely fiancée on his arm, and that thought hurt.