“Iris, I need my speech.” Tyler’s whisper was urgent.
“No, you don’t.” Iris’s hand rested gently on the shoulder Donovan and Xavier had abused. “The thoughts and ideas in the speech aren’t new to you. Just remember that this is personal, for you and for them.”
Tyler found a measure of calm in her words and her touch. He listened to Foster’s introduction as he prepared to take the stage.
“Did you enjoy your lunch?” Foster’s question carried through the curtain to Tyler at the back of the stage. The associates responded with thunderous applause.
“Wonderful!” Foster’s voice rose above the cacophony. “Good food and good company are important parts of a celebration. And here to tell you just why this particular celebration is so important is my son and your vice president of development, Ty Anderson.”
Tyler looked again at Iris. Her coffee-colored eyes shone with supreme confidence. He squared his shoulders, then drew back the curtains to take the stage.
Foster pulled him into a bear hug. “Good luck, son.”
Tyler returned his father’s embrace before stepping back to face the roomful of associates. “You’re probably a little tired after that wonderful lunch. But don’t fall asleep on me yet.”
He froze. That’s not the way his speech began. Surprised laughter filled the room at his comment. Tyler relaxed a bit.
“I wanted to share a few words with you.” Did he sound as awkward as he felt? He kept going. “My father often—or always—says that Anderson Adventures wouldn’t be where it is today without all of you. But it recently came to my attention that many of you don’t realize how you contribute to our success. So I wanted to take this time to tell you exactly the role you play and to thank you for everything you do. Let’s start with purchasing. Will the associates of our purchasing department please stand?” He waited for the four-member staff, including Trudy, the three-time grandmother, to rise from their seats. “Thank you for purchasing the supplies we need to function, the software, hardware and everything else, and for negotiating the very best prices.”
The audience gave the department an enthusiastic round of applause. The four purchasing associates stared at each other in surprise. Broad grins brightened their faces and pleased blushes darkened their skin. They each waved at their coworkers before resuming their seats.
Tyler continued in this manner until he’d recognized every department and their responsibilities, and connected them back to the company’s success. The pride and satisfaction on the faces around the room were gratifying although it still surprised him that they hadn’t realized how important they all were.
What shocked him even more was the standing ovation he received at the end of his presentation. He gazed at the faces in front of him—some admittedly more familiar than others—and finally understood what his father had been saying for years. Anderson Adventures associates weren’t employees. They were family.
Foster joined him on stage, wrapping him in another bear hug before stepping back and joining in the applause. Once the noise had died down and their associates had returned to their seat
s, Tyler provided a brief demonstration of the game, then opened the floor to questions. Excitement filled the room. There was a hum of anticipation. The event was without a doubt the greatest triumph he’d had to date, greater than his award-winning, bestselling computer games.
When it was over much later, Tyler waited in the ballroom with Foster, Aunt Kayla, Iris, Xavier and Donovan to thank their employees once again before they climbed into the limos that would take them back to Anderson Adventures.
“You were right about the limos.” Foster turned to him. “Paying for parking after an event like this would have been a buzzkill, as the kids say.”
“Ty, I am so proud of you.” Aunt Kayla pulled him down so she could kiss his cheek again. “You were wonderful!”
“Thank you, Aunt Kayla.” Tyler glanced at Iris. She hadn’t said a word since the launch ended. Had he disappointed her?
“You were channeling your inner Steve Harvey.” Donovan referenced the popular game-show host.
Xavier grinned. “I knew you had it in you.”
“I’ve never seen you like that before.” Foster slapped his back. “You were fantastic. Now take that energy on the road, son.”
“What did you think?” Tyler turned to Iris. He couldn’t wait any longer. He’d heard from everyone else. Had he lived up to her expectations or not?
“You were perfect. But I knew you would be.” Iris’s smile mesmerized him.
“Thanks.” Tyler wished they were alone so he could kiss her again.
“Your father’s right.” Iris inclined her head toward Foster. “We need to ride this wave into our external launch and the industry convention next month.”
“All right.” Tyler couldn’t think about the convention. Iris had called him perfect. “Are you ready to leave?”
Iris checked her silver Omni wristwatch. “Are we going into the office? ”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
She adjusted the shoulder strap of her briefcase. “I was going to get some work done.”