Bro Code(56)

When I turn down the hall, I can hear the murmuring of my employees coming from a distance. Just hearing their voices brings a more comfortable familiarity to this place. I follow their voices to a set of swinging grey doors that lead to the site of this evening’s main event.

The conference room has been arranged so that the chairs are in rows facing a podium at the front of the room, making it feel more like a press conference than a meeting. How very like Roland to set up the room to put himself front and center, standing over everyone else. Most of the guys have shown up, filling the room with nervous energy and small talk about sports, the weather, anything but the issue at hand. Time to get this group focused.

I take a deep breath, and remember Dad's pep talk. Then I head straight to the front of the room, and all of the conversation dies down and a sea of anxious faces turns to look at me.

“Hey, guys, can we chat really quick before things get started?”

It stays quiet, and my belly fills with nerves.

You can do this, Ava.

I consider the podium, but instead choose a chair near the front of the room and turn it so I’m facing my staff. We’re all on the same level here.

“In the short time I’ve been in charge of this factory, a lot has happened that I admit I have not always handled correctly. I was trying to fix everything but not very good about asking for help when I needed it. When we needed it. And for that, I can’t apologize enough.”

I pause to glance up at the doors. No sign of Roland yet. Might as well keep going.

“There’s a lot that I have to learn from all of you about this factory, and if you are willing to give me that chance, I would be honored to have you teach me. This business has been around for a long time, and in that time it has grown so much. I know we have more growing to do, and I want to take on that challenge. You know how much I care about this company, and how much I care about each and every one of you and your families. I have since I was a little girl. My father built something truly incredible here, a real family. I ask you all to find it within you not to give up on our family just yet.”

“Truly inspiring, Ava.” The doors swing open and Roland struts into the room, his beady eyes boring into me. “Now, if we might get down to the facts.” His condescending tone makes me feel like a student who has been misbehaving in class while the teacher was gone, but I refuse to make myself small in front of him. I have to stand my ground and summon that fight I have still in me. This one’s for you, Dad.

As Roland approaches the podium, I swivel my chair back to its original position and walk to the front of the room, standing just to the left of him.

“What are you doing?” he hisses through his teeth.

“This is my company. Since you seem to have forgotten a podium for me, I’ll be standing up here next to you so that we can both address my staff, if that’s quite alright.”

He inhales slowly, then lets out a punctuated breath. “Fine. It doesn’t make a difference where you stand.” After clearing his throat a thin smile spreads across his face as he turns to face the crowd.

“Thank you all for coming today, gentlemen,” he begins, his voice dripping with a phony friendliness. “I’m deeply excited to discuss the potential of Roland Enterprises taking over your company. We are prepared to buy out the factory from Ava and transfer power within the next month, at which point I would hire you all on to help renovate the factory, no loss of jobs. We would move toward an automated system, which you would help to run behind the scenes.”

The doors swing open again and Barrett and Nick saunter in, leaving me to dig what’s left of my fingernails into my palms to keep from screaming. The nerve of them to show up to this meeting. Why are they here? To say, “I told you so” and rub salt in my wounds? So, Barrett can flaunt his betrayal in my face? And Nick can encourage the factory workers to side with Roland?

They take seats in the back, and I pretend not to notice them, focusing instead on whatever drivel Roland is spewing as he fields questions from the crowd. Luckily, the men are giving him looks of uncertainty. I knew they wouldn’t buy into this. Any factory employee who hears the word automation knows what that means—you won’t need as many humans to run a facility that’s automated.

“Maybe it would help to hear this from someone who understands you a bit better than I do, one of your own. Barrett, didn’t you grow up in the area?”

I refuse to give Barrett the satisfaction of looking at him, but I can see him nodding out of the corner of my eye.

“Would you mind telling these fine gentlemen about what this takeover could provide for them and their community?” Roland gestures at the podium, inviting Barrett to take the reins.

For fuck's sake. I feel like I'm going to hurl.

After everything we shared together, his betrayal hurts ten thousand times more than losing the company from right out under me.

I can feel Barrett’s piercing gaze on me as he steps up to the front of the room, but I still refuse to look him in the eye. How could he? It’s one thing just to have the guts to come to this meeting, but to speak? To put the final nail in the coffin of my family’s business? I wish I could disappear. That, or strangle him.

Roland steps out of the way, taking a seat to allow Barrett to take the stand.

“It’s true, Mr. Roland offers a lot of great ideas for this factory,” he begins. Tears spring to my eyes and I frantically try to blink them back. The least I can do is go down with a little grace.