****
Derrick rose from behind the desk he’d been practically fastened to all day. Across from him sat his vice president of operations and his CFO, both of whom he had come to rely on heavily in recent weeks. With their help, he expected to distribute a package about the financial health of the company to all the firm’s employees and leak key elements to the top business outlets in print and digital media.
The purpose was to show the stability of HLC as they moved toward expanding their reach by entering a strategic alliance with a key player in the Greek shipping industry. If he could ink the deal, a negotiation his father had been working on before his death, it would expand HLC’s interests abroad and capture a significant percentage of the international logistics market.
“All right,” he said. “That’s enough for today.”
“Do you need us this weekend?” his VP of operations asked.
Derrick stuck the pages he’d been writing notes and figures on into a file. He couldn’t tell if the tone of her voice was hopeful because of the hefty additional wages she earned for working on the weekend, or because she looked forward to getting a break.
“No, I’m good. Let’s take the weekend to think about what we discussed today. We’ll meet in here first thing on Monday morning and tweak our plans if necessary.”
After they left, he dropped the files in his briefcase and snapped it shut.
He didn’t relish going home and sleeping next door to a wife he couldn’t touch. Before Eva moved in, he never stayed this late at the office. He took the work home and finished up there.
Derrick shook his head. He was running from a woman half his size, and all because he’d agreed to give her time. It was just as well. He got plenty of work done and felt a lot better about the direction the company was going in than he did when he first took over.
In the outer office, his administrative assistant was logging off her computer. Her head snapped up when she heard him.
“Do you need anything else, Mr. Hoffman?”
She’d been his father’s admin, too. Since she was young and attractive, he’d had his doubts about his father’s decision to hire her, but having worked closely with her, he grew to appreciate her work ethic and professionalism. He’d been tempted to sleep with her when his father was alive, but now he was glad he hadn’t. He would have jeopardized a relationship with a great assistant.
“No. Have a great weekend. I’ll see you next week.”
When he arrived home, he didn’t go upstairs right away. He entered the study, which had been his father’s. Two of the dark walls were filled with books on built-in shelves. File cabinets took up half of one wall. In the center of the room sat a heavy wooden desk, directly across from the fireplace, above which hung portraits of his mother and father.
Set off by itself sat a cabinet humidor, polished until the wood gleamed. Phineas had been a cigar aficionado, and Derrick had given him the large piece of custom-made furniture as a gift for the storage and preservation of his cigar collection.
He removed a cigar from the cabinet and lit it, then stepped out onto the terrace. Holding it between his index finger and thumb, he took a puff and let the smoke ease past his lips.
What would Phineas think of his progress so far? Would he be proud? Was he on the right track? He hoped so. The success of the company depended on his ability to think and strategize in the same way his father had when he was alive.
If all went well with the Greeks, the only other major item on his plate would be the court battle with his family.
When he finished smoking, he went upstairs to get ready for bed. He looked forward to a shower and a night of rest.
Chapter Ten