Chapter 70 70
“You don’t make it easy when you make mistakes. Half of the board members are old guard. They do not want to see a woman take over the company, no matter what they might say to your face. We have to find the right time.”
Sherry felt as though she was listening to her father speak. Was there something about working out of that office that made a person completely unreasonable? “You mean I have to wait until you decide it’s the right time.”
“You have no idea the amount of pressure I’m under. People expect huge things from me and from BenTel. I can’t let what Dad started be anything less than amazing.”
Sherry kept her thoughts to herself. Adam was struggling with their father’s death even more than she was. He might not realize it, but she was sure his iron grip on BenTel had more to do with holding on to the memory of their dad than anything else. Tears stung her eyes just thinking about her father, but she wouldn’t cry. Not now.
“I can do this. I thought you believed in me.”
“I do, but frankly, you haven’t dazzled me like I thought you would.”
“Then let me dazzle you. I have an idea for an acquisition after the conference. That’s what I’ve been trying to talk to you all week about.”
“I don’t want to spend our entire evening talking shop. Send me the details in an email and we’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
“No. You keep blowing me off. Plus, I’m starting to think this isn’t a discussion for the office.”
“Why not?”
“Because it has to do with Justin Covington. I’m interested in a company called Sunny Side, and he’s the majority investor.”
Adam’s jaw dropped and quickly froze in place. “I don’t care if Justin Covington is selling the Empire State Building for a dollar. We’re not doing business with him. End of discussion.”
That last bit was so like her dad, and such a guy thing to do, attempting to do away with an uncomfortable subject with male posturing. It insulted every brain cell in her head, which meant it was time to forge ahead. She wasn’t about to wait for another time. It might never come. “The company makes micro solar panels for phones, phones that will never, ever need an electrical charge. I know some companies make them but we all know that they have not been widely successful due to technical challenges. Sunny side is fixing that,”
“Sounds amazing,” Nina chimed in from behind the shield of her magazine.
Adam shook his head, just as stubborn as Sherry had imagined he’d be.
“No, it doesn’t.”
“Yes, it does,” Sherry said. “We’re talking about a revolution in our industry. Imagine the possibilities. Every person who ever wandered around looking for an outlet will never see a reason to buy a phone other than ours.”
“Think of the safety aspects. Or the possibilities for remote places,” Nina added. “The public relations upside could be huge.”
“Not to mention the financial upside,” Sherry said.
Adam kneaded his forehead. “Are you two in cahoots or something? I don’t care if Justin has invested in a cell phone that will make dinner and do your taxes. He and I tried to work together once and it was impossible. The man doesn’t know how to work with other people.”
Her conversation with Justin was fresh in her mind, what he’d said about the end of his friendship with Adam. What if things had been different and they had remained friends? “Funny, but he says the same thing about you.”
Adam turned and narrowed his focus, his eyes launching daggers at Sherry. “You spoke to him about this?”
“Actually, I met with him. I told him that BenTel is interested in Sunny Side.”
“I can’t believe you would do that.”
“Come on, Adam.” Sherry leaned forward, hoping to plead with her eyes.
“We would be passing up a huge opportunity. Just take a minute and look past your history with Justin for the good of BenTel. You’ll see that I’m right.”
Adam stood up from the table. “I can’t listen to this anymore. I’m going to answer emails and take a shower.” He leaned down and kissed the top of Nina's head. “Good night.”
“That’s it?” Sherry asked, bolting out of her seat, her chair scraping loudly on the hardwood floors. “The almighty Adam passes down his decree and I’m supposed to live with it, even when my idea could make billions for the company he won’t hand over because he’s so concerned with its success?”
“Look, I call the shots. I’m CEO.”
Sherry felt as if she’d been punched in the stomach. “You’ve reminded me of that every day since you took over.”
“Good. Because I don’t want to talk about this ever again. And I don’t want you to speak to Justin Covington ever again, either.” He started down the hall, but turned and doubled back, raising a finger in the air as if he’d just had the greatest idea. “In fact, I forbid it.”
“Excuse me?” She remained frozen, beyond stunned. “You forbid it?”
“Yes, Sherry. I forbid it. You are my employee and I am forbidding you to talk to him. He’s dangerous and I don’t trust him. At all.”
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Justin ended his first conversation with Adam Bennet in years with a growl of disgust, dropping his phone onto the weight bench in his home gym. Where exactly did Adam get off calling him? And issuing orders?
Stay away from his sister? Keep your little phone company to yourself? Justin had a good mind to get in his car, storm through the lobby of BenTel up to Adam’s office and finally have it out, once and for all. Lock the door. Two guys. Fists. Go time.
Justin leaped up onto the treadmill, upping his pre-set speed of six miles per hour to seven. Rain streaked the windows. Morning sunlight fought to break through gray clouds looming over the skyline. His long legs carried him across the conveyor belt, his breaths coming quicker, but it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t hard. It wasn’t painful. He upped his speed again. He craved every bit of release he could get—no sex in four months, a powder keg of a job and an infuriating phone conversation with his biggest adversary made him feel as if he might explode.