Ian put down the phone. “That was strange.” He looked up at David Turner, sitting across from him in his office. “Forgive me, sir, but now I am really wondering about our accounting department.”
“What now?”
“Well, I called to ask about a new car.”
“It’s about time. I surprised that old thing you drive got you to California, let alone is still running.”
“Yeah, well…anyway, I just called because of the sudden increases in my monthly expenses to see how much I could afford to spend.”
“You make a good salary Young Justyn. There shouldn’t be a problem.”
“But the new house, suddenly a child who needs everything. I just don’t want to get caught up in over spending.” Ian explained.
“You’re maybe a little too prudent, but good for you.” Turner leaned forward. “Was there some sort of problem?”
“Well, no…” Ian looked at the phone. “He said buy two, they’re small and then laughed out loud.”
“That is rather odd. I won’t pry into your expenses, but I sign the checks. I know how much you make. You shouldn’t have any problem at all.”
“I just don’t find my accountant’s lack of concern over my expenses to be very comforting, especially when he seems to find it so amusing.”
“Maybe he’s just finds someone making a high end executive salary concerned about a small purchase refreshing.”
“I don’t think buying a car and raising a ten year old are small purchases.” Ian looked at his boss.
“Ian, most of the people in your position call accounting to see if they can afford the second summer home on Maui.”
“Oh.” Ian felt dumb, then looked back up at Turner. “How can they afford that?”
“They can’t, but do it anyway.”
“Maybe I should tell people my Aunt Hil’s old shack is a resort cabin on the Blue Ridge Parkway.”
Turner threw back his head and laughed. “I’ll pay you a million dollars to offer it to Simon Kent for the weekend, but only if you give me a head start so I can see the look on his face when his chauffer pulls in the driveway.”
“Blue Ridge I could get away with, resort cabin it ain’t.” Ian smiled with the old man.
“Have you decided what you are going to do with it?”
Ian shook his head. “Not yet. It’s been emptied out and closed up. Reese flew down this weekend and is bringing back the contents in a couple of days. Once probate is finished, I’ll figure something out. We’re razing the farm, but I don’t know if I can do that to Aunt Hil’s place. It will also break my heart to think of it just rotting there on the side of the mountain.”
“Take your time. You never know. You may want to go back there sometime.”
“Not for a long while.” Ian said.
“How’s the boy doing?” Turner asked, genuine in his concern.
“Well, I think. We’re still adjusting, and I really hate the cat, but he’s such a smart kid. Tippy is amazed at how smart he is. I’m just still amazed. We were concerned that he’d be behind when he started school here in the fall, but according to his test scores he’s way ahead of them.”
“Good. Good.”
“We’re only concerned about his speech patterns. The last thing Ronnie needs is to have the kid’s bully him because he talks like a hillbilly, but he seems to be aware of that and is working really hard to improve.”
“Relax, Young Justyn. He’s like his father.”
Ian couldn’t help but smile. “My only concern is that we were both poor kids, suddenly with access to more money and superficial stuff than we ever dreamed of. I don’t want either of us taking that flow of the almighty dollar for granted. The flow could stop just as easily as it started.” Ian opened a file on his desk. “Anyway, back to the matters at hand. Have you read the file legal sent over?”
“Yes. I think our initial plan is the correct path, don’t you?”
“I agree. All we have to do is figure out the time lines.”
“If we pull the rug before the fall schedule announcement they could leak to the press in retaliation.” The old man mused.
“We’ve managed to keep all of this under wrap so far. Think we can do it another couple of weeks until the big press conference?”
“Maybe we should split the difference and do it after the final fall schedule meeting on Wednesday. Most of it is bound to leak after that anyway and the newswires have already picked up the fact that we stole Pearce Warner from CNN.”
Ian nodded his head. “But if we can wait until after the press conference, they may think they’ve gotten away with it and reveal more than we already know about.”
“Good point.” David tapped his cane on the floor. “Let’s go ahead and start contract negotiations though. Everybody knows Warner is coming aboard. Maybe the negotiations will help you decide what definite directions to take that in, and that really has nothing to do with the other.”
“I’m a little nervous about that. I don’t mind being underhanded with people who deserve it, but I feel bad that most of the morning news show team has been completely left out of the loop.”
“Young Justyn, some are going to like it and some are not. You do your job well, amazingly well for a rookie. I dare say many have been anxiously waiting to see what kind of magic you shower down on them. Just do it and don’t worry about hurting people’s feelings. You aren’t deliberately crushing them, or ruining anyone’s career.”
“Some people will get upset and leave.”
“Tell ‘em not to let the door smack ‘em on the ass on the way out.”
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