A meeting request pops up on my screen and I feel a sense of dread. It’s for this afternoon, which is so last-minute, and as I look down the list of attendees, I see the entire senior staff and management team. I have a feeling this might be where Brad breaks it to us that something big is going down.
I hope I don’t lose my job. It isn’t that I couldn’t find another one—but I love working at Vital Information. It’s literally the one part of my life I can truly say is going perfectly. I was hired about four years ago, and I feel like I finally found my niche. I’m the Brand Manager, and I’ve worked side by side with Brad for the last few years. We have an excellent team, with people who actually pull their weight, and we’ve done a lot of great things with this company. We have patents pending on several devices that track health and nutrition information, and we’ve gone so far beyond what we thought possible just a few years ago.
But the signs that something is changing have been there for a while. I suspect we’re about to hear the word “downsizing.”
After lunch, I join my colleagues in the large conference room. I’m one of the first to arrive, so I take a seat on the far side of the table and answer some emails while I wait. It gets stuffy as the room fills, and I pick my hair up off my neck, wishing I wore it up today.
I check the time on my phone. Brad’s late. I stop myself from rolling my eyes. It figures he’d get everyone in here and make us sit around.
Finally, Brad walks in, dressed in a button-down shirt and tie, his graying hair cut short.
“Sorry to make everyone wait,” he says as he walks to stand in front of the whiteboard. “It’s been a busy day. Busy few weeks, really.”
He pauses, and the tension in the room thickens.
“I apologize for the radio silence these last few weeks,” Brad says. “I realize it hasn’t escaped anyone’s notice that something is going on, but for a variety of reasons I haven’t been able to talk publicly about it. Until today.”
Another pause. I shift a little and cross my legs.
“As of about twenty minutes ago, the company has been sold.”
The room erupts with questions and sharp inhalations of breath. I don’t say anything, just stare at Brad in disbelief. Sold? How could he keep this from me? I’ve been busting my ass trying to keep us afloat, pulling Brad’s weight every time he went on one of his many vacations. The least he could have done is told me privately.
I lean back in my chair, already mentally updating my resume. I know what happens when a company is sold. The buyers always have their own people. I might have a few months, but I should start getting my name out there immediately, because there’s no question in my mind that my time here is short.
Damn. It’s so disappointing.
“Listen.” Brad puts his hands up, trying to get control of the meeting. “I realize this is a surprise—but believe me, this means big things for VI. There was no way I was going to turn over my company to just anyone, and I can assure you, the new owner doesn’t plan to gut our staff. He bought this company because of all of you.”
Right. I’ve been through a buyout before, at my last company. They always say that, but as soon as the new owner is in the building the layoff notices start flying.
“I’m sure you all have a lot of questions, and I’d like to take some time to answer them now,” Brad says. “I already have a companywide memo set to go out after our meeting, so you’re welcome to tell your teams the news. This is all out in the open now. But I want to emphasize that no one needs to be worried about their job.”
Brad’s eyes sweep the group, coming to rest for half a second on each of our faces. Despite my frustrations, he’s been a decent guy to work for. He trusts me to do my job and gives me a lot of autonomy. But he spent the last two years growing the company at such a rapid pace, it was obvious it was going to crash and burn. I’m not surprised in the least he had to bail out.
People start asking questions and his answers seem genuine, if vague. Despite his claim that we don’t need to be concerned about losing our jobs, he can’t give any specifics as to the new owner’s plans. In fact, he hasn’t mentioned who the new owner is. There are several contenders, as far as I know—competitors who I suspect would love to get their hands on our tech.
Finally, I raise my hand.
“Selene,” he says.
“Who exactly bought us out?”
“That’s a good question.” He opens his mouth but the conference room door opens and he stops.
A man walks in. He’s wearing sunglasses, as if he just came in from outside, and a crisp white shirt with the top button undone. His dark hair is slightly unruly, in a way that makes him look confident rather than messy. He flashes Brad a smile as he slips the sunglasses from his face.
My breath freezes in my lungs. Oh shit, it can’t be.