17. James
James
I roll over and look out the window, but it’s still dark.
I try to figure out what woke me from my blissful sleep.
I look around the room, just the glow of the fireplace lighting the area, when the buzzing of my phone flashing on the counter catches my attention.
Wow, I really didn’t miss hearing that noise all weekend.
I glance at Alex, but she’s still safely dreaming.
Her hair is sprawled across the pillow, and her face is scrunched like she’s in an argument with someone in her dream.
I reach over and rub my thumb over her forehead, and she instantly relaxes and curls further into her pillow.
I bite my lip to keep from laughing out loud and slowly climb from the bed, making my way to my phone.
I pick it up and scroll through the notifications pouring through.
Twenty missed calls from Ryder, five from Alester, hundreds of emails and texts.
I slide boots and a coat on before gently closing the front door when my phone starts ringing again.
“Ryder, what’s happening? I’ve only been off the grid for a few days,” I whisper-snap at him.
“Holy shit! He answered! Get in here now! Okay. You’re on speakerphone with me and Alester.” Ryder is in a hyper panic.
“Ryder, focus. What is it?” I roll my eyes as I pace the front porch. The snow is done falling and everything is still. Quiet seeps from all around as the forest sleeps.
“Shit. Yeah, okay. Well, from what Alester can see, a man is trying to poach Family Farms to go to our competitors, Collins and Sons.” Ryder is breathing heavily, like he’s been running laps around the office while ringing my phone over and over.
My stomach drops. This can’t be happening. I thought things were finally looking up. Now this?
“James, are you there? Hello? We are trying to find out everything we can, but we need you here. This is your company, and our most important account. They know you best after everything, and they are going to need to see your face to save this.”
Alester grunts his agreement.
My mind is turning to static. “Alester, what’s happening from your end.”
It’s silent, then Alester’s voice gets close to the speaker.
“I noticed some background noise coming through in my programming. I wanted to wait to see what would happen before I told you. I put a flag on the movement. Someone not as tech savvy was trying to dig through our open accounts. I have everything important under lockdown, only public knowledge is accessible as a sort of mouse trap.”
“Okay, just get to the point,” I huff.
“Right. Right. Okay, well, that’s how I caught him.
He was digging through those files, then I traced it to a call to our public partnerships and found him setting up a meeting with Family Farms. Someone named Taylor.
I’m getting more information on him as we speak.
My bots are tracking him and pulling his history. ”
“Okay…”
I heard him, but it’s like I’m under water. My mind is racing back to the hospital. To dad.
Dad is propped up in his hospital bed. Machines are hooked to his finger and arm, and an IV is stuck in his other arm.
His skin is ashen, voice hoarse, as I sit with him, and we go over my college presentation to pass the time.
I look back at my notebook. “So, we have to come up with a business proposal for class to pitch and prove it’s a doable concept. ”
Dad nods for me to continue. His wheels are turning.
“Ryder and I are going over an idea for a marketing company that does full advertisement for emerging and current companies. We would approach them, come up with mockups created by artists, and bring those concepts to other companies that align with their brands to help them bridge the gap. Basically, we do the heavy lifting, so the companies can focus on their day-to-day work. ”
Dad coughs into his hospital gown. A trail of blood smears his sleeve. “That sounds like a great idea, bud. But which company would you start with first?” He coughs again, and this time I try not to look at the blood coming out. Time is fleeting.
“Well, it’s just for class, Dad. I don’t think we need to come up with a legit company.” I frown at my notebook, thinking. Bouncing my pen up and down.
“Son, we both know once you get an idea, you don’t tend to let it…
” He coughs again, so I get up and bring the box of tissues closer and fill a cup with water.
He wipes his mouth and takes a drink before settling back against the pillows.
“Thank you. You don’t tend to let ideas go.
” He pauses and takes another sip of water.
“What about Family Farms? They’re a small company, not well known, and they’re good people.
They could use the help getting their name out there. ”
Now my wheels are turning quickly. I’m going to need to bring Alester into this.
He’s the computer guy and can set up websites to reach more people digitally.
Maybe we can get a design student to do our first mockup, for practice.
I’m going to have to set up a meeting, maybe Ryder can start reaching out to designers while I do that.
“Son?” Dad reaches over and pats my leg.
My head snaps up to meet his eyes. They’re getting more yellow and glazed over as the cancer spreads through his body and takes over everything. “Yeah, Dad. Just thinking. I’ll reach out to them and set up a meeting.” I jot down some notes in my book for everything spinning in my head .
His weak smile barely reaches his eyes nowadays, as he looks at me. “You’re going to do great things, my boy. I’m so proud of you.”
“JAMES! Hello? Are you coming or what?” Ryder screams into the phone. I can hear Alester in the background telling him to calm the fuck down.
“I’m coming. I just have to move some snow first.” I click off the line before Ryder can start up again, and quickly get to work.
I will not lose Family Farms. I don’t care how small they are. They are endlessly tied to my dad, and I can’t lose that after I’ve already lost him .
I rub my hands over my face. I hate that I have to leave the cabin.
Alex is everything and it felt like she was finally seeing our possibilities, but I also can’t lose this part of my dad.
I just hope she will understand why I had to leave so quickly.
I don’t even remember much of moving the snow or getting in my truck and peeling down the driveway.
How I didn’t get stuck on the gravel drive is a surprise to me.
The tree coverage that I haven’t trimmed in a while probably helped with the snow buildup, but I just hit the gas and went.
The entire drive back is a blur, but I’m in the parking lot of Edward Corporation now. I wish I was smart enough to have gotten Alex’s number at this point, but I guess I can always have Alester track her down, if I don’t find her first.
I kick open the door to my truck and make my way into the building. It’s time to get to work.