Authors: Sandi Perry
“So
you
don’t
intend
to
take
the
position
yourself?”
Paul
Franklin,
candidate
number
two,
asked.
“No,
Paul.
As
you
all
know,
I
run
the
Simon
Ross
Charitable
Trust
and
my
own
gallery.
My
plate
is
full
enough
as
it
is,
but
I
will
be
acting
as
interim
CEO
until
I
have
made
a
decision
as
to
my
father’s
replacement.”
“Your
father
can
never
be
replaced,
but
of
course
the
health
of
this
company
is
of
greatest
importance
to
us.
We
will
do
our
best
to
ease
the
transition.”
This
was
from
John
Rivers,
candidate
number
four.
Also
present
and
silent
at
the
moment
were
Martin
Ross,
Gary
Menken—candidate
number
three,
and
two
men
she
did
not
recognize.
Allison
opened
the
floor
to
air
concerns
anyone
might
have.
She
watched
the
exchanges
carefully,
trying
to
get
a
read
on
those
present.
She
adjourned
the
meeting
and
went
back
to
her
office
with
the
beginnings
of
a
headache.
She
called
Emily
at
the
gallery
to
see
how
she
was
holding
up.
“We’ve
had
a
lot
of
foot
traffic
so
far
today,
but
only
one
serious
sale.
A
gentleman
just
bought
your
mother’s
newest
glass
bowl,
the
one
with
the
peacock
feather
swirls.”
“Oh,
Mom
will
be
thrilled.
That’s
just
the
sort
of
pick-me-up
she
could
use
right
now.
Did
you
get
the
asking
price?”
“Sure
did,
he
paid
twenty-five
hundred
for
it.
How're
things
going
on
your
end?”
“It’s
like
I
just
stepped
into
an
episode
of
Mad Men
.
Too
bad
I
left
my
pearls
at
home.”
Emily
laughed.
“Don’t
tell
me
all
the
women
are
wearing
Kay
Unger
dresses
cinched
at
the
waist
and
flaring
out
suggestively
to
just
below
the
knee.”
“Women?
I’m
the
only
one
here
besides
for
my
father’s
assistant,
Natalya.”
“What
are
you
wearing?”
Emily
asked.
“A
fuchsia
Escada
sheath
dress
with
a
wide
patent
belt
and
a
cropped
black
cardigan.”
“Nothing
says
power
like
you
in
jewel
tones,”
Emily
said.
“Thanks
for
being
there
for
me,
Emily,
I’m
about
one
second
from
walking
out
the
door
and
never
showing
my
face
here
again.
I
don't
know
what
the
hell
I'm
doing.”
“I
know
you’ll
make
it
work,
Allison,
you
always
do.”
Allison
had
one
more
thing
to
check
off
on
her
list
before
she
stopped
for
the
day.
“Natalya,
could
you
please
come
in
here
for
a
minute?”
“Of
course."
Allison
ignored
the
slight
undercurrent
of
superiority
as
Natalya
took
a
seat.
“I
need
your
two
minute
assessment
of
each
of
these
candidates.”
She
handed
the
list
to
her.
“Alexander
Coventry.
Have
you
met
him?”
she
asked.
Allison
nodded
in
response.
“He’s
too
young
for
me,
but
he’s
the
type
of
man
worth
a
sexual
harassment
suit.
Anyway,
he’s
brilliant
and
your
father
took
to
him
like
nothing
I’ve
ever
seen.”
“I'm
shocked
my
father
thought
that
highly
of
him.
He'd
always
been
more
conservative
in
his
vision
for
the
company,
unless
that
changed
lately.
He
wasn’t
at
the
meeting;
I
would
have
expected
him
to
be
on
the
board.”
“It
was
coming
up
for
vote
next
week.
Your
cousin,
Bradley,
was
the
most
vocal
against
it
and
was
trying
to
persuade
your
uncle
and
a
few
of
the
others
to
vote
against
him.”
“But
Bradley
isn’t
even
a
board
member.”
“Exactly.
Bradley
was
miffed
that
Alex
had
been
invited
to
serve
on
the
board.
He
was
hoping
the
vacant
slot
after
Arthur
Hicks
retired
would
go
to
him.
He
didn’t
hide
his
distaste
for
Alex.”
“How
did
Alex
respond?"
“In
his
usual
way,”
Natalya
said.
“He
shrugged
it
off.
He
comes
across
as
laid-back,
but
behind
that
polite
southern
charm
is
a
barracuda.
He’ll
get
what
he
wants
in
the
end.”
“And
the
others?”Allison
prodded.
“Well,
Paul
as
you
know
has
been
with
your
father
from
the
start.
Until
Alex
arrived
on
the
scene,
I
would
have
said
his
chances
were
the
best.
Now
I’m
not
so
sure.
The
other
two
are
interchangeable.
The
company
will
remain
safe
under
any
of
the
three.
They're
cost
conscious
and
keep
an
eye
on
the
bottom
line.
Just
put
their
names
in
a
hat
and
draw
one
out.”