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He takes my raised eyebrow as his cue to explain what he means. “When you come from nothing, you’ve got nothing to lose. No money, no pedigree. And still, you’ve kept her beyond the six-month mark. She’s now entitled to a sizeable chunk of your wealth.”
Don leans closer. “If she walks away now, she’ll tear you apart. And weaken the company’s position with investors.”
I shrug with an air of nonchalance “And this concerns you because?”
“This is my company. Too.” He adds the last part almost like an afterthought. “I’d rather not be left holding a bag of ashes and dust when you’re done.”
“I appreciate the concern, but it’s not needed. My wife isn’t going anywhere.”
“You sure about that?” He questions. I’m about to snap back when he smoothly heads off to mingle with the rest of the team.
“Here’s to the future, folks,” Don raises his glass in a toast, drawing the room’s attention. “Looks like we were right to trust the boss’s instincts after all, weren’t we?”
Glasses clink. The executives, oblivious to our tense exchange, continue to gush over the ship’s design and the market anticipation.
Raymond Fairchild, ever the detail-oriented, starts off the questions. “We’re still weighing in at 220k gross tonnes, correct?”
“Roughly,” I respond.
Rob, my New York fleet manager, chimes in, “That’s a fucking heavyweight right there! It might even give those floating cities by Royal Caribbean a run for their money. How many preorders have we lined up?”
“One hundred and fifty,” Helen Fairchild, our lead engineer replies with a note of pride. Rob lets out an impressed whistle.
“So boss,” Don steps in with a deceptively innocent question. “How do we ensure her stability in storms?”
I tamp down my irritation. Don knows this already. “Helen?” I prompt her to take the floor after a moment of silence.
“We have a deal with Marine Safe to access their modern navigation. And the smart ballast systems were installed by AquaBalance Pro. You don’t get more stable than that.”
Raymond chuckles, “How the fuck did you manage to bring those two giants to your dinner table and not end up in a brawl?”
“Or altogether becoming the dinner!” Rob quips, and the room erupts in laughter.
I reply, “Think of it as having a Fairchild prenup.”
Again, they all laugh. Prenups are something everyone in the room understands.
Helen mutters, “Well said, boss. Nothing ever gets past that one.” She is the third wife of one of my uncles so she’s well acquainted with the intricacies of prenups.
Don’s voice slices through the light mood. “As long as this marriage doesn’t end in divorce.” He returns my warning glare with an innocent smile. “What? We all know divorce is the iceberg we most dread, don’t we? Hopefully, the new captain here will do us a favor and sink the dated company policies.”
“Hear, hear,” everyone else echoes. It shows the Fairchilds’ shared frustration about the many restrictive company policies.
I’d planned to tackle the infamous marriage clause as first priority. Now, I’m beginning to see the wisdom in my father’s view. Those policies might be the only shield I have, especially with a COO who’d rather see me fail. Maybe in a year or two, when tensions ease, we can revisit those policies.
“Before we wrap up here, boss,” Don interjects, shifting gears. “Let’s remember that New York media is all about sustainability. What the hell do we tell them about the environmental footprint of this beast?”
Don knows the drill. We’ve fielded this question countless times throughout the project’s development. Yet, he just can’t resist trying to corner me. I wouldn’t put it past him to have already arranged a series of press briefings, eagerly waiting to spotlight what he thinks is a major flaw in this model.
The question hangs in the air, a seemingly innocent inquiry that sends a ripple of unease through the team. Helen hesitates, a glance at me betraying the complexity of the answer.
“Well,” she begins, “it’s fair to say that balancing luxury with sustainability at this scale... it’s not without its risks.”
Don turns to me, a sly smile spreading across his face. “Risks? Boss, do you think our stakeholders are ready for such a gamble?”
The word ‘gamble’ resonates, and I feel the weight of the executives’ gaze and their silent questions.
I take a deep breath, choosing my words carefully. “Yes, it’s a gamble, Don. But one well-calculated. We’re looking to partner with the right companies to get us fully renewable energy.”
