‘Yeah, that would be fun,’ Max said. ‘But I think I’m going to put my foot down on this one and say it’s bedtime. Daddy’s orders.’
Channing knew that Max was right.
It was indeed bedtime. And with a new day at work tomorrow and a fresh dawn to his relationship with Max, Channing had every cause for optimism.
The only slight shadow still hanging over things was Kyle. But Channing wasn’t going to let that bully stop him getting his head down and enjoying a nice sleep next to Max, his one true love.
* * *
Channing woke up the next morning feeling surprisingly refreshed. It may have been far from the ideal night’s sleep, but simply having Max back in bed with him made Channing feel like a brand-new guy.
Channing downed his juice in record time and decided to cycle into work. Max even said that he would run in behind Channing, albeit at a more leisurely pace of course. Max wasn’t ready to ditch his muscle car just yet, but running instead of driving where possible was a good enough start.
The cycle into work was glorious too, with the early morning sun beating down on Channing as he whizzed through all his favorite neighborhoods.
Channing knew that he still had to face the senior bosses and try to explain what had happened with his presentation, but he was going to do it with a whole new sense of purpose.
Max’s right.
I CAN make it to the top.
I just need to learn from the presentation and keep growing…
As he parked his bicycle in the bike shed, Channing noticed that all the senior management parking spots were fully loaded with the top of the range, latest model Teslas.
All the bosses must have been in super-early for one reason or another.
This made Channing’s heart skip a beat.
But rather than worry, Channing decided that he was going to seize upon this moment. He may have been a careful planner, but now maybe it was time to take a leaf out of Max’s impulsive book of tricks.
Channing had an idea. It may have been crazy, but Channing was going to go straight to the top floor and formally request a do-over of the presentation.
Without waiting a single second longer, Channing entered the Green Sky Future building and made his way to the top floor. Nothing was going to stop him. Even as his heart thumped in his chest, Channing was determined to follow through on his gut instinct.
Be brave.
Be bold.
You can change their minds about you…
After fighting past their initially skeptical and surprised response, Channing was able to deliver pretty much a pitch-perfect presentation that received a standing round of applause from the senior members of the board.
To say that Channing’s presentation went over well would be an understatement. Even the notoriously prickly CEO Mr. Neil Joss was impressed.
‘Damn it,’ Neil said. ‘I really wasn’t sure what to expect after yesterday. But you’ve just shown me the future of this whole organization. And I know now that you absolutelymustbe front and center of that future too. Anyone care to disagree?
Neil’s fellow board members dare not disagree with him. It was undeniable, Channing had smashed the presentation so far out of the park it was practically entering the next state.
Neil Joss offered Channing the role of Future Organization Development VP on the spot, and Channing received it with as much enthusiasm as you might expect. This was huge news, and Channing wanted to share it with the man who made it possible.
The only question was, had Channing’s Daddy made it to Green Sky Future yet?
Chapter 22
MAX
The jog over from Channing’s apartment to the Green Sky Future office was great fun. Max had allowed his cardio to drop off in recent times, but it felt surprisingly great to hit the streets again and see what his body could do.
