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I shrugged. “I’m not hiding anything, Fiona. I’m concerned about you as a person and as my employee.”
“Then why do I feel like it’s only the latter?”
“I have no idea, Fiona,” I began, as I struggled to understand what she insinuated. “Why don’t you just tell me what’s on your mind?”
She kept her eyes fixed on me for a moment or so before shaking her head.
“Gabe, I appreciate you coming by. But, I don’t have the energy for this right now.”
“For what?”
Fiona simply shook her head and waved her hand in my direction, as if she were shooing away a fly. “This, Gabe. This.”
Had I done that bad a job of earning her trust? After all the opportunity I’d given her, I couldn’t fathom the idea she’d act this way towards me. Unwilling to sit and take the insulting innuendo from her, I began to stand from the table.
“Fiona, I won’t waste a lot of time here. Whether you believe me or not, I’m very sorry for your loss. You do have my deepest sympathy. However, as is so often the case when you are the boss, you’re the one responsible for keeping things moving forward. I’m here today to offer you one last opportunity to grab hold of your dream. I know that in an emotional time like this, it’s probably the last thing on your mind, but trust me, in a month or six months from now you will understand what I mean.”
As I finished speaking, Fiona’s face disfigured in rage. Reaching up, she slammed her hands on the table and bolted into a standing position, catching me by surprise in the process.
“Jesus Christ, Gabe!” she yelled. “Don’t you understand? I’m all alone! Don’t you have feelings? Why must everything be about work with you? Now please, would you get out?!”
As she finished speaking, Fiona wrapped one hand around her waist and straightened her other arm, pointing in the direction of the front door. Most people would crumble in an emotional, highly charged situation like this. But in many ways, survival in both life and business are the same thing. One way or the other, Fiona was going to understand how precarious her situation was at the company.
I shook my head and said in the calmest tone of voice I could muster, “Fiona, I’m not upset with you, okay? I understand what you’re going through, but I don’t have any options in this situation.”
But rather than respond, Fiona just looked at me, almost as if she were looking through me.
“I’m all alone, Gabe,” she muttered. “I’m all alone…”
I took a step or two in her direction. “But, you aren’t, Fiona. I’m right here.”
I leaned in, reaching towards her, but as I did, she recoiled. “Don’t touch me.”
With my fingers still stretched towards her, I said, “Fiona…”
“Gabe, please… I-I’ve told you already, I just need to be alone right now. Why won’t you just go?”
“I’m not leaving you, Fiona. Not like this.”
“I’m fine.”
I shook my head. “No.”
Fiona glared at me. “You’re not understanding me, Gabe. I want you to leave. I don’t want you here. Having you here is making things much, much worse.”
“Why? I don’t understand.”
“I know you don’t, Gabe. And that’s why you have to go.”
With each word she spoke, Fiona closed herself off from me more and more. She sat down in the chair once again, slumping in place as she did. Her hands disappeared inside her sleeves in a familiar gesture I’d thought she’d gotten past.
I looked down at her and shook my head in disappointment and regret.
“All right, Fiona. If you don’t want me here, I’ll go. But understand, you’ve got a commitment to keep. I’m willing to give you time to grieve, but at some point, and it’s sooner rather than later, I’ve got a business to run.”
“Yes, I know, Gabe. I’m all too aware of how precious your business is to you.”
She was hurting. I understood that, but the thinly veiled insults were beginning to piss me off. If there’s one thing you learn in business it’s that everyone is replaceable. I wasn’t even sure Fiona realized how much her words affected me, so I decided to warn her.
“Fiona, I realize you’re upset. But, acting this way is not the right thing to do.”
She tilted her head upward and locked eyes with me. “What would you know about the right thing to do, Gabe?”
“What?” I scoffed.
She wasted no time in continuing her accusation. “Every single decision you make, Gabe. They’re all calculated, cold, and done with only one thing in mind. How it benefits you.”
