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“You know I don’t like being kept in the dark.”
“This needs to get done,” Isaiah adds. He moves away from me and toward the window. “Besides, you know how this works. It’ll be easier if you and I are on the same page when we take this to the board.”
I nod.
“You deal with him,” Isaiah says with a wave in Cory’s general direction.
Cory bridges the gap between us and steers me to the other side of the room. He releases my arm and glances over his shoulder. His eyes turn tight around the edges. “What are you doing, man? Now is not the time to fuck around.”
I rub my fingers against my temples. “I’m not fucking around. I’m sticking up for what I believe in. We cannot afford to have the governor as an enemy.”
Cory throws his head back and gazes at the ceiling. “Give me patience so I don’t whoop his ass.” When he looks back at me, worry plays out across his face. “Help me out here, cuz. I’m trying to help you.”
“You know this is a bad idea.”
“I know that it’s got risks,” Cory acknowledges after a brief pause. “The entire company was built on a pipe dream and a big risk, and you like a good challenge. Since when do you back down?”
“When it is all of our asses on the line like this, I have every right to be concerned. Governor Coombes is not the kind of man we want to make an enemy of, not if we want to stay in business. And I know deep down in my bones that trying to kiss up to his family by force has the potential to be catastrophic.”
“Is this about his granddaughter?”
I blink. “Huh?”
“Didn’t you go to school with her or some shit?”
I tilt my head to the side and stare at Cory. “Do you really think I’d jeopardize everything I’ve worked hard to achieve for some chick? Are you fucking insane?”
Cory shrugs. “I’m just checking. I remember you telling me she was hot.”
“That’s not a good enough reason for me to have my doubts,” I snap.
“I’m just saying. You need to rethink this.”
“What if it goes wrong?”
“What if it doesn’t?”
“We’re not supposed to be making decisions like this out of the blue.”
“I’m sure he’s thought it through,” Cory argues with a slight shake of his head. “Come on, cuz. You’ve known Isaiah for a long time now. Does he ever do anything without thinking it through first?”
I pause. “No, he doesn’t.”
And no matter how far back I cast my mind, combing through ten years’ worth of memories, I can’t find anything to prove otherwise. Isaiah isn't always forthcoming, but his plans do end up working out one way or another. He is rarely surprised or caught off-guard. If he is pushing this hard, it has to be because he believes we could pull it off without a hitch.
But I don’t harbor the same kind of confidence.
“Alright, so think about it this way… Imagine how good it would be to have Governors Coombes on our side. Weren’t you talking about opening up other branches?”
“That’sifwe succeed.”
Cory gave me a long look. “I’ve known you my whole life, man. You and I grew up like brothers, so I know how ambitious you are. You’re always looking for the next big thing, and I don’t believe for a second that dominating the renewable tech energy world in the country is enough for you.”
“Bring me Mitchel Coombes’ cooperation on a silver platter, and you’ll see how far we can go.” Isaiah’s voice rings out, bringing us back to the present with a jolt.
As one, the two of us turn toward him. Cory fixes his gaze on the floor, and I meet Isaiah’s eyes defiantly.
Isaiah doesn’t look surprised when he speaks. “I know how ambitious you are, Shane. Don’t let fear cloud your judgment. Embrace the unknown. Get us a meeting with Mitchel Coombes’ daughter, and I’ll back you up with the board. I know you’ve been campaigning to expand for years. This is your chance.”
