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Another long ride on the New York subway beckoned. This time he might endeavor to see just how long it took to get all the way out to Coney Island.
Bryce rose from the table and made his way round to where Jordan stood. He glanced back at their father. “I’m going to go get a coffee and leave the two of you to talk.” He patted Jordan on the shoulder, then added a reassuring squeeze. “Good luck, I hope you find your feet in your future career.” Bryce then left the room.
Oh fuck. I am getting fired. Bryce doesn’t want to be here when the sword falls.
With his brother having only recently been appointed as CEO, it was clear that their father was going to take responsibility for what had happened in California. The disaster had happened on his watch, so it made sense that Edward be the one to deal with the problem of Jordan.
The problem of Jordan.How many times had he heard those words in his younger, wilder days?
Edward rose from his chair, and as he came to Jordan’s side, motioned for his middle son to take a seat on the long brown sofa which sat under the window. “Let’s talk.”
Jordan’s gaze flittered to the expansive view of New York city which the floor to ceiling glass afforded. The view from the Eighty Fifth floor took in much of the city and parts of the Hudson River. No matter how many times he had taken in the sight, it was still breathtaking. He lowered himself onto the soft leather couch. If the ax was about to fall on his Royal Resorts career, he couldn’t think of a better or more private place for it to happen.
Edward sat next to him, his hands gently clasped together. “Firstly I want to say how pleased the board and I have been with the uplift in the Laguna Beach resort ratings. I haven’t seen anything less than a four in the past month. Our average rating on most travel sites is heading toward that number. I feel quietly confident that we are over the worst of things.”
It would take time to undo the initial damage that Jordan’s poor management had inflicted. The resort was still a long way from nearing the magical five that Edward was aiming for, but hopefully in time the more recent excellent reviews would dull the bad ones.
“That’s encouraging news, Dad.” Jordan had made it his mission to check all the review sites every morning since he had been sent out to fix the California resort. Every review was read, analyzed, and then acted upon. Truth was sorted from fiction. Staff retrained. New staff hired. His assistant manager Austin Brown had turned out to be a solid hire, eager to learn. Just as importantly, he was willing to admit and deal with his mistakes.
It had taken two and a half months of solid grind, but by the time he had officially returned to NYC just after New Year’s, Jordan was confident he had handed the new resort manager a six star luxury resort.
“Yes, I am pleased that you have turned things around, son. Bryce said he wants you to know he appreciates your efforts.”
Edward paused and Jordan’s heart sank. This conversation sounded very much like a shit sandwich. His father had started off with the nice bit, but from the expression on his face, he was now handing Jordan the rest.
“I will resign if that makes things easier for you and Bryce.”
New York business whispers would soon have it that the middle Royal son had been fired from the company. He had done enough damage, so falling on his sword would be the right thing to do. The honorable way out for everyone.
“That won’t be necessary. Admirable, but not required.”
Edward Royal had spent the better part of thirty six years in the States, but he still spoke the King’s English in his private school clipped accent. Jordan found it oddly soothing. Those carefully crafted words held less fire than if they had come from Bryce. They were still powerful. The sense of fatherly disappointment in them burned deep into his soul.
His father and brother had gone into bat for him with the US board. Put their reputations on the line. They had convinced the other executives that he was up to the task of launching Laguna Beach. Of handling a billion dollar resort.
And I failed.
“We discussed your next career move at the monthly board meeting the week before Christmas. The majority of the board wanted to move you to another resort, a well-run one where you could learn under a solid manager. I fought against that, as did Bryce. Aside from the fact that it would be humiliating for you, I don’t think you could actually learn much from someone else.”
Thank god the board hadn’t gone ahead with that idea. His fragile ego couldn’t ever allow him to agree to that sort of shameful demotion. Bryce and Edward would know he’d refuse.
“So what is to be my fate, an overseas posting?”
Out of sight out of mind. Then eventually come home when everyone has forgotten about my billion dollar fuck up. Not that they ever will.
Edward gave a fatherly pat on Jordan’s knee. “Cheer up, old chap. It’s not all bad. Bryce and I have come up with a role that we think will suit. Everyone deserves a second chance, and while you may have had more than a couple of second chances in your time, we still want you to succeed.”
I will never outlive my past. Never truly fit in.
In his younger years he had been Wild Boy Jordan Royal. That’s what the party scene and gossip columns of Manhattan’s elite had dubbed him. He had lived hard and fast on a steady diet of parties, cocaine, and gorgeous trust fund debutantes. He’d gained a well-deserved reputation as an uber rich bad boy. Written off a couple of expensive cars. Destroyed the side of a barn while driving a stolen tractor. Got arrested. And worst of all, reduced his mother to tears.
The night his mom had flown all the way to Iowa just to bail him out of a jail cell had been his lowest point. To this very day, Jordan still didn’t know for certain if she had told Edward about that night. If she had, his father had never mentioned it to him.
The House of Royal might have its fair share of misfits and fuckups, but they were loyal.
There were moments, fortunately brief, when he resented Bryce for never having put a foot wrong, but Jordan respected him and the sacrifices his brother had made to ensure that the European and UK operations were on solid ground. And now he was back here in New York, as the recently anointed CEO for the US.
While I am a disappointment.
