Maybe it抯 just the familiarity of those things. What should be a happy, carefree scene for anyone normal.
For me, it抯 another reminder. Another swift descent into hell when I remember?
No. Don抰 fucking go there.
Troy clears his throat. I抳e been staring at him like a manikin for too long.
A notebook flicks across the screen as he moves it from his left hand to his right. He leans forward, laser focused and quiet.
揝o, the report…？he starts, flipping a few pages. 揂s I抦 sure you saw, Sumatra Farms has upped production. We抣l hit three hundred thousand pounds this month梐 new record and a damn good one, if I do say so myself梐nd we should only increase from there into peak growing season. I think by next quarter, we抣l be clearing over half a million pounds a month, easy. Do you want us to make a move on the land opportunities I reported last quarter, too? If we get those up and running, we could triple production next year.?
I don抰 know why I抦 frowning. Production has never been a major problem. Neither are our perfectly average beans harvested in bulk from sun-kissed island farms.
I抦 getting antsy about that brew I tasted.
I need it.
I need her.
Technically, Wired Cup needs her, and I抦 hopeful at least one of our bulk beans will fit for her magic.
揅ole? Everything okay??Troy taps on his screen.
揌uh??I blink at him.
揇o we need more acreage to boost production??
揥hatever you think,?I say quickly. 揟hat抯 why I pay you the big bucks, isn抰 it??I force a smile, pretending we抮e still old friends and not two awkward people pulled apart.
揝ure, sure.?His low chuckle is also forced. 揂re you with me today, bossman? You seem distracted.?
Guilty as charged. And even if it抯 been years since I had a real talk with Troy Clement, he still sees right through me.
揟here抯 been a development,?I say slowly. 揑抦 following up on an interesting lead for a new line of drinks to brighten up the brand. If this works, our fall flavors will be quite unlike anything we抳e previously brought to market.?
揑nteresting.?Troy goes quiet for a second, his wide smile fading under the high tropical sun. 揅an I ask why??
揑t抯 a reset,?I tell him. 揂 gamble, if you will, on making our customers fall in love with our coffee again.?
揢h, did something happen with sales I don抰 know about? Are we in trouble? Am I ramping up production too much??He reaches up and pulls down his shades, revealing eyes that gleam like silver mercury.
揘o,?I throw back, my gut churning.
Why does he sound so panicked?
Like this isn抰 the first time he抯 questioning what the hell I抦 doing?
揝orry, Cole, but man, I guess I抦 just not following…？He manages a strained smile. 揑f it抯 not the market forcing our hand, then why change a sure thing? Aren抰 we the best at what we do??
I lean back in my chair, steepling my fingers.
揥hat is it you think we do so well? This isn抰 a trick question.?
Still, he hesitates.
揝erve up reliable cups of joe, of course,?he says finally. 揋ive the people a taste they can always count on.?
揂nd that抯 the problem I抦 addressing. Our drinks are almost too reliable, and it抯 been that way since my father抯 days. We抳e been coasting for more than a decade, always focusing on new ways to sell the same product. We抮e leaving money on the table and the younger demographic behind. We抳e scaled up, certainly, but this company hasn抰 taken a major risk for thirty years.?
He stares through me, clearly questioning my sanity without coming out and saying it.
揟roy, you went to business school. I抦 sure I don抰 have to explain to you that the bigger the risk, the better the reward.?
He nods and opens his mouth sluggishly like he wants to choose his words very carefully.
I抦 realizing I抦 not done, though.
揂s the chief executive officer of this organization, I don抰 expect blind faith. I do, however, need your trust. In time, I抣l elaborate my thoughts for senior leadership,?I say, my eyes searching his over the screen.
He offers up what looks like a genuine smile.
揘ice. You got this, boss. Have I ever doubted you in all the years I抳e been your main man away from the mainland??He grins like I just laughed at his phrasing. I didn抰。 揂nyway, if you抳e got your heart set on this new experiment, I抦 behind it a hundred percent. Change is the only constant, Cole.?
Fuck, I hate hearing that from him, even if he抯 absolutely right and trying to be reassuring.
The statement curdles my stomach.
There抯 no good reason for it to be that way, but dammit, it is.
Apparently, I抣l never be over it in my own head.
No matter how pleasant, how smart, or how reassuring he tries to be, it can抰 change the past.