Page 25 of The Boardroom: Jonathan
“Oh,” the man said, as if he was offended that I did not know him as he knew me. “I’m Sam Tiffany. I work for the Wordsworth Company. Been there for years.”
“Oh!” I said, suddenly flustered. “Sam. Of course,” I lied.
The man let out a gasping laugh and patted my arm. “Don’t worry son, I know you’re a busy man.” Sam Tiffany looked as if he was nearing eighty, and had a few wisps of dark gray hair left that were combed neatly around the back of his head. You could tell he used to be tall, probably over six feet, but his back had grown old, leaving him perennially hunched over. He had kind eyes and wore work clothes that looked like he bought them in the eighties, worn down in a comfortable way that on the elderly is even a little bit charming.
“Have you ever had one of these sushi burritos, Johnathan?” Sam said, pointing a shaking finger at the menu. “I mean, I’ve just gotten used to sushi, but now it’s shaped like a burrito? And technically, isn’t that just one very large sushi roll, I mean, when you really think about it?”
I laughed. “You’re a wise man, Mr. Tiffany…and no, I haven’t. I like to keep my sushi and my burritos separate.”
“That’s why you’re the one in charge of the company, young man,” Sam said, stirring the bowl of grits in front of him. “You have good, old-fashioned sense. You’re not like these other businessmen taking crazy risks and betting on impossible ideas. You keep things simple and practical, at least, that’s what I’ve heard from Ms. Doyle.”
I swallowed down a bite of my burger. “Thanks,” I mumbled awkwardly. “How long have you been working at Wordsworth?”
“Since around 1963,” Mr. Tiffany said, “Long before you were born.”
“Wow,” I said, already developing an affection for this strange man I had just met at a restaurant counter. “That’s over fifty years.”
“You bet,” Sam said with a sneaky smile. “I got that job right out of college, and I’ve been there ever since. Wordsworth is a part of me now. They were there for me as I built a career and became a man, they paid me enough money to send both my daughters to good colleges, and Samantha supported me through my wife’s illness a few years back.” He looked directly at me with a serious sort of twinkle in his eye. “They’re as good as you get these days, and I appreciate that you’re helping us out.”
I smiled weakly at him, guilt gnawing at my insides. “Of course,” I said. I picked at the fries on my plate, and I could still feel the kindness of Mr. Tiffany’s gaze burning into the side of my head. Samantha was right. I didn’t have employees like him, men and women who had given their lives to a company, intertwined its growth with their own. To have people join my company who were like Sam Tiffany, who had loyalty and experience and faith in us…that might be worth the extra cost.
“Hey, I’ve got to go,” I told Mr. Tiffany, abandoning half my uneaten burger on my plate. “It was nice to meet you sir, and thanks for everything.” I shook his hand excitedly.
“Thanks for what?” he asked.
“Well,” I said, “I’ve been trying to make a decision for a while, and I think you might have just helped me make up my mind.”
“Really?” he said, adjusting his glasses. “Then, why have you got to run off so fast?”
“There’s someone I’m really excited to tell,” I said, grinning shamelessly as I ran out the door to my car, the sound of the bell on the café door echoing off behind me.
***
Since there wasn’t much work for Samantha to do at the office right now, I figured she would be at home. I called Sabryna and got her address from the company files, and within minutes I was speeding down the highway to her house.
I drummed my fingers impatiently on the steering wheel as I drove along. As much as I hated to admit it, I had been going crazy. I could barely focus in the office — everything in the building had memories of Samantha and I lingering around it. I saw myself kissing her neck when I saw the conference room table, and I saw us slow dancing across the room as I walked to my office. She was everywhere, and I needed her back.
She wouldn’t take me back.
I was no idiot. I had done dozens of business negotiations before, and I knew what it looked like when someone felt you were too complicated to be worth their time. I wasn’t Samantha’s type…she had always thought I was too rich, too spoiled, too arrogant…but I didn’t care. I loved her, and I wanted her. I knew she would never agree to date me seriously, but I wanted her respect and her approval. I finally understood the meaning of what she had been trying to defend to me all this time, and for some reason, I was feeling tough enough to go admit it to her.
Samantha lived in a tiny, yet prim, colonial on the edge of the suburbs, in a well-to-do neighborhood. Her car was parked in the driveway lined with neatly-trimmed hedges, so I assumed she was at home. I took a deep breath and let my head rest on the steering wheel. A strange feeling came over me when I realized I had never done this before.
I had never swallowed my pride and admitted I was wrong. Not until now. And especially after what felt like Samantha’s hint at an eventual rejection.
I walked up to the front steps with my hands in my pockets, imagining what she would think when she saw me standing outside her door. It wasn’t too late. I could get in the car and turn around. I could…
I winced as a pressed the doorbell.
I heard the sound of floorboards creaking and looked up to see Samantha Doyle crack the door a foot, and then open it the rest of the way.
“Johnathan,” she said, looking at me with surprise. She was dressed for a day of working from home, but she was still as cute as ever. She wore gray yoga pants with a sailor striped tank top and had her dark hair up in a loose bun.
“Samantha,” I said, looking up at her cautiously. “I’m not here to ask if you want to be with me again. It’s okay. I get it. But—” I sighed. “I did decide today that I’m not going to lay off your employees, and I know how much it’s been stressing out, and…well, I just thought you should be the first to know.”
Samantha just laughed. “Idowant to be with you, Johnathan.”
“What?” I said confusedly. “Did you even hear what I said about your employees?”
