Page 40 of Savage Suit

-An Incredibly Concerned Sister

You’ve sworn to a lie after she asked you a direct question, so you have every reason to beincredibly concerned. Frankly, if you were my sister, I’d beat your ass for hiding something so monumental. She has a right to know. Forget womaning up. Be a decent human and a good sister and confess, damn it! Confess. Do you hear me?

Con. Fess.

ReadingAsk Idahad become a guilty pleasure. One, Soraya’s answers amused the fuck out of me, but also, I longed for another letter from the concerned sister. Today, my wish was granted and yet, it left me as clueless as the first one. I’d shoved the first one in a desk drawer in my library. This one, and all others, if there were anymore, would meet the same fate. If I called Soraya and explained the situation, would she help me? Of course, there were ethics and privacy laws and all types of bullshit. And, maybe, I was better off not knowing the identity of the woman in blue. As a memory, she could be whoever I wanted her to be. But with a name, fuck, aface, reality would interfere, and I’d never recapture the sweetness of my fantasy.

My waitress walked toward me with my food, so I folded the newspaper and set it on the empty chair next to me.

“Here you are, Mr. Keegan.”

I nodded and glanced at her name tag as she set my lobster roll and Dr. Pepper in front of me. “Thanks, Alice.”

“Do you need anything else, sir?”

“No. Thank you,” I responded and picked up my sandwich as she walked away.

The afternoon was cool and sunny. Fall was only days away. Before mild temperatures disappeared, I enjoyed outdoors. Besides, it was Friday, and I’d cleared my schedule for a weekend dive trip to St. Thomas after ensuring Nicholas wasn’t using the Keegan boat. Lemon made a good dive partner and would accompany me.

Chewing thoughtfully, I wondered if Ryan would enjoy diving. Setting my half-eaten lobster roll aside, I scowled. Why the fuck did it matter? I’d never invite her on such an adventure.

Yet,shewas the reason for this spur-of-the-moment excursion. Tuesday seemed days away. Well, it was since this was Friday, but the hours crawled by. I’d been restless since I’d left her in that bar. I’d returned to Nathaniel and told him we were leaving, not caring whether he’d finished his beer or not.

If I’d stayed, I wouldn’t have allowed that bartender to interfere with my time with her. The incongruity of my insta-attraction to her had me agitated and questioning my sanity.

Fuck, I could argue that sparks during first meetings led to lasting affairs. My two long-term relationships grew because of mutual interests.

But—

An alert for an incoming text message interrupted my thoughts, and I picked up my phone, seeing my brother’s name. Knowing he wouldn’t contact me unless it was urgent, I quickly read.

Nicholas:Google your name and check the news tab.

Noah:Why?

Nicholas:Just do it.

Following Nicholas’s request, I Googled myself and went to the news tab, narrowing my eyes as I read over the trending headline surrounding my name.

The CEO of Keegan Enterprises is a Raging Misogynist: A Brief History of the Company’s Sexual Discrimination.

What the hell?

My heart dropped as I looked over the headline again, a pit forming in my gut. While the headline was easy to ignore, I couldn’t overlook its top search result.

I opened the article, curious to see why the author, one Ingrid Warrington, tarnished my name. I’d never met the woman, so revenge wasn’t the motive behind the putrid exposé.

Initially, the article summarized the history of my company and our achievements. But praising Keegan Enterprises quickly turned into criticism. By the third paragraph, I had a sole thought: This was fucking bullshit.

Keegan Enterprises is a multinational conglomerate based in New York City. The corporation went from a small family-owned manufacturer of electrical components to an international juggernaut under the guidance of three men. The firm, established in 1958 by Archie Keegan, enjoyed a linear trajectory for a decade and a half. In the early 70s, Mr. Keegan diversified his holdings, acquired smaller companies, and doubled his personal wealth. Upon Archie’s death in 1991, his younger son, Shawn, took over. His conservative approach to his father’s business model cost the company millions. His legacy is Keegan Media Group, counted among the top advertising agencies in the world. Shawn handled Keegan Enterprise’s IPO to raise capital, strengthen credibility, and foster growth. Five years later, the company went private for one reason—control. Today, it is again publicly traded as a controlled company, a move with significant ramifications upon Shawn Keegan’s death after a massive heart attack.

When Archie’s grandson, Noah, inherited, he was already a company executive and a board member. If Archie laid the foundation that nearly crumbled under Shawn’s hesitancy and lackluster leadership, Noah’s shrewdness quadrupled his personal net worth and the conglomerate’s assets. Last year alone, Keegan Enterprises saw a 30 percent growth. He was weened on financial statements, closing deals and bottom lines. Noah Keegan’s name is synonymous with the ‘B’ word bandied about on many top CEOs. Brilliance.

Few know the real Noah Keegan. Those on the inside say he hides behind exclusivity, arrogance, and the knowledge he was the golden child. He holds his brothers and sisters at arm’s length. Sources reveal his many rebuffs at his siblings’ olive branch.

Given the cruel treatment of his family, it isn’t surprising he propagates a practice his grandfather began.

Keegan Enterprises’ long-running success and the historic transformations hide an ugly legacy. Each CEO clung to sexist, patriarchal thinking. This rings especially true for the newest CEO. Despite the substantial expansion under Noah, his opinions on working women are stuck in the 1960s. If your career aspirations go beyond receptionist, mailroom clerk, janitor, or kitchen staff, you need not apply. Keegan Enterprises doesn’t want you. Outside of secretaries and other low-level positions, women account for less than 10% of the company’s personnel. 7.9%, to be exact. Under Shawn’s stint, the dismal numbers were more than double. 16.1% of the company’s hires were women nine years ago. It was still depressingly low, but once Noah was named CEO, women in upper management shrank with the same speed his wealth grew.