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“Are you worried about the workload you’ll have to add to your team? We’re going to give you new engineers. You don’t have to worry about that.” I point out the obvious.

He knows perfectly well this kind of job requires double the people we have right now and that I won’t leave him stranded with double the work. I’ve never denied him new people when he needed them.

“Yes, whatever. You’ve already decided,” he mutters under his breath.

Joel looks at me in disbelief. Trish, who stayed out of this part of the discussion, stares at Oliver with a raised judging eyebrow, while Benjamin looks at me with a worried expression.

I shake my head slightly, trying to tell him I will deal with Oliver in private and convince him.

“Let’s take a step back. We’re talking about problems before we’ve actually bought the startup. Can we just figure out now if it’s a good investment first?” I try to bring this meeting back to a more civil tone.

I sigh in relief when Joel starts to ask Oliver some technical questions, and he answers in a civil manner. I glance at Benjamin, who gives me a small, reassuring smile.

This will be a headache for later.

After what seemed like an eternity, we are finally ready to leave this room with a clearer plan as to what our next steps are.

“May I talk to you for a few minutes?” Trish asks me when the others have left the room.

I turn toward her. She is wearing a bright pink shirt that makes her dark skin stand out beautifully.

“Yes, sure. What’s up?” I nod, leaning against the solid wooden table of the conference room.

“What’s going on with Oliver?” she asks, curious.

I sigh. “I don’t know, but I mean to find out. He was a pain in the ass this morning,” I admit.

She chuckles. “You better do it fast because we’re going ahead with this acquisition, and he needs to be on board.”

I rub a hand over my face and sigh. “I know. Just another headache I need to deal with. What do you want to talk to me about?”

“I was going ahead with work for this acquisition, and looking deep into our finances,” she starts to explain.

I smile. This is why I chose her. She is always a step ahead of everyone. She actually solves my problems before they reach me, and she comes to my office only when she has a solution, or she needs my help with a clear plan she has in mind.

“I can’t find where fourteen hundred seventy-six dollars went.

I swear I looked into it and tried to figure out why it’s missing from the bank account and where it went, but I can’t give you answers.

Not with my technical skills. I need one of your tech guys to help me out with this,” she admits and I know it cost her a lot.

She is not a person used to failing at whatever task she has on her hands.

“It’s a peculiar amount. Did you find the money missing? When did it happen?” I ask, more curious than worried about the ridiculous sum.

She shakes her head. “This is where it becomes funny. It’s not just the entire sum.

It’s small amounts, never the same, during the span of a year.

It’s why we haven’t noticed it before. If more than one thousand dollars goes out, we would notice.

Fifty-six dollars in a month? That can be overlooked. ”

This is more worrisome. A chunk of money “lost” somewhere can be a bank error. It’s rare, but it can happen, and it can be easily rectified. Many small amounts? It’s probably someone taking advantage of Walton Tech.

“Do you suspect someone is stealing from the company?” I frown.

She shakes her head. “I’m not sure yet. That’s why I need your guy. I want to check if there is something I’m missing.” She smiles, reassuring me.

“If you want, I can take a look while we’re here,” I suggest, grabbing my computer, but I stop when she laughs.

“No, Leonard. Because of this meeting, I already stole Sunday morning time from my family. I’m not giving you my afternoon, too, “ she points out.

I feel guilty. I never consider that they have families to return to, while I have no one waiting for me at home.

They always say yes to my requests because they know I’m busy, but sometimes I would like them to tell me no, instead of agreeing to everything I suggest. I’m not doing it on purpose, I just forget.

“This is why I don’t have a family. They require too much of my time,” I half-joke. With my life, finding someone willing to spend long hours at home waiting for me is impossible.

She chuckles. “God, did she cheat on you with the pool guy to make you so cynical?” She’s joking, not knowing how close that hits to home.

“My driver.” I smile back, and her jaw drops.

“Are you kidding? I was joking!” She seems embarrassed by her lack of tact, but it’s not her fault.

“They’re now happily married with five kids. I’m not angry with them. But it opened my eyes to the reality of my life. If your significant other doesn’t demand quality time with you, it probably means they’re getting it from someone else,” I explain.

She frowns. “This makes sense, and at the same time, it’s the most depressing thing that could happen to a person.”

“It’s not sad. I’m perfectly fine with what I have.”

“What? Your companies and more money than you could spend in a lifetime? That’s not a life, Leonard. It’s surviving.” She smiles, but she seems sad.

“Go home to your family.” I push her out of the conference room before this conversation becomes uncomfortable.

“Go home, Leonard. Go out with your friends, watch TV, do something. Don’t focus on those numbers. They were missing twelve months ago; they can wait another day,” she pleads.

I nod and smile to reassure her.

The truth is, without those numbers, I don’t know what else I would do with my life.