Page 221 of Theirs to Desire (Club M: Boxed Set)

DAMIEN

M y strategy team comes back with their recommendations.

First thing Thursday morning, I meet with Melanie and Colin so they can outline their findings.

“We’ve divided up the work into three categories,” Melanie says.

She clicks a button to load up her presentation.

“There are the changes that can be made immediately, changes that are possible in the next six months, and finally, recommendations that will take longer to implement.”

She moves on to the next slide and highlights changes I can make immediately. Colin jumps in with the long-term stuff. I ask questions, and both Mel and Colin answer them. Clearly, they’ve done their homework.

“This is great stuff, you two,” I tell them when they’re done. “Seriously impressive. You’ve done an amazing amount in an extremely short period. Did you get any pushback?”

“Nothing we couldn’t handle,” Melanie says diplomatically.

“Who wasn’t cooperative?” I ask bluntly. I told everyone on the leadership team to help them out, but there are some old-timers at the Cardenas Group that get very territorial about their fiefdoms.

“Ted Boric at M&A,” Colin says. “Arthur Scott.” Melanie looks at him, and he says, “What? It’s true.”

“It was nothing I couldn’t handle,” Melanie says to me. “Damien, you don’t have to ride to my rescue.”

“I wasn’t planning on it,” I tell her dryly. “Not unless you ask for help. I asked because I want to know who’s going to cause problems when I set these changes into motion.”

After that meeting, I pour myself a glass of water and think through my next steps. My mother will not be happy with the changes I’m planning. There will be tears. Emotional blackmail. She’ll tell me I’m wrecking the company that my father built.

I rub my chest. I’m not looking forward to that confrontation.

Of course, my mother is officially retired. Technically, Tomas is the CEO, and he’s the only person I need to clear this with.

I call him. He listens to my spiel in silence and then says, “Let’s do it.”

I blink. Tomas doesn’t usually second-guess my decisions, but I didn’t expect it to be this easy.

“My mother isn't going to like it,” I warn him. “I should probably talk to her about it.”

“Let me,” he replies.

It’s a tempting offer. “Tomas, I don’t want her to feel like I’m dismissing her opinions. But the way my parents did things—it’s just not sustainable.”

“I know that,” he replies calmly. “And believe me, so does Maria. She really wants to let go, Damien, I promise you. She just doesn’t know how to do it.”

“She certainly doesn’t act like she wants to let go.”

“She does. Last weekend, we went to a yoga retreat in the mountains. There was no technology allowed at the site. No Internet, no cell phones. There was a landline in the main building for emergencies, and that was it.”

“And my mom survived?”

He chuckles. “More than that, she thrived. Maria was happy. She was relaxed. Trust me on this, Damien. She knows she should let go of the Cardenas Group.”

I wish I had Tomas’ faith.

“This needs to be done, Damien. You’ve held off from making changes for three years. Cristiano has already pulled back from the company’s demands. Victoria is struggling. How much longer can you all go on like this? Three years? Five? Then what?”

My parents loved us, I know that. But I can count on one hand the number of times we all sat down for dinner. It just didn’t happen. Victoria, Cristiano, and I grew up eating with the maids while my parents went off to various business dinners.

Vicky’s being forced to make some hard choices between work and family. Choices that are straining her marriage and her relationship with her children. It's fixable now, but if she waits for five years, her kids will be older, and their mother will be a stranger.

I consider the prospect of living this way for the next five years. Letting everything come second to work. Attending meetings at all hours of the day. Being tethered to a phone that never stops ringing.

I hate admitting failure, but Tomas is right. I can’t take much more of this.

“Maria will see that it’s necessary,” he says. “Trust me. I’ll talk to her. Have Luis draft up a memo, and I'll sign it. You’ll want the department heads in on this, yes? When?”

I feel a rush of affection for the other man.

Tomas has worked for the company all his life.

He's not brilliant, not a risk-taker, and he has a tendency to get overwhelmed when he has to juggle between tasks.

But Tomas makes up for all that with rock-solid integrity and a genuine sense of right and wrong. His heart is always in the right place.

“I want to move quickly,” I tell him. “But people won’t like it.”

“So what? Since when did you let that bother you? Damien, you are the Chief Operating Officer of the Cardenas Group. This is your job. These men and women are your direct reports. If they don’t like the changes you want to make, they are welcome to leave.”

That’s uncharacteristically harsh. Tomas usually only cares about one thing, and that’s keeping my mother happy. Maybe he’s right. Maybe this won’t blow up in my face.

“How about this afternoon?”

We gather the leadership team together, and I present my plans to shake things up. “Some of these are in effect immediately,” I say. “Some others will take a few weeks to implement. My strategy consultants will reach out to each department to ensure the process goes smoothly. Any questions?”

Ted Boric raises his chin in the air. “This is not how we do things here,” he says to Tomas, his voice belligerent.

“Don’t tell me you support this insanity.

The Cardenas Group has grown and thrived for forty years because of our policies.

Now you’re letting Damien throw them all out of the window? ”

Tomas gives Ted a long look. “I have full confidence in Damien,” he says mildly. “If the Cardenas Group is to survive the next forty years, the changes he’s making are absolutely necessary.”

Boric’s face flushes red. “Does Maria know?” he demands. “Does she approve? I can’t see her going along with this, not in a million years.”

I count to ten in my head. When I speak, my voice comes out cold as steel. “This isn’t optional. If you find yourself unwilling to cooperate with my team, please schedule some time on my calendar to discuss your future with the firm. Have a good evening, everyone.”

I’m absolutely drained by the time the meeting is done. On autopilot, I check my phone. There’s a text from Julian, sent earlier this afternoon.

Sophia is coming over for dinner tonight. Join us.

My stress melts away, leaving only pure anticipation. This is it. This is the reward. This is what I’m doing it for. This is what makes it all worthwhile.

I'll be there.