This is the final chapter in the tale of Amanda and Josh, the star-crossed colleagues who discover an affinity and affection during a five-day business trip to Zürich. If you haven't read Chapters 1, 2, and 3, you really must -- this chapter won't make sense to you otherwise. Also, if you're looking for wall-to-wall sex, this isn't the chapter for you. But if you're looking for entertainment, and even a little poignancy, I hope you'll find them in the words that follow. Thanks to Lit author Lil_Kitty for her ongoing support. --Petitmort
The electronic lock opened with a sharp "thwack" as Josh badged his way into the front door of the high-tech office building in San Francisco's bustling South of Market district.
"Good morning, Josh," the receptionist said with a smile.
Josh Hamilton, Vice President of Product at ReSale.com, an up-and-coming e-commerce startup, looked in every respect like a conquering hero returning victorious from battle.
"Hi Shannon," he answered, flashing a movie star smile.
Josh had every reason to feel on top of the world. He was just back from leading a launch planning event in Zürich -- and it had been a big success. A home run, in fact.
He and Amanda Butterfield, the newly hired PM who accompanied him on the trip, had pulled off a major coup.
First, the two-day launch event went off without a hitch. The Europe team was ready and raring to go.
Second, and most importantly, they closed a tentative deal with Armani to provide product for ReSale to market on their site.
It was a
huge
win that could turn a good year into a phenomenal one.
Josh was second in command at ReSale and next in line for CEO. And though it wasn't common knowledge yet, the CEO position was going to be opening up very soon.
Frank Stafford, the current CEO and founder of the company, was planning to step down because of a heart condition.
Josh was the front-runner to be the new CEO. He was up against one other candidate -- he didn't know who it was -- and the Armani deal was just what he needed to cinch it.
And it couldn't have come at a better time. The board was making their decision on the new CEO early next week.
Josh had received a text from Frank the night before telling him to be in his office at 9am sharp. In his mid-50s, Frank was old school. He said things like "9am sharp."
Josh typically wouldn't come into work on a Friday after flying back from Europe the night before. He figured Frank wanted to give him an atta boy for the Armani "get" and maybe make plans for an All Hands meeting to announce it.
As he strode through the office, a broad smile on his face, he thought about what he'd tell Frank.
He'd start off by giving him a blow-by-blow of how the deal went down. Frank loved that sort of thing.
He'd give ample credit to Amanda, of course. It was Amanda who closed the deal by making a compelling personal appeal to the Armani exec
in Italian
.
He found Frank in his office, sitting behind his desk.
"Hey Frank," Josh said, with a smile.
"Come in, Josh," he said. "Close the door."
Close the door? That seemed a bit odd. Maybe Frank wanted to keep news of the Armani deal on the down low.
Josh sat in a chair facing the desk.
"So, you heard about Armani?" Josh said, smiling.
"This isn't about Armani, Josh."
Josh was slightly taken aback.
"OK," he said. "What's up?"
Frank leaned forward, his brow furrowed.
"There's an issue I need to discuss with you," Frank said. "It's serious."
Josh looked concerned.
"God, it's not your health, is it?"
Frank frowned and fiddled with his pen.
"No, this isn't about
me
, Josh. It's about
you
."
"About
me
?" Josh asked, surprised. "What is it?"
Frank stood up and started to pace.
"It's an HR issue, Josh. I need to tell you..."
He rubbed his chin, unsure how to continue.
"Frank, what's going on?"
"I need to tell you," he stammered, "there's an investigation...you're being investigated for violating the company Code of Conduct."
"The Code of Conduct?" Josh asked, confused.
"That's right," he said, looking at the floor. "I...I wanted to be the one to tell you."
"What the...what's this all about?"
"We've brought in a law firm that'll be conducting the investigation," Frank explained. "Actually, the
board
brought them in."
"The
board?
... Frank, what the hell's going on?" Josh said, raising his voice.
"Now Josh, just stay calm," the CEO said. "There's a
process
I have to follow here."
"But this doesn't make any sense, Frank," Josh said. "I mean...what am I being
accused
of?"
"I'm not supposed to say anything," he muttered. "You're scheduled to be interviewed by the lawyers, like, right
now
. So ... it'll all be clear to you then."
He was having trouble looking Josh in the face.
"I just wanted you to hear it directly from me," Frank said, finally looking at him. "But I have to tell you ... this isn't good, Josh."
Josh looked at him, trying to process this information. He looked shaken.
"Where are the lawyers?" Josh asked, quietly.
"They're set up in the big conference room," Frank muttered.
Josh nodded.
"OK," he said, softly. "Thanks Frank."
Josh stood and put his hand on Frank's shoulder.
Then, he turned and walked out.
The big conference room had a long rectangular table and was encased by glass walls. Josh could see a man and a woman waiting inside. The woman was seated while the man was adjusting a video camera on a tripod.
Josh opened the door to the conference room and entered.
"Good morning," he said stiffly, "I'm Josh Hamilton and I'm scheduled to be interviewed."
The two lawyers looked at Josh appraisingly.
They introduced themselves and shook hands.
"I'm Martha Longley," the woman said, "and this is my associate, Lance Jeffries."
They said they were attorneys at Addison Cromwell. Josh remembered one of the board members was a partner there.
"Have a seat, Josh," the woman said.
Josh sat in one of the chairs, facing them. Through the glass walls, he could see employees straggling in to start their workday.
"Can you tell me what this is all about?" Josh asked, getting to the point.
The woman sat opposite him while the man stood behind the camera.
"There have been credible accusations of improper behavior made against you by employees in this company," she began. "We've been retained to conduct an impartial investigation of those allegations and report back to the board of directors."
The man spoke next.
"We'll collect statements from all parties, examine the physical evidence, and document our findings in a written report. We want to stress that this is not a legal proceeding. However, if we uncover misconduct that rises to the level of illegality, we will retain the right to refer it to the proper authorities."
"Even though you are not under oath," said the woman, "any statement you make which is found to be knowingly false, or made with an intention to mislead or evade the truth, could be cause in and of itself for termination under the Code of Conduct."
"What is it I'm accused of doing?" Josh asked.
