I’m supposed to be off work by five on Saturday, but probably won’t get out of here until six. Come over after seven. Followed by her address and a brief set of directions.
Zac pressed one letter, K, but before he could hit send, Macie sent another.
I know the idea of talking to me disgusts you, but I’d also like to discuss investing. Maybe you can point me to someone who wouldn’t mind working with me.
He stared at the screen. That didn’t compute. He’d tried to have civil conversations with Macie about investing after college, but she was adamant her loans would make that impossible. It didn’t make any sense. And did she really think he’d trust someone else with her money? Sparks Investments was about the personal, not the bottom line. His father had taught him that long ago. He’d trust his dad to do right by Macie, but not many others. Despite years of antagonism, he knew she wouldn’t invest in anything that went against her morals. He knew how she’d want to invest and what stocks she’d be most interested in. Anybody else would have to learn the quirks of Macie, of which there were many.
He hit send, still using the one letter response. His eye darted to the Blind Friends app. He hadn’t checked it. The minute he got home the night before, he’d put his phone in the kitchen as far away from him as he could. He spent the rest of his night catching up on movies he’d queued on Netflix before falling asleep on the couch. It wasn’t ideal, but it worked in the avoidance column. Thankfully, his stepmother had a flare for decorating and had picked out a nice couch for his apartment.
The app stared back at him. He shook his head and put his phone back onto his desk. It would have to wait until he was at home with a stiff drink. Disappointment was best accompanied by whiskey, straight.
“Mr. Sparks?” a voice called from the door to his small office. Zac glanced up from his computer to see his father’s secretary. “Mr. Sparks would like to see you before you leave.”
“Maureen, you’ve known me most of my life.” Zac logged off his computer and stood. “It’s Zac. Mr. Sparks is my father.”
“You can be Zac when you’re not here.” Maureen smiled. Her warm eyes reminded him of his mother. She was old enough to be his grandmother. Maureen had started working for his father when Sparks Investments opened. She was already in her mid-forties then. “When you’re here, you’ll be Mr. Sparks and you will like it.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Zac knew better than to argue with her. He’d made that mistake before and wasn’t about to do so again. “Do you know what the elder Mr. Sparks wants?” She raised her eyebrows. “Just so I’m prepared.”
“I believe he’s meeting with several new staff members.” Maureen didn’t meet Zac’s gaze as she led him down the hall. “Just a quick check in to see how it’s going for everyone.”
“Maureen,” Zac said, drawing out her name. He leaned on her desk. “You hear everything around here. Is there something I should know?”
She smirked and continued typing. “I can assure you that if I heard anything, your father would know.”
Zac nodded and straightened up. He slapped Maureen’s desk a couple of times before turning toward the elevators.
His father’s space was decked out in dark wood with a maroon couch that looked out the floor to ceiling windows of the corner office. It wasn’t exactly his dad’s style, but he’d let Amanda decorate the office. It was a contrast of light and dark, like the world of finance according to Amanda. The only thing his father refused to part with was the desk. Zac’s mother had bought the antique as a present when he opened Sparks Investments. Amanda had it refinished, but she never asked him to replace it. Zac admired his stepmother for that.
Three of the new hires stood in front of the desk as Zac stepped into the office. His father leaned around the group and waved Zac forward. Zac wasn’t comfortable discussing business in front of the newbies. He glanced at his competition. They weren’t technically competition, but Zac thought of them that way. If they brought in more clients, and by default more money, then he looked bad. In fact, he looked like a man riding his father’s coattails. That was the last thing he wanted. Once that stigma set in, it never went away. Tyler was smart, but he had a one track mind. Zac didn’t know Michael. Unlike Zac and Tyler, Michael didn’t go to Lafayette.
“Glad you could join us, Zac,” his father began from his throne behind the desk. “While it’s only been a few weeks, I wanted to compliment you all on a job well done. You’ve started off well, but there’s always room for improvement. Michael, you’ve too few investors. Work on that, please. Tyler, you’ve done well, but you should diversify more. It’s all about balance. And Zac, you’ve brought in quite a few new clients, but nobody with any substantial funds. Go for some bigger fish. Now, I’m quite happy with your work and we’ll meet again next month to see where you stand. Good evening, gentlemen.”
The other two men shuffled out of the room, but Zac stayed behind. He waited for the door to click shut behind him.
“Bigger fish? My father always taught me that to build clientele meant to build from the ground up.” Zac grinned, but he remained standing.
“Yeah, well, your father’s a wise man.” He motioned Zac into an empty chair. “But you do need to do more networking outside of the university and bring in more money.
