“You’re asking me to hear complaints from the staff?”
Bennett grinned. “You think Tesano doesn’t have those either?”
“We may do a better job holding onto our employees than most,” Wentz chimed in, “but that doesn’t mean it’s all peace and love around here. We hear employee grievances on everything from staff discipline on the product floor to demands for unlimited coffee breaks and that’s just from the factory employees.”
“Are the grievances handled?” Aaron asked.
“If you mean fixed-no,” Wentz said. “Not always. Not even usually given their nature.”
“Nature?” Aaron probed.
“Many of these so-called grievances are whims, wishes you could say. Comfy sofas in the breakroom and shit.” Bennett massaged his nape and smirked. “Somebody even asked for the company to spring for transit costs so employees could get to work on the company’s dime.”
“Hmph...somebody is right,” Wentz grinned.
Aaron frowned. “Am I missing something?”
“Only this, if you want in,” Wentz reached for something on the desk and handed Aaron a fat folder bound by a thick rubber band.
UNRESOLVED GRIEVANCES was written in jarring script across the front of the gray cover.
Aaron’s frown sharpened as he hefted the weighty folder. “Looks like we’ve got a lot of angry staff.”
Wentz pointed to the file. “Actually those are only from about ten different people.”
“Ten?” Aaron’s soulful eyes reflected disbelief once more. Again, he surveyed the weighty file.
Bennett squeezed Aaron’s shoulder. “Look it through before deciding if this is where you want to start your personnel career and then we’ll talk alright?”
“I don’t need time to think on it. I’ll do it.”
The personnel VPs traded looks.
“Well you should know-”
“If it’s all the same,” Aaron interrupted Wentz. “I’ll let the file do the talking-come see you guys later?”
“Guess that’s a no to the outrageous lunch we’d planned to charge to our expense accounts, huh?” Bennett mused.
Quiet male laughter circled the room. Bennett and Wentz moved in to shake hands with the brothers. When the VPs were gone, Aaron took the big folder to the long rectangular conference table at the far end of the room.
“Don’t worry, Grek. I won’t take long. We’ll grab lunch soon-my treat,” Aaron favored his kid brother with a wink.
“It’s no big deal, Ari,” Gabriel looked to the massive folder with interest. “Are you really serious about taking on this grievance thing? Sounds like a big pile of shit to me.”
“Me too,” Aaron quietly agreed while browsing through the file. He’d already seen the same name appear on five different slips- Rena Abreu.
“Are you thinking about taking your proposal from this?” Gabriel asked.
Aaron gave his brother a look. “What? You don’t think it could fly?”
Gabriel shrugged. “It’s not where the power is, though.”
Aaron smiled. “Who do you think helps Tesano make all its money?”
“Hump says its growth,” Gabriel looked dismissively at the file then. “He says making Tesano grow and be a force in the world will make it the most powerful.”
“Growth takes money, Grek.” Aaron pushed aside the file to rest his hip on the corner of the table. “Money comes from production,” he continued. “Production that makes the kind of money needed for the growth Hump’s talking about, takes people-lots of people. If the people have concerns and feel no one cares... the people might go away.”
Gabriel began to nod, appearing as though he were processing unexpected information. “Hump doesn’t talk much about the people,” he said.
Aaron grinned. “No, I don’t guess he does.” He went back to reviewing the file and located another seven grievances attributed to Rena Abreu. “Be your own man, Gabe.” He fixed Gabriel with a stony look. “Pop’s giving you, Ro and Vay a chance to float, to learn it all with no pressure. Use it. Don’t let anyone, especially Hump, tell you what you should be. Promise me that, will you?”
Gabriel nodded slowly at first and then with more rigor. “I promise, Ari.”
~7~
Roman studied his reflection in the mirror above the row of sinks in the men’s washroom. Satisfied he’d done a passable job with shaving that morning, he stepped back to wash his hands.
His dad had called home from the office and asked him and Vale to meet him for lunch in the city. Roman didn’t especially like the city unless he was hanging out with his school friends or Pitch. A visit with his parents usually meant the theater or some other high society bullshit. No thank you very much.
He was only meeting his dad that day, so there was a chance he wouldn’t be pissed to the point of clawing his skin off in the span of two minutes. He believed that even when Liam said he was taking them to lunch at a museum. Roman thought maybe he’d have time to grab a hoagie from a nearby deli before he and Vay took the train home.
Roman dried his hands at the sink and thought of his little brother. Vale would probably enjoy the fancy pants meal they were in for. Again, Roman reminded himself that his dad had extended the invite. He could tolerate it all for Liam’s sake. Besides, he supposed the museum couldn’t be all that bad. He’d had time to look around a while longer when Liam was called away to speak with an acquaintance not long after they’d arrived. There were more than a few paintings that hadn’t struck him as a complete waste of time. Besides, there was the added bonus of eating in a museum-something he’d never done. It struck him as some pretty cool James Bond type shit. Maybe the food wouldn’t be as hoity toity as he feared.
A waiter had shown him and Vale to their table inside The Fitzhughe Museum, while Liam chatted across the room. Vale took care of all the pleasantries-thanking the waiter and making all kinds of small talk. Kiss ass, Roman had sneered the insult inside his head. He’d decided to hit the john while Vale tried to impress the waiter. It didn’t look as if they’d be ordering anytime soon, but Roman put in for the ribeye and baked potato he was thrilled to find on the menu.
He’d left the dining room smiling at the sound of his father’s laughter. Liam Tesano’s laughter said a lot about him-more than he probably realized. For one thing, Roman noticed that his father only laughed that way when his mother was nowhere around.
