Chapter 5: Trouble at Work?

If Early had been in a bad mood before, now it was positively putrid. He wasn't aware that his staff was approaching him with trepidation, while treating him as if he were made of the most fragile crystal. It was only when the CEO called him in to his office Friday afternoon and asked what was wrong that Early realized just how big a prick he'd been.

They talked and Early explained about his meeting with Susan. "Early, when did you last take a vacation?"

Early blinked, he couldn't remember, "I'm not sure..."

"You're on vacation now." He picked up his phone and dialed a number. "Lynn, did you get that cruise ticket? Any luck on a different suite? No, I said I wanted something special. What's it going to set us back? Ouch, I didn't give you a budget, but ouch! No, get the confirmation. Good job!" Early, I'm sending you on a cruise before your whole staff stages a walkout. Your flight leaves tomorrow afternoon and the ship leaves the day after. We're paying for the Master's Suite on Radisson's Seven Seas Mariner from LA to San Francisco to Bora Bora, Tahiti and back to LA. That's 27 nights and it's worth every cent of the 60K plus it's costing, so enjoy."

Early felt his temper build, "I don't need a cruise..."

"Early, four of your staff have either come to see me or sent emails. No, they weren't complaining, they're worried about you. I checked before you came up, you haven't had a vacation since before your divorce. You know it's our policy that vacations are mandatory. I'm not sure how you got around it, but you can either take this cruise or you can begin cleaning out your desk."

Early looked at the man who made million dollar deals every week and he couldn't read him. "Remind me not to play poker with you..."

The CEO laughed, "I'm a terrible poker player, I can't bluff, but that gives me a real advantage in business. I shoot straight and I will walk away if the deal isn't there. I don't want to fire you Early, but if you don't go I will. By the way, that's a 2000 square foot two bedroom suite and it won't cost us a dime more if you take a friend. Now get out and don't let me see you until after that ship docks."

Early started to protest that he had several irons in the fire, but seeing the expression he said, "I'll take my laptop so if you need me..."

When Early got to his condo he checked out what to expect on the ship. He saw the dress would range from country club casual to formal. Early had a couple of tuxedoes he could take but he would run out of casual clothes long before the cruise was over. He saw the floor plan for his suite. It had two private dining rooms, one indoors and one on his own private balcony. This was a dream vacation, one of those once in a lifetime experiences. The finest cabin on the highest-rated cruise ship on the ocean.

It was only as he contemplated the two bedrooms that his stomach hurt. Even ignoring the short time frame, there wasn't a single soul in the world that Early wanted to have with him on the trip. What would be fabulous with a partner looked like torture alone.