Chapter 93

The meeting started with Sean apologizing again for putting everyone on the spot, then they moved to updates on various projects. Sarah started.

"As you know, I've advocated the need for a talent agency. It seems we started one without even knowing it," she said a bit ruefully. "So I would like formal approval for Five Friends Casting to be added under the Subarctic Enterprises umbrella."

The vote carried without opposition – since opposing a done-deal was never a good idea.

"I just want it known that Karlie's salary will still come from those of us who agreed to hire her in the first place," Sarah said. "The only thing that this changes is this is a subsidiary of an existing corporation. I'm sorry this got started without everyone's input. We didn't plan this. It was just how Karlie started to answer the phone – and we got a lot of calls today."

"It's no problem," Sean said. "It was going to happen anyway. Plus, I think it's working well. I mean Subarctic won't see any money from it for a while but we knew that. I – as chairman of Subarctic's board – would recommend to you – as the nominal head of Five Friends Casting – that you approach the newcomers working with Rita and Cassie this weekend and offer to handle their upcoming deals."

"We're not licensed," Adam pointed out. "We would have to take a written test and post a nominal bond to secure licensing. Plus we would need insurance against fraud. This really needs some work before we can do it for anyone outside of our core group. Right now, we could have a grievance filed by Leslie or Rebecca for orchestrating their deals with Daystar and Goldwall. But Sean is right. We need to get started on getting at least someone licensed and state approved."

"Karlie?" Walt asked.

"I don't think so," Adam said. "It's not that I don't think she would be good at it. It just opens Subarctic up to having employees. We're not ready for that. We have a lot of hurdles to jump over – a set place to work, for one; mandatory health insurance for another. We're going to have to look into it before we can really do much hiring. If we have more than five employees, we're required to offer it."

"If we offer it, I want in," Allie said. "I don't have any insurance."

"Nor do I," Adam said. "I was on the farm insurance but now that it's in limbo, I can't be. Shelly will be in the same spot soon."

"Let's deal with one thing at a time," Sean said. "First off, who do we want to take the licensing exam?"

"Wait a second," Walt said. "There is something we're overlooking. What if we bring Karlie into Subarctic?"

"Is that really an option?" Sean wondered. "If so, where does it leave Erin, Trinity, Leslie and Rebecca? I'm not sure we want to add owners, particularly with some of the lucrative things that are going to come our way. For now, I think someone in the group should take the exam and become a registered agent."

"Someone outside the business," Allie said. "Otherwise we face conflict of interest claims. Sarah and I can't do it because of our affiliation with Dazzle and Daystar."

"Crap," Sean said. "Maybe we jumped into this too quickly."

"We could ask Celina to act as the de facto head of Five Friends Casting," Adam suggested. "She would be able to pass the test with no problems."

"Sven Swenson passed the test," Allie pointed out. "I don't think anyone will have a problem with it. But Celina would work. We need to see about fixing a firm contract for her anyway."

"Can you deal with that, Sarah?" Sean asked. "I guess it's the best way for now. Otherwise, I suppose I can do it. Even if Five Friends is a subsidiary, Karlie counts against Subarctic's employee count. So I need someone to volunteer to look at insurance costs and contact companies for bids."

"I'll do it," Shelly offered.

Sean nodded and glanced down at one of his famous lists to make a note.

"Let's see if we can't have something in place by end of the week for Five Friends," Sean said. "The insurance stuff let's put down for a month from now. Will that be enough time?"

"I have no idea," Shelly said. "I think my first plan is to talk to Mike's HR director to see what he or she suggests. Rachelle, do you know who that is?"

Rachelle thought for a moment and then shook her head.

"I'll ask Dad later and get you a name," she promised.

"Now," Sean said, "if that is covered for now, let's talk about Steve Rayburn's house. Friday a week ago, Adam was authorized to sound him out about a price. The price was below market value so I recommended we put a firm offer down. Adam, how did that go?"

"He accepted it," Adam said simply. "We agreed to offer $300,000 and he accepted. If everyone agrees, I'll have Allie come with me tomorrow to transfer that amount to an escrow account. Steve plans to have a house inspector come as soon as possible. I think we can close in a week."

"A week?" Mary asked in surprise. "We haven't closed on Mike's property yet. Isn't this moving a little too quickly? I don't remember voting on this. I'm not saying I'm opposed. That's not it at all but the first I heard of this was Friday and suddenly it's done."

Adam looked at Mary wide-eyed. He hadn't realized that everyone wasn't in the loop.

"I'm sorry," Adam said. "I thought this had been discussed. I know no formal vote was taken but we can if you find it necessary."

"I don't," Mary said. "I know it will pass. I can see that readily. But I don't want to have a bunch of things get away from us. It sounds like that is exactly what's happening. Everyone is off on his or her little tangent and the rest of us have no idea what's going on. The Five Friends thing is new to me, too. I thought something like that was six months away. Suddenly, it's done and I didn't have a clue it was happening."

"I think I explained that," Sarah said. She had an edge to her voice. "It wasn't planned and it happened by accident. Five Friends was never supposed to be a part of Subarctic. If you prefer, we'll have Celina put together our own company for that purpose."

"That's not what I'm saying," Mary insisted. "I just think we need to discuss our plans a little further before we get 300 things going at once."

"I agree in principle," Sean said. "Five Friends isn't something that is going to cause a problem. I would be upset if they started it just to spite us. But they didn't. The house is different. We knew we had the votes to get it approved. Once Adam approached Steve and got a firm price, we had to move quickly to get it done. In cases like this, we have to be able to act without calling a meeting."

"Why?" Walt asked. "This is just a general question. I don't have an issue with anything that happened. I just wonder why we have to act on things without discussing them, particularly the house. I'm for buying it. I know why we're buying it even if I don't quite understand who is going to live there. But I think we could have waited until after this meeting to take any action. Adam, were we going to lose the house if we didn't close the deal by tonight?"

"No," Adam said, shoulders shrugging. "Well, I can't say that for certain. I saw no indications that someone would purchase the house by tomorrow if we didn't."

Walt turned to Sean for an answer. The look on Walt's face wasn't antagonistic. It was just questioning.

"So you want to have a meeting for anything we do?" Sean asked rhetorically. "OK, I guess that's doable – if we want to never have a moment without Subarctic in it. Mary, did you get everyone's approval before you expanded our web hosting plans?"

"No but I didn't need to," Mary said. "That's my area. I can make my own decisions on that."

Even Walt turned to Mary with an incredulous look.

"Mary, I'm sorry you feel that way," Sean said evenly, "because, as chairman, it is up to me to disabuse you of that notion. None of us has an 'area.' No one disputes that you are best served to lead that particular part of the business. But it is not your fiefdom to do with as you please. None of us have an area where we can act without the approval of the group."

"Adam apparently does," Mary said snidely. "And it seems Sarah does, too."

Sarah started to say something but instead stood up and left the room. Mary looked triumphant – as if she won the argument by default.

"You're being an ass," Rachelle said, with more than a little anger in her voice. "You want to have a meeting on everything except what you want to do? Fat chance. Adam had seven votes to proceed as he has. Five Friends was never meant to include us – and because of you, it might not. Mary, you need to sit back and think about what you're saying before it comes out. Once you do that, I think you'll see how ridiculous some of your statements are."

"But she's right about part of them," Adam said. Shelly had gone to calm down Sarah so he thought he could stay and continue the discussion. Allie stayed to keep notes. "We can't all go willy-nilly with our projects. I will confess I thought everyone was aware of what I was doing and they approved. I knew for certain that eight of the nine owners knew and seven of the eight voting board members knew. I didn't feel the need to hunt down everyone to get their approval since I had spoken to enough people for it to be approved.

"However, that is beside the point. It is not an issue right now but in the future it might be. I submitted a bid for a third of our net worth. Mary needs money for her projects. Walt needs money for his. Sarah might need money for hers. Rachelle might need money for hers. We can't all be dipping into the same pot. Right now, nothing is coming in. If it does come in anytime soon, it will be because of what Mary has contributed. I can understand why she thinks her projects should have priority because of what she has done so far. I don't agree with her rationale but I understand it."

"Again, let me reiterate my point," Sean said. His voice was starting to take on a harder edge. "No one – I'll say this again really slowly – no one has an individual project. Mary's project is for Subarctic. She agreed to that despite the fact that several of us have asked her about it. Making a bid on the house was a Subarctic project. Starting Five Friends is a Subarctic project. We have no money on our own. Subarctic Enterprises has money. If Mary needs money for her projects, she will need to get the approval of Allie and me. She can buy whatever she wants from her own pocket but she won't be guaranteed reimbursement unless Allie and I – or whoever replaces me as chairman – approves it. We will not approve it unless the majority of voting members want it to be so. Then we will approve the expenditure even if we personally disagree with it. Do we all understand this? If you don't, please read the Articles of Incorporation and the Duties of Board Members we passed out last week."

Mary sat back in her chair. The antagonistic look was gone. Adam didn't know if it was because she played the words in her head or if she understood she burned a lot of bridges for her own ideas.

"Who is going to live in the house?" Mary asked.

"Perhaps no one," Sean replied. "Perhaps members of this group. Perhaps other people. That is something that most certainly needs to be discussed. We authorized the purchase for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it is additional space for people we might bring into the group of friends or the business. Secondly but just as importantly, it gives us an asset. We have something to borrow money against that has a set value. It's not important now and it might never be. But if it becomes an issue we have something of value that we own completely. Third, it keeps someone else from buying – someone who we would not desire as a neighbor. The last reason is because it gives us access to the garage if we want it."