Crossroads—2026-04-14 (Patreon)

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Chapter 85: LONG-RANGE PLANS by Merritt Gray

I was barely in the office this morning when I got a message from Mr. Robertson to pop in. He said he’d like for me to meet with one of the other senior partners, Terrence Davis, at 10:00.

Mr. Davis led me into one of the small conference rooms and sat down beside me. “Merritt, Will and I have an idea, and we want you to be aware of it beforehand, but we need you to say nothing until we’ve taken the next step.”

I ran my ethics and moral checks, deciding I was probably safe given who I was talking to. “I understand.”

“I’ll begin by saying Will is very fond of you and Hannah. Your charity work that he’s helped with is impressive, and he feels like it blurs the workplace boundaries enough that he wanted me to take this meeting.”

“I’m very honored to hear that,” I said.

“The topic is a ten-year plan, which means it’s all subject to change over time. Specifically, we’re talking about partnership in the firm. Let me start by saying you are one of the ones at your level who clearly have the skills, integrity, and work ethic to one day be a partner.”

I was stunned. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”

“However, I want to go in a different direction right now. I want to talk about that ten-year plan in light of your and Hannah’s relationship with each other.”

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I nodded and swallowed. “We are being careful not to have it interfere, sir. If there’s something specific we need to change, please tell me.”

He smiled and shook his head. “That’s not it at all. I’m sorry if I implied that.”

“Then what is it?”

“Like you, Hannah has what we think is the makings of a solid partner. The senior partners have looked at how things will shape up over the next decade, and we want to plan ahead.”

“Hannah would be a real asset as a partner,” I said.

“What I’m about to say is strictly out of respect for your and her personal relationship. This was Will’s idea because of how much he thinks of the two of you… by the way, he’s pretty grateful that you introduced him to your calculus teacher, but that’s just an aside…”

Mr. Davis went on to tell me how he and Mr. Robertson had kicked around ideas for anti-gravity over lunch twice in the last few weeks. Finally, he got back to the point of calling me into the meeting.

“So, Will wanted you to know something we’re planning ahead of time, so when you hear it later, you won’t be shocked or confused.”

“Okay, what is it?”

“As I said, we think you have the makings to possibly be a partner someday. But we are actively planning on making Hannah one. By that, we mean grooming her with opportunities and encouraging her to look at things through a broader lens. This doesn’t exclude you. It just sets her up for a more probable end game. Of course, before we put in the time and effort, we want to make sure she's open to being part of the company long enough for there to be a return on our investment.”

“I see,” I replied.

“So, Will’s thought was if we tell her, she’ll tell you, and you might feel discouraged. So I’m telling you that your chances haven’t changed because of this.”

I was pretty sure I understood why. And I also don’t think it’s a bad idea.

“May I respond without worrying I’ll be taken the wrong way?” I asked.

“Please. I’m trusting you, so you deserve the right to say what’s on your mind.”

“Is this a good version of affirmative action? Government contracts used to require hiring equity. Hannah said Will took her to a proposal meeting so the prospect wouldn’t think NYC SysCo was just a bunch of old men. So, I’m thinking that, from the pool of qualified new-hires, you’re picking the best woman to train for promotion.”

Mr. Davis nodded. “The language is tricky on this. First of all, she’s very qualified… as are you and a few others in your current positions. Where it gets tricky is if it looks like we are excluding others based on gender. It’s a hair split. We’re not excluding you, but we are planning to strategically mentor one other person. And, yes, we think diversity among the leadership will, over the years to come, appeal to a select group of prospective clients.”

“I don’t disagree with any of that. But if you would, explain again why you wanted me to know before telling Hannah?”

“Primarily,” Mr. Davis said, “so that you would not think you were not a future candidate when you find out she’s being mentored. Also, you’ll have time to get your head around it before it happens. Will plans to talk to her tomorrow.”

“I could talk to her about it tonight,” I said.

“If you think that’s a good idea… I can’t stop you.” Mr. Davis shook his head. “It won’t be an official thing. She’s not getting promoted. She won’t get more pay. But, over the years, she might sit in a few client meetings that are particularly strategic or have a few long chats with other partners.”

“Others will notice,” I said.

“Probably. And if they—or you—make your interest known, you’ll get similar treatment. I think the big difference is we’re strategically setting out to invite her into different experiences. You’ll need to volunteer yourself.”

“Can I add another thought?”

“Of course,” Mr. Davis replied.

“Hannah isn’t going to like the idea of special treatment, even though she’s fully qualified, like you said. She’s not going to like being singled out for being a woman.”

“I’m not surprised that she’d feel that way. And we’re not singling her out because she’s a woman. She’s being considered for more responsible positions because she’s talented. She’s being encouraged to learn things quickly because she brings perspective we don’t have enough of at the partner level. So in the bigger picture, it’s not because she’s a woman.”

“Sir, please know I’m saying this with utter respect, but good luck splitting that hair with her.”

“I appreciate your candor. Would you like to know Will’s second idea?”

“I suppose I should hear it.”

"He says when he hits 65, he signs up for Medicare, resigns from NYC SysCo, and takes the two of you to start up a new company upstate in some rural area where there are ponds for fishing and cleaner air."

I’m sure my look was a cross between amusement and being dumbfounded.

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All characters in this story are fictional characters, their images generated with AI for AGI Stories. They do not represent any real person, nor is their appearance based on any real human.

Message from AGI-Stories…

I debated back and forth on this plot arc for some time. I did a fair bit of research to learn that large companies potentially in the public eye do, indeed, develop plans for diversity in their leadership. Grooming Hannah over a decade is not only plausible, but for an old company with five male senior partners, my research suggests it's probable.

However, two factors in the story emerge as less likely.

Telling Merritt ahead of time has to be understood as of a result of the blurred relationship he and Hannah have with Will. The Africa trip created a bond, and Will has followed up by giving Merritt and Hannah more attention.

Telling Hannah in advance that she's being groomed is also questionable for many reasons. It is particularly challenged by the fact that she only graduated from college in December.

However, I'm willing to ask for suspension of disbelief on these two points. I'm going to call on gaps in Will's personal life, his growing sense of mentorship to Hannah and Merritt, and his genuine belief that they are both partner material to satisfy my need to keep things plausible.

I hope you'll roll with me on this!

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