It's 1975, and Misty Menard unexpectedly inherits her father's business in Lake Placid, New York. It never occurred to her that she could wind up as the CEO of a good old-fashioned manufacturing company.
After years of working for lawyers, Misty knows a few things about the law. Her favorite young attorney is making a name for himself, helping traditionally owned companies become employee owned, using a little-known, newly-passed law. When he offers to help Misty convert Adirondack Dowel into an ESOP, pro bono, Misty jumps at the chance.
The employees are stunned, the management team becomes hostile, and the Board of Directors is concerned. Misfortune quickly follows the business transformation. A big customer files for bankruptcy. A catastrophic ice jam floods the business. Stagflation freezes the economy. A mysterious shrouded foe plots revenge. Misty's family faces a crisis. The Trustee is convinced something fishy is going on, the appraiser keeps lowering the company's value, and the banker demands additional capital infusions. Misty thought she had left her smoking addiction and alcoholism in the past, but when a worker's finger is severed in an industrial accident, Misty relapses.
Disasters threaten to doom the troubled company. After surviving two world wars and the Great Depression, it breaks Misty's heart to think that she has destroyed her father's company. All she wants is to cement her father's legacy and take care of the people who built the iconic local business. Can a quirky CEO and her loyal band of dedicated employee owners save an heirloom company from foreclosure, repossession, and bankruptcy?
Get your copy of the thrilling If It's the Last Thing I Do now... if it's the last thing you do!
From Chapter 6
On Thursday morning, Stanley asked me if he could borrow a couple of hundred dollars until next week. He said he had made some miscalculations. His checkbook didn't add up straight and he didn't have any savings. I asked him if two hundred dollars would get him through, and he assured me that it would.
Doyle Polk was coming up the sidewalk as I pulled my wallet from my purse and handed cash to the night watchman. I glanced at the general manager and saw his frown, and in that instant, I knew he didn't approve and I was going to hear about it. I didn't have long to wait. Stanley's Plymouth had barely left the parking lot when Doyle confronted me. "What are you doing, giving that man money?"
I felt my face tighten defensively. "He said he needed money, so I agreed to help him until next week."
"And what will you do next week when he needs money for something else, Lady Fingers?"
"I don't know, Doyle. I guess I'll worry about that next week."
"And what will you do when Stanley's coworkers find out you lent Stanley some money? Won't be long and you'll be making dozens of loans."
"Good heavens, Doyle. I never met anyone with such a dismal outlook."
"You don't know these guys like I do, Misty. Give 'em an inch, they'll take a mile. Give 'em a dime, they'll steal a dollar, and ask you for change for a twenty."
"How did you get to be so jaded?"
"Did I mention I've been here for a long time? When I started out, I lent a guy a hundred dollars. Just like I said, before I knew it, everybody was asking me for money. I felt like a flippin' bank. Learned my lesson and stopped that right away. These guys lead a hardscrabble life, Misty. They go from one emergency to the next as fast as you turn the pages in the Lake Placid News. You gotta harden yourself to it. You've heard the story about the swimmer drowning the lifeguard, ain't you? If you get too close to 'em, they'll drag you underwater. Gotta stay aloof. That's what I always say. Unless you gonna give everybody two hundred dollars, don't give anybody money."
Soundtrack
David Fitz-Gerald
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Thank you for a wonderful tour and for featuring If It's the Last Thing I Do at The Coffee Pot Book Club.
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
Dave
You're very welcome, Dave. I'm so glad you enjoyed your tour. We certainly did!
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