answers. And then he broadsided her by touching on the topic of their meeting that morning. He was both alert and well informed, and obviously hoped to hit her Achilles’ heel and surprise her. Nothing showed in her face, as she carefully answered him.
“Are you concerned about possible violations of child labor laws in the factories you’ve used in Asia?”
“We have no proof of that,” she said calmly, “although we’ve done extensive research. That’s always a subject that concerns me, in any aspect of our business.”
“Don’t you think it’s fair to assume that in those locations, and at the prices you’re paying, there must be violations somewhere along the line?”
“I can’t assume anything,” Olivia said quietly. “We’re continuing to explore that possibility on an ongoing basis. We have no evidence of abusive practices from any of our sources.”
“And if you do at some point, then what will you do?”
“Respond appropriately, and take action. We don’t support human rights violations,” she assured him. “Nor child labor law abuses. I have four children and three grandchildren. The plight of children has always been a subject of deep interest to me.”
“Enough to be willing to raise your prices, if you have to change factories? And start buying products at higher rates in Europe?”
“Absolutely,” she said without hesitation. “The Factory does not support any kind of violation, of children or adults.” He moved off the subject then, satisfied for the moment, but she could tell that he was leery of her, and he had been very aggressive with her. He was skeptical of what she’d told him but had no proof otherwise. There was none to have. The Factory was clean and aboveboard in its dealings, which was a source of great pride to her.
She accorded the young reporter nearly an hour and a half, and then her assistant came in and rescued her, and reminded her of another meeting, which she actually didn’t have. But an hour and a half seemed long enough for an interview. He would have stayed all afternoon if she allowed it. And Olivia’s time was precious, she had work to do and an empire to run.
They shook hands, and the journalist sauntered out of her office looking as though he owned the world. She sensed that it was all posturing for her benefit, and as soon as the door closed behind him, she called Peter Williams to report to him on the meeting.
“He asked about the child labor law issues at the factories in Asia,” Olivia said, sounding concerned about it, but pleased that they were alert and had raised the issue at the board meeting.
“We have no proof of anything,” Peter reminded her. “And we’re keeping a very, very close watch,” he reassured her.
“You’re still not worried?” she asked, checking the barometer again—no one else could advise her as well as he could on this issue. She trusted Peter’s judgment completely.
“No, I’m not,” Peter said easily. “We’re clean, Olivia, no matter how hard he tries to scare you. It’s a cheap shot. Don’t buy into it. We’re keeping a very careful eye on the entire situation.”
“We’ll see what happens. I hope the article is decent.”
“It will be,” he said kindly. “How could it be otherwise?” She laughed at his comment. She knew better than that. The press wasn’t always fair, and seldom kind, even to her.
“It could be otherwise, and we both know it,” Olivia reminded him. “We’re just lucky things are going smoothly for the moment. This would be a big headache if it ever went against us.”
“We’ll take care of it, if it happens,” he said, sounding unruffled. And she knew he would. He had handled other difficult issues before, strikes in their factories, threatened lawsuits, and all manner of big and small aggravations, which was part of his job. “Just forget about all this now. We have it all in control. And in six weeks, you’ll be on vacation.”
“I can hardly wait,” she admitted to him. She’d worked hard for the past several months, just as she always did. She worked long days, and her travel schedule was brutal. She had a trip to Brazil planned, and another to New Zealand.
“You deserve the time off,” Peter said kindly. Sometimes he wondered how she juggled all that she did, and how she survived the constant stress of her responsibilities. So much was expected of her and rested on her shoulders. And she wore the heavy mantle of her position with patience, fortitude, and grace. He