ON THURSDAY afternoon, Kathleen and I were sitting on padded chairs at a small table. We were inside a modest photo studio located on the lower level of the office building. While the photographer, Chad, occupied himself with setting up his shots, the two of us settled in for our interview with Josh Baldwin.
The journalist also sat at the table with a digital recorder. He was younger than I’d anticipated and was the quintessential twentysomething hipster Portland was famous for nurturing. Josh’s look was complete with tall hair, bushy beard, multiple tattoos and black-rimmed glasses. He was the trendiest business reporter I’d ever seen and while he did his best to charm Kathleen, he avoided eye contact with me.
I disliked him at once.
I risked a quick glance at Kathleen and winked when she smiled sweetly. We’d enjoyed a productive meeting, and it showed as Kathleen’s moment in the spotlight began. She’d arrived at the office a few hours earlier, wearing a designer leopard-print skirt and a long-sleeved black blouse that plunged in a dramatic V without managing to expose her cleavage. She looked refreshed and ready to take on the world.
To Josh’s obvious delight, she listened as he explained how he conducted interviews. She didn’t hesitate to say yes when he asked if we were ready to go ahead.
“Tell me about the name of the firm,” Josh began by addressing Kathleen. He flashed her a smile, displaying perfect teeth. It was nauseating. “What was the genesis for Aurora Advertising?”
“My grandfather chose the name. All on his own. He made up his mind about it and never looked back.”
“You’re referring to Stanley Brighton?”
Kathleen beamed at the mention of her grandfather’s name. “Yes.”
“What is the significance of Aurora? What does the name symbolize?”
“It’s nothing complicated. My grandfather is a no-nonsense man who dearly loves my grandmother. Aurora is her name.”
“Stanley Brighton named his company after his wife?”
Either Josh Baldwin was the most unprepared reporter in Oregon or he was feigning surprise at Kathleen’s answer. I shifted in my seat and rubbed the back of my neck to keep from rolling my eyes.
She nodded. “Her theory has always been that he did it to keep her from becoming jealous of the other love of his life.”
Josh paused to type a quick note on his tablet. “How long have they been married?”
“Sixty-four years and counting.”
“That’s amazing.” Josh was impressed, as was I.
“It’s a family record and, unfortunately for the rest of us, they’re both very competitive.”
My ensuing laughter boomed in the room, managing to draw a shy grin from Kathleen.
Josh narrowed his gaze, studied us both and made another quick note before moving forward. “Your grandfather built an advertising empire in the Pacific Northwest. How does one go from high school to the navy to becoming one of the region’s most successful businessmen?”
“To me, he’s my grandfather. He can do anything.”
Josh entered a few more impressions to his growing document, and she fell quiet for several moments, giving his question more thoughtful consideration. As she spoke again, she shrugged. “Seriously. The older I get, the more in awe I am of his achievements. I suppose he learned a lot about discipline from his military service, but my grandfather is also a natural leader. He always knows what do in any given situation. He takes advantage of opportunities without sacrificing others in the process. If anything, he puts family and community before his own self-interests. He’s been able to serve both his clients and the city to everyone’s benefit. Portland has been as good to him as he has been to Portland.”
“Many would agree, and then many would go on to say that your father is more of a risk-taker,” Josh responded earnestly, pleased to have broken the ice with Kathleen. She straightened up in her chair. “Many do say that.”
“Yet he took Stanley Brighton’s company to the next level. Has Robert Brighton been as good to Oregon as Oregon has been to him?”
“Without question.”
The reporter and I both looked at Kathleen. My expectation was for her to elaborate on her answer, but she didn’t. Maybe she’d decided nothing more needed to be said about Robert’s professional success.
“There is anticipation that Kathleen Brighton will take Robert Brighton’s company even higher,” Josh added, exploring another angle.
She blinked in genuine surprise. “I don’t know about that, but it is kind of people to say so.”
“You’d be the first woman to head Aurora Advertising. What does your grandmother think about Kathleen Brighton’s potential?”
“I grew up admiring my grandmother. I’ve always considered her a woman ahead of her time. She’s feisty, funny and loving. She’s also cultured and intelligent. Above all else, she’s confident, and she’s never missed an opportunity to teach me how to embrace life the way she does. When the day comes, and my father retires, she will be right there, urging me to be the strongest leader the firm has ever seen.”
“Your grandparents are in their eighties now. Do you think they will live to see you fulfill that dream?”
“They damn well insist on it. They aren’t going anywhere until I take the reins.”
Josh laughed while I kept my own considerable admiration of this woman to myself.
“When your time comes, will you keep the company headquarters in Bend? Or will you bring Aurora Advertising back to Portland?”
This was the first question that gave her pause. She stared at her interviewer, assessing her response. I’d coached her to think before answering any question that raised her suspicions. I held my expression in check but was anticipating her response with great interest. I’d been on the receiving end of her sharp intuition and wasn’t surprised when the young reporter fidgeted under her speculation.
“I feel at home in either city, and it will always be important to me to maintain strong connections with both.” She leaned forward, clasping her hands together on the table’s surface. “But I think what you’re really asking me is who do I take after. Stanley or Robert?”
Josh nodded, impressed with her observation, while my heart quickened with a surge of pride. “Perhaps. Are you a natural leader? Or more of a risk-taker?”
“As far as who I am? I’m still figuring that one out myself, but I do know that I would never make a move like that on pure whim. Our employees and their families depend on Aurora for stability. I’m committed to doing what’s best for everyone.”
As I absorbed her statement, Josh typed furiously on his tablet, recording the biggest impression of the interview so far. As soon as he finished, he returned to the conversation.
“I’d like to circle back to Robert for a minute. His decision to move Aurora’s headquarters to Bend would make a certain amount of sense today, but thirty years ago Oregon’s business community found it perplexing. What has he explained to you about that decision?”
“At the time, I was a child, so I understood very little. All I knew was that we were leaving Portland to live in Bend. We’d been here a few times and something about the area just connected with Robert.”
At this, she turned to face me. “Jack is a newcomer here. As I remember from his recruitment, one of the things he and Robert had in common was a desire to make a meaningful change in their lives. Both men saw pursuing careers in Bend as the opportunity of a lifetime. In this regard, Jack has a better understanding of Robert’s motivations than I would.”
The young journalist’s attention reluctantly refocused on me. “Is that so?”
“I suppose so.”
She had deferred to me and I understood why. She was allowing me the opportunity to praise Robert. I’d watched her since Christmas and knew she hid her frustrations with her father well from curious eyes. Josh was no exception. He hadn’t homed in on her hesitancy to share details of her relationship with Robert, and I was doing my best to respect her privacy.
As my attraction to her grew, however, it became more difficult to ignore the cool relationship between the two. I wanted to understand more about why father and daughter had such trouble connecting despite the fact they’d both committed their own lives to continuing Stanley Brighton’s legacy.
“When did you join the Aurora family?” Josh said, moving on to me, and I complied so that Kathleen could collect her thoughts.
“Just a few months ago. I moved here from Baltimore.”
“How does a professional from the East Coast decide to move out to Bend?”
I tapped my fingers on the table as I began talking. I needed to proceed carefully. “I’d accomplished everything I could in Maryland, and I’d always heard remarkable things about Oregon.”
Josh narrowed his eyes. “So, you’d never been out here?”
“No, but the opportunity opened up at Aurora. The job was a great fit for me and when I flew out here for my first interview, I saw for myself how incredible Bend is.”
“What do you like best?”
“I’m still discovering new things every day. The open spaces are refreshing. Living in the high desert is an experience unlike any other. The people are welcoming, and the mountains fascinate my daughter.”
Josh’s eyes darted to my left hand where my wedding ring was. Although my divorce from Allison was well underway, it wasn’t final. I was still married and would wear the ring for the time being. I was extracting myself from the marriage with as much care as possible. Despite our inability to reconcile, Allison and I were united in making this transition as easy as we could for Heide.
Josh opted not to ask anything about my family. I watched with considerable scrutiny as his posture relaxed.
“Has Robert given you any advice about making the change from urban to rural?”
“I hardly think of Bend as rural. It’s Oregon’s largest city outside of the Willamette Valley. For the most part, I have the same comforts here as I did back east. I see myself making a very good life here.”
“How does your experience working at Aurora Advertising compare with your experience on the East Coast?”
“It agrees with me. Robert has hired a tremendous pool of talent, and the atmosphere lends itself to more creativity. The employees are encouraged to spend time with their families and be active in the community. The Brighton family understands that Aurora’s success relies on far more than keeping expenses in check. It’s also about the relationships the firm has with their clients and Oregon’s consumers. I’m proud Robert and Kathleen have brought me onboard and I intend to give them my all while I’m here.”
“Kathleen says she’s still figuring out who she is. What are your thoughts about her?”
My heart stuttered once again at the question. Without thinking, I turned my head in her direction and smiled. “The Portland event is the first project we’ve worked on together, and it’s been a real joy. She’s bright, level-headed and has a vast knowledge of the Oregon market. She may feel like she still has things to figure out, but from my perspective, Kathleen will be ready to take over when Robert decides to play golf full time.”