“You would think so but Kara, well, she’s not so good with being told no. And she was mad as heck that they were going to take the place down for a new building so she went to the city engineer and he helped her apply to city council to declare the building a historic landmark. When they did, the developer pulled his offer. I guess that gave her some confidence. She went to our bank and applied for a developer’s loan and they gave it to her. It took a year but holy cow, Madeleine. You should see it! The first two floors use the old brick warehouse as the façade, but the engineers designed something, she can explain it, it let them put these huge steel beams in and they basically hold up the four floors added on top.’Course, that’s a very long explanation for how she got control of her money.”
“Except you didn’t explain that part,” she reminded her with a smile.
“Uggh! You’re right. So, she gets the loan and Dad runs around telling everyone she’s fucked up big time and he doesn’t think it would be right to bail her out. By the way, he bails Dougie out on a daily basis. Anyway, she doesn’t care. She goes to school and runs the building project and a year later she hosts an open house and everyone’s standing there while Dad’s all like, ‘Well, you wasted your money, you’ll never get it back. We might be able to lease some of this space from you, but you’ll have to accept the loss.’ And my favorite, ‘Suck it up, kid.’ Just then the real estate agent rushes up to Kara and says she’s got a bidding war going on from rental applicants and would she mind leasing out the whole building? I remember the silence, my dad speechless. Then my grandmother wraps her arm around Kara. ‘Kara, your grandfather and I are very proud of you. We’ll get out of your hair now, but please come by for Sunday supper. I think it’s time you sign those papers to take control of your trust fund.’”
Madeleine set her coffee cup down, exclaiming, “Your grandmother sounds like an amazing woman.”
“They both were, really. Since we lost them, Dad’s been a lot harder on Kara. I think he believes she’s the reason Dougie hasn’t done better for himself.”
“From what your sister tells me, he’s extremely happy with his circumstances. Does he hold her in contempt too?”
“Dougie? Naw. He likes the social clout that comes from working in a big advertising company, but that’s about it. His only thing is Samantha. As long as she continues to work, he’ll work, and she’s driven. She wants a seat on the Supreme Court, and Doug will happily follow her to Ottawa and be her happy social secretary husband. Until then, he likes playing number two at work. Between you and me, he can’t wait till Dad retires or Samantha is offered a Bench seat. All he really wants to do is play house husband and daddy daycare. That’s if Sam ever decides to have babies.”
“Will he be disappointed when she doesn’t? I mean, I don’t know the lady, but from our conversation yesterday, I got the impression her career is all that counts.”
“Me too, and Doug would handle it. If it makes Sam happy, he’s all in.”
“That’s so unusual,” she said, grabbing her empty cup and Joanne’s. “Another?”
“Bend my arm, already,” Joanne joked. There was such colloquial joviality about her. Not to mention a sweetness. “Do you mind if I ask a question. You know, a personal question?” Jo asked.
Madeleine nodded, wondering where she was going with this.
“You like her? My sister, I mean, and not just because you have to for the job.”
It was a question she’d already asked herself many times today. While she was willing to answer it honestly, she was more curious to understand Joanne’s motivation. “Why do you ask?”
Joanne appeared caught in the crosshairs. She stood, taking an inordinate amount of time to straighten her summer jacket, her defense against the extreme air-conditioning. “I… it’s just you’re doing great with Kara. Frankly, I wish you lived in Toronto. She could use a friend like you. Please don’t quit.” She made her way toward the door.
“Quit?” Once again, Madeleine had forgotten this was a job. They’d been discussing family, something a sibling and love interest might normally do. Now she had been reminded, ever so subtly, that she was not Kara’s love interest, but her paid escort.
She showed Joanne out, assuring her she wouldn’t “quit” on them, then collapsed into a chair. “Too bad I don’t live in Toronto? Yeah right! How would that work? An envelope on the bedside table? Or maybe she’d offer to put me on the payroll. I can see my green card application now, ‘Yes, I’ve been offered a full-time job as a paid mojo maker.’”
What have I done? I spent the night making love with a woman. A woman! And it was sublime. She was sublime. What have I done?
* * *
According to the conference schedule, today’s scheduled pool reception was for families and would be a lot more enjoyable than entertaining account reps. After last night’s brawl, Kara wasn’t planning on attending but Joanne, as always, talked her into it. Stepping into the elevator, she decided this might work to her advantage. At least she would have a much better idea of who was ready to take her side and just who exactly was coward enough to continue hiding behind her father.
When the elevator opened, Madeleine was standing there. Kara began a stream of apologies for Joanne asking her to do this.
But her apologies were smothered by a long passionate kiss from Madeleine. After coming up for air, she contended, “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
Kara, lost somewhere between her lips and the bathing costume on her lush body, was at a loss for words. Something no ad executive ever wanted to be accused of, yet in Madeleine’s presence, it seemed inevitable.
“That’s enough, you two!” Joanne interrupted, giving her sister a gentle jostle.
Kara hadn’t seen Joanne when she got off the elevator, only Madeleine. Who would, between the oversized sun hat, the designer shades, and the sheer wraparound which did little to hide the bikini underneath? Kara had immediately lost track of the rest of the world. She was starting to consider it hazardous to be in Madeleine’s company.
Joanne too was dressed for the pool, explaining to the still-confused Kara. “We’re about to make a statement. And don’t worry, I brought your bathing suit,” she added, lifting the oversized pool bag. “Now let’s go kick some pretty boy backsides!”
Grinning at Jo’s stance, she fell in line, delighted to find Madeleine in step with her. Even more delighted when Madeleine’s hand slipped into hers.
So delighted she stopped in her tracks, almost causing a pileup of guests and patrons making their way through the casino. All floor traffic in the hotel was routed through the casino, the ultimate flow pattern for casino profits, but a traffic jam occurred whenever someone stopped walking. Madeleine tugged her away from the traffic flow to stand between the roulette tables, as Kara said shyly, “I missed you this morning.”
“Hey!” Joanne was back and looked madder than hell. “Keep up you two. I ain’t walking out into that poop storm alone.”
“Poop storm?” Kara questioned.
“You know what I mean. Now come on. Dougie and Samantha are waiting with Zack by the entrance to the pool. We’re all going to walk out there together. Show of force!” She turned, checking over her shoulder to be sure they were following this time. “I swear, you two are worse than my kids!”
Madeleine squeezed her hand. “I didn’t want to wake you. You looked so peaceful and… And I didn’t want to run into Joanne. I have a sneaking suspicion she’s an early riser.”
Kara chuckled, agreeing. “That girl is an early everything.”
Chapter Nine
Kara was standing with the audiovisual technician at the back of the room as the account reps filed in. She looked to be in deep conversation with the young man, the kind that intimidated others from interrupting. In reality, they were talking about the latest Star Wars offering. She didn’t like being distracted before a speaking engagement, especially when presenting a heavy duty technical analysis like this one. So, getting
into a heated debate with the kid on the sound board was usually all it took to ensure she was not pestered before the presentation. They would clobber her with questions afterward, but that was to be expected. If anything, the number and caliber of questions were always the best way to gauge the success of her presentation.
When her watch showed the appointed hour, she gave the A/V technician a brotherly shoulder pat, conceding, “I think you’re right, but we’ll have to see.”
“Yeah. The next movie should settle things.”
Proceeding to the stage, Kara was now all business. Having her sister and Madeleine in the front row gave her confidence a boost. Not that she had issues in that department. But having Madeleine close by and smiling her support made her feel a little bit cocky. That was good. It was probably her best stance, considering all the rumors flying around after last night’s debacle. Her father wasn’t present, but he never was for these things. He would always slough it off, explaining he had no time or patience, but would read the report. He never read the report. Not in all these years. And not showing up didn’t mean anything except Dougie was absent too.
It took longer than expected to deliver her analysis. It wasn’t the presentation that ran long, but the question and answer session that even burned through most of the scheduled dinner break. She wasn’t surprised that the first question was how they could turn around the company’s sluggish performance. She took her time explaining how they could address each issue they were facing, where to cut their losses, and where to turn their attention to maximize the company name, leverage industry capital, and stage the most radical rebirth the company had seen since the advent of cable television. When she stepped from the stage, everyone was on their feet clapping and cheering, a startling contrast to how these things normally ended. Usually, after she delivered her analysis of the past year, her father would show, taking the stage and discounting the numbers with his alternative facts. She couldn’t guess what was going on behind the scenes now, but the response meant her analysis had been heard and taken at face value. The men and women in the room were concerned. More than that, they wanted to see change as well. It was an interesting fact that humans resisted change except when it came to their income. When she demonstrated that their commissions might grow by as much as three to four hundred percent simply by changing their format strategy, she knew they were invested and willing to make change work.
Off the stage and standing with a large group of senior reps and a few enthusiastic juniors, Madeleine and Joanne stood at her side as she answered question after question, taking the time to reassure each and every one. Finally, forced to give up the meeting room for another group, Madeleine suggested the senior reps join her, Kara, and Joanne in the hotel bar for a chat. It was the right thing to do. It had never before occurred to Kara to invite these people to join her socially for a more casual conversation. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she realized she’d avoided doing it, worried it would cause a division between those who would consider it disloyal to abandon John Wexler for the opportunity to listen to his daughter’s strategy and creative ideas. In truth, she felt none of the account reps really knew her. They exchanged emails, most of them on a weekly basis, but they’d never socialized. Kara believed in focusing her attention where it would have the most effect. She worked hand-in-hand with the creative teams but rarely dealt directly with the account reps.
Back in Lily’s Bar, everyone stood around in a large group listening intently while Kara shared several ideas for new campaigns for existing clients and ideas to bring in future clients. It was what they needed to hear because they asked question after question. Her every response was reassurance that the opportunities she envisioned would work for them. When Dougie joined the group, with Samantha and Joanne’s husband in tow, he set her more at ease by offering his support. As much as it was great to hear, she was a little confused. After all, Dougie knew she had no intention of staying with Wexler-Ogelthorpe. Still, as promised, she’d kept that fact from everyone else. It was reassuring and even heartwarming to see how much these guys wanted to change and how much support they were offering. After all these years, it was quite incredible even if it was too late.
She did feel bad for them. There was little hope that her father would carry out the changes she had offered. She knew from experience her father would only consider changes which served him best. He’d long lost the pulse of their consumer base. The only hope going forward would be for Doug to lead the charge. Looking at the group, seeing their expectant faces, listening to their ideas and support, she realized she was doing more than misleading them. For the first time since submitting her resignation, she had to ask herself if she was doing the right thing.
Yes. Working for her father had become impossible. But the thought of stepping back and watching Wexler-Ogelthorpe go down the drain… It wasn’t just the years of creative work she’d invested, it was these people, the men and women who brought them clients with one need in mind: help buyers find their products or services. She sat watching and listening while Dougie described one of the new campaigns Kara had created. It’s not just about me. If I go and they don’t replace me with someone willing to take on John Wexler, there won’t be a Wexler-Ogelthorpe to fight over. What will happen to them? And not just the sales reps. What about our graphic artists, copywriters, team leaders, production assistants, even the kid who does the Tim Horton’s run? What I do, what I choose, doesn’t affect just me. If I quit, I’m not just quitting the job. I’m quitting them.
Madeleine gave her arm a little nudge, asking quietly, “You okay?”
“Yeah,” she muttered, adding under her breath, “Something just occurred to me. Maybe we can talk about it later? Along with the family?”
Madeleine nodded, delivering that perfectly understanding smile. “Absolutely.”
Madeleine suggested the restaurant, sticking to the script even though the reservation was probably for two. All she could hope was that whoever was pulling strings had added the appropriate number. Sure enough, when they reached the restaurant, they bypassed a long line to find a table for six ready and waiting. Madeleine had to smile. It was nice to have clout in Vegas.
Sitting through dinner with the Wexler clan was a learning experience. There was the standard sibling rivalry and jokes involving shared stories from their childhood. But mostly there was love and respect. It was also clear to Madeleine that Douglas Wexler was as much in awe of his big sis as baby sister Joanne. She almost bristled at the realization. It was a lot like hero worship, which she didn’t buy. No one was that perfect. Still, there was something about Kara. She didn’t want to accept her as the innocent woman portrayed in the script. When she’d first read it, and the background material, she’d decided she wouldn’t like this Kara Wexler. After all, who paid for this kind of thing? Not prostitution, although she did have to ask herself what the hell she was doing last night. She had acted on instinct and instinct had led her to Kara’s bed.
“Earth to Madeleine. Earth to Madeleine,” Joanne repeated, bringing her back to the restaurant. “Where did you go?”
“I’m sorry. I was just thinking about how much I was enjoying myself. I can’t remember the last time I joined in with family fun. Thank you for inviting me.”
“Well, of course, we’d invite you,” Joanne reassured her. “Anyone willing to sit through one of Kara’s tech talks…”
Dougie interrupted, “What about tomorrow, Kara. What say you? Ready to take on the old man?”
Kara just groaned, but she didn’t say no. He seemed to take it as a good sign. They all did, and Madeleine knew it was up to her to deliver. She worried Kara might be disappointed if there was no repeat of the previous night. Surely no one expected her to sleep with her again, but hell yes she wanted to. It was hard to look her in the eye. For some reason, it felt like Kara always knew what she was thinking. Chancing a quick glance, she colored slightly. Yes. Kara was watching her, and yes, Kara knew exactly what she was thi
nking, what she was wanting. Yes, Kara. What say you?
Chapter Ten
Madeleine accepted her offered hand with reluctance. After all, it wasn’t as if she were offering to help her step into a small car or perhaps a boat. This was the roller coaster mounted precariously atop the Stratosphere Hotel, and it had taken some sweet coaxing to get her this far. “You can do it. I promise.”
Sucking in a deep breath, she slipped into the seat beside Kara and allowed the attendant to lower and lock the safety bar.
Kara gave it a good shake. “See, nice and safe. Besides, we have other rides to try. There is no way I’m letting you miss all that.”
“You! I’ve been avoiding this for years.”
“Years?” Kara questioned, then let it slide, obviously deciding Madeleine was referring to all her Vegas business trips which she had alluded to many times, whenever she appeared to be too familiar with her surroundings. “Let me guess. This is the first time you met someone as crazy as me?”
“You are not crazy,” she said over the noise of the night. “Just doggedly determined that everyone be as ferocious as you.” The cars jerked into movement, Madeleine’s hands white-knuckling the safety bar.
Kara placed an arm around her shoulders, her other hand covering Madeleine’s. Leaning in as the cars traveled up, up, even higher, she advised, “Try not to anticipate what’s coming. Just let the fear do its thing. The minute you stop trying to brace for what scares you, the fear abates, and it all becomes nothing but… ex-per-eeeee-ence!” This last word she delivered as they crested the top. Madeleine screamed so hard, Kara had to shake her head. As the coaster began to climb the next hill, she gave her a warm hug and kept her close. She could feel Madeleine start to relax, not completely but the apprehension was dissipating. “Don’t worry about the next turn. It’s all about the moment. Just let it happen.”
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