by Carla Kane
‘Mr. Sugar,’ she said, ‘good morning.’
‘Good morning Suzie.’
‘Buck Tynsedale from Campbell and Kline called. He said he wants to do lunch.’
‘Put him off,’ Jon muttered, ‘indefinitely. Anything else?’
‘Yes,’ Suzie nodded, ‘it’s your anniversary this weekend, I thought you might appreciate the reminder.’
Jon stopped suddenly and turned towards her. Tommy looked back at the secretary as though enjoying a wicked joke. ‘Thank you Suzie,’ Jon said, ‘that will be all.’
‘Yes sir,’ Suzie said, glancing down and hurrying back to her desk outside Jon’s office.
Tommy glanced at him slyly. ‘Don’t tell me you actually remembered?’ he said.
Jon stared at him for a cool couple of seconds, a faint smile, both humorous and strong playing on his lips. ‘Well maybe I would have, if you people ever actually gave me a minute to think about something other than my work.’
Tommy burst out laughing and they continued into his office.
‘So,’ Jon said, as Tommy took a bottle from the cabinet beside his desk and prepared the drinks, ‘the Sunset Hotel people. Remind me again how you landed this contract?’
‘I didn’t,’ Tommy said, handing a glass of scotch over to Jon, ‘they came to us. Said they were looking for a new direction. Something fresh.’
Jon covered his mouth as he lit a cigarette and then held the zippo over to Tommy. Tommy took a cigarette from the case on his desk and leaned forward to light it on Jon’s flame. Jon exhaled slowly. ‘Something fresh?’ he said, ‘how fresh do they want us to get?’
‘Easy cowboy,’ Tommy playfully warned, ‘I hear Avigail Silverman doesn’t take too kindly to jokers.’
Jon stared at him. ‘Avigail? What the hell kind of name is that?’
‘Jewish,’ Tommy said, ‘but hey what can you do?’ He laughed and exhaled a stream of smoke at the ceiling.
Despite himself Jon gave a little chuckle. ‘That’s not what I meant,’ he said, ‘Avigail, that’s a woman’s name isn’t it?’
‘Trust me,’ Tommy replied, ‘I was just as surprised as you are. The world’s changing Jon.’
Jon sipped his whisky. ‘Nothing ever really changes,’ he said.
The phone buzzed and Tommy’s secretary came on the line. ‘Mr. Harlan,’ she said, ‘June Kerouac is here to see you.’
‘Ah June!’ Tommy grinned, ‘send her in.’
Jon scrutinized his friend’s face for a moment. ‘What?’ Tommy shrugged.
‘Nothing.’
Jon had a feeling the relationship between Tommy and June Kerouac went somewhat further than just the professional. But hell, this was Madison Avenue, it seemed like everybody was sleeping with everybody anyway.
The door opened and the firm’s office manager stepped inside.
June Kerouac was a beautiful and voluptuous redhead with a full figure and curves that lesser men would be willing to die for. Though Jon knew he could probably have her if he really wanted, he had for his own reasons exercised self-control.
‘Good morning gentlemen,’ June chirped.
‘Good morning June,’ Jon smiled.
Tommy rushed around from his desk. ‘Ah ma Cherie,’ he sighed, taking her hand and kissing it, ‘you are more beautiful than the morning sun.’
‘Oh stop it Tommy!’ June blushed, ‘really.’ She looked past him to the glass of whisky on his desk, beside the smoldering cigarette in the ashtray. ‘My God Tommy,’ she said, ‘you’re drinking already? Despicable.’ She looked at Jon and smiled. ‘And Jon Sugar, really. I would have thought you at least might have known better.’
‘We’re celebrating,’ Jon shrugged.
‘Exactly,’ Tommy nodded, ‘you shouldn’t be so quick to judge Junie, before you know the full story. Now, what are we dealing with here?’
‘The Sunset Hotel people are on their way up,’ June said, ‘Teddy Wooster has gone down to meet and greet them in the lobby.’
‘Poor bastard,’ Tommy observed, ‘Avigail Silverman will eat him alive.’
‘You’re bad, Tommy Harlan,’ June smiled.
‘Agreed,’ Jon said. He tipped up his glass. ‘Shall we continue to the conference room?’
‘Lead the way,’ Tommy said and drained his own drink before leaving the room.
They stepped out onto the main floor and immediately greeted the people from Sunset Hotels. ‘Miss Silverman!’ Tommy greeted, ‘but you don’t look nearly old enough to be running a company.’
It was supposed to be a compliment, but she didn’t take it that way. Avigail Silverman was an attractive but serious-looking woman, with dark, moody brown eyes and soft black hair. Jon smiled professionally and put out his hand. ‘Miss Silverman,’ he said, ‘thanks for coming by.’
After shooting a quick dirty look at Tommy, Avigail presented her gloved hand to the Creative Director. ‘How do you do?’ she said, ‘Jon Sugar, I presume?’
‘Welcome to Harlan Fisher,’ Jon smiled. People had a tendency to know who he was the moment he stepped into the room and he didn’t like to dwell on it. But Avigail Silverman wasn’t done yet.
‘Your reputation precedes you,’ she said, smiling slightly.
‘Yes well I trust you’ll soon see for yourself that Harlan Fisher is an agency on the up and up,’ Jon said.
‘That’s not what I meant,’ Avigail said, her eyes twinkling with dark intent.
Jon let his cool gaze linger on her face for a moment longer and then he smiled cordially. ‘Allow me to lead you to the conference room,’ he said.
‘Thank you,’ the young hotelier said and followed the direction of his outstretched hand.
Jon and Tommy shared a quick glance. Yes, the world definitely seemed to be going in new directions. They turned and followed after Avigail Silverman and her people.
‘So,’ Jon began, after the Sunset Hotel people had been seated at the table, ‘Tommy tells me that you’re looking for a new direction. Something fresh, I believe he put it.’
Avigail leaned forward in her seat and smiled. For a moment Jon thought about what she might look like without that expensive yet shapeless gown. Underneath he could see just the hint of a supple and lithe little body waiting to be explored. ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘that’s exactly what we’re interested in, fresh.’
Jon looked into her eyes for a moment and she held his gaze for several seconds before looking down at the table. What else was she interested in, he wondered?
‘Ok,’ he said, ‘well Harlan Fisher have a first-class art department, some of the most creative minds in New York work for us Miss Silverman and I can assure you that there are a number of very interesting channels to explore.’
Across the room Tommy snorted with laughter. Jon hadn’t meant it like that, but as soon as he realized the innuendo of what he’d just said, he couldn’t help but smile himself. Mainly because of how Tommy had reacted. The guy was just a big kid.
June Kerouac shook her head and sighed, Avigail Silverman was even less pleased. ‘Excuse me?’ she asked.
‘I’m sorry,’ Jon continued, reverting back to professional mode, ‘a private joke. What I meant to say Miss Silverman is that we couldn’t be more excited to be working with you. Give us a little time to cook something up, something special, and then we’ll invite you back to see what you think. I trust you’ll be very pleasantly surprised. With Harlan Fisher, most people usually are.’
Avigail nodded curtly, she still looked like she was offended and maybe even hurt by their laughter. ‘Very well then,’ she said.
Jon was about to put out his hand to shake goodbye when Tommy piped up again.
‘Yes,’ he said, a wicked smile on his mouth, ‘Jon makes sure he always satisfies.’
Avigail Silverman’s mouth opened slightly in shocked distaste. Jon cringed. Jesus Tommy, you couldn’t just leave it at that, he thought.
‘I beg your pardon?’ Miss Silverman demanded.
Jon lo
oked her dead in the eyes and spoke firmly and professionally. ‘He said that I make sure to leave no customer unsatisfied,’ he said, ‘I recall you saying that our reputation precedes us here at Harlan Fisher, well then I trust you’ve heard that we always strive to make the customer happy, no matter what it takes.’
She didn’t look entirely convinced. Jon kept his steely eyes firmly in hers, his face rigid and serious. She looked back at Tommy Harlan. He appeared to be in actual physical pain from the strenuous effort of trying not to laugh. She looked back at Jon and narrowed her eyes. ‘Give me a call when you’ve grown up a little,’ she said and turned on her heels.
‘Let me escort you out,’ June offered cordially. She shot the two men a punishing glare before leaving with the Sunset Hotel people.
As soon as the door closed Tommy burst out laughing. Jon shook his head in an attempt at disapproval but he couldn’t help but smile. If it had been one of his underlings who’d pulled shit like that he would have probably fired them on the spot, but since Tommy was his boss the man could do whatever the hell he wanted. So Jon might as well just enjoy it, no matter how bad it might be for business.
‘God damn it Tommy,’ he said, ‘you’re incorrigible, aren’t you?’
Tommy shrugged and lit a cigarette. ‘What can I say?’ he said, ‘this is why they shouldn’t let women into the negotiating room.’
‘No,’ Jon smiled, ‘this is why they shouldn’t let you drink liquor before eleven am. My God, do you know how much money we could potentially make from a partnership like that? Never mind the opportunity to actually showcase our talent here?’
‘Oh pooh!’ Tommy dismissed, ‘she’ll be back. She’ll have to be, didn’t you see how she looked at you? Avigail Silverman had a taste of Sugar and now she’s bound to want more.’
Jon lit a cigarette and smiled, shaking his head in mild exasperation. ‘There’s more to women than courting husbands and keeping house, you know,’ he said.
‘Yeah?’ Tommy asked, glancing up seriously, ‘well if there is I sure don’t know what it is.’
Jon drew on his cigarette and looked away. Sometimes he wondered if he didn’t either – though often willing to open to him in other ways, he felt that the fairer sex might at heart always be a mystery to him.
The intercom crackled and the voice of Chuck Fisher spoke out. ‘Gentlemen,’ he said, ‘come to my office immediately. After a display like that I think some curt words are in order.’
Jon and Tommy exchanged shocked glances. Chuck had been listening in on the meeting all along.
‘Uh-oh,’ Tommy said and Jon smiled cheekily. They opened the door and stepped out.
Chuck Fisher was an eccentric old timer who’d founded the firm some decades earlier with his first partner Tommy’s father, Robert Harlan. He was undoubtedly a member of the old guard, not really privy to the ebb and flow of the modern market, and in many ways obsolete in his position as senior partner of the firm. But the money was his, the company was his, and therefore all the work was his too, so there was nothing else Jon could do but humor him whenever necessary. He was not going to be happy about how things had proceeded with Avigail Silverman.
He wasn’t. In fact, after a strict (if not also somewhat entertaining) talking down he ordered Jon and Tommy to go and take dinner in the hotel restaurant that evening and do whatever it took to schmooze their way back into the Silverman company’s good books and secure that contract. It could have been worse – at least the restaurant was also a bar.
Jon instructed Suzie to make reservations that evening for seven pm and once the work was over for the day he and Tommy joined up once more to hit the town. Both men had continued to drink slowly but steadily throughout the day and by now their moods were quite merry indeed.
‘Sometimes I wonder about this job,’ Tommy said as they climbed into a taxi outside the Copperfield building. ‘I mean, there has to be more to life than just drinking and smoking and women doesn’t there?’
Jon stared at him.
‘Well doesn’t there?’
Jon smiled and shook his head. ‘No,’ he said. ‘Driver take us to the Sunset Hotel please.’
Jon ordered the rib eye steak and whisky, Tommy had the beef wellington and a vodka martini. The food was of excellent quality, so at least they wouldn’t have to lie about that when the time came.
‘Our compliments to the chef,’ Jon said as the waiter took their plates away, ‘really, that was a wonderful meal.’
‘Agreed,’ Tommy said, ‘delicious.’ He held his martini glass clutched in his hand and his diction was slurred when he spoke.
‘Thank you gentlemen,’ the waiter said, ‘I’ll pass it on.’
Jon discreetly slipped a rolled up fifty dollar bill to him. He looked him seriously in the eye. ‘And to Miss Silverman too, tell her Jon Sugar from Harlan Fisher said the food and the service was excellent.’
‘Thank you sir,’ the waiter bowed and then hurried away as though afraid Jon would change his mind.
‘Hey,’ Tommy said, ‘what about me? Why just “Jon Sugar”?’
Jon laughed. ‘Jesus Tommy,’ he said, ‘why do you think? Who got us into this mess in the first place?’
Tommy shrugged and tipped up his drink. ‘Another?’ he asked.
‘How about coffee?’ Jon asked. Tommy looked like he might cause a serious mishap if he was allowed to keep on drinking now.
‘Fine,’ Tommy said, ‘coffee it is.’
The waiter returned to take dessert orders. ‘Gentlemen,’ he said, ‘Miss Silverman informed me to give you her most gracious thanks.’
‘Is that it?’ Tommy asked and Jon shook his head to himself in mild amusement. Sometimes the guy could be an absolute disaster.
‘Yes,’ the waiter said solemnly and then looked at Jon. There was something in his eyes. He slipped a small note towards him.
Jon took the note in his hand and opened it discreetly underneath the table. “Lose the jester,” it read, “then come up to the roof. I want to talk to you alone.”
‘Sir?’ the waiter said, ‘will that be all?’
Jon looked at Tommy for a second and then back to the waiter. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘thank you for a fine meal.’
Tommy sat upright in his chair. ‘What about coffee?’ he said.
‘Sorry Tom, I just remembered Annie’s playing bridge tonight and I have to be home to watch the kids.’
‘Shit, are you serious? That means I have to drink on my own for the night.’
Jon stared at him. He was something else alright. ‘Go home Tommy,’ Jon said, ‘go home and sleep it off.’
Tommy shook his head forlornly. ‘I can’t,’ he said, ‘Monica and Rhea are fighting like a pair of alley cats these days. I can’t get a minute’s peace.’
‘So get a hotel room,’ Jon said, ‘or better yet, go to your gal’s place.’
Tommy looked up, suddenly serious.
‘Don’t try to tell me you don’t have a girl,’ Jon smiled.
Tommy shrugged. ‘No comment.’
‘I’ll see you tomorrow,’ Jon said, standing up from the table, ‘waiter, my coat please. You can put this on the company expenses, right Tommy?’
‘Of course,’ Tommy said, ‘that’s what it was, wasn’t it? Kid, another martini once you’ve sorted the man out.’
As he walked away, Jon couldn’t help but chuckle. If there was a better way to make a good living in life then he sure as hell didn’t know what it was.
He slipped out into the hallway and, making sure that Tommy wasn’t behind him, made his way to the elevator. He nodded to the bellhop. ‘Take me to the roof.’
‘I’m sorry sir,’ the man said, ‘the roof is out of bounds for customers.’
‘So take me to the top floor then,’ Jon shrugged.
‘Yes sir.’
The door opened on the empty hallway of the fiftieth floor and Jon handed the bellhop a banknote. He stepped out and looked around him. At the end of the hall there was a
stairwell, the roof was only a single flight of stairs above him.
Coolly dragging on a cigarette he stepped out into the fresh air outside. In the soft blue light of the early evening, the city was beautiful. A whole tapestry of lights twinkled beneath the skyscraper.
‘Mr. Sugar.’
Jon looked across the concrete plaza. Standing beside the ventilation system was the elegant figure of Avigail Silverman. Her dark eyes sparkled in the gloaming.
‘Miss Silverman,’ Jon smiled, stepping towards her.
‘Did you get rid of your friend?’ she asked, glancing at him suspiciously.
‘Yes,’ Jon said, ‘and I feel obliged to tell you that he’s not as bad as he seems the first time you meet him.’
‘Oh I’m sure,’ Avigail snorted, ‘provided you’re a man anyway.’
Jon shrugged. She was probably right. He stepped towards her. ‘About earlier…’
‘No,’ Avigail said, holding up her hand to stop him. ‘It’s alright. If you think that was the worst thing I have to deal with in my career you’d be sorely mistaken. Trust me, I hear worse from men every single day.’
Jon said nothing. He watched her closely, his cigarette held between his fingers. It was definitely true that Avigail Silverman wasn’t like other women. She intrigued him.
‘You don’t know how good you have it,’ she said, a coy smile playing on her lips. She looked like she was keeping something from him. He wanted to know what it was.
He smiled slightly and took his cigarette to his mouth. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘I do.’
Before she could have time to react he moved towards her like a panther and took her in his arms. He planted his lips over hers and kissed her, passionate and powerful. He drew back and smiled, relishing the surprise on her face. There was no doubt who was in control now. Just the way he liked it.
Avigail stared at him, she looked dazed, like the kiss had driven all the words out of her head. She blinked. ‘Jon, I – ’
He kissed her again. If only because he knew she might let her intellectual side step in and put an end to their fun and he wanted to rile her pleasure and lust to the point where it couldn’t be denied. He was good at that kind of thing.