Immortal Beauty

by Thomas McDermott

  “Mr. Hamilton, this is Ms. Celine D’Aumont.” Taylor didn’t speak. He had assumed they were going to be on a first name basis but decided to let her set the tone. Sitting behind a long high tech desk was Ms. D’Aumont. She was much more striking in person. The photos really did not do her justice. She was perfectly dressed, like everyone else in this building. He was beginning to feel like the poor country cousin. She certainly had a palpable presence about her. He could feel her sitting there as much as he could she her. She had not spoken a work yet and already he was starting to imagine fascinating things about this woman. He had a feeling that this woman he was looking at was nothing more than a carefully crafted disguise, and that the real Celine D’Aumont was someone else altogether. Someone that very few people had probably ever seen She was too perfect if there was such a thing. Her smile though friendly was fixed. It was like watching an actress in a role and he was simply another player in the plot. He needed to find out that the story line was before he began to play. She was definitely disarming. He had come prepared with and flattery but that all left his head the second he lay eyes on her. This was going to be a very interesting assignment without a doubt. Taylor could profile people better than anyone else he knew. Within the first two minutes of meeting her Taylor knew that Celine was using him and probably anyone else she could manipulate to push forward some unknown, yet immensely important agenda and he knew that she would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. He had met women like her before, though none to the perfection at which the CEO of Celgen possessed. He wanted to applaud her composure and her obvious insincerity for they were rarely ever played with such precision and imagination that Celine was capable of. He knew instantly that she was formidable in a way that he had never encountered before. If she wanted to keep something from him, she certainly would be able to do it without a problem. His mind instantly began searching for ways to get underneath the slick and polished exterior that Celine wore like battle armor. His lip curved up at the right in his familiar mischievous smile. He was going to enjoy this far more than he had ever anticipated and he was absolutely sure now that she was hiding something. It had to be something big to go through this much trouble to make him comfortable and he was getting the exclusive interview. He knew that Celine must view him as an underling and a pawn in some game, he wanted to maintain and encourage this illusion she harbored for it would grant him a little time and eventually the upper hand. It was beginning to feel like a game now and the strange thing was that the game felt old and familiar as if he had picked up a chess piece after an eternity of pondering and put it into play, resuming the game once again.

  “Mr. Hamilton.” Her voice matched her face; Smooth and flawless with false tones of empathy. “May I call you Taylor?” She did not offer her hand like the secretary. It seemed like something beneath her and he got the feeling that she would have much preferred him to kiss one of her glittering rings in an action of subservience. That was it! He tried not to change the smile on his face. She liked to dominate people and he was ninety nine percent sure that she loved to dominate men in business and in life and most definitely in love. She was a force to be reckoned with and in thirty seconds he ascertained that she was from an old regal European bloodline that boasted of kings and queens in times past. Even the way she moved was regal and the jewels on her fingers were the kinds of huge gems that were passed down from generation to generation. They did not make jewelry like that anymore. The huge mine cut emerald did not have many facets and did not shine like a modern laser cut stone but he knew that it was worth more than his entire holdings including property and he guessed that most likely her great great grandmother wore the same stone on the same finger. She was magnificent.

  “Of course! I insist you call me Taylor and may I say thank you for such a warm reception and wonderful hotel in the heart of Paris. A journalist does not usually receive such a welcome and I have to tell you I truly appreciate it.” He suddenly felt groveling and timid which was something he had no experience with.

  “And you must call me Celine!” Her voice was sharp and crisp and echoed across the stark office. He could almost feel the heat emanating from her body. She moved in toward him and greeted him in the French manner with a kiss on both cheeks. Her lips felt cold. It was not what he expected. “Please have a seat.” She motioned for him to sit in one of the square black leather chairs that looked very modern and very efficient. It was surprisingly comfortable.

  “Thank you Celine.” He tried to appear as casual as possible. She moved back behind her desk placing it between them. It was a typical alpha male move. She was in control of their first meeting on her home field and now she was going to explain the rules of this game. She was the boss. She offered him a glass of water from a black rectangular vase into a round crystal glass with no ornamentation which he accepted simply so as not to appear rude.

  “Taylor. I am very excited about our interview on Wednesday. I just wanted to make sure that we are clear on a few issues. Her voice became more fixed; the echo became sharper.

  “Here we go” He thought as he smiled blankly at her. He took a sip of the water. It was the coldest and most refreshing glass of water he could ever remember having and he had to hold himself back from gulping the whole thing like a cow.

  “Of course Celine. I must be completely honest with you and let you know that I am not the original reporter for the job and I may not be as informed as she as to your company and the beauty business and such. You see I usually cover wars and conflict. I’m afraid I’m out of my league and would appreciate and be grateful if you tell me exactly what you want our article to say about you and your company. My company is so honored that you chose us and we only wish to accommodate you.

  “I’m so glad you feel this way Taylor. “ For the first time there was no disingenuous tone in that lovely voice. “I like your honesty and now we can relax and enjoy this process because we understand each other.” Now it was beginning to feel like they were friends. He took another long sip of the icy liquid. She moved about some papers on her desk and poured herself a crystal tumbler of the water. She drank it in one continuous motion without missing a beat. She licked her upper lip unconsciously and Taylor was transfixed. God! It was so true about what the world always says about the women of Paris. They are without a doubt the most beautiful women in the world. She put the glass down and began to speak.

  “I want you to understand something from the beginning. I want this article to be about my company and not about me.” She was no nonsense now. “I do not want some tawdry expose on who is Celine D’Aumont. I’m not a celebrity for God’s sake. I am a scientist. I’m not Estee Lauder. I am a serious scientist who have always applied science to the art of beauty. I want this article to be about my team of doctors and scientists and geneticists and how they came together to help solve one of the world’s most tragic ailments.” She was cocky and very sure of herself. Taylor wondered if she had a lover.

  “And that is?” He raised his eyebrow inquisitively which made him adorable and Celine lost her train of thought for a second. She had forgotten how handsome he was. His lean nose and dark hair with the mysterious eyes nestled underneath thick unruly lashes. They were the lashes that women die for.

  “Why aging of course! What did you think?” She laughed heartily and poured them both another glass. “I am about to announce a breakthrough in genetic technology which will revolutionize the beauty industry forever. People want to look young forever.. This is universal, no?” She continued without waiting for a response. “Too many newspapers here want to explore the creator of Celgen and I want the world to meet the people at the core of this revolution. There are also so many gossip papers that want to exploit a rich French woman and create scandal after scandal. You will see Taylor after a week with me that I am really a terrible bore. All work and no play.” She arched her own eyebrow mimicking his own. ”Well, a little play. You see, I will welcome any questions about my company, my finances, my
laboratories and all of my employees.” She paused and took another long drink and the water appeared to give her a little lift in her energy and determination. “What I will not welcome however are any questions about my personal life. The European press is already having a field day. I was hoping the Americans would be more interested in what we are doing on the scientific frontiers right before we launch this technology into the public, and not spend their time finding out how many lovers I have had, or if I have one now.” She laughed again. “I understand your magazine is very serious and very interested in business as well as political matters. I was hoping you would be my vehicle to speak to the world. I hope you don’t prove me wrong.” She tapped her nails on the glass top of her desk and then reached into a drawer and handed him a thick envelope.

  “I am giving you full clearance to Celgen offices and laboratories. You are free to interview any employee from the top scientist to the driver of your car. I will of course need approval of anything you write before it runs. Will this be a problem?” She sounded like she was challenging him and once more he was overcome with the sensation of playing an old familiar game and now it was his move. Everything depended on his response.

  “Certainly not Celine. This is exactly what I was sent here to do. You have a story to tell the world, you just think of me as your pen. I know that your company is on the verge of something very exciting. The global buzz is totally viral. I would however love a little background on the woman behind this revolution so that the public gets a sense of who your are and what your goals are for this industry. Just a little bio that you want to give me would be perfect, and I promise not to make you the focus of the article.” He finished his second glass and placed it on the desk. “Maybe one day you will fill me in on the woman behind the power.” He instantly hoped he had not gone too far. Customs were always very blurry when traveling internationally. What one might consider harmless flirtation could be seen as grotesquely inappropriate somewhere else. He watched her for a reaction. She just smiled and for the first time since meeting, the smile was real.

  “ I think it is most fortunate for me that the original journalist could not make it. I think we are going to be friends. No?” She was back to flirtatious and flippant. “ I like your style Taylor Hamilton and in Paris style accounts for so much, especially in this business. You know the beauty business can be so ugly.” She shrugged her long shoulders. “I’m glad you like my water. You know it is the purest water in the world. After you drink it you will never be satisfied with anything else.. Now take your pass and I look forward to our meeting in two days. Also, here is a company credit card. We will be paying all of your bills while you are here and please don’t be modest and shy. I would be forced not to like you so much. Besides it’s a tax write off and between you and me, what is a little money to the CEO of Celgen?” Her arrogance was amazing and so very natural. She wasn’t bragging but simply stating the facts. “I want you to enjoy your time here in Paris so please get out and see our famous city.” She rose and he understood it was his invitation to leave her presence. She was right though, he wanted more of that water and felt incredibly thirsty.. Celine walked him to the door of her office. “I’ve arranged for us to lunch at one on Wednesday. I hope that works for you.” She placed her arm on his as if they were old friends.

  “That sounds perfect. I cannot wait.” He began to feel he was under her spell. Somehow she had turned the tables on him. He was going to seduce her into telling him all her secrets and now he felt as if he would do anything she asked him to. She was good he had to give her that. He had two days to find out just how good she really was at this game. He would begin with the offices since he was already here and then move on to the labs. Also he wanted to see that pretty American woman he met outside. She might come in real handy and secretly he just wanted to see her again. There had to be a reason that she was so familiar. It must have been college. It wouldn’t be bad to spend time with her either. What was not to like? She was pretty and friendly and obviously intelligent and she worked for Celine. It was a win-win situation. Yes this was turning into the assignment of a lifetime. He remembered that the woman had an appointment with Celine at ten thirty. He would manage to return to this area around the same time so he could bump into her again. This was turning out to be more like a vacation rather than work and he didn’t mind one bit. If only he wasn’t so thirsty. Must be the damned jet lag and he was still dehydrated.

  Sasha pretended to be working at her computer. She was randomly flipping through files and charts as if she were doing something of the utmost importance. Just a few more minutes and she would be meeting Madame Le President. She could not calm her nerves no matter how hard she tried and now she was simply anxious to get it over with. The sooner it began, the sooner it would be all over. She stopped trying to guess what the meeting was about over thirty minutes ago as that was only driving her insane trying to speculate what Celine D’Aumont could possibly want with a peon like herself. Finally it was time to go. She opened her compact from her purse to make sure her make up was perfect and that her hair was in place. Not bad she thought to herself as she stared into the tiny mirror. She did not look at all like a person who was totally freaking out because she was suddenly afraid that her hard earned Parisian life was going to be yanked away from her clutching fists. She had fought way too hard to crumble before some corporate self made millionaire. She reminded herself that she had come this far and would not let anything stand in the way of her dreams and goals, she would wait tables if she had to in order to stay in her beloved city.

  A chic, self possessed young woman led Sasha in through the ominous portal to Celine’s office. She stared straight ahead at the woman behind the desk. A shiver ran through her very soul. Something visceral yanked at her insides and told her to run. She tried to remind herself that this was only anxiety and that al she needed to do was focus on her breathing and keep her mind still. She made herself smile and held out her hand to the dominating woman who commanded all of her attention simply by being in the room. The woman with the fiery hair smiled back at her and Sasha thought she detected a hint of amusement. Did she seem funny to her? This thought made her angry and her fear dissolved into fury. All morning long Sasha had been fighting demons and now this woman had the gall to be amused! Still, she did sign her paychecks and her company made it possible for her to be in France for longer than three months at a time. She tried to be grateful but found it difficult. She waited for the president of Celgen to speak. For a full minute they stood regarding each other, sizing each other up and slowly there crept into each of them an ounce of admiration and approval. It was clear that they were both masters of their own destiny and they each held themselves in check with perfect posture and perfect smiles. They each, in their own way had learned to play the game and could recognize a worthy player. Someone had to speak soon or Sasha would appear rude. She just couldn’t make her mouth work as if she were afraid of the sound of her own voice. This woman before her was polished and honed like a piece of sculpture. She was striking in appearance as beautiful as a work of art though a little too harsh. One could easily see that her nose was just a tiny bit to peaked and her eyebrows rose unapologetically up to her temples. Maybe life had not been too kind to Celine and she too had to fight like Sasha for everything she wanted in life. Still she could not shake the feeling that she should run out of the room and leave the company far behind her. There was no reason for this feeling yet it pervaded everything. The hair on the nape of her neck stood up and she felt like a cat who was facing an enemy. Miss D’Aumont broke the silence much to Kyra’s relief.

  “I am so pleased to finally meet you Sasha.” Her smile widened but her emerald green eyes remained cool.

  “The pleasure is all mine Ms. D’Aumont.” She wished she could keep her mind from racing and keep her gushing down to a minimum. Whenever Sasha got nervous, like many people she began to gush whatever random thoughts happened to be running around her active brain.
She bit her lip to make sure her mouth had stopped talking and saw that Celine was summoning her to have a seat.

  “I make it a habit to meet all of my employees. It takes a long time to get to everyone but I like to know who is running my company!” She smiled and emitted a tinny laugh. “It makes things more personal in this digital world.” She made a grand gesture all around her. Sasha thought that she could have easily been a dancer with those long legs and arms of hers. Celine’s voice was soft and nurturing as if she were talking to a precious child. It was almost hypnotizing and Sasha sank down into the very comfortable black leather chair and tried to compose herself. So, maybe this was just routine and she had gotten herself all worked up over nothing. She just wished she could shake the feeling of animosity she felt towards the woman behind the desk. Was it professional jealousy? Here was a woman who had made a tremendous success of her life and Sasha’s similar journey was just beginning; she had so much to accomplish even though she was only twenty four. All she knew that for some irrational reason she hated Celine. Was she being catty? It was so unlike her and at this point she couldn’t tell what was going on with her bizarre emotional response to the boss lady. For now she focused her sharp mind and tried with every fiber of her being to be as nice and composed as possible.

  “I love working for your company Miss D’Aumont.” She made herself stop talking as soon as the sentence was out. Celine leaned forward at her desk and quickly glanced at some papers which Sasha assumed were all about her.

  “It shows. Your performance is exemplary. In the four short months you have been working for us you have accomplished a great deal.” She handed Sasha a glass of crystal clear liquid. “ I want you to know that all of your work has not gone unnoticed. That is also why I wanted to meet with you today. I would like to offer you a raise and a bonus. I want you to know I realize what a valuable commodity you are to my company and I am not about to lose you to the competition.” She drank heartily from her own glass. “Paris may seem big but the beauty business is a very small incestuous and vicious circle. You’ll learn that soon enough. There is something very ugly about the beauty business today and I would like to change that..” She placed her empty glass on the desk and handed Sasha a piece of paper. Sasha tried not to shake as she took the paper from Celine to look down and see the staggering figures. Her salary was basically doubled and the bonus amount would buy a very lovely car. “I’ve had the bonus deposited into your account and the raise is effective immediately which you will see on your next paycheck. All the details are in this paper here.” She slid another piece of paper across the desk. Celine’s voice dropped suddenly to a husky whisper. “Hard work is rewarded here at Celgen. It was hard work that got me where I am today. But you know all about hard work don’t you Sasha?” Her tone sounded slightly menacing and Sasha had the sensation that she was just a mouse that some cat had cornered in the kitchen, content to play with it for hours before the kill. The words were sincere but something emanating from Celine was not. Sasha knew when people were being dishonest. It was something she was born with and she knew that Celine D’Aumont was not being truthful with her. Who knows, maybe she needed so many foreigners in her company for a tax break. She was thrilled with the money for Paris was as expensive as it was beautiful and this would help her out immensely. She hadn’t expected this kind of money for at least a few years when she would prove herself to the world. Her marketing skills were unparalleled but they were yet to be seen by most of the world. How could Celine be so sure of her ability? Perhaps that was something she was born with, the ability to separate the wheat from the chaff. She quickly reminded herself not to look a gift horse in the mouth and take advantage of this amazing opportunity. Celine would probably want to draw up an inclusive non-compete document to make sure she would get her money’s worth. She reached for the glass of water and suddenly stopped. Water! A warning bell was ringing in her brain that had to do with Celine and the water. She knew that it was insane but she also knew that the glass would never make it to her lips. For a second she thought she remembered something and she was filled with anxiety. Celine continued to stare at her as if she were observing a subject in an experiment. The smile never left her face.