by Sarah Bailey
“You must be Athena’s new assistant,” she said, her face registering curiosity. “It didn’t peg her for hiring the modest type.”
Someone cleared her throat behind us. I turned around, and found my boss standing there, her face schooled into an expression that somehow projected both confidence and approachability. “I assure you the only thing modest about Ms. Stevens is her dress.”
Sylvia smirked slightly, and I noticed her not so furtively sizing up Athena, who was wearing a very flashy diamond necklace, a low cut silk blouse, and a crazy-looking, but figure flattering asymmetrical skirt. “Good to see you again, Athena,” she said, and my boss smiled in response.
“Let’s go to the boardroom, shall we?”
When we were settled into the boardroom, and I’d fetched Sylvia a bottle of chilled water from the minibar, it was obvious that everyone was ready to get down to business.
“So, Athena,” Sylvia began, eyeing her shrewdly. “What are you prepared to offer me?”
Athena took a sip of her water, then leaned toward Sylvia, her eyes flashing with determination. “My reputation proceeds me, I’m sure.” Sylvia gave her a questioning look, but it was obvious from the slight glint in her eyes that she was very aware of the reputation Athena was referring to. “I can get you the best deal in town,” she said.
Sylvia eyed her speculatively. “I admire your confidence,” she said.
Now Athena’s eyes became shrewd. “No, you admire my reputation. And I don’t need to assure you that it’s built on a solid foundation.”
Sylvia started toying with her earring, then folded her hands together in a quick, decisive gesture. “Yes, Athena. I’m aware of your reputation. But I also know you have many clients. Let’s be frank. I’m a big name in the industry, and my screenplay is hot. You stand to make a lot of money off me. And I don’t begrudge you for it. But I do expect to be catered to. And I’m not sure you have the time to give me the kind of attention I need.”
Athena flashed her a winning smile, and then vaguely gestured toward me. “I’ll seal the deal for you, Sylvia, and Sarah here, under my guidance, will attend to all of your other needs. She’s an exceptional up-and-coming agent, and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed with her degree of attention to detail.”
Sylvia looked at me skeptically, then her eyes flicked back to Athena. “Has she even read my screenplay?”
“Yes, I have,” I piped up. “And in my humble opinion it’s absolutely brilliant.”
Sylvia’s face brightened at the compliment, but then her expression became cautious and assessing. “What did you find so brilliant about it?” she asked.
I swallowed hard, then launched right into what I had to say. “Everyone knows how hard it is to show something universal through a highly specific situation. But that’s exactly what you manage to do. Your male and female leads are really unique, complex characters, so much so that a lesser writer might not be able to create them in a way that the audience can relate to. But you succeed in doing that, and it looks effortless.”
The corner of Sylvia’s mouth quirked up, and she gave me an approving nod. “Smart girl,” she said. “You obviously notice the essentials.” Then she focused her eyes back on Athena. “This just might work,” she said. “But I’m not quite ready to commit yet.” She took a sip of her water, eyeing Athena over the rim of the bottle. “I still have a meeting set up with Cooper McGregor. You’re both the best in town. It’ll be a hard decision to make.”
Athena nodded, her expression placid. “I understand,” she said. “Of course you need to explore all of your options. Take all the time you need.”
Sylvia looked at Athena with both appreciation and admiration. It was clear that Athena had won her over, despite whatever womanly competition there was between them. Sylvia got to her feet, grabbing her purse. “I’ll be in touch soon to let you know my decision.” Athena nodded, and stood up quickly to shake her hand.
“I look forward to hearing from you,” she said. Then she gestured to me again and added, “Sarah here will see you out.”
When I returned to my desk, Athena was standing there waiting for me. Her eyes flashed with pride. “Great work, Sarah,” she said, giving my shoulder a quick squeeze. “Sylvia was clearly impressed with you. Paul was right. You’re bright, quick, and discerning. And you know how to win clients over. I must say, it was brilliant of me to hire you.” She winked at me, and chuckled slightly. “Now if only we can lure her in and seal the deal.”
I watched Athena walk back to her office, and then sunk into my seat, feeling overwhelmed by how well the meeting had gone, and by how much my new boss appreciated my skills. I felt like I was finally starting to make my mark. As I got back to writing a rejection letter for the horrid spy thriller I’d read in the morning, I kept hoping and praying that Sylvia Laurence would sign with us. I knew that if Stone and Allen scored her as a client, it would mean amazing things for my career. I sighed. A girl could hope, couldn’t she?
Chapter 23
The rest of my first week at Stone and Allen was hectic. I was working long hours, and rarely got home before eight. I had, however, promised Angela to celebrate scoring my new job on Friday night. We’d made tentative plans to meet at six at a new bar right around the corner from my office. By five o’clock, my desk was clear, and I called her to confirm. Then I grabbed my purse, and busted out of there, excited to leave the office early for once.
The bar was called Stella’s. It was decorated in1960’s Parisian style, with plush red velvet banquettes, distressed hardwood floors, and smoked-glass mirrors. The walls were done with mahogany paneling, and the tables were rectangular and made of dark wood. I found Angela sitting by the window, lounging in a leather armchair. She was already sipping on a margarita. When she saw me, her eyes lit up, and she jumped to her feet, pulling me into a big hug. “You made it through your first week!” she said, gesturing for me to sit down.
I laughed and said, “you mean my second first week. Hopefully this is the last of my job hopping for at least a little while.”
Angela smiled slyly. “Your boss is a woman, right? Unless you plan on switching teams, I think you’ll be okay.”
I laughed again, right as the waitress came by to take my order. “I’ll have what she’s having,” I said. The waitresses nodded, then disappeared.
“So,” Angela said. “How was your first week? I mean, I’ve only seen you for like a whole five minutes since you started this new job.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I know, it’s been crazy.”
The margaritas were on special, and it was happy hour, so the waitress was able to return with my drink almost immediately. I took a huge gulp, the cool liquid sliding down my throat and giving me a pleasant shiver.
“I’m so close to helping score a major new client,” I said, taking another sip. “And if we can pull it off, it will be a huge notch on my belt. But we’ll see. Anyway, enough shop talk. I don’t want to bore you. How was your week?”
Angela’s eyes glimmered gleefully, and I knew at once that something was up. “Okay, spill it,” I said.
She beamed at me. “I scored a pretty cool role in a movie.”
I slammed my drink on the table, sprung to my feet, and rushed over to give her a hug. “Oh my god, Ange, that’s so amazing.”
Her eyes were still twinkling. “I know, right? It’s not the lead. But it’s a major supporting role. So I’ll have tons of onscreen time. Plus I’ll be making good money.”
I settled back into my seat, and reached over to squeeze her hand. “We need to celebrate,” I said. “I’m taking you out this weekend.”
Angela shook her head. “I can’t this weekend. I’m working every night at Strut.”
“Well, then I’m coming out to Strut,” I said. “And then taking you out for a proper night on the town later on in the week.”
Angela arched her eyebrow at me. “During the week? Are you kidding me? You have to get up at like the crack of daw
n. That’s when I go to bed, for fuck’s sake.”
“I’ll just skip a night of sleep,” I said. “I don’t care. This is huge. It needs to be recognized and celebrated.”
All at once, Angela’s face went pale, and her expression became deadly serious. “What’s wrong?” I asked.
She bit down on her lip. “Okay, don’t freak out. But Julian’s here with another woman.”
I felt my heart lurch up into my throat. I took a deep breath, then spun around in my chair. Sure enough, Julian was sitting a few tables away. He was facing me, and as usual, my breath caught when I saw him. He was dressed in my favorite teak silk Armani suit, and his fierce blue eyes gleamed in the light coming in through the window. The woman he was with had her back turned toward me. She was dressed in an outlandish outfit; a crazy gold-sequined dress with a jagged hemline, and zebra print three inch stilettos. Her thick honey hair hung in waves over her shoulders, and I had a sudden violent urge to run over and yank it out of her scalp. But then she turned her profile and I immediately recognized her. It was Sylvia Laurence. I sighed in relief, then turned back to Angela.
“It’s okay,” I said. “He’s on a business date. Cooper McGregor is trying to score the same client as Stone and Allen.”
Angela looked at me like I was crazy. “Then it most certainly isn’t okay,” she said. “He’s your competition, and he’s trying to win over a client that you need to score. You’ve got to make a move, Ser.”
I sat still for a moment, feeling torn. Part of me felt it was aggressive to go intrude, but another part of me screamed that it was important for my career that I not let Julian win. The career girl in me finally won out. “You’re right,” I said to Angela. “I’m heading over there.”
Her eyes crinkled at the corners, and she reached over to squeeze my hand. “Go get ‘em, Tiger,” she said. I chuckled, and took a long swig of my drink.
“Liquid courage,” I said, getting to me feet.
As I approached Julian’s table, he must have felt me coming, because his eyes instantly flicked over and locked with mine. Today I was wearing a simple blue lace dress, and he quickly scanned my body in a possessive way. His look told me he still considered me to be his, and that realization sent heat, desire, and a strange sense of security flooding through me. When I reached his table, he gave me a warm smile, and his face turned into a mask of professionalism. “Sarah,” he said. “It’s so good to see you.”
Sylvia turned her attention me, her eyes shrewd and assessing. “What brings you here today, Ms. Stevens?”
I took a deep breath, and gestured over to the table where Angela was sitting. “I was just having a drink with a friend when I noticed you and Julian over here. I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to come over and say hello.”
Sylvia gave me a shrewd smile. “You mean you came to over to size up the competition.”
Julian’s face registered surprise. “The competition?” he asked.
Sylvia gave him an artfully coy look. “Yes,” she said. “I’ve been shopping around. It’s a toss up for me between Cooper McGregor and Stone and Allen. I could flip a coin, but that wouldn’t be any fun. I’m looking for one of you to woo me with your charm.”
I didn’t know what to say. I could feel my gut twist with nerves, and my tongue get tied up in knots. I couldn’t believe I was choking up at the most critical moment. I had to get it together or I would lose for sure. Julian looked at me carefully, and then finally he spoke. “Actually, Sylvia, it’s funny for me to find myself and Sarah on opposite teams. Sarah used to work for us. But Athena offered her an opportunity she couldn’t pass up. So we lost her. We lost the most promising up and coming agent we’ve hired in the whole ten years we’ve been in business.”
I felt my heart swell with warmth and gratitude. Julian was making me look amazing, even though I was the competition. I couldn’t get over his level of generosity. I just stood there, feeling completely overwhelmed.
Sylvia shot Julian a strange look. “Well, Julian, you certainly aren’t doing a very good job of selling yourself.”
Julian’s expression became frank. “You expect a no bullshit approach, Sylvia. And that’s what I’m giving you. I’ve always been honest with you, and I will continue to be for the rest of our professional acquaintance. Even if it’s to my own detriment.”
Sylvia nodded slowly, then turned her attention to me, a slow smile spreading across her face. “It’s impressive that you’ve had the best agents in the industry already fighting over you, so early in your career. You must truly be outstanding at your job.”
I finally regained my voice, and my poise. “I work hard for my boss, and my boss’s clients. You could almost say I live for my job.”
Sylvia studied me carefully. “Your dedication is impressive. But don’t forget to have a little fun too. All work and no play isn’t good for anybody.”
My eyes flicked to Julian, and I felt longing well up in me. Sylvia’s words had truly hit home. I stood there looking at him for a long time, before I caught myself staring, and quickly snapped myself out of it. “It was good to see both of you,” I said, looking back and forth between the two of them. “Hopefully we’ll be in touch soon,” I added.
Sylvia smiled vaguely, nodded, and then turned her attention back to Julian. I quickly made my way back to Angela.
“How did it go?” Angela asked, her voice brimming over with curiosity.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I mean, I don’t know if I’ll score the account. But what I do know is that Julian is an absolute gentleman. And he cares for me deeply.”
Angela rolled her eyes, and took a sip of her new drink. “I could have told you that about a hundred years ago,” she said. “Glad to see your eyes are finally wide open.”
***
When I came into the office Monday morning, I found a message on my desk, telling me to go directly to Athena’s office. I dropped my things, hurried down the hall, and, while peeking my head in her office, I knocked on her door. Her eyes rose from the papers she was studying, and, when she saw me, she started beaming.
“Come in,” she said. “And close the door.”
When I settled into the armchair across from her, she studied me, her face full of triumph and pride. “Sylvia Laurence signed with us,” she said.
I felt a jolt of excitement rush through me, and my mouth dropped open. “Oh my god,” I said, then instantly felt sheepish for making such an unprofessional remark.
Athena waved away my embarrassment. “Don’t feel silly,” she said. “You have every right to be over the moon about this. It’s a major score.” Then the corner of her mouth quirked up slightly and she cocked her head at an angle. “Sylvia told me she ran into you at that new bar, Stella’s, on Friday, and after Julian raved about you, she was sold.”
My heart swelled again with warmth and longing. Julian had done this for me. He knew how important my career was to me, and he’d helped me out. But he hadn’t pulled strings for me. He knew I’d hate that. He simply told Sylvia what both Paul and Athena had said about my talents and my work ethic. Still, he’d sacrificed a major client for my sake. He could have put on the charm, and used his years of experience to reel Sylvia in. And if anyone knew how charming and persuasive Julian could be, it was me. But he didn’t. Instead he put me in the spotlight, drew attention to my talents, and helped me win a major client. He wasn’t jeopardizing my career, patronizing me, or treating me like arm candy. In fact, I realized, he never really had. He’d always taken every opportunity to introduce me as a colleague, or boast about my talents. Julian was certainly a powerful man, but he wasn’t trying to make me live in his shadow. That was my own issue that had to do with my past with Rob, and my dad’s relationship with my mom.
Athena ran the edge of her finger along a stack of papers, then gave me a pointed look. “I know enough about Julian to know he tells the truth. Whatever he said about you, he believed every word. Still, the man went out of his way for you,” A
thena said, reaching for her coffee mug. “I’d have to say that man is smitten with you.” She took a sip of her coffee and eyed me attentively. “Men like him don’t come along often. Trust me, I know. You’d be a fool to pass him up.”
My mouth dropped open slightly. I couldn’t believe Athena was being this forward with me about my personal life. Then again, I could. She was a straight shooter, just like Julian. She called it like she saw it. “Thanks for the advice,” I said. “I’ll definitely take it under advisement.”
“Good,” she said, placing her mug firmly back down on her desk. “That’s all for now. Get your butt back to your desk,” she added, smiling warmly.
“Yes, ma’am,” I said, saluting her, and headed back to my cubicle.