Just Another Damn Love Story

by Caleb Alexander

  “I just pulled in the Sean Jean account!” Pamela protested.

  “That was last month,” Laquisha told her.

  “But they took out a year’s worth of adds!” Pamela shot back. “That was a three hundred thousand dollar score!”

  “So what!” Laquisha told her. “Do you think that you’re supposed to just sit on your ass for the rest of the year?”

  “I pulled in the MAC account before that,” Pamela told her. “And I scored Revlon before that!”

  “What have you done for me lately?” Laquisha asked. “See, you made me get all Janet on you! You know I hate to bring out my Janet.”

  “I scored the Tommy Hilfiger account just last week,” Jerome told her.

  “Yeah, and we had to discount five thousand dollars a month to get it!” Laquisha shouted. “Don’t you even mention that bootleg deal you made with RJ Reynolds! Some of our other advertisers were pissed about that cigarette ad. Not to mention corporate, and some of our readers.”

  “I got Revlon,” Jerome added.

  “Two months ago!” Laquisha told him. “Don’t make me go Janet on you!”

  Kimberly raised her hand.

  “What?” Laquisha shouted.

  “I got a lead from Mercedes, and from Allstate,”Kimberly told her.

  “What happened to the Black Expressions deal?” Laquisha asked, tilting her head to the side and pursing her lips.

  “The meeting went well,” Kimberly said nervously. “I’m still waiting to hear back from them.”

  “What else you got coming up?” Laquisha asked.

  “I have meetings with Lays, with the Air Force, with Pepsi, and with Soft Sheen Carson,” Kimberly told her.

  “And you?” Laquisha asked, turning toward Jerome.

  “I’m meeting with the Army today,” Jerome told her. “If they don’t ask, I won’t tell.”

  Pamela and Kimberly burst into laughter.

  “Don’t encourage him!” Laquisha shouted. “What else you got? People, you are my advertising executives. You are the life blood of the magazine. If you don’t produce, we don’t survive!”

  “I’m meeting with American Airlines tomorrow, Lustrasilk on Tuesday, McDonald’s on Tuesday afternoon, Pantene on Wednesday, and Victoria Secret on Thursday.”

  Laquisha nodded, and turned toward Pamela.

  Pamela exhaled. “I got Walmart on Tuesday, Jeep on Wednesday, S C Johnson & Sons on Thursday, GMAC on Friday morning, Pfizer on Friday afternoon, and Clinique this afternoon.”

  Laquisha clapped her hands together. “Let’s get out there and get that money.”

  Pamela, Kimberly, and Jerome turned and headed for the door.

  Jerome shoved Kimberly and Pamela. “You heard her. You bitches better get out there and get pimp Quisha’s money!”

  The three of them broke into laughter as they exited the office and headed down the hall.

  *****

  Sterling packed away more of his belongings into the cardboard box on his desk, so that he could clear out his office for Wilson. He had decided to move Wilson into his office, and finally clean out the large corner office that the company had been using for storage. He would take that office, and move the boxes that now occupied it, into a proper storage closet elsewhere in the building.

  Wilson strolled into the office carrying a white handbag and matching white leather trench. Both had large gold letters printed all over them.

  “What is SPQR?” Sterling asked.

  “It’s the coat of arms of the Roman Empire,” Wilson explained.

  “White with gold letters, I love the look, love the design of the bag and the trench, but what’s with those letters in particular?” Sterling asked, lifting an eyebrow.

  “Sterling, we pretend that our main corporate headquarters is in Milan, just so people will believe that Vespasian is an Italian company,” Wilson explained. “We have to put out merchandise that pays homage to Italian history or that has Italian themes.”

  “Yeah, but why so over the top?”

  Wilson laughed. “You’re used to bespoke men’s suits. All dark and double breasted. Your idea of fashion excitement is adding subtle pinstripes. Let me handle the women’s fashions.”

  Sterling waved his hand. “You got it.”

  Marleena, Sterling’s secretary, strolled into the office holding up a pair of white, open toed, high heels with a gold SPQR logo as the toe strap.

  “Now those are fly!” Sterling told them. “Is this the stuff we talked about doing months ago?”

  Wilson nodded.

  “It turned out great,” Sterling said while nodding. “Any luck finding a designer?”

  “Not yet,” Wilson exhaled, and plopped down in the chair behind the desk. “I’m still searching for one with that right look. I interviewed three designers this morning.”

  “How’s the executive search coming along?”

  Wilson shook his head.

  “Stay at it, we’ll find someone.”

  “You ready for the rest of the material?” Wilson asked.

  Sterling turned, leaned back against the desk and folded his arms. One by one, various models strolled into the room, showcasing Vespasian’s latest designs.

  “Love that suit,” Sterling told Marleena. “Take notes. We need a three button, English version, in the same material. This pants suit coming up, needs to be flared more at the ankle. Also, I want the same jacket, but with a straight pants leg variation, and also a variation with a long skirt. Love that suit. That one is perfect as well.”

  “Marleena, are these Ford models, or the new ones from Wilhelmina?” Wilson asked.

  “Wilhelmina,” Marleena told him. “Also, Fed Ex delivered the ties from the manufacturer today.”

  “I want to see them after this viewing,” Sterling told her.

  “They probably delivered the scarves as well,” Wilson added.

  “We are really going through with this expanded women’s line?” Sterling asked.

  Wilson nodded. “It’s about time.”

  “I showed the reversible purse to my daughter, the one with the glow-in-the-dark V’s, and she went crazy over it,” Marleena told him. “I think you have a hit on your hands with that one.”

  “What’s this?” Sterling asked, stopping one of the models. He clasped her forearm and held up her hand.

  “That’s our wrist bag,” Wilson explained. “It’s a tiny handbag, attached to a thick bracelet. It’ll be great for formals, or for anywhere women just want to carry a small fold.

  Sterling nodded. “I like it.”

  Marleena nodded. “Another hit.”

  “And now, for the coup de grace…” Wilson stood, and waved his hand towards the door. “Our company’s first take on the little black dress!”

  A model strutted into the office wearing a form fitting black dress that stopped at her knees.

  Sterling nodded.

  “With the right accessories, you can wear it to work, change accessories and wear it to a cocktail party, change accessories and wear it to a formal or to church,” Wilson said excitedly. “It’s stylish, versatile, and absolutely stunning!”

  “Who did it for us?” Sterling asked.

  “That little Italian girl that works in our Milan office,” Wilson explained.

  “She’s good,” Sterling told him. “Well, I like what I’ve seen so far. Especially the men’s line up, and the new handbags and shoes.”

  “Well, you know where to sign,” Wilson told him. “We can get everything into production within two weeks.”

  Sterling nodded. “You sign. That’ll be your new job. And we need to get on the ball, and get some designers in here and get this thing off the ground. Also, we need to find someone to run the whole kit and caboodle. Think we can steal someone from another fashion house?”

  “With what you pay?” Wilson asked with a smile. “Not likely.”

  Sterling laughed. “Let’s just keep our eyes and our options open.”

  Cha
pter Three

  Kim absolutely loved her apartment. She had managed to secure a primo two bedroom apartment smack dab in the middle of Times Square. Her building, 1600 Broadway, was legendary for its location and views. Her apartment over looked the famous Candy Factory just off of the square. In fact, she could take in the New Years celebration from the comfort of her living room, or venture out onto her balcony to listen to the countdown and watch the ball drop.

  1600 Broadway had concierge service, on-site parking, a rooftop swimming pool and recreation area, and an in building spa and workout center. Her father’s credit and financial support had really helped her living situation. She wouldn’t trade her apartment for any in the world.

  Kimberly’s furnishings were straight out of Ikea. They were very sheik, very modern, very chic. She had a cream colored curving sectional that took up most of her living area. She had bamboo end tables and a bamboo coffee table that matched the bamboo flooring of the apartment, as well as the bamboo cabinetry in her kitchen. Her kitchen was a study in modernity itself. In addition to the Bamboo cabinetry, it boasted concrete counter tops, and stainless steel Viking appliances. Her dining area was taken up by a space saving glass dining table with ultra modern birch wood chairs. Above the concrete mantle of her fireplace, rested her pride and joy; a seventy-two inch flat panel television. The T.V. had been a house warming gift from her mother. Otherwise, it would have remained in the electronics store. There was no way she would have been able to spend six grand on a television.

  Kimberly’s bedroom was decked out like that of an Egyptian princess. She loved black and gold, and she loved ancient Egyptian artifacts and artwork. Her bed was a platform bed that rose only inches off of the floor. On top of that flat platform, she had her memory foam mattress, clad in gold and black silk sheets, and covered with a thick gold and black comforter with hieroglyphics and pyramid motifs on it. The bed dressing matched her curtains, as well as her black and gold artwork. On the wall, was her other pride and joy; a sixty-five inch flat panel television.

  Kimberly strolled across the floor of her apartment, into her kitchen, and fixed herself a nice hot cup of espresso. The Miele espresso machine had been a gift from her aunt, and it turned out to be one of the best house warming gifts in the history of Western Civilization. The stainless steel machine made the best espressos, lattes, and coffees in the world. It really came in handy on cold winter mornings and back breaking days like today; days when she needed to simply lay back in her leather recliner and relax.

  Her trip to her recliner was interrupted by the telephone.

  “Hello?” Kim said, lifting her cordless to her ear.

  “Kimberly, darling, how are you?”

  Kimberly rolled her eyes and exhaled forcibly. “Mother, how are you?”

  “Just sitting in my sun room, worried sick about you,” Mrs. Neel told her.

  “Why are you worried about me?” Kim asked. “I’m fine.”

  “How would we know?” Mrs. Neel snapped. “You never call, you never come by. No e-mails, not even a lousy postcard.”

  “A postcard? Mom, I live in Manhattan, you live in Westchester, why would I send you a postcard?”

  “You could send a telegram or a letter by pony express for all I care. Your father and I just want to hear from you.”

  “Mother, I just saw you in church last week.”

  “But you missed service yesterday,” Mrs. Neel countered. “We hadn’t heard from you, anything could have happened. We worry about you so much. I mean, living in the city is so dangerous, especially for a single woman.”

  Kimberly exhaled and got comfortable. She knew what was coming next. Her mother’s diatribe about marriage was an almost weekly ritual.

  “I’m fine, Mother.”

  “No, you’re not fine, Kimberly!” Mrs. Neel said forcefully. “You’re living in the middle of all those wild and raunchy people, you’ve tossed away your only immediate prospect for a husband, you're stuck in a dead end job, and you refuse to go back to school and get your MBA or your CPA. I don’t know what to do.”

  “There is nothing for you to do, Mother. Times Square is not filled with raunchy and dangerous people, it’s just full like that on New Years. I did not throw away my only prospects for a husband. John and I split, because he had way too many issues, way too many children, and way too many baby mommas. And my job is not a dead end job, I’m an ad executive at one of the largest magazines in the country.”

  “John is an orthopedic surgeon, for Pete’s sake!”

  “Yeah, with three different baby mommas! One of whom slashed my tires, and another who threw a brick through my car window and keyed my car door!”

  “And you blame him for their behavior?”

  “I just couldn’t deal with the drama anymore, Mom. The stalking, the telephone calls, the messages left at my job. It was too much. And he wasn’t helping to control the situation.”

  “You let a good man get away, because you weren’t willing to fight for him?”

  “Mother, please. Not this conversation again. I’ve had a rough day.”

  “Well, if you were the wife of a doctor, you wouldn’t have to work at that dead end job.”

  “Mother, I love my job. It’s challenging, and rewarding, and…”

  “And it leaves you exhausted and broke.”

  “I’m not broke.”

  “Do you need money?”

  “I could use some,” Kimberly said softly.

  “Ah-ha!” Mrs. Neel told her. “See, if you go back to school, get your MBA or your CPA, then you could get a job that pays some real money. And, if you furthered your education, it would dramatically improve your chances of getting into the Links.”

  “Mother, who said that I wanted to join the Links?”

  “Don’t be silly, dear. Everyone wants to join the Links.”

  “You may find this hard to believe, but not everyone wants to join your group of gossiping old women.”

  “Kimberly!”

  “Mother!” Kimberly exhaled. “Look, Mom, I have to go. I have something cooking on the stove. Tell Dad I love him, and I’ll talk to both of you later. Love you.”

  Kimberly hung up the telephone before her mother could get another word in. She reclined in her chair, lifted her warm espresso, and turned her attention toward her television. A nice Lifetime movie would do her some justice right now. She needed to see something about women overcoming, overpowering, or snipping off the protruding parts of a lousy, cheating man. Hopefully, that man would be a cheating orthopedic surgeon with way too many ex-wives.

  *****

  Sterling strolled through the park toward the playground. It was a playground he knew well, as it served as his weekly pick-up spot for his most cherished possession in the world; Sterling Williams III.

  “Daddy!” Sterling III raced to his father and leaped into his arms.

  Sterling lifted his son into the air and spun him around. “Third!”

  Sterling planted kisses all over his son’s face. He was too much in rapture to notice the approach of the boy’s mother.

  “You’re late,” Carmela said sternly.

  “I am not,” Sterling protested.

  Carmela peered down at her wrist watch. “You were supposed to be here at two o’clock.”

  “For Pete’s sake, Carmela, its two minutes after two right now!” Sterling told her.

  “Which means you’re late!” Carmela told him.

  “I’m not going to let you ruin my day,” Sterling told her. “Me and Third are going to spend some time together in the park.”

  “Look, I don’t even have to let you do this!” Carmela reminded him. “It’s not the weekend. I’m just being nice and letting you spend time with him, since we were going to be here today anyway.”

  Sterling held out his palms, calming the situation. “Okay, I know. I thank you for it. We’re just going to head over to the swing and spend some time together.”

  Carmela peered down at her wat
ch. “You got fifty five minutes left.” She turned, seated herself on a nearby park bench, and engrossed herself in the novel she brought along.

  Sterling wrapped his arm around Third, and the two of them headed off to a nearby play area.

  “So, how have things been going?” Sterling asked.

  Third shrugged his shoulders. “The same. Mom made me go to church Sunday.”

  “That’s good. You’re supposed to go to church.”

  “But when I got home, my X-Box messed up.”

  “What happened to it?”

  Third shrugged his shoulders again. “I don’t know, it just stopped working.”

  “Well, it just so happens, that I went online today, and I checked a certain young man’s grades, and they were all A’s.”

  Third smiled and nodded.

  “So,” Sterling continued. “I think a brand new X-Box can be arranged. If I would have known you needed one, I would have brought it today. But, since I didn’t know, I only brought this.” Sterling reached into his pocket and pulled out a video game.

  Third instantly snatched it out of his hand. “Madden ’13! All right!” He again wrapped his arms around his dad.

  “I wish you would call me when you need something,” Sterling told him.

  Third nodded. “I didn’t need anything.”

  “You needed a new X-Box.”

  “Mom said that a new X-Box is a want, not a need,” Third explained. “She said that it was a privilege.”

  Sterling laughed and nodded. “Your mom’s right. You make sure that you always listen to her. You be a good son, and you do what your mother tells you to do.”

  “I want to live with you, Dad.”

  “You can stay with me on the weekends like you’ve been doing.”

  “But I want to stay on the weekdays too.”

  “Your mom wouldn’t go for that,” Sterling told him. “I would love to have you live with me all of the time, but I can’t. Your mom loves you just as much as I do, so we have to share you.”