CheapLit: Free ebook sample of "Corporate Affairs" by R. Vincent Riccio

One

Two weeks had passed since Tom Melici acquired his new job as Promotion and Advertising Director in LA at KXLS-AM-FM-TV. He’d labored diligently to become a success in Arizona, where his brilliance and hard work led him to graduate second his class from Arizona State University with Bachelors Degrees in English Literature and Psychology five years ago, picking up his Masters in Communications two years later; he’d earlier earned an AS in Engineering Technology, something he’d promised his father. Twenty-eight this past Spring, Tom had a long and arduous journey to get through high school and college due to medical complications in his teenaged life; but a strong body and stronger will, coupled to an abundance of work, some excellent doctoring, and a touch of God’s good graces, had enabled him to forge through it in good health.

He found solace in writing, and that, melded to his varietal educational background, led him to broadcasting; upon graduation he found employment at a moderate-sized station complex in Phoenix, first as a copywriter, then as Assistant Promotion Director, finally as Promotion Director. The station complex was one of the two dozen such enterprises owned throughout the country by the large parent company, Argent Media Corporation, Inc. During his three and one-half year tenure there, his talent and intelligence brought him great success, making him one of the most influential people in the greater organization, despite his relative youth. It was at that point he’d been offered his current position for the larger, sister station in Los Angeles.

Tom Melici’s writing talent had also enabled him to publish two books since college, both techno-thrillers, which helped him to become known throughout the industry for his skilled writing technique and highly creative ideas. News travelled quickly in broadcasting, and that placed him on a fast track to virtually anywhere he chose to go. A handsome yet sober and determined young man, Tom believed his success was due to his love of the work, rather than power or fame; his serious but easy disposition didn’t lend itself to being intimidated by the power brokers in his business. That he was good at his job, and could go virtually anywhere in the country, was a fact many people in the industry acknowledged.

His new position brought him together with its new General Manager, the attractive and sexy Catherine Stewart, promoted there three months prior, an impressive feat for a comparatively young, thirty-four year old woman. She’d hailed from one of Argent Media’s Texas stations, and had come to know and respect Tom Melici over the past three years as one of her corporate rivals. Everyone vied for power and notoriety within the company, consequently keeping themselves keenly aware of the others they essentially competed with. Fame and recognition meant power and money, and each employee battled for his or her share. Everyone except Tom Melici; for him, it was an enjoyable adventure which managed to be productive.

Catherine was pretty, smart, and administratively talented, but rumors were that she’d slept her way to the top through a variety of men over the past ten years, and only Catherine knew how much of that was true. Working for the same parent organization, she’d interacted with Tom over the past several years, socializing at meetings, even managing casual dates several times across the miles - mostly business affairs, to her dismay. Despite her self-protective inclinations, she greatly admired and was enamored of the younger man. He was her immediate first choice as top “idea man” to revitalize revenues and ratings for the LA AM-FM-TV complex which she now headed. It had taken a great deal of horse-trading and administrative legerdemain to get him, but she’d ultimately managed it with an array of imaginative offers everyone could finally accept.

Just returning from a series of meetings and corporate seminars, Catherine was to have her first meeting with Tom in her office for lunch to review overall advertising and promotion strategies.

“Hi, Margie,” the young man said to the attractive, executive secretary, Marge O’Donnell, a raven-haired, Irish belle with large golden-brown eyes, a beautiful smile, and impeccable credentials. At thirty, her beauty, class, and professionalism embodied the corporate prototype sought in all employees.

“Yes, Mr. Melici, she’s waiting for you, go right in.”

“Margie - please! It’s Tom. You’ve known me for two weeks. Forget the formalities, huh. It’s not me,” he commented affably.

She smiled at him, again thoroughly charmed by the handsome young Director. “Okay, Tom. She’s been looking forward to seeing you again.”

He returned the smile, and was buzzed in, entering the soundproofed, secure office through a large, steel-cored door, which automatically locked behind him, effects paranoically mandated by the larger, parent corporation in the modern days of terrorism. He saw the attractive Manager sitting next to her desk in one of the several plush, red leather chairs around it, her chestnut brown hair falling thickly to her shoulders, wearing a white blouse with navy blue skirt, it’s matching jacket hanging neatly on the rear of the chair behind her desk; her long, shapely legs, admired by every male who met her, were crossed high. The clear, hazel eyes twinkled as a wry smile crept upon her youthfully pretty face.

“Hello, Thomas,” she said almost seductively in her throaty voice, always a manipulative bent in her mind. “So we meet again. Finally as comrades, instead of competitors.”

Tom smiled , walking slowly toward her, his six-foot, wiry form, lean and imposing; he wore stone-washed, grey jeans and a white shirt with blue pin-stripes to match the deep azure in his eyes, a white cowboy hat on, no tie or jacket. “How you doin’, Cat! Finally made it, huh. Congrats.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Yes. Thank you. Three months. Still a lot of overhauling to do. That’s why I needed you. It took everything I could manage to get you here.”

“Uh-huh.” He sat down in the chair opposite her and relaxed. “Scared?”

She shrugged. “A little. It’s a big job. Headquarters wants a big change - especially if I’m going to stay here. I can’t do it by myself. They know that, too.”

Tom nodded. His fingers went to the thin, light brown beard which matched his precision cut hair and was neatly sculpted from his sideburns, around the solid outline of his tanned jawbone and chin. “They’re waiting for you to fail, Cat. I hope you realize that.”

Catherine’s pretty, hazel eyes opened wide and wandered momentarily before settling back on Tom. She offered a delicate sigh. “I was hoping that wasn’t the case. That they actually wanted this station up and running - decidedly in the black. What the hell - that’s the logical thing for a corporation, isn’t it. Why - what do you know?”

“I know them. And I know Doyle McGarrity. I don’t know how many times I’ve told you not to trust him as far as you can throw him. Then there are all the rumors. You know how this business is.”

“Mm-hm. Plenty of rumors, short on truth.”

Tom Melici shrugged. “Sure, but, where there’s smoke -” He waved a hand in the air.

She smiled. “So tell me, what the hell is that cowboy thing, with the hat and everything? I’ve always refrained from asking you before. I assumed it was one of those eclectic writer things - you know, establishing your uniqueness and independence. But you’re much more than that. I should have the right now, huh. You go to every meeting like that?”

He shrugged again. “Usually. It’s natural. You get used to it in Arizona. It’s become part of me. Women don’t seem to mind it either.” His handsome, sculptured features smiled easily; he never took himself too seriously. Not anymore.

“Yes, I’m sure! A young man as handsome as you are - with the power you have - there’ll be a bunch of them hanging all over you here. You’re not in Kansas anymore, Lone Ranger,” she added drily.

He chuckled a few seconds, then became more serious. “You know, your promotion is a no-lose situation for the guys in Division, Cat.”

“Meaning?”

“All those rich, dirty old men that decided to promote you - at our noble V.P.’s request,” he stated sarcastically. “They got you here with all that extra-curricular activity you put in with the bosses.” He narrowed his view of her. “Especially your good buddy, Doyle McGarrity.”

The pretty Manager closed her eyes, grit her teeth, exhaling a long breath through her nose. Then she opened them and glared at her new Promotion Director.

“You succeed - McGarrity and his HQ sidekicks look like heroes for giving you the job, getting a prosperous station - which those bananas think will take a miracle. If you don’t, you’ll get booted back down, and they’ll all have their hands back down your panties and on those sexy long legs again for the rest of your life! Unless you leave the business. Which they’re positive you’ll never do, after having worked so hard to get here in the first place. They’ll dangle something else in front of you as a lure, with falling into broadcast oblivion as the alternative, assured that they can get you to do just about anything. You’re a beautiful woman. They’re looking to manhandle you every way they can. That’s the real story.”

The Station Manager frowned as he spoke. She knew this would be a delicate conversation; Tom was nobody’s fool, and many people’s hero. It was one of the reasons she’d hired him.

“See,” he bent forward, a little closer to her, “you failing doesn’t hurt them. These LA stations have been a loss for years. They routinely eat it - write it off. My contacts upstairs said every time the topic comes up to sell the whole thing off, McGarrity and his cronies on the Board nix it. This station has been their own private playpen; they’re all rich, and major stockholders. They don’t care what it makes. Certainly Doyle doesn’t. It’s worth more to him as playtime. Now, here you are - after your ignominious little soiree with the big-guy! Funny how that worked out, huh.”

Catherine sighed again, becoming more nervous and unsettled than she’d anticipated. It was her major concern for this meeting, since Tom was well-known for his honesty and integrity - sometimes to a fault.

“Once you fail,” he continued, “and superstardom is a memory - McGarrity believes you’ll retreat back to him nice and humble, his own personal concubine-in-waiting - available for every use and abuse he and his pals can devise. They’ll have you screwing every V.P., Corporate Administrator, and Marketing Manager they come across - not to mention all of them. You’ll be a perk - for some BS deal they have going somewhere that you won’t even know about. They’ve done it before. I tried to tell you this months ago, but - you were grasping too hard for your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”

Catherine stared at him a long time before speaking. “Same old Thomas,” she stated softly. “Kind and diplomatic to the end.”

“You’ve known me long enough to know who I am. I’m assuming that’s why you hired me.”

“Yes. Part of the reason, anyway.” She pouted a minute as she continued staring at him. “If you think so damn little of me, why the hell’d you come to work for me?”

“I didn’t come to work for you. I came to work for this station.”

“Thanks.”

“You know what I’m saying. This is a challenging opportunity. It’ll take many new ideas and directions. With a free hand, I get command and run my own show, I’ll have the opportunity to do some pretty inventive stuff - assuming you let me have it the way I want it.”

“I thought you were the one who didn’t like power and all the fancy trappings.”

“I don’t. Not for their own sake. But as a practical means of accomplishing my job, especially here, with all that needs to be done, a certain amount’s a necessity. I just won’t revel in it.”

She sniffed out a tiny laugh. “Well, I’m the Station Manager here. How much power do you think I’m going to let you have?” She attempted to reassume command of their situation.

Tom stood up and walked to the edge of her chair, making the woman who greatly admired him decidedly uncomfortable. He bent down, his deep blue eyes looking into her pretty face a few moments. “All that I need, Cat. You want to stay here and play superstar in this fancy, overpriced environment - and dare not go backwards - you have no choice, and you’re very well aware of that.” He grasped the naked part of her thigh, at her raised hemline, giving it a firm squeeze, knowing it would surprise and shake her up.

“Huh-h-h!” she drew in a sharp, startled breath.

“They have you by the short hairs, Beautiful, and you put yourself there.” He furrowed his brows, giving her thigh a few more stimulating squeezes; he was now only a couple of inches from her face. “Think it was worth all the effort to get here?”

Her Managerial aloofness was quickly fading as her sensitive physiology shivered slightly with the suggestive move the new Promotion Director made, as he’d assessed. She stared silently into the blue eyes a minute, feeling her body’s tension and excitement increase.

“I’m - I’m not sure yet. Give me a few years to evaluate!” She tried to regain her composure, knowing this sophisticated young man had disheveled it all too easily. His hand on her thigh disconcerted her, but she wasn’t sure she wanted him to remove it. “What - what do you want from me, Tom?” she whispered. “Really! If you wanted to screw me, you’d have already done it. I gave you enough damn chances and suggestions.”

Tom raised his eyebrows in amusement, knowing the power had already shifted in their meeting. He removed his hand and backed up. “I’m not completely sure yet. We can start with honesty.” He gave her body a quick lookover. “All that great-looking equipment real?” he said, pulling his chair close to hers. He sat down, leaning back, thoughtful.

“Of course! Everything’s real. You should’ve known that for certain by now.”

The handsome new Director smiled easily at her. “That’s not what all your PR says: fake boobs, lips, botox, a little plastic surgery, the whole works.”

“I’ve done none of that! I’m not that old! I just work out and eat right - and had good ancestors! Besides, why the hell do you care?” Again, she attempted to regain some control.

“Curiosity. Knowing who and what I’m dealing with.”

“You could’ve found that out for yourself before - personally. You still can,” she added delicately.

Tom chuckled. “My point is, Catherine, that you have this reputation - of heartlessly screwing your way up here, and having every physical enhancement possible.”

“You should know that’s not true.”

“How would I know? Our relationship’s been friendly, but, mostly professional.”

Catherine pursed her lips together, considering her response. “Professional, huh. Doesn’t seem to bother you that what you just did broke a few laws. And you, the Boy Scout.”

Tom raised his eyebrows briefly. “No more than the suggestion you - the one with the power - just made to me! Besides, after what you’ve done, you’d have the colossal gall to gripe about this?”

Catherine frustratedly pursed her lips together a moment. “Obviously not!”

Tom crossed his arms in front of him comfortably.

“I was hoping to change all that. Finally. You’re brilliant at what you do - I’ve always admired you for that. You’re a great writer, and the most creative talent we’ve seen around here for a long time. Everyone in the company knows that - and many people outside it. I need you here, helping me, and - I need you to be a good friend, too. With all the people working around me, I don’t have one I can call a true friend. Maybe Marge - and I’m not completely sure about her yet either. She’s been here awhile.”

“Not surprising, with your reputation. Especially after hooking up with McGarrity! What’d you expect? And what makes you think I could be one? I’m just a hardworking cowboy with time off the ranch - not exactly in your league, am I, Miss Stewart.”

“Oh, cut it out, Thomas! We come from the same place. I’ve just been around a little longer. In a year or two you could be here easily, doing a better job than me - with half the effort. But you wouldn’t want that, would you.”

“Nope. I’m happy with what I do. I’ve got another book deal. In a few years, I won’t need to do any of this. I do it for the fun of it.”

She issued a bitter laugh. “The fun of it. There’s a novel concept.”

“Life’s what you make it. You could’ve had it differently if you wanted. The Program Director job at my Arizona station was yours for the taking. A bigger station, it would’ve been a nice step up in pay and visibility. But it wasn’t enough for you. You wouldn’t’ve had to screw McGarrity to get this one. Must’ve been something you wanted.” He kept referring to one of the most influential and powerful V.P.’s of the parent company, whose recommendation was necessary, and she’d gotten, to obtain this position. “He’s a slime ball! Utterly corrupt and without a shred of morality! How’d you ever do it?”

She stared silently again, more unsettled by this part of their conversation. “It - it was right there. This opportunity, right in front of me, like you said, and he knew I wanted it. He thrust it in my face as a possibility, just beyond my grasp - always talking about the job, and the power and the prestige it would be, especially for a young woman in this company. I worked my whole life for this opportunity, and I knew he could take it away from me in a heartbeat. So, I gave in - by accident at first. Then, after we - got together - once - I figured, what the hell, and became what he wanted for a few months. We made a deal. I give him what he wants for a little while, then he gives me what I want.”

The Promotion Director shook his head. “How’d you know he’d actually go through with it afterward?”

“He promised me.”

“Oh, God.”

“Besides, I told him if I did this, and he didn’t give me the position - I’d kill the bastard!”

Tom chuckled again. “Yeah, I’m sure that scared him.”

She shrugged. “Like you said, he had nothing to lose. If I’m a success, they make more money, get a better station, and he’d have more sexy young broads to play with. I’d be just a temporary fling anyway. We weren’t serious, he knows I never loved him. He’d never want me around longer than that - and I’m in line for the position anyway. It’s an ego thing with him. Every time he looks at me he leers, letting me know that he’s the reason that I’m here, that he got me into bed a few times to do whatever he wanted, so that’s why I’m here.”

“Yeah. He owns you,” he added disgustedly.

“So he thinks. Like most men - until you leave them. Doyle’s no different. I told him that was it, once I was here. Never again. There’s only so much humiliation and domination I could take.”

“I believe that’s the point I was making. A talented and attractive woman like yourself - they’d’ve had to give you this job within a year or two anyway - without that.”

“I could never be sure, and - I didn’t want to wait. I’m not getting any younger. It was right there!”

“But you’re paying the price for it now, Catherine.”

“There’s always a price. Nothing’s free. That’s why I need you. To help me pull this out. I can’t go back down again - I’d have to leave the business. I could never subject myself to that again!”

“Why? You did it all the way up! What, you find your Daddy’s religion all of a sudden?”

“That’s what you believe?”

“You did it before.”

“That’s the only time I did it,” she stated forcefully.

“Really.”

“Really! I wanted you to know that. I’ve had two damn men I’ve slept with in fourteen years! And the other one I was in love with.” She sighed. “He just didn’t want to leave his wife! He told me they were separated, getting a divorce, even gave me a ring. But, after six months, he took off to another company, with another broad, and said adios!”

“One of those ‘why buy the cow’ things, huh.”

“I suppose, retrospectively. I’m usually protective of exactly that! I thought I knew him, but -” he shrugged.

“Break your heart?”

“Sure. A little. I’m not without feelings.”

“He was in the business?”

She nodded. “Programming Director, five years ago.”

“And that’s it? In fourteen years?” he asked skeptically.

“Yeah! Except for college. I was a virgin when I got there!”

“No kidding.”

“No! No kidding! Dammit, Tommy! I had one boyfriend, my Sophomore and Junior year, and lost my virginity to him. Then, he became captain of the football team, got famous, and had a million other girls to screw! Which he did. That sort of ended my infatuation with him. Then I just dated, and didn’t trust anybody. Until the Program Director, whom I thought was sincere, and I was in love again. Men - they want to screw you for a little while, then they’re off somewhere else.”

“Yeah, there are no women who would do that, huh,” he commented drolly.

“I don’t date them.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Besides, once you get here, you work your tail off. If you do it right, you have no other life. We’re not all talented, laid-back goddam geniuses like you! Which is another reason to have you here.”

Tom sat further back while they stared silently at each other awhile.

“So? You going to help me out?”

“What are you asking? I’ve been here two weeks while you’re cavorting around playing the beautiful big-shot.”

“You know what I’m asking, dammit! You should’ve realized by now that I have - strong feelings for you. You’re not that stupid - even at twenty-eight.”

“You have strong feelings for McGarrity, too? Because I hate the S.O.B. and everything he stands for. He knows enough not to bother me, because I’ll just spit in his face. He’s all show - he wouldn’t rumble with me.”

“Probably not. No, I don’t have feelings for him - not like you’re saying. I mean, I’ve always considered us friends, and, at the time, doing what I did with him - I suppose I managed to have plenty of feelings. But, I’m - sensitive - that way. Physically. I was ashamed. After.”

“Yeah, after. Very penitent. Still difficult to believe. For pete sakes, Cat - it’s a sacrilege for a woman like you to shack-up with scum like him! Especially if you were as clean as you say!”

“I am! You want me to say I made a mistake! I probably did. I try not to think about it. Wouldn’t be the first one, anyway.”

“But it’d be the worst one,” he shot back quickly. “It’s obvious you don’t see that yet.”

“I felt - terrible about it - every day since. And there’s no place I can go to get rid of the stigma!” She huffed impatiently. “If you despise me, why’d you come here? You could’ve told me to go to hell when I begged you to take the job!”

“I don’t despise you. In fact, I’ve always admired you. Even your determination to get what you want, at almost any length. I haven’t always approved of your methods, but that’s not my call. You definitely sunk to a new low in getting this position.”

“So - because of that - no close friendship - nothing between us?”

“We’re already friendly, Cat. What’re you asking me?”

The pretty Station Manager sighed, feeling she would lose more control of the situation than she already had. “That - maybe - we’d be - more.”

Tom nodded thoughtfully, narrowing his view of her. “Well, there’s a surprise,” he stated seriously.

“Oh, Jesus! You’ve got to be kidding! As smart as you are? After everything I’ve already done!”

“Mm-m. I never quite know what’s going through that pretty head, Cat. I endeavor not to think about it. Gives me headaches. Don’t need them. I’ve had enough already.”

She huffed out a quick breath. “So - that means - there can’t be anything serious between us?”

“Serious? Aren’t we supposed to be talking about work? And strategies.”

“We are! I need to get this straight first: our relationship. Because we’ll be working closely.”

“Frankly, I’d have to think long and hard about that. We’ve had a good professional relationship. I’d have to work things around in my head for awhile if there were to be anything more.” He moved up close to her and put his hand just above her knee, moving it up slightly, giving it another little squeeze. “Not bad! Satiny smooth and soft, with some good musculature underneath. You keep yourself up pretty well for an older lady.”

“Go to hell!”

“No thanks. Been there. It’s no fun.”

“Right. Well, in case you’re interested - I have a pool at the house, and try to get in twenty-five laps a day.”

“Good for you. That’s part of my regimen, too. Keeps you strong.”

“See? We already have lots of things in common.”

“Uh-huh.” He removed his hand and sat back again.

Catherine narrowed her view of him. “You know - you - you can come in here every day and do that, if you want,” she whispered. “And - even more. I don’t have anyone else - for anything. I need you for this job here, to help me get out of trouble, and - for someone closer than that. I was hoping - once I got you here - you’d see that. And be interested.” She was letting her official composure dissolve, albeit, as slowly as she could manage.

“Lonely at the top, huh.”

She nodded.

“They’re buzzards, Catherine - watching you. The guys who promoted you will be right there to pick whatever they can out of your dying carcass.”

She formed a momentary frown once more. “But you’re not like that: a man known for his integrity. I need someone like that here - and in my life.”

“After McGarrity, I’m not surprised.”

“It’s a lot more than that, Tom. What do I have to do - to make you interested? I can’t undo what I’ve already done.” She asked the unofficial question.

“I’m not sure how you mean.”

She paused before answering. “You know how I mean.”

“Mm-m. I never thought you actually wanted me to be.”

“Interested? Jesus!” She shook her head, silent another minute, trying to decide what to say, without surrendering herself completely. “Why’d you think I made all those little suggestions the last year whenever we got together? Gave you all those little hugs and friendly kisses!”

He shrugged. “Thought you liked acting sexy with men - strut your stuff, try to twist men around your finger, get your way. It wouldn’t exactly be unique!”

“Didn’t work very well, did it.”

“No. Not with me. It’s not something I respond to. Easy relationships demonstrate there’s nothing meaningful there. The fact is, it kind of repulses me.”

“Great. Now he tells me.”

“You know I’m no womanizer! That type of behavior’s confined to people like McGarrity!”

She sighed again.

“What did you want from me, Cat?”

She pouted a few moments, then, “For us to be more than business associates - more than friends.”

“You mean sex? I hardly thought that’s something you’d need me for. I was sure you’d have enough other outlets for that!”

“Thanks again! You know all the sex I had in my life. I just told you. That’s not what I’m talking about. I mean, sure, hopefully - eventually - I’m human! But, I wanted a closer relationship with you. And, I wasn’t sure how to get it. Usually I’m the one that’s being pursued! There are men everywhere who’d love to have sex. I’m asked all the time - all our women are. All I’d have to do is say yes!”

“Like I said, Cat, we’d have to see how all that works out. I’d need to have reasons.”

“Reasons.” She sighed deeply, gently shaking her head. “My God - reasons! Boy, you’re not terribly aggressive with women, are you?”

“Not particularly.”

“And as handsome and brilliant as you are - becoming famous - I don’t suppose you’ve ever had to be.”

He shrugged. “Not my style: you know: Ape man, dragging my woman back to the cave for the day’s plunder. Why? That something you like?” he offered with amusement.

“Depends on who the Ape man is. I wouldn’t mind too much if it were you! Which is the point I’ve been trying to make.”

He narrowed his view of her. “It still sounds like all you want is sex, Cat. I’m not McGarrity!”

“I know! Believe me.” Catherine sighed again, becoming frustrated. “So - what! - you’re telling me all your relationships with women are asexual?”

“I’m not telling you anything about my relationships. Just commenting on what seems to be yours.”

“You’re getting it all wrong! God, how can I be so bad at this. Maybe it’s how you affect me. I’m never quite myself when I’m around you.” She stared at him another few moments, squirming in her chair. “Look, Tom - I’m trying to tell you I’ve had strong feelings for you for quite awhile now. And - and I wanted more of a relationship with you than just professional.”

“So you think you can demand that now?”

“God! No! That’s not at all what I’m doing!”

“Then maybe you just think it’s time for a new conquest.”

“Damn you! No!” She hesitated another few moments, still not comfortable with her conversation. “I mean, having you and I get closer was part of the reason - not just sex! I mean - everything: working, living, being together, all that. It’s who you are and what you can do - everything made getting you here a big priority for me.” She huffed out another breath of air. “I was hoping this wasn’t going to be that difficult. You’re - the kind of guy I always wanted - for a man to be close to. I came to that conclusion a little after I met you - even though you were younger than me. You’re so much different than everyone else in this business - all about principles and values, honesty and integrity - not money or power. I could be - very loving and passionate with a man like that.” She had almost completely abandoned the administrative part of the discussion.

“Uh-huh,” he responded skeptically. “Then how’d you manage the whole thing with McGarrity? Or are you still managing it?”

“No! I told you that.”

“You tell me a lot of things, Catherine.”

“It’s done! It - it was just that one deal we had, and that was it. I told you I was ashamed of it.”

“Yeah. After.”

“Can’t you just let that go?”

“It’s going to be pretty tough, Cat. Explain to me how you managed to do it, and I’ll think about it. How does a sweet, Southern Baptist Preacher’s daughter, from the Bible belt in South Carolina, first in her journalism class, wind up whoring herself for a piece of dirt like him? Huh! I can’t make that work in my head.”

Catherine stared down at the floor a moment, then looked up. “I took a Valium - and got smashed! Then, I fantasized he was my dream adonis - usually you - then did whatever he wanted.”

“Sounds wonderful! Fake your orgasms, too?”

“No.” She managed to blush ever so slightly. “I never had any problem having those - the way I’m made. Especially with the Valium and booze in me.”

“Uh-h-h - wouldn’t that slow you down?”

“Not really. At least, not for me. He’d take Viagra, or Levitra, something like that, and he’d be up for hours. It wasn’t all that difficult.”

“Unreal. Both of you hopped up on drugs to get off. Helluva romantic experience that was.”

“What can I tell you. I thought I was doing what I had to - as a matter of personal survival. Surprising what you can do when you get desperate.”

“That’s the problem, Cat - you got desperate. Over something as stupid as a promotion - that you’d have gotten eventually just doing your job honorably!”

She frowned and looked away before looking back. She had no good response, not for this man.

He leaned closer to her again and reached his hand out to her neck, grasping and massaging it. “How do you know you’ll never get desperate again - do it all over? That’s the trouble with desperation - it’s a narcotic.”

“I - I’ll never do it again,” she whispered, her breathy voice indicating she was already getting herself internally aroused. “I swear to God I won’t, Tom. If - if I’d had the right man in my life at the time - I’d never have done it in the first place.” She was breathing a little harder, anticipating something happening between them. “I gave you enough damn chances!”

Tom Melici continued to stare directly into her eyes. “You ever going to play tricks on me, Catherine? Lie to me - about anything?”

“No! I’ll never lie to you, Tom. I promise. No tricks - I’m not like that.”

“Won’t stab me in the back to gain an advantage?”

She shook her head.

“Say the words! Men are idealists - they can lie all the time. Women are practical, and verbal. If they say it, they generally try to mean it.”

She smiled. “Always the little psychologist, huh.”

“It helps.”

“I’ll never stab you in the back, never try to gain an advantage. I’ll never work against your interests. I swear to God.”

“And you won’t try to have me fired.”

“For godsakes, of course I won’t fire you! You’ll have a free reign. Honest to God! Why else would I bring you here?”

“Well, for awhile there, it sounded like sex!”

“Shit! Give me a goddam break!”

“You’re going to help me all you can?”

She nodded. “Every way I can, of course I’ll help you. Happy now? Why don’t I just give you the damn General Manager’s job!”

He shook his head. “Don’t want it. That’s your gig. I just want to be able to do mine, Cat, without having to look over my shoulder or steppin’ in bear traps. You want to be friends - it’s a two-way street!”

“I know. It will be, believe me... Bear traps - Jesus!”

“If you don’t honor your word - just once, for the smallest thing - I’m out of here, instantly. I don’t need it. And in the middle of a campaign that you won’t be running - you’d be up the creek, and I won’t bail you out. Everything’ll crash down on your head.”

“I know that! Damn you! You know how I feel about you, and you’re pushing your advantage for everything it’s worth! And you say I’m the manipulator.” Her passion and frustration finally boiled out, dominating her conversation.

He massaged her neck and part of her upper chest. “You’d better be exactly what you say you are, Cat. I hate wasting my time. Life’s too precious, and way too short.”

“I am!”

“You are, huh. Think you can actually be loyal to someone?”

“Of course! I’ve always been. I just - got carried away this time, with some very powerful conflicting emotions. And trying to be a superstar.”

“Uh-huh. That’s where you and I differ. I’ve never seen that as an advantage.”

“I know. It’s part of what attracts me to you.”

“That’s kind of an oxymoron with you, isn’t it?”

She gave a little shrug. “Maybe it’s just - returning to my roots.”

He moved closer and ran his fingers across her lips. She grabbed hold of his hand and provided a string of kisses to his fingers. Tom pulled his hand back and gave her a little chuck under the chin, then sat back in his chair, abandoning her building excitement.

“There’s lots more than that, you know.”

“Yeah! Like what?” he said with amusement.

“You don’t want to know.”

He offered a small laugh. “We need to get to work if want to save your cute little tail.”

She smiled coyly. “I was hoping you’d want to do a lot more than that with it.”

Tom smiled back. “We’ll have to see how everything develops, Cat. Why don’t you order up some lunch and we can start going over all the paperwork and schedules.”

“Okay. Sure. I guess I can tolerate being your secretary for a little while.”

“You want me here?”

She stared at him a moment. “You sonovabitch! You’d better not screw me! I mean - you know what I mean!”

The handsome features smiled again. “Order me a roast beef sandwich, LT, on rye, uh, toast, and a glass of buttermilk.”

“You’re kidding! Never mind. Of course you’re not kidding.” She sighed and got up to go to her phone, straightening herself out as she did so. The food ordered, she sat back behind the desk, watching Tom, not sure how to proceed. She pushed the thick file with the work they had to scrutinize toward him, past his hat; he grabbed it up and began looking through it.

After ten minutes of review, Tom looked back up at her. “I can’t believe they’re even doing as well as they are with this crap. This is a recipe for disaster. Didn’t you see that?”

“It didn’t look that bad to me. What do you mean?”

“Why’d you think the stations are running in the red? Bad luck!”

“Something like that. Broadcasting’s a very fickle business.”

He shook his head. “Not when it happens consistently for years! The station’s not doing things that are in its best interests. It’s in the interest of the parent corporation, with all the trade deals they make, plus their perks - and the TV network gets you to carry their feed even when the demographic is off. You lose audience share. But there’s no overall plan for station success! TV or radio. Everyone’s messing around, having fun! This isn’t a business. This is a club.”

Tom thought silently a few more minutes. “They absolutely want you to fail, Catherine. There’s no way the feeble minds who put you here would ever think you’d pull it out of the fire. Three months here and you’ve flat-lined! Another six months of this and you’re history - somebody else is back in your saddle again, demanding to use you as a sex slave! That’s your real value to them: you humble and turning tricks for them and their upper echelon friends - damn the station!”

She stared down at her desk and then back up into Tom’s blue eyes. “I can’t let that happen, Thomas. If I can’t make it here, after what I did - then hiring you, as brilliant as you are - then I can’t make it. It’s time for something else. I’ll have to go. I won’t be anyone’s sex slave. Well - not any of theirs, anyway.”

The new Promotion Director scrutinized her.

“I swear to God! If what you say is true, then I did make a horrible mistake - maybe a few of them. Worse than I ever thought.”

“How’d you not look that far ahead? See all the possibilities.”

She shrugged daintily. “Ambition. And enough conceit to think I could pull it off if I was lucky enough to get here. And hire you.”

“Wow. There really is a naive preacher’s daughter floating around inside there somewhere, huh!”

“Yeah. Looks like those mistakes will be enormous - if you can’t pull it out. I always had you in mind to be here with me. I knew there was no way for me to do it by myself.”

“What if I didn’t come?”

“I’d be screwed! It was a big gamble. And I took it. That’s why I gave in to you and everyone else - made all the deals I did to get you.”

Tom shook his head. “If you really are what you say, and did what you did - that’s a genuine Greek tragedy for a woman like that, you know that?”

She shrugged. “Some things you only learn by doing.”

“Bull! You need to jump off the cliff to see what it’s like when you hit bottom? Jeez, Cat. The destruction of innocense is a monumentally pathetic thing.”

“Well, if it loses me someone like you, it’ll be the dumbest thing I’ve ever done.”

Tom shook his head briefly again, then sat back down, picked up the file, continuing to look through it.

The comely Station Manager sat and watched him, now more unhappy with her past year’s performance than ever. Sometimes you do things in your life that you’re not proud of, and, afterward, you wonder how you ever managed to do them in the first place. She thought back half a year, and how she’d gotten into this predicament.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Until three months ago, Catherine Stewart was the Program Director at a small Argent Media Corporation Radio-TV complex in San Antonio, Texas. She’d been there four years. Prior to that she was in radio for three years in Baton Rouge as a Production Supervisor and News Coordinator, and before that a journalist at an Austin, Texas newspaper. She’d always worked hard both before and after graduation, earning top honors in college, but found afterward that brilliance and talent were not always enough. Working within the media industry was often brutalizing to one’s ego, and surely not the track for one with thin skin. Despite her competence, she’d seen people pass her by that didn’t have half her abilities, either because of someone they knew, or special favors they provided for important people. She did her best to live with the imperfections, although it constantly irritated her. Even being beautiful wasn’t enough - to rise to the highest positions - sometimes even when a woman actually did sleep her way through all the management. You needed more, and that continually irked her.

When Doyle McGarrity, Vice President of Operations, flew down from the Dallas Division office to speak with her, he told her the General Manager’s job would be open in LA, an AM-FM-TV group which, he said, they wanted to update and transform into a more progressive and prosperous market. They wanted someone young as Station Manager for all three stations, to furnish a new image, and make it prosperous. Cat’s hormones flowed at the prospects of getting what would be her dream job. The V.P. left, letting it hang out there, where it twisted around her innards, and her ambition became palpable; but there was even more to it than that. It was an opportunity for the power to accomplish new things, with the people she wanted; at the top of that list was Tom Melici.

When the V.P. dropped by a week after that, she asked what the timetable was for the LA stations; he told her it was a loose one, but sometime this year they’d like to make the change. Her interest growing more by the week, she investigated the station and its history, and believed she could handle the job, as long as she was allowed to hire the right people to help her. She asked McGarrity if she could be seriously considered. He informed her that she certainly had many of the qualifications they wanted, but there were several good candidates that Division was looking at, he’d have to inject her into their deliberations. Two weeks later, he came back and told her he’d spoken to the other top people and she would in fact be considered for the position; he said it was probably a longshot, since the others looked very capable, but he’d put in some good words for her.

A week after that McGarrity told her Division would make a choice soon, he thought she’d like to know. Impatient, Catherine called him ten days later to ask if they’d made their decision yet, was there someone else she could interview with. He stated, she’d interviewed with him already - the final choice was being left to him. She asked if they could they meet to discuss it, and he replied, sure, he’d see her in a few days.

At the meeting, Doyle McGarrity, a 43 year old ruggedly handsome native of Arkansas - an original good ole boy, except for being born wealthy into an influential family and became even richer when he married - sat down with her. He informed her that she personally impressed him, and he might further consider her if they discussed everything over a few more dates. Still a relatively simple southern girl, she asked if it wasn’t true that he was married, and he said it was, but the marriage was a business arrangement, for their families, his wife never minded; she had her own life, too, they had a completely “open marriage.” Not sounding completely horrible through the prism of her ambition, she accepted the idea, and the dates. They first had dinner and drinks at a palatial hotel restaurant, then he took her up to his penthouse suite where they had a few more cocktails, and later sat on their bed before a 60 inch HD television screen running “Last Tango in Paris.”

McGarrity put his arm around her and asked if any of their evening together said stimulated her, and she replied that it did, slightly. She was half drunk, silly and playful, and had a pleasant time all night. The man said if she was a little more romantic with him, he could just about guarantee her the General Manger job. He’d like her to be his “protege.” In some respects, it sounded promising, although completely antithetical to the values her minister father had raised her with; it was the beginning of the downward slide of the slippery slope, which Catherine elected not to see. After a little more discussion, they progressed to some holding and caressing, evolving into making out.

Kissing and hugging led to petting, and when he was sure his beautiful, semi-drunken date was sufficiently stimulated, McGarrity unbuttoned her blouse, and immediately began caressing her beautiful breasts; soon after, he removed her blouse, bra, skirt, and started kissing, biting, and suckling everywhere on her body, arousing the inebriated woman even more.

Catherine felt good, and between the food, the wine, and the several nightcaps, surrendered to the sexual ministrations of her suitor; after all, they’d known each other awhile, he’d originally hired her, and she considered them friends. With further exploration of her intimate anatomy, Doyle peaked Catherine’s sensitivity and passion to intense levels. Her sexual desires increased exponentially with the V.P.’s constant sexual ministrations, his hands and fingers everywhere on and in her. Having let their activity get this far, the sultry Cat Stewart found herself moaning and panting, wantonly desiring more sexual contact, allowing McGarrity access to do whatever he willed.

The V.P. continued his sexual aggression of the enticing woman for the next couple of hours, bringing forth several orgasms from her overstimulated body, as she succumbed to every erotic request and physical suggestion he made, to the delight of a thoroughly happy, sexually excited, and enthusiastic Doyle McGarrity. Her passion was powerful, provocative, and he discovered he could keep her emotionally inflamed and orgasmic for hours.

It didn’t take long for the V.P. to believe that Catherine was his, to do anything he wanted, as long as he wanted, whenever he wanted. Eventually he left her there, sleeping, to wake up to a solitary bed, a bad hangover, and wondering what in God’s name she’d done. It was a week later before he saw her again at the station, and told her they were having lunch. During the meal she asked if the position was hers; he told her it was, if she continued as his escort for the next year. She said that was too long, there were many logistical things wrong with it, in addition to the fact that they weren’t in love and he was still married, however openly. With McGarrity’s continual, skilled pressuring of her, and naturally holding all the cards, Catherine settled on a sexual alliance with him for the next few months, seeing him as he desired with dates like their last one. He told her if she wanted the job, that was the deal: to be available whenever and for whatever he wanted. In turn, she’d attain the coveted position she much desired. Since she’d already made her deal with the Devil once, so to speak, she resigned herself to continue it for a limited time to attain her goal.

And so it went, for the next three months, each morning afterward challenging herself for her wicked misbehavior the night before. It finally came to an end when she obtained that which she had sought, and she told the V.P. their arrangement was done, it would never happen again. She’d lived up to her part, the deal was completed, their lustful intimacy over. The man simply smiled and told her he’d see her again; be sure to do well.

A month later she was ensconced in the new station as General Manager, introduced by Doyle McGarrity. After thanking him publicly, and an informal get-to-know-you buffet in the conference room at four o’clock Monday afternoon, everyone got down to business. Her first protocol was to call Tom Melici in Phoenix to tell him of her promotion and plead with him to take the job of Advertising and Promotion Director to help revamp the limping LA stations. It took a month of phone calls and promises for him to agree, then another two months making deals with Division and trades with several other stations, including Tom’s, to finally get him there.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Two

After another twenty minutes studying market data, Tom looked back to Catherine, who’d quietly watched him with her own reflections, entertaining a variety of mixed emotions.

“It’s completely messed up, but anything’s fixable, albeit with radical help.”

“Oh, great! You have any ideas?”

Tom laughed. “What were yours?”

“To call you! That’s as far as I got.”

He chuckled again, shaking his head. “Unbelievable. You’re a regular Riverboat gambler!”

She shrugged, a tiny frown on her face.

“Well - you need a major change of focus. What we’re doing now’s killing us. Since radio has a limited budget, AM and FM will have to go to similar formats, at least for the short term. You can’t do two different radio concepts with what you have. And, trust me, they won’t front you one dime more right now - because they don’t actually want you to succeed.”

Cat sighed.

Tom shook his head again. “You really didn’t see this?”

She shrugged again, dejectedly.

“Okay. So, there’s no harmony now, no singular image reinforcement anywhere. Nobody knows who or what you are - besides also-ran failures.”

“Are you getting to the good part soon?” she asked impatiently.

The young Director smiled. “We’ll consolidate one image on both radio stations, which will consolidate and streamline everything else: employees, advertising, and so on. That will free up more funding for advertising, which is our life blood. You don’t have half enough now; and what you do have is inept and ineffective. We can intersperse music programming with some of the hit talk radio syndications, like Limbaugh or O’Reilly, things like that - they’re hot.”

“LA’s a liberal town.”

“Irrelevant! First, it’s not exclusively liberal. The Governor hasn’t always been. Second, it’ll create dialogue, provoke controversy - it all works for you. Besides, where do you think all the moderates and hard core conservatives go for entertainment - South Carolina? We don’t reach the Bible belt! Then, maybe we go against the grain entirely, and do Country. Mm-m, probably Country-Rock.”

Catherine sighed, wide-eyed. “Oh God,” she lamented. “I’m going down in flames, aren’t I!”

Tom glared at her. “You don’t trust me?”

“Of course. Who the hell else have I got! I thought you were going to be my knight in shining armor, that was going to protect my cute little ass!”

The Promotion Director chuckled softly. “I will if you go along. The problem with the schnooks who hired you is that once they decide something’s impossible, they stop thinking. That’s why they have creative people like me, who don’t do that. You play it close to the vest, Cat - except for the idiotic McGarrity thing. You’ve always been a corporate creature - they’d never expect something wild out of you - which is why they happily handed you this pit of quicksand, knowing you’ll get stuck, and need their help to get you out - at their price.”

“Wonderful.”

“You need to do something drastic if you want to survive.” He scrutinized her analytically. “You going to be on board with this? If not, I might as well leave now!”

“Please! Don’t even think about it! I’m dead if you go.”

“You didn’t think about that before?”

“Of course! I played out all my cards!”

“You mean, the couple you had.”

“Sorry you came here now?” she asked tentatively.

“Not yet! You going to make me?”

“No! I was hoping exactly the opposite!”

“Okay then. We’ll need major changes.”

“What about the world of screaming liberals out there? Won’t they crucify us? Right alongside Division?”

“Sure! No sweat. More publicity. If it gets hectic enough, our news shows can do a story on it, maybe a documentary, make an even bigger noise. The more notorious we become, the more our ratings skyrocket. Even the people that hate you watch and listen to you. Howard Stern almost singlehandedly forged that road already! Our proper administrators don’t get that.”

The pretty brunette laughed, shaking her head. “What an incredible optimist. That’s what I love about you. Nothing’s impossible.”

“Never. Not until you’re dead. That’s what my father always told me.”

“Good man.”

“The absolute best.”

“That’s not exactly the message I got from mine.”

“A minister? Couldn’t have been far off.”

“His focus was on the afterlife, and how to comport oneself to get there. I didn’t want to get there at all!”

Tom chuckled. “Neither did I. There’s plenty to do right here.”

“So it seems. What about the rest?”

“Mm-m. For TV, we’ll need to dump or DB any of the network that’s not working for us, put in our own local programming - geared to our audience - make it cost effective. Get some shows and movies in syndication that our demographic will like, and run them instead. We’ll have to stay on top of things, scrutinize the Nielsens and our own market research - I’ll need to hire a new manager immediately - then we’ll cut or delay anything not suited to our theme and audience.”

“The network will hate that. You have to write them fifty reasons why you’re even delaying broadcast let alone dumping it altogether.”

“Screw ‘em. Let them scream! Our purpose is to promote this station, not be an advertising tool for the network. You guys don’t even have weekend cartoons for the kids! How’d they do that? Saturday and Sunday, two, three hours, cartoons and maybe some local guy with a shtick - you know, a magician, Happy the Clown, Kaptain Kangaroo, something like that. Science and computer shows later on for the more intellectual, geeky kids. That’s a big audience now.”

“For kids like you!”

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