***
“Brilliant work ladies!” Kevin seemed thrilled as he, Angelique and Mona walked to the elevator.
“What are you talking about?” Mona cut her eyes at him. “If it wasn’t for Randall, Morgan & Morgan would be scheduling ad buys of your awful commercial.”
“Why didn’t you listen to us when we told you not do that in the first place?” Angelique asked as the trio stepped into the elevator.
He hummed for a minute.
“So you’re just gonna ignore us?”
He grinned. “That was my plan all along. I didn’t want your input because I wanted to show them something shitty.”
“Why?”
“You ladies just don’t get it. Consulting is all about M.B.H. that is…more billable hours! Baby oh baby! Now I’m on tap to make triple what I projected.” He sprayed his mouth with a mint breath spray and tugged triumphantly at his collar as they stepped off the elevator.
“So you’re basically gouging them?”
“That’s such a crude term. We both know this fucking place has deep pockets.” He paused. “I gotta go ladies; I’ve got a lunch date, but I’ll catch you back at the office.”
“Yeah, in about three hours,” Mona said under her breath as he walked away.
“What the hell is up with that guy?” Angelique asked incredulously.
“Later for him. So what are you in the mood for...sushi, Mexican or Thai?”
“Definitely sushi.”
“Well, sushi is fine with me as long as we can toast with a little celebratory sake.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not in the mood to celebrate after what just happened upstairs.”
“I’m not talking about that.”
“So what are you talking about?”
“Come on. Let’s get out of here, and I’ll tell you,” Mona said as they exited the building onto Madison Avenue. She held up her hand to hail a taxi. “So how are things with you and your dentist friend?”
“Don’t change the topic. You know I hate when you do that. What is the cause for celebration?” Angelique asked as a taxi pulled up.
“43rd and Third please!” she hollered out to the cabbie as they climbed into the backseat.
“Relax,” Mona said. “I’m not gonna leave you in suspense. I promise to tell you everything, so the least you can do is tell me what happened on your date with Larry.” She then took a compact mirror out of her purse and reapplied the dark red lipstick to her full lips.
Angelique took a deep breath.
“It was that bad, huh?”
“Larry took me to a wine tasting. He was a nice enough guy, but things took a crazy turn after the sommelier let us sample some Shiraz. Larry gulped down his wine like it was a shot of tequila then, out of nowhere, he started mouthing off about how he can really see a future with me. Girl, he practically proposed to me.”
Mona laughed. “OMG!”
“I know, my thoughts exactly. Larry told me that it was just the wine talking, and he had no intention of scaring me off with talks of marriage on the first date. Sure, he was a little tipsy, but I think that he’s still depressed about his divorce.”
“That sucks.”
“I do feel sorry for him but not sorry enough to agree to a second date, not even out of sympathy.”
“So the lesson in all of this is simple...no more speed dating!”
Angelique chuckled as the cabbie pulled up in front of Sushi Yasuda. She paid the fare, and they walked inside the restaurant. There was a sea of finely creased slacks, pencil skirts, button up shirts and ties donned by the crowd of businessmen and women. Located in East Midtown near Grand Central Station, Sushi Yasuda was one of the nicest and most frequented Japanese restaurants in the five boroughs. Angelique and Mona sat at the sushi bar enjoying a platter of sashimi. There was plenty of shrimp, salmon, tuna and samples of other exotic fish. Angelique dipped a piece of salmon sashimi into the green wasabi sauce and took a bite. In a flash, it felt like her mouth was on fire. Once the fiery flavor of the wasabi faded, she savored the fresh salmon.
Years ago, she thought sushi was gross; now, she indulged once a week. It had proven to be an acquired taste, just like the Cabernet Sauvignon that she once thought was bitter, but her palette had evolved. As she approached her 30th birthday, a lot had changed about Angelique. But some things remained the same. Angelique was still surprised at how she stood up to her boss at the Morgan & Morgan meeting. Little did she know, it was all part of Kevin’s whacky scheme to get more money out of the client.
“Can I order two sakes please?” Mona asked the waitress.
“Yes, I will get them right away ma’am.” She walked away.
“You still haven’t told me what you’re celebrating,” Angelique said.
“I’m thinking about starting my own shop.”
“Really?”
“Yep, and I’m this close to landing my first big client.” She motioned about an inch in length with her fingers.
The waitress returned with the sakes; Angelique and Mona thanked her.
Mona lifted one of the small ceramic cups, and Angelique followed suit. Mona exclaimed with a smirk, “To new beginnings…”
Their cups clinked together. “I’m so happy for you girl; I think it’s great that you’re going out on your own.”
The duo sipped their sakes to seal the occasion.
“Yeah, it’s exciting,” Mona said.
“So who is your first potential client?”
“Mandingo Records.”
Angelique nearly spit out her drink. She coughed. “Man-din-go…Records? Girl, you can’t be serious!”
Mona nodded. “Big Buck got in touch with me. He needs some consulting services.”
“With his reputation, I’m sure that’s not the only thing he has in mind.”
“Well, I have a meeting set up with him at his office next Wednesday, and I want you to come with me.”
“Come on girl, you’ll be fine without me. You can totally handle your own.”
“I know, but we’ve always made one helluva team. Nobody can deny that. Today isn’t the first time we’ve saved Kevin’s ass, and aren’t you sick of it. If that clown can be partner then what does that say about a place like QMI Global? They don’t have a glass ceiling. It’s a glass cage! The only way you can get ahead is by making your own opportunities.”
“That’s true, but Mandingo Records? That’s not exactly something you can put at the top of your resume.”
Mona took a long sip of sake. “So this is about ethics? What about all those times we worked with Phillip Morris? At least Mandingo Records doesn’t put out products that send folks to an early grave. On the contrary, I’m pretty sure quite a few babies have been made with their music playing in the background.”
Angelique couldn’t help but smile. “I know, but you know I’m not comfortable around people like Big Buck. And what if...what if Kevin finds out?”
“Fuck Kevin. This is a chance for us to do something major. Mandingo Records could be a three-million dollar account, and I’ll be happy to cut you in on it.”
“Let me think about it girl.”
Mona finished her last bit of sake and said, “You’ve got one and a half-million reasons to say yes. I know how you feel about Big Buck, but you don’t have to do anything that you’re uncomfortable with.”
“You would really split that money with me?”
Mona nodded. “In six months, you can make ten times as much as you make at QMI, plus you get to be your own boss. If everything goes well, we can build up a whole portfolio of clients. Then, sometime next year, we’ll arrange a private meeting with Randall and the rest of the board to swoop up Morgan & Morgan just to spite Kevin.”
Angelique smiled at the thought. Everything Mona said sounded good, but she had to really think carefully about her decision. She knew from other consultants who started their own businesses that clients didn’t always pay on time. What if Big Buck signed a contract a
greeing to pay three million dollars, but he only could afford a tiny portion of that. Suing clients for past due accounts was costly and often futile.
At QMI Global, Angelique could still count on her check every two weeks. She was aware that entrepreneurs were risk takers by nature, and that was the furthest thing from her MO. She was a creature of habit who liked reliability and consistency. There was also a big part of Angelique that still wanted to fulfill her dream of making partner at a Fortune 500 company, but there was another part of her that knew that Mona was right. Ten years from now, there was a chance that she’d still be stuck in a glass cage reporting to a bozo like Kevin if she stayed at QMI.
“So what’s it gonna be girl? Are you in?” Mona asked.
“I need a little more time to think about it, but I promise to let you know my final answer by tomorrow.”